Pulse anniversary marked in the most reprehensible way possible by Christian group

Today (June 12) marks eight years since the Pulse nightclub tragedy in 2016. A lone gunman walked into the gay club in Orlando, Florida, and killed 49 people and injured 53 others. Police shot and killed the attacker at the scene.

Liberty Counsel is a Christian group designated an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It mainly raises funds to support religious freedom-related law cases and legislation.

Liberty Counsel decided to mark today’s anniversary by appealing for funds to help fight to protect conversion therapy. It pledged to double any donations made today. 

Founder Mat Staver began a message to supporters by accurately describing Pulse as a “horrific massacre”. However, he also describes the event as the scene of a “Great Redemption”. 

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Staver goes on to detail how one survivor went on to launch his own Christian ministry. 

“With six bullets in his body, Angel Colon should have been dead. But our beautiful Savior both rescued and redeemed Angel that night.

“Now, Angel has a ministry helping lead people out of the LGBTQ lifestyle. But that ministry is now at risk, thanks to city and state bans on Christian change counseling, as well as federal legislation that seeks to ban this lifesaving practice and ministries like Angel’s permanently, coast to coast. Liberty Counsel is fighting on both fronts.”

Money wanted to fund conversion therapy

The message goes on to state, “In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, Angel Colon was drunk and high, dancing at one of Orlando’s LGBTQ nightclubs. Though raised in a Christian home, Angel had long since abandoned his faith and instead adopted a homosexual lifestyle.”

Colon narrowly avoided death after several bullets entered his body. 

So thankful for being alive, “Not only did Angel leave the homosexual lifestyle, but he also started a ministry to help others experience freedom and embrace God’s design for sexuality,” says Liberty Counsel. 

Colon and fellow survivor Luis Javier Ruiz went on to form Fearless Ministry. Its stated aim is to bring “hope and understanding to the LGBTQ community and the church through education. biblical clarity/sound doctirine , and support in a judgement free environment for those seeking the option to change.”

Libery Counsel goes on to warn that “Bans on Christian change counseling ARE silencing Christian mental health counselors and people like Angel from rescuing those trapped in an LGBTQ lifestyle. 

“Liberty Counsel is filing three new cases, one on each coast and another in the Midwest, defending Christian counselors and their patients from these unlawful bans.”

“Unless we raise a righteous roar that cannot be ignored, the LGBTQ agenda might win this fight to silence Christians, scientists, counselors, and medical practitioners from telling the truth about gender-bending lies and God’s perfect human design.”

It urged supporters to sign a petition and donate money.

“Every donation today made will be DOUBLED by a special Challenge Grant.”

So-called conversion therapy does not work. The practice has been debunked by numerous psychiatric experts. Many of those forced to endure it have likened it to a form of torture.

Pulse memorial

The Pulse nightclub victims were remembered in a more respectful fashion in Orlando on Saturday at the annual CommUNITY Rainbow Run. The 4.9k run is held to remember the 49 lives lost. Proceeds from the event go towards the construction of a permanent memorial at the Pulse site, which is now owned by the city of Orlando.

There were formerly plans for a multi-million dollar museum on the site of the former nightclub. However, these fell through when costs spiraled and the board planning the monument disbanded last year.

The project has now been taken over by the city of Orlando. It, along with victims’ families and survivors, are still hopeful that a more modest and scaled-back memorial will be built.

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