While itโs 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 โPray the Gay away,โ the churchโs pastor called on the government to pass the death penalty for queer individuals.
The sermon was streamed live on the churchโs 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. โThereโs nothing good to be proud about being a f*gg*t,โ the man preached. โYou ought to blow yourself in the head, in the back of the head. So disgusting!โ
He continued, โA 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, โNo, youโre not going to have our children.โ
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 churchโs stance on the issue.
The statement read, โcalling 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.โ
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, โHe has big โdon’t check my hard driveโ vibes.โ
Another critic pointed out that โthe right is getting bolder and bolder with their hate.โ Two social media users were concerned that the message doesnโt reflect Jesus’ ways.
โJesus would flip his sh*t on this church,โ wrote one user. A second user replied, โJesus would flip his sh** on a lot of things happening today.โ A fourth observer added, โNothing is quite as hateful as Christian love.โ
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.
โI will not apologize for preaching the word of God. I will not apologize for stating facts.โ the message read. โI will not negotiate with terrorists, among whom the LGBTHIV crowd is full of terrorists.โ
The message further detailed the Bibleโs teachings on homosexuality, citing verses such as โLeviticus 20:13, Romans 1:28, Jude 1:7, and Matthew 18:6.โ
While everyone is entitled to their beliefs, advocating for the death penalty for someone elseโs sexual orientation seems to be extreme.
