LGBTQ+ supporters protest outside new church in Kelowna
Protest outside new church
Waving signs and carrying a Pride flag, a small group of protesters showed up outside Praxis Church on Valley Road in Kelowna Sunday.
The protest was organized to show that the LGBTQ+ community won’t stand idly by in the face of discrimination.
“We all just wanted to come together and just show them that we are here and we see them and we are valid and this whole community is valid, and nothing that they say and nothing that they can say about the bible is going to change that,” said protest organizer Leesa Resch.
Several people have pointed to information from the church’s website that says it does not condone same-sex marriage or homosexual lifestyles.
"We do not condone same sex marriage or homosexual lifestyles. Additionally, we believe that God has created men and women as two distinct sexual beings. Any discrepancy between ones biological sex and gender identity is due to the effects of sin in the world," the church states in its statement of beliefs.
Pastor Josh Dool posted a couple of videos on the church’s Facebook page in response to the outrage in the LGBTQ+ community.
He doesn’t deny the allegations but argues people can still have a difference in belief and not "hate" others.
“We want to be able to enter into a friendly, civil dialogue with anyone who’s interested,” said Dool in one of his videos.
He goes on to say, “Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and you’re welcome to post comments, you are, but Kelowna please, this time can we keep things just a little bit more classy.”
Resch calls it frustrating. “That in this day and age, in 2021, we have to be here because somebody is anti-gay and anti-trans. Like, who are we hurting? Yet, they are hurting us."
On the Praxis website, it notes Kelowna was chosen for its new church for its central location and notes Praxis wants to ‘plant’ churches throughout the Okanagan.
'You can't pray the gay away': Threats of
violence made, protest held over beliefs of
new church in Kelowna
Kendra Mangione
Reporter and producer,
CTVNewsVancouver.ca
VANCOUVER -- A new church in B.C.'s Okanagan has prompted protests and even threats of violence due to its publicly posted beliefs.
The criticism of and action against Praxis Church in Kelowna has been in response to a statement on the church's website, which includes that believers should support marriage only between men and women.
"We believe that divorce, adultery and homosexuality constitute a violation of God's intention for marriage and sexuality as laid out in the Holy Bible. We do not condone same sex marriage or homosexual lifestyles," the church's website says.
Additionally, the church claims anyone who doesn't identify as cisgender, meaning their personal identity and gender don't correspond with their sex, has been influenced by "sin of the world."
The church's website also says its vision is to "plant" similar churches throughout the Okanagan, which will be geared towards recruiting younger people, those who've recently moved to the area, and what it describes as "the unchurched."
A small group of protesters stood outside the church on Sunday carrying a Pride flag and signs, including one that read, "You can't pray the gay away," according to Castanet.net.
The protest's organizer told Castanet her intention was to show residents in the LGBTQ+ community that they are supported.
The church's pastor, Josh Dool, posted a video on Facebook at the end of July, which he called a response to some of the controversy. He said criticism has spread online across the country, and the church has even received threats of violence.
In his video, Dool suggested the beliefs posted on the church's website have led to assumptions that may not be accurate.
He said just because a member or the church itself disagrees with someone doesn't mean they hate or fear that person. Additionally, he said that loving someone doesn't mean a person agrees with everything they do.
He called these beliefs "nonsense," and said, "For the record, we don't hate anyone. We don't require anyone to adhere to a set of moral codes or standards in order to show up to Praxis."
Dool said the statement of faith isn't being posted anywhere other than its site, and there is no intention to legislate any of its beliefs.
Acknowledging comments coming from across Canada, he said the beliefs were part of "an internal document," which was posted in response to questions from those in the community about where the church stands.
He said he believes "obedience to Jesus is the pathway to the most joy in life… We desire people to enter into this joy, but we want to be a church where people can come and skirt the edges and check it out and see what it means, wrestle through what it means, to be a follower of Jesus."
In the church's definition of what it means, this involves following the Bible as the inerrant word of God.
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