Rebuttal to Out in SA Hit Piece: “SAFA Leader Opposes Appointment of Lesbian Businesswoman to Mayoral Commission”
Letter to the Editor
Patrick Von Dohlen
December 24, 2018
On December 13, Out In SA and the San Antonio Current published an article personally targeting me because of an action alert published earlier in the week by the San Antonio Family Association (SAFA). The SAFA alert did not include my name, my business or anything personally related to me, but reporter, Sam Sanchez, used the opportunity to include my information, including my past candidacy for city council, in his article. I can only conclude that Mr. Sanchez’s motivation was to publicly shame me for my religious beliefs and to make a pre-emptive strike should I decide to campaign for elected office again.
Therefore, I would like to reintroduce myself to your readers. I am a husband, a father to 9 children and a graduate of Texas A&M University. I am a successful businessman and partner in the Von Dohlen Knuffke Financial Group. I have long been civically involved in the community and co-founded SAFA out of concern for the direction of the government in San Antonio. By the grace of God and the hard work of supporters, I received the highest percentage of votes among the field of conservatives in the race for District 9 for San Antonio City Council in 2017. Lastly, but most importantly, I am a Roman Catholic committed to my faith.
As a Catholic, I agree with the teachings of the Church on issues like abortion and marriage.
In fact, on June 26, 2015, San Antonio’s Catholic Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller declared in a statement that the Supreme Court’s recognition of same-sex marriage was a “tragic error” but that the “Catholic Church will continue to proclaim the truth about marriage in our pulpits and in the public square” because marriage is only a “union of one man and one woman.”
Mr. Sanchez labels me, and those like me, as “right-wing extremists” because of such beliefs, tenets that have been espoused for thousands of years. But, these views are not limited to the hundreds of thousands of Catholics in San Antonio.
Consider, for example, the words of local Christian preacher and writer, Max Lucado, when asked about same-sex marriage — “I find no answer but this: He [God] categorically opposes it. It violates his plan for man-woman permanence. It frustrates and denies complementariness in nurturing. The church must stand with her Maker on this issue.”
My point is this: If one is an “extremist” for being pro-life and for holding the same view of marriage held by the Catholic Church including our local shepherd, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, and also held by many other Christians who faithfully attend places of worship, then I am happy to be labeled as such.
Still, I must address the tactic used by Mr. Sanchez and those active in the anti-heterosexual movement to those who subscribe to reason. Mr. Sanchez’s purpose of the article was to silence me and to silence all Christians who choose to follow biblical beliefs regarding human sexuality. This silencing technique, known as “jamming,” is used by those who want to discredit an opponent by attaching negative labels or images to them. Of course, we all also realize that the “extremist” label is just one of the many reserved for those who affirm a Christian worldview by progressives when “anti-LGBT,” “homophobic” or “intolerant” are not frightening enough for their purpose. Mr. Sanchez attacked me in such a way because he can’t defend his side of the argument.
My defense of traditional lifestyles including traditional marriage and protection of the unborn is simple: they are truths that must be protected throughout time because they are true. In addition, as a citizen passionate about upholding the rights of the common man, I believe the City of San Antonio shouldn’t be a vehicle for politically correct social engineering. We have real issues to address including city budgets, infrastructure and taxes. It is not the job of elected city officials to implement their social agenda on our residents and artificially divide our population. Cities that are, quite literally, on the verge of destruction, like San Francisco, should serve as a wake-up call to all of us, a warning that gender and sexuality issues should not be the focus of our time.
The purpose of our alert was not to say that those in the LGBT community are not welcome to serve in leadership positions. Certainly, they have a voice as citizens, business owners and leaders. Yet, it seems to me and other Christians in our city, that every hire and appointment requires being a homosexual activist. Each announcement is strategically bent on promoting the LGBT agenda and attempts to circumvent and squash the beliefs of the majority of residents in our city by promoting and celebrating an agenda that has long been proven to be detrimental for society.
Mr. Sanchez can try to shame me for the SAFA alert. He can try to harm my reputation, my business and my family. He can try to push a scheme that claims to advocate for a socially diverse population but, everyone knows that its only goal is to weed out the views of faithful Christians. Still, I, and many hundreds of thousands of others who truly want the best for others, will continue to work toward a local government that does the job it was elected to do for the benefit of all residents and does not push a social agenda that defies natural order.
Quintessential liberalism or simply evidence of the pro-abortion, LGBTQQIAA Mafia who demand to be bowed too but don’t want to listen or dialogue with anyone who disagrees with them. The issues here are regarding intrinsic issues that defy natural law, healthy lifestyles and timeless principles. These article are more evidence of the progressive attempts to force normalcy into the closet and discourage anyone from popping their head out of their shell. Commit to fighting this culture war for people’s individual good and the common good. Without life, marriage and the natural family there won’t be any people to celebrate a second #SA300 Tricentennial Celebration.
The editors of these attack organizations refuse to publish my rebuttal to their political hit pieces.
With more of an open mind than the anti-family activists, Merry Christmas Season & Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Patrick Von Dohlen
OutInSA attack piece: https://outinsa.com/s-a-family-association-leader-opposes-appointment-of-lesbian-business-woman-to-mayoral-commission/