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June 4th, 2012
05:43 PM ET
We don't teach hate, says church where anti-homosexual song filmedBy Ismael Estrada, CNN Greensburg, Indiana (CNN) - About 20 protesters gathered on Sunday outside the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle here to voice opposition to a viral online video that was taped in the church and shows a young child singing song with lyrics that offer a harsh message for homosexuals. The video, which surfaced on YouTube last week, shows a child in front of the congregation, singing "I know that God is right, and somebody's wrong... ain't no homo going to make it to heaven." The congregation erupts in applause at those lines, which the unidentified boy repeats as the pastor looks on. At another point in the video a voice is heard shouting,"That’s my boy." CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories In the first Sunday service since the video surfaced, congregants arrived to the church as protesters jeered them over the video. A church leader, who would not give his name, told CNN that journalists were not allowed inside the church and declined to offer anyone from church leadership to comment on the video. The leader said that he needed to be cautious about letting outsiders into the church because it had received threats over the video and asked CNN to leave the premises. Church videos with harsh words for gays go viral online The local sheriff's office said the church had not reported any verifiable threats. No one answered the door at the home of Jeff Sangl, the church's pastor. The video of the singing boy was the latest in a string of viral anti-gay videos that have surfaced from independent churches. Those videos have been resoundingly condemned by religious leaders, even by conservatives who believe homosexual sex is a sin. The Apostolic Truth Tabernacle posted a statement on its website that says in part: "The Pastor and members of Apostolic Truth Tabernacle do not condone, teach, or practice hate of any person for any reason.” The pastor's son, Josh Sangl, told CNN his father was away on vacation and that there was much more to the video than we were being told, though he wouldn’t elaborate. The majority of the church members wouldn’t comment about the controversy or respond to questions about the parents of the young boy. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter "I think it's blown out of proportion, you know," said Robert Kirby, who is not a church member but was attending Sunday's church service in support of his daughter, who teaches Sunday School there. "They love everybody. "They don't love sin though," he said. "It's all in the Bible." soundoff (3,151 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 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Evangelical seems to be having some identi ty issues. So sad.
Stop calling them "independent" churches and call them what they really are, the wacko born-agains. If the government ever enforced the fact that if these churches talked politics during sermons they would lose their tax-exemptions, all of these fake "churches" would be shut down for good.
Religion = Hypocrites
Ghandi, who professed to be a follower of Jesus, was once asked why he wasn't a Christian. He replied, "I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians." This church is one good example of why he said that.
Actuallly he meant the britishers who were ruling India with an iron fist. As you said, Gandhi had a great respect for Christ's tteachings. He always used to carry the Gita, the Bible and the Koran for his religious guidance with him.
America is still a Nation of hateful christians and rednecks. So sad!
This country is downright depressing.
When people celebrate their religion in this way it does nothing but scare more and more people away from the church. I know it did for me. I no longer have any interest in religion, as it has become too political, too much about making money, and no longer shares any of my views. How on earth does an entire congretion cheer on such hateful rhetoric?
Speaking of making money....did you see how nice of a home the pastor had?? Living in luxury while teaching and condoning hatred inside his own church!! Now that is a man we all should emulate.......please.....
I could write a book about my views on global wraming, but I wont. Instead, I would like to note that Al Gore isn92t trying to become president85. haha. Whoever read that obviously isn92t following presidential politics in the least. I just can92t stand when people blow up about something that they are completely uneducated about.
And here we have it again folks another example "of loving Christians".
Yes... don't you just wanna give 'em all a great big hug !!
Whenever you judge, our Savior had these words.."Do not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Jesus invited everyone to the table...these people are misguided sheep. They will never see past the log in their eye.
shut up
Most Xtians have never even read their "holy book". Besides, there's always another scripture one of them has up their sleeves, to justify their hatred.
If people can't see how this is hate, then they're just blind.
More anti-Christian rants from CNN
Maybe you people should stop giving them things to rant about
I changed my mind, gonna be gay again!
Don't steal my name. I will NOT be gay again. I am past that. Everybody knows you are a troll.
Please don't use the word "Mind" loosely.
evangelical.....gay......THAT was hard to figure out, eh?
CNN is becoming too liberal and gay lovers..... I will turn to Fox News !
By looking at your handle, that's obviously where you belong! UNPROGRESSIVE !
Buh-Bye! Tell all the mouthbreathers are FOX I said "What up!"
Go back to Muskogee, Okie!
Amen. "Progression" = Regression. we are too morally-advanced to be with the likes of these socialism-pushing atheists.
From Oklahoma, that figures.
C'mon, folks, this Evangelical has a history of posting faithful non-sequitors under another screen name, and flaccid comments as he speaks for god. Now he's a reformed gay man. Troll with nothing to say.
SYNAGOGUES, MOSQUES, HINDU TEMPLES, SIKH TEMPLES, BUDDHIST TEMPLES <- None of them pay taxes either, not only churches!
None of them are trying to get laws passed barring gay marriage.
Get it ?
None of the men I had $ex with were true Christians. They were F.AGG.OTS. It is not a choice, you can change.
Had a bad time, did you? Couldn't find love?
Even if I could change, I wouldn't. No thanks! Can't eat someting that bleeds for a week and doesn't die.
You can steal my screen name, but you will not silence me. See, folks, stealing screen names is the kind of morality that ho-mos-exuals have.
Boy, Evie, you love being in our company. You ought consider trying real people, face to face.
So posting under someone else's name is "immoral"? Is that in the Bible, too, Eva?
One day CNN will learn that gay life style is not and will not be accepted by the majority of Americans, no matter how hard you try to glorify that sinful lifestyle!
Amen, Zeena!
Ceaser, Alexander the great, and even Mozart was gay. In fact half the population of America is bi. It doesn't make sense that love can only exist between a man and a women. Love knows no boundaries. Theirs no written rule for love.
There was a time when the majority thought the earth was flat. I'm more woman than you'll ever be, more man than you'll ever get, and I've probably had your bf.
Zeena, "never" is a long time. Gay marriage is already becoming acceptable to many more people than ever before.
Eventually, it's be as much of a non-issue as interracial marriage and integrated schools.
Hell, its been two whole years of nothing but complaints and they still havent learned that this is no way to run a blog if they want people to leave comments! Thet filter isn't worth a dog turd in a tornado but they haven't quite figured that out yet.
Um, Nacho, I don't believe that you're correct about Mozart.
Cletus, I don't know what crawled up your bvtt, but it doesn't appear that CNN is hurting for comments.
Edwardo, I think I love you!
LOL, talk about having your head buried in the sand. "No no, ignore all these polls showing the majority (and growing) now approves of it!"
So you like the filter then, Tom? Can't get enough o them filter blocks? Love to spell words with dashes, dots or spaces?
CNn would have ten times as many comments if theyd fix the filter and get some sort of name security for posters.
But go ahead and enjoy having a handful of idiots to kick when you could have dozens. You must be real humble.
Look, Cletus, I agree the filter's stupid, but if you are that irritated by it, then you can always go to Topix or some other site.
Naw, I'd miss yer posts if'n I went off somewheres. You have a way about ya. Like a tasmanian devil. Real cute but you usually spin in one spot just like the cartoon. But you make me laugh. That's important at our age. U mad?
oooh.."sinful lifestyle".....yep, no one knows more about morality than iron age sheep mounters, eh?
LOL I'm a pastor and I love opening small churches everywhere to show up my billboards and crosses without paying a single buck on tax 🙂 Gotta love America!
While any church has the right to prevent their turf from being the center of a media circus, I'm not sure where the public/private distinction exists when churches enjoy tax-exempt status. Surely, especially where a "senior" accredited media organization like CNN is concerned, there should be more open access. I can see private industries not allowing the crew from "60 Minutes" to enter their headquarters, but I think churches should have broader accountability.
That's scary...really scary. What is supposed to come of this great unveiling of churches paul? Does the public need to see how they are thinking incorrectly? Perhaps we need to send these Christians to re-education camps so they can learn the correct way to think according to paulthinkingoutloud...of course, should Christians wield such power in government and use it against gays, atheists, etc, that would be a bad thing, right?
Hey, I´m an Atheist and I´m against gay marriage due to traditional reason. Marriage has always been between man & woman.
That's not a reason
No, it hasn't. Read some history, dear. Maybe your mommy can help you with the long words.
Lena, I'm an agnostic and I am also against gay marriage.
Would either of you care to share why?
Tradition ain't holy. Only pharisees think thet way.
You raise a tradition up like its got something to it, but its just doing things over and over – nothing holy about thet.
It has been utilized for men to account for their property (wives and children) and to barter for money and property from the womans family. Tradition is lovely and so romantic, especially when the marriages are arranged and forced.
False. It hasn't always been between a man & a woman.
Hey Lena. Being an Atheist or an Agnostic doesn't make you intelligent as you truly indicate........you are not
Indiana was the center of U.S. Klan Era. Theocratic GOP psychos run the statehouse and it's an uneducated armpit. Yes, Indiana is making Christianity a Hate Group again.
Them klukkers ain't dead yet. We need to fix that there problem.