Repent America

{{bronze}}{{christianity}}
'''Repent America''', as the ominous name would suggest, is an [[Evangelical]] organization that organizes protests (euphemistically described as "outreaches") against things that cause [[Jesus]] no end of worry. Christ appointed their leader, Michael Marcavage, as his chosen man to deliver [[moral]] lectures to unwilling audiences through the medium of bullhorns.<ref>[http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1150897281/Repent-preacher-found-guilty-in-Halloween-disturbance Repent preacher found guilty in Halloween disturbance]</ref>

==Guiding beliefs==
Repent America adheres to [[Biblical literalism]] and [[Biblical inerrancy]].<ref>[http://www.repentamerica.com/webelieve.html Repent America: We believe]</ref> On the page stating their beliefs, Repent America takes [[Cherry picking|the usual evangelical approach]] of drawing heavily from the parts of the [[Old Testament]] that they find attractive, while avoiding rules that could require them to treat adulterers and disobedient children with a liberal application of stones. Their beliefs page includes [[Rationalwiki:Annotated Bible/Exodus#Exodus 20:24|Exodus 20:24]], which states:

{{quotebox|An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.}}

There have as of yet been no reports of Repent America members offering pleasing aromas to the Lord.

As is common with the [[fundamentalist]] wing of [[Christianity]], they believe laws that give equality regardless of sexual/gender orientation are [[Religious freedom|somehow discriminatory against Christians]] because it prevents them from telling the 
kikes
 
micks
 
spades
 
wops
 [[homosexual]]s what they think of their [[Degenerate|depraved]] way of life.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090625171011/http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/groups/repent-america Right Wing Watch on Repent America] fighting for the right to be [[bigot]]s for [[God]]</ref> This is consistent with the [[wingnut]] brigade's [[Persecution complex|belief that they're constantly being persecuted]] — despite Christians being the overwhelming majority in this country.

==Requirements for members==
[[File:A fair Puritan.png|thumb|right|Repent America's dress-code for women harks back to an era when women dressed properly, spending time in between [[Pregnancy|pregnancies]] collecting herbs or something.]]
Members are required to subscribe to the beliefs referenced earlier in this article, and if wishing to attend an outreach, must also accept the following:<ref>[http://www.repentamerica.com/images/EOG.pdf Evangelistic Outreach Guidelines (PDF)]</ref>

===I. Prerequisites/Requirements===
*You must be [[born again]]. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/John#John 3:7|John 3:7]])
*You must believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, authoritative, and inerrant Word of God. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/2 Timothy#2 Timothy 3:15|II Timothy 3:15-17]]; [[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/2 Peter#2 Peter 1:21|II Peter 1:21]])
*You must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, [[Virgin birth|born of a virgin]], who lived a sinless life in obedience to the Law of God. He took our iniquity upon Himself on the cross as means of salvation and justification for fallen man. On the third day, He rose from the dead. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Galatians#Galatians 4:4|Galatians 4:4-5]]; [[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/1 Peter#1 Peter 2:24|I Peter 2:24]]; [[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Romans#Romans 10:9|Romans 10:9]])
*You must believe that Jesus is the ONLY way to God. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/John#John 14:6|John 14:6]]) 
*You must believe that repentance and faith in the Gospel are necessary for [[salvation]]. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Mark#Mark 1:15|Mark 1:15]])
*You must believe in a literal [[heaven]] and [[hell]]. ([[Rationalwiki:Annotated Bible/Matthew#Matthew 7:21|Matt. 7:21]]; [[Rationalwiki:Annotated Bible/Matthew#Matthew 10:28|Matt. 10:28]])
*You must not be involved in the usage of [[drugs]] or [[alcohol]]. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Proverbs#Proverbs 20:1|Proverbs 20:1]])<ref group=note>Sorry, [[Ted Haggard|Ted]].</ref>
*You must not be involved in [[adultery]], fornication, homosexuality, or any form of sexual deviancy. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/1 Corinthians#1 Corinthians 6:9|1 Corinthians 6:9-10]])<ref group=note>Damn, [[Ted Haggard|Ted]], it really just isn't your day!</ref>

===II. Preparations===
*Please pray about the evangelistic activities in the weeks leading up to the outreach. Pray for both the team and those hearing the message. 
*Prepare your heart for the outreach. Come with a burden for the lost and a receptive ear to listen to the comments of others. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Jude#Jude 1:22|Jude 1:22-23]])<ref group=note>Note: members of the "outreach" ''may'' skimp on that last bit.</ref>
*Come with team spirit. Remember, we are members of the Body of Christ, and are working together for a common goal. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/1 Corinthians#1 Corinthians 12:12|1 Corinthians 12:12-27]]; [[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Ephesians#Ephesians 4:3|Ephesians 4:3]])
*Be sure to bring ample funds to cover meals, travel, and lodging.
*Expect to be on your feet for long periods of time. Choose appropriate footwear.
*Please dress modestly. Ladies['] shirts or blouses must not be low-cut, neither revealing the mid-section. Skirts or dresses must be appropriate in length, and slacks or jeans must not draw attention to the body. Men’s jeans must be well fitting.<ref group=note>Which is more easily summed up as "Women! Don't dress like the [[Slut|whores]] that you are, or as women for that matter." Ladies don't even get an apostrophe when they need it, apparently, though we've added one here in brackets.</ref>

===III. Guidelines for Outreach Activity===
*Please do not present any form of distraction to the Gospel message that is being presented.<ref group=note>Which is difficult given their habit of preaching the gospel through bullhorns.</ref>
*Expect the fact that there may be those who will be hostile toward the Gospel. When this occurs, remain calm, and if response is needed, do so in a respectful tone. ([[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/1 Peter#1 Peter 2:23|1 Peter 2:23]]; [[RationalWiki:Annotated Bible/Proverbs#Proverbs 15:1|Proverbs 15:1]])
*If you have no former evangelism experience, you will be paired with a seasoned witness who will help to be your guide. Remember, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind!

==Outreaches==
[[File:Repent America - bullhorn and a Bible.jpg|right|thumb|Pretty subtle, eh? Note they have two bullhorns in case one isn't sufficiently irritating to prevent people from enjoying [[Halloween]].]]
Street preaching is the cornerstone of Repent America's activities. Just as Jesus was famed for spending his time with sinners rather than saints, Repent America takes a similar but remarkably more confrontational and irritating approach. Most of their antics are best sourced using their own press releases, since in many cases they're hardly apologetic about what they're doing. As well as the natural bias expected, the press releases almost invariably include some little anecdotes that are oddly difficult to verify or refute. These anecdotes revolve around policemen (or other people in positions of authority) making snarky or unpleasant comments about the Christians as they arrest them. Whether true or not, they seem suspiciously out of context and a bit like the dialogue one would expect from the atheists in a [[Jack Chick]] comic.

This is but a very small overview of the consistent and unpleasant actions undertaken by Repent America, and unless God himself asks Marcavage to stop making him look bad, they'll likely continue until they finally manage to incite a city-wide riot.

===Outfest===
In 2004, Repent America attended the gay pride march in Philadelphia. There are conflicting accounts of what then took place. Even when citing Repent America's own site as a source, it's clear that they weren't simply standing on a street corner sharing the Beatitudes with random passers-by. Their press releases are fairly unclear as to what they were doing there, but the photos show Marcavage with his trusty bullhorn, and it seems unlikely that he was yelling words of encouragement to the crowd. They were obstructed by a human chain of "Pink Angels" — there to protect the parade-goers from bigots, oddly enough. Marcavage complained:

{{quotebox|Christians are now being labeled as ‘haters’ and any speech that homosexuals perceive to be intimidating, such as our Christian witness at OutFest, makes them a prime target for "hate crimes legislation."<ref>[http://www.repentamerica.com/pr_outfest.html Repent America's press release on Outfest 2004]</ref>}}

[[File:Repent America - with banner at Phillie's gay day.jpg|thumb|right|One of the many charming banners displayed at "Gay Day". Yes, that is [[Leviticus]] being referenced — but with a comma splice for extra obnoxiousness.]]
Although charges against the group were subsequently dropped, when they tried to sue the city for wrongful arrest, the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found that the police had behaved correctly in trying to remove a group who had failed to apply for a permit and were inciting a rather large mob by yelling bigotry and damnation, of the kind normally requiring generations of inbreeding, through bullhorns.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070128122824/http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/07D0096P.pdf Susan Startzell, et al., v. City of Philadelphia, et al.] </ref> The Pink Angels obstructed Repent America, but allowed them to enter the event when told to do so by the police. On gaining entry, the intrepid [[Spiritual warfare|warriors of God]] proceeded to set up camp near the stage in order to better disseminate their bigotry. What followed was a pattern of antagonistic behavior and the police being found to have behaved rather wisely in removing Repent America before they incited a riot. This decision was later upheld by a higher court.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080704215946/http://www.hrc.org/issues/hate_crimes/4856.htm Human Rights Campaign write-up of the events at Outfest 2004]</ref>

===Philadelphia Phillies' Gay Day===
The Philadelphia Phillies, a baseball team, host an annual gay community day in their stadium. Of course, Repent America decided to make an appearance, and were surprised by the negative reactions on unfurling banners with slogans such as "HOMOSEXUALITY IS SIN, CHRIST CAN SET YOU FREE!", and "PHILLIES PROMOTE HOMOSEXUALITY. STOP 'GAY DAY'!"<ref>[http://www.repentamerica.com/pr_christiansejected.html CHRISITANS <nowiki>[SIC]</nowiki> EJECTED FROM PHILLIES GAME;HOMOSEXUALS INCITE RIOT...] although perhaps the presence of bigoted Christian protestors may have had something do to with the incitement.</ref> Perhaps in an attempt to test the [[irony meter]], Marcavage, on being escorted from the stadium, commented ''"The security guards were acting extremely irrational, and physically escorted us out of the ballpark"''. However, the Phillies lost. Praise Baby Jeebus!<ref>[http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI200408090.shtml August 9, 2004 Box Score and Play-by-Play]</ref> Maybe if they could print banners without comma splices, they might get a better reaction from the crowd.
{{clear}}

==See also==
* [[Repent Amarillo]]
* [[Biblical literalism]]
* [[Jesus Is Savior]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Political action groups]]
[[Category:Fundamentalist Christian organizations]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]
[[Category:Sexism]]

Categories: Political action groups, Fundamentalist Christian organizations, Homophobia, Purity culture, Sexism