While it’s not uncommon for churches to appeal to the government to address societal concerns, a particular church in Indianapolis, Indiana, chose to implore the government to kill members of the LGBTQ + community. During a sermon titled “Pray the Gay away,” the church’s pastor called on the government to pass the death penalty for queer individuals.
The sermon was streamed live on the church’s Facebook Page, and a recording was shared on YouTube. As seen in the clip, the pastor was on the pulpit, vehemently condemning non-heterosexual sexual orientation. “There’s nothing good to be proud about being a f*gg*t,” the man preached. “You ought to blow yourself in the head, in the back of the head. So disgusting!”
He continued, “A bunch of f*gg*ts that want to come around, walk on our streets, and demand our children. And we should look them in the eye, and say, ‘No, you’re not going to have our children.”
The church leader subsequently urged the government to implement the death penalty for members of the LGBTQ community. A statement from the church, obtained by WISH-TV, elaborated on the church’s stance on the issue.
The statement read, “calling for the death penalty and suicide for the actual Sodomites(homosexuals). The Bible teaches that those people are worthy of death. They are supposed to be executed by the government. We are not to take the law into our own hands.”
The message drew widespread condemnation from social media users who pointedly opposed the preaching. A netizen remarked that the pastor appeared to be one of those people with skeletons in their cupboards. The netizen wrote, “He has big ‘don’t check my hard drive’ vibes.”
Another critic pointed out that “the right is getting bolder and bolder with their hate.” Two social media users were concerned that the message doesn’t reflect Jesus’ ways.
“Jesus would flip his sh*t on this church,” wrote one user. A second user replied, “Jesus would flip his sh** on a lot of things happening today.” A fourth observer added, “Nothing is quite as hateful as Christian love.”
Despite the criticism the sermon has received, the church is not backing down on its beliefs. In a statement on their Facebook, the group reiterated their belief, noting that they were unapologetic about it.
“I will not apologize for preaching the word of God. I will not apologize for stating facts.” the message read. “I will not negotiate with terrorists, among whom the LGBTHIV crowd is full of terrorists.”
The message further detailed the Bible’s teachings on homosexuality, citing verses such as “Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:28, Jude 1:7, and Matthew 18:6.”
While everyone is entitled to their beliefs, advocating for the death penalty for someone else’s sexual orientation seems to be extreme.
