I want you to watch this brief video of a religious bigot who, like so many other clergy, uses the pulpit as a weapon to attack Gay people. All too many clergy and their blind followers spew this sort of venom that has infected countless people, Gay and Straight alike, so that the often repeated lies that he and other clergy spew become the "truth" in the hearts, minds, and spirits of people.
Is it any wonder why so many Gay people are homophobic themselves? Is it any wonder there are so many Gay suicides, and assaults and murders of Gay people or those perceived to be Gay? Is it any wonder that so many people believe that being Gay is abnormal, is a "disorder," is "evil," and is a sin, and that being Gay will have you wind up in hell? Is it any wonder that so many Gay people live their lives bereft of joy? Is it any wonder that so many Gay people and Straight people, for that matter, want to have nothing to do with Christianity?
I tell you the truth: his homophobic ranting, and the similar rantings of other clergy regarding Gay people, has absolutely NOTHING to do with Christianity, and is as far removed from the Gospel as the east is from the west! Moreover, homophobia is completely antithetical to the things of God!
Here you have an Afro-American, part of a historically despised minority group, the descendant of those who suffered tremendous indignities and denial of civil rights, seeking to enslave Gay people in the very chains Jesus came to abolish.
Moreover, why would anyone in his/her right mind take seriously the idiocy that is spewed from the mouths of clergy like this one, many of whom parade their ignorance as Godliness; who take their hateful attitudes toward others and bring it to the other side of the street where they are then given hearty approval by their congregations to express that hate in the name of God. They preach lies about Gay people, bearing false witness which contravenes one of the Ten Commandments, and by so doing reveal their hard hearts, their Godlessness, and the fact that they have no clue about the Gospel of grace and love.
Yet, countless people not only listen to them, but take them seriously, not recognizing that these homophobic clergy are likely the recipients of material, psychological, and social gains that greatly trump the Gospel in their lives, if they even have an interest or even a grasp of the Gospel themselves. They pervert the Gospel and the things of God, and portray Christians as nothing more than a bunch of hard-hearted delusional freaks!
Please watch this brief video and ask yourself why people like him are allowed to spew their lies and externalize their hatred with impunity. Unless and until LGBT people and allies directly confront the hatred and lies perpetrated by these wolves in sheep's clothing; unless and until Christians who are Christians indeed cease to remain silent, and widely advertise that these haters don't speak for them, for the Church, for Christianity, or for God, the lying filth that he and those of his ilk spew (and there are a great number of them) will continue to be considered "the truth" on the part of others, including many Gay people and their families, largely because they don't hear any credible Christian voices contradicting them.
As I've written many times before, those who remain silent amidst such egregious, hateful filth are just as culpable in that hatred and Godlessness as are the ones who, de facto, are their spokespeople.
4 comments:
This is hate speech, plain and simple. No church should have the right to spread hatred. It makes a mockery of Freedom of Speech. All we need is the right lawsuit and somebody with enough courage and money to file it . . .
You're absolutely right, Don Charles! I would like to see the HRC file such a suit. Homophobic pastors who spew hateful rhetoric must be held accountable for the ravages they cause, and the lies they tell about Gay people, and taking them to court is one of the best ways of holding them accountable.
Rather than indulge in political expediency, and being anemic regarding meaningful activism, the Human Rights Campaign should be the one to file such suits (and they should be pressured to do so), as they undoubtedly have the funds and staff necessary to see these suits to completion.
Freedom of speech is limited, and doesn't include such speech that can cause great harm to others as well as contribute to "..inciting and likely to incite imminent lawless action." (Brandenburg v Ohio) In this connection, please see my December 29th post.
It's only when such proactive action is taken by the HRC will it be worth its existence; by its filing such suits, the religious hate mongers will no longer be able to slander (Bear false witnesss) LGBT people!
Moreover, the filing of criminal charges against homophobic clergy (or others) who spew hatred from the pulpit or in any other venue should not be overlooked, if Brandenburg v Ohio, and/or other applicable law, is violated.
I wouldn't trust HRC as far as I could throw them! Their recent mishandling of the ENDA battle in Congress revealed what lousy strategists they are (among other things). It's Lambda Legal Defense fund that should file the lawsuits we're talking about. We have them to thank for the Supreme Court decision striking down sodomy laws. On the same topic, GLAAD needs to get its celebrity-worshiping ass in gear and take its focus off of the entertainment industry. They should be monitoring these conservative mega-churches and Right Wing televangelists. In one Sunday morning, their anti-Gay venom can do more damage than a hundred "Chuck and Larry" movies out of Hollywood (and Lambda gave its thumbs-up to "Chuck And Larry")!
Don Charles: The feet of the "Gay Rights" organizations have to have their feet held to the fire to meaningfully contend in the judicial system with those who slander or libel LGBT people; seek criminal prosecution of those for whom it is deemed appropriate. That will only occur when there is grassroots activism that forces these organizations to do what they are supposed to do, and not suck up to the powers that be or have their staff be mere careerists who probably get paid quite handsomely.
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