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May 31st, 2012
05:17 AM ET
Church videos with harsh words for gays go viral onlineBy Richard Allen Greene and Dan Gilgoff, CNN First it was a Christian pastor in North Carolina who told his congregation on Mother's Day that the way "to get rid of all the lesbians and queers" was to put them behind an electric fence and wait for them to die out. That video went viral, fetching more than a million views on YouTube. On Sunday, Pastor Curtis Knapp of Kansas preached that the government should kill homosexuals, in another videotaped sermon that drew lots of online attention. "They won't, but they should," Knapp said, according to a recording of his sermon posted online. Since that sermon, another church video with harsh words for gays has caught fire online. This one shows a young boy singing an anti-gay song while the congregation cheers him on in what appears to be a church in Indiana. "I know the Bible’s right, somebody’s wrong,” the boy sings near the pulpit of a church. “Ain't no homos gonna make it to heaven." As the boy repeats the line “Ain't no homos gonna make it to heaven," congregants from the pews rise and cheer. The video, which was anonymously posted online and has received more than 300,000 views on YouTube, appears to show a service at the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle Church in Greensburg, Indiana. Calls to the church this week went to voicemail, with an automatic message saying the mailbox is full. But a message posted on the church’s website on Wednesday appears to address the controversy, offering no apology for the video. “The Pastor and members of Apostolic Truth Tabernacle do not condone, teach, or practice hate of any person for any reason. We believe and hope that every person can find true Bible salvation and the mercy and grace of God in their lives,” the statement says. “We are a strong advocate of the family unit according to the teachings and precepts found in the Holy Bible,” said the statement, which did not explicitly refer to the video or mention homosexuality. “We believe the Holy Bible is the Divinely-inspired Word of God and we will continue to uphold and preach that which is found in scripture.” The viral videos have drawn criticism from gay and lesbian groups and their allies. Charles Worley’s sermon at Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, North Carolina, sparked a protest that drew more than 1,500 people last weekend. In Kansas, Knapp's voicemail at the New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca was filled with messages saying "things you don't want your kids to hear," he told CNN affiliate KTKA. An official with the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists issued a statement to CNN on Thursday saying that Knapp’s church had left the Southern Baptist fold in 2010. “Obviously, he has taken a radical and unbiblical stand in regards to homosexuality,” said Tim Boyd, communications director for the convention. “We look at homosexuals as we look at all sinners,” his statement said. “God loves them. Christ died for them. The Gospel calls them to repentance and salvation. Therefore, we as Christ-followers should hate the sin and love the sinner.” But Knapp is not backing away from his comments. "We punish pedophilia. We punish incest. We punish polygamy and various things. It's only homosexuality that is lifted out as an exemption," he said. He cited the Biblical verse Leviticus 20:13: "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act. They shall surely be put to death." But he said gay people had nothing to worry about from the government or from him. "I don't believe I should lay a finger against them," said Knapp, of New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, Kansas. "My hope is for their salvation, not for their death." Preaching against homosexuality the same day, another pastor appeared to wrestle with how conservative Christians should respond to proposals that people should literally mete out biblical punishments. "What about this guy down in North Carolina said build a big prison, a big fence and put them all in there and let them die out?" Dennis Leatherman asked in a sermon at the Mountain Lake Independent Baptist Church in Maryland. "Listen, I don't know that fellow. As far as I can tell, he seems like a decent guy, but he is dead wrong on that. That is not the scriptural response," Leatherman said in his sermon "Homosexuality & the Bible," according to a cached version of the transcript posted online. The audio of the sermon does not appear on his church's website. In the sermon, he floats the idea of killing homosexuals, whom he refers to as sodomites, then backs away from it. "There is a danger of reacting in the flesh, of responding not in a scriptural, spiritual way, but in a fleshly way. Kill them all. Right? I will be very honest with you. My flesh kind of likes that idea," Leatherman said. "But it grieves the Holy Spirit. It violates Scripture. It is wrong," he added immediately. The Southern Baptist Convention distanced itself from Worley's remarks. The nation's largest Baptist group said Providence Road Baptist in Maiden is not affiliated with its 16 million-member denomination and condemned the comments. But the influential head of the giant movement's seminary does argue that homosexuality "is the most pressing moral question of our times." In a comment piece for the Belief Blog in the wake of Worley's sermon, R. Albert Mohler Jr. dismissed critics who say conservative Christians focus on homosexuality while ignoring other things the Bible prohibits. He contends that laws about keeping kosher, for example, do not apply to Christians, while commandments about homosexuality do. "When it comes to homosexuality, the Bible's teaching is consistent, pervasive, uniform and set within a larger context of law and Gospel," he wrote. "Christians who are seriously committed to the authority of the Bible have no choice but to affirm all that the Bible teaches, including its condemnation of homosexuality," he said. A member of Worley's 300-member church defended him in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper. "Of course he would never want that to be done," Stacey Pritchard said of the proposal to put homosexuals behind a fence and leave them there to die out. "But I agree with what the sermon was and what it was about." CNN Belief Blog co-editor Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report. soundoff (4,073 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 Next »
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Well... isn't it nice to see everyone playing together so well.
Every single person on this chat thread is hypocritical. Each person who has their own faith and belief system is attacking anyone who believes differently than they. Which one of you are any different than the one this story was written about? Hmmm...
You all look just like the Preacher you're knocking around in this forum to me... eh – so it goes...
pot meet kettle
FU
Michelle, Would you hesitate to attack the belief systems of Nazis? No, I didn't think so. Now, what's the difference from Worley and Knapp?
I did not write that, someone else is posting under my name.
Clinky: You're comparing gay marriage to the Nazis? Are you serious?
Not really. Most people on these threads do not claim to be speaking for God in frnt of adoring congreagations, teaching their followers to hate for the sake of hate, and promote killing other Americans.
No wonder evangelicals are getting such a bad name. Maybe they should spend a night with Bubba.
Hail Satan!
Ditto.
http://motherjones.tumblr.com/post/24073323838/we-learned-something-new-today-er-via
Atheists are banned in 7 states from public holding LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
forwarding that to ACLA so they can fight for consti.tutional rights for Atheists
People who attend this guy's church need to be put behind an electric fence along with the people who attend the Rev. Wright's Church in Chicago.
What I don't want children to hear is a preacher saying the government should kill gays or any group.
I didn't think anyone could stoop lower than Worley on this subject, but now we've heard it. I hope the FBI is investigating him. Needless to say, Knapp's church needs to boot him out today.
honestly i go to a christian church every saturday night. he is not christian. we believe everyone has a right to be who they want, everyone will go to heaven. being gay is not a sin, show me where it says different in the bible. you can't help who you fall in love with
Tell ya what, if God hates them so much, let god condemn them to Hell.
as a catholic, im saddened by the people that represent my religion in the US.
And honestly if i were american, id be a atheist. do you know why? because id be ashamed of my religion due to this type of behaviours.
In the US, religion is aligned with the far-right. in Europe, is the oposite. ive read a story where a priest said its a sin to FIRE PEOPLE during this crisis. (i dont agree btw). it reminded 2 things: how different the same religion are in Europe (and you can add any place outside the US) and in the US and what Romney said (he like to have the power to fire people) – he should be thankfull for the diference.
what is this the KKK.....how sick are these people, that is no pastor, it's a Hitler in the making.....all I can think of is that the Jesus I know and love would not condone this behavior......
NO, that IS a pastor. He is a key figure in YOUR religion. You don't get to wiggle your way out of these things.
Don't confuse these lunatics with the majority of right-wing or Christian-right or whatever you want to call it. The media likes to blow out of proportion fringe viewpoints that are at best held by one quarter of one percent of Americans, on both the left and right. Charles Worley has been condemned by the vast majority of those who claim to be religious. Worley and Knapp are speaking their own opinions. What would happen if 99% of Christians stood up and said we love gays, we disagree with what they're doing, but we welcome them and believe they should be free to practice their desires? The media would still focus on the 1% extreme which would get 99% coverage. This is the real problem. But that's inherently the problem with the media, they focus on the things that are "outside of the norm", since the norm is not newsworthy. It's average and everyone knows it. To provide an analogy, look at news about traffic accidents. The news may report on a particular accident on the corner of X & Y that caused three fatalities, but they'll never mention the thousands of people that made it through the same intersection without incident that day. Ignore and don't give a platform to the extreme left or the extreme right, it only serves to further divide the larger majority that lies between and typically find these issues irrelevant. Put your stones back in your pockets and let's focus on what's best for the majority of the people, which may just mean that many people are left to enjoy whatever practice that you find abhorrent.
Two, Nice try, but Knapp quoted Leviticus accurately, right? All of the literalists have to go along with what he's saying. And there are millions of them, not just a small percentage.
Hey buddy there is another group out of Kansas I think you might fit in with just go to Topeka and ask around I am sure someone will send you in the right direction granted they may have some torches and pitchforks but you know its all good really
http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/treaty_tripoli.html
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
learn your history tard.
also
As the contempt of the religion of a country by ridiculing any of its ceremonies, or affronting its ministers or votaries, has ever been deeply resented, you are to be particularly careful to restrain every officer from such imprudence and folly, and to punish every instance of it. On the other hand, as far as lies in your power, you are to protect and support the free exercise of religion of the country, and the undisturbed enjoyment of the rights of conscience in religious matters, with your utmost influence and authority. [George Washington, to Benedict Arnold, September 14, 1775 from The Washington papers edited by Saul Padover]
Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistant that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel. [Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason]
America is a Christian nation and our federal government is based on the Christian law
You may want to take an American History course.....or three.....
No, no it is not I agree go read a history book or two
I guess you can show the word "christ" or "christianity" in any part of the const.itution of the US? if not, you sir are full of SHIT
Totally, why have we not made it the law to give all your possessions to the poor? You ain't seen Socialism until we base our laws on the Bible!!
That is a joke. The Gospel is above hypocricy and white lies! Laws were made irrespective of the Gospel.
Hey Pastor Idiot, you can't be selective about your bible passages. You go with one, you should go with all and so I give you...
(Genesis 38:9) – "And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so it came about that when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground, in order not to give offspring to his brother."
and so, God Killed Onan.
Have you ever masterbated Pastor. If so, I think the Government should kill you, ( using your own logic )
Doesn't matter. No one will make it to heaven. It doesn't exist people!
Jesus christ spent his life with twelve men. what does that mean??
It means he was gay,
I did not write that, someone else is posting under my name.
What happened to the 10 commandments? I believe one of them is "thou shall not kill" and yet another is "love thy neighbor". There are no stipulations to love thy neighbor, just love thy neighbor.
you got it
Murder is okay against your enemies and gays.
A Christian posted that under my name.
"A Christian posted that under my name."
Are you so sure
According to the Bible he is right. In Matthew 5:17-19 Christ makes it very clear that all Mosaic Law is to be upheld.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
According to Jesus, to this day, Christians must not eat pork, wear blended cloth, should murder gays and non-virgin brides, stone their disobedient children and women must marry their rapists.
hey idiot-you've said it about 20 times now-get over yourself.
Yet ignorant people like Greek keep posting comments suggesting Jesus repealed these insane rules.
FU Steve
"n Matthew 5:17-19 Christ makes it very clear that all Mosaic Law is to be upheld."
No it doesn't mean that because it's a ritual manual for Israel's priests.. So are you going to tell women now they have to marry their rapists and all the other sins listed in that particular scriptures? Duh!
oh nice....come up with that all by yourself did ya?
Someone else is posting under my name.
Yes I did Steve. ENJOY
They are?
good that someone else is posting under your name cause you sir, are an idiot.
The gays I have known were obviously gay as children, long before they could have made choices or be influenced by society. And I agree that this guy protests too much – he appears gay to me, too.
I can't help but think this world would be so much kinder if religion was eradicated and people based their judgements on actual events and not blindly follow what ANY book tells them.
I agree 100 percent.
Thank God for the new testament. Jesus is amazing!
Jesus affirmed the Law of the Old Testament in Matthew 5:17-19.
He was amazing, insane, delusional and born a bas t ard. Cult Leader if I ever saw one.
"Jesus affirmed the Law of the Old Testament in Matthew 5:17-19."
So then you need to stone your child when they talk back to you. Then you have to make a law that a women now they have to marry their rapists and all the other sins listed in Leviticus? LMAO You don't even understand your own bible. LOL!
FU Yeah
A Christian is posting that under my name.