(In response to this post)
A Member of the ‘Put the Gays Inside Electric Fences’ Church Tries to Defend Him… and Fails Miserably
May 24, 2012 By 93 Comments
Somehow, Charles Worley, the pastor who wants to put all gay people inside of electrified fences, has followers.
One of them, Stacey Pritchard, attempted to defend her pastor’s comments on CNN last night. Anderson Cooper threw her softball after softball and she completely whiffed on every single one of them. This is seriously mind-boggling to listen to:
Blogger John Shore has a very calm-but-frustrated take on the whole video. He tries really hard to understand where people like her are coming from…
I’m not saying this pretty woman is stupid; she doesn’t seem particularly organically stupid at all. But that’s she’s pretty dramatically uneducated is painfully obvious. She seems to have almost no capacity for the most elemental kind of reasoning — the kind of reasoning that is the first and primary benefit of even a solid elementary school education.
And her anger is palpable; she positively radiates hostility. And I don’t blame her for being angry. It’s a terrible thing to even say, but the truth is that the world is generally a terribly harsh place for people who are uneducated. When you don’t know how to at all reason — not to mention when you’ve been trained to believe there’s not really much you personally can do to impact the quality of your life — your world gets real small real fast.
…
People like her get me itchy. They make me want to start storing food and buying weapons. And I’m not sure that here in America today we’re producing any more of any kind of person than we are people like her. I think she’s the norm these day. If not, she’s way too freakin’ close to it.
I agree — this sort of hatred against gay people is the norm. Certainly in the Christian community. They won’t all be that extreme, but the Christians who claim to “love” gay people are the same ones who want to deny them equal rights, who fight against anti-bullying legislation, who don’t even want others to bring up the word “homosexual” (because, you know, that’s how teh gey is spread).
Those Christians will be quick to denounce Pritchard, Worley, and that entire church. Meanwhile, their own pastors cloak their bigotry in less outward hate while saying virtually the same things… but they’re totally fine with that.
Pastor Calls For Electrified Fence To Corral and Exterminate Gays
May 24, 2012 By 156 Comments
First of all, this is neither made up, nor is it an Onion article. I checked. Twice.
On May 13th, congregants of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, NC were treated this heart-warming sermon by Pastor Charles Worley :
I… figured a way to get rid of all the lesbians and queers, but I couldn’t get it past the Congress. Build a great big large fence, hundred… fifty or a hundred-mile long. Put all the lesbians in there. Fly over and drop some food. Do the same thing with the queers and the homosexuals. And have that fence electrified till they can’t get out. Feed ‘em and… and you know what, in a few years they’ll die out. D’you know why? They can’t reproduce. If a man ever has a young’n, praise god it will be the first one.
…
God have mercy, it makes me pukin’ sick to think about… I don’t even whether you ought to say this in the pulpit or not… can you imagine kissing some man?
The thing is, this is so very silly sounding that I forgot to be angry or horrified.
I would like to take a moment to go through the pastor’s Master Plan to rid the world of the lesbians and queers and homosexuals.
Ok, so we’re building a 100-150-mile-long fence. 150 miles long? Like a straight line from point A to point B? Los Angeles to San Diego is about 120 miles already…
I’m not sure what good a hundred-mile long fence would do anyone. This isn’t The Ming Dynasty , after all. How high is this fence? Couldn’t the gays and lesbians just jump over it? Couldn’t they walk around it at the edge? Someone hasn’t thought this completely through…
But lets give the pastor the benefit of the doubt — say he meant a hundred mile circumference. I’m not going to go into how he expects to round up all of the gay people in the US. But here comes my favorite part of the plan. So we’re putting all of the lesbians in one pen. And then… all the queers and homosexuals in another? Someone is not down with the lingo.
But again, benefit of the doubt. Gay guys in one pen, lesbians in another.
Electrify the fence so they can’t get out, and then wait for them to just die off. Because, you know, they can’t procreate. Because they’re gay. GET IT?!
I don’t really get why he wants to separate the men and women. I feel like his point would be proven even better if they were all in one pen. Men and women together but they don’t want to reproduce with each other because they’re gay. (GET IT?!)
Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink… Oh the irony!
But he is going to keep feeding them. And wait for them to die off. But keep feeding them. And waiting for them to… what, die of old age? Not exactly swift justice. And just think of the electric bills! Are the churches going to pay for that?!
Ok, Pastor Worley. I’ll help you out.
What you *meant* to say was that we should put gays and lesbians in one 100-mile circumference, closed-off, really tall, electric fence, without any food, so they can all die off in a few days. Can I get an amen to that?!
…
Hey Pastor Worley. You know what makes me “pukin’ sick”?
Genocide.
NAACP Comes Out In Support of Today’s Civil Rights Movement
May 23, 2012 By 30 Comments
The NAACP announced Saturday that they now endorse marriage equality.
The National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People passed a resolution supporting gay marriage at a meeting of its board of directors in Miami, saying it opposed any policy or legislative initiative that “seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the constitutional rights of LGBT citizens.”
This is the right move for the country’s oldest civil rights organization and it follows closely behind President Obama‘s support of same-sex marriage.
But the NAACP was quickly criticized by many church leaders in the black community. Many were already angry with Obama for his comments and now they’ve turned their focus on the NAACP as well.
Rev. Anthony Evans, with the National Black Church Initiative, opposed the president’s and the NAACP’s endorsements of same-sex marriage. He warned that Obama and the NAACP will lose support among black churches for their stand.
“We love our gay brothers and sisters, but the black church will never support gay marriage,” Evans said. “It is and always will be against the ethics and teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
But not all black churches are opposed to gay marriage. Rev. Enoch Fuzz of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church used Sunday’s sermon to explain why he, too, supports gay marriage. Like the President, he had a change of heart after long reflection.
“I know many in the black community have trouble accepting gay marriage,” he said. “But all of us have gay friends or family, and we love them.”
Enoch Fuzz preaches to his congregation Sunday at Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville. (Joe Imel – USA Today)
The tide is changing bit by bit in the black community regarding marriage equality.
In Columbus, Mayor Michael Coleman is confident black churches and voters will stick with the president, even if they disagree over gay marriage. The four-term African-American mayor made the same conversion himself on the issue of gay marriage — for the same reasons — this year.
“I had to evolve on the issue and think it through, too, and I came to the conclusion it was the right thing,” said Coleman, a Democrat who supports Obama. “When it is the right thing to do, politics is irrelevant.”
And it is the right thing to do. Love could never be a sin, even if their god did exist.
A Republican Mississippi State Representative Really Hates Gay People
May 22, 2012 By 43 Comments
Earlier this month, the country was all abuzz with news that President Obama stands in support of gay marriage rights. Of course, amid new Internet trends and celebrations, there was a predictable right-wing media backlash.
One of the most spectacularly homophobic was the response of Mississippi State Representative Andy Gibson (Republican… of course):
Look at that part. How can you not trust a man with that deep a part?
Rep. Gipson came out with an impressively transparent reaction to Obama’s pro-gay marriage stance. He didn’t initially masquerade behind the whole “it will confuse and destroy children” argument or even “Next stop: Man On Chipmunk!” He went straight to the source:
Been a lot of press on Obama’s opinion on “homosexual marriage.” The only opinion that counts is God’s: see Romans 1:26-28 and Leviticus 20:13. Anyway you slice it, it is sin. Not to mention horrific social policy.
I don’t think I need to clarify which passages he is referring to, but for those of you new to the party, here is Romans 1:26-28 (KJV):
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient
… and Leviticus 20:13 (KJV):
13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Now, do I actually think that ole Andy is saying that we should put gay people to death? I doubt it. But this is a case of a representative putting his religious bigotry over the civil rights of his constituents. The only opinion that counts is God’s? I think some of the voters would beg to differ.
But don’t worry, everyone. The Gipsonator clarified that his view isn’t just Biblically based! It’s based in “facts”!
Sorry I’ve been busy and not had a chance to reply. David, in addition to the basic principal that it is morally wrong, here are three social reasons it’s horrific social policy: 1) Unnatural behavior which results in disease, not the least of which is its high association with the development and spread of HIV/AIDS; 2) Confusing behavior which is harmful to children who have a deep need to understand the proper role of men and women in society and the important differences between men and women, and fathers and mothers; and 3) Undermines the longstanding definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, a definition which has been key to all aspects of social order and prosperity. Anytime that definition is weakened our culture is also weakened. And yes, that is also true for other conduct which weakens marriage’s importance in society.
I don’t think I need to explain how most of that doesn’t really mean anything.
“Anytime that definition is weakend, our culture is also weakened”?
“… children… have a deep need to understand the proper role of men and women in society”?
Citations needed.
I think Unity MS puts it best:
Mr. Gipson needs to realize he represents all of his constituents. He should not cherry-pick which constituents he wants to work for. He should also realize his positions are neither popular nor Republican. LGBT individuals, couples, and families help pay Gipson’s salary. It’s important that he remember that.
If you live in Rankin, Smith, or Simpson country, we urge you to contact Representative Gipson and let him know he represents you. If you choose to contact Gipson, please be respectful. His contact information is below.
- 601-359-3770 (Capitol when in Session)
- gipson.andy@gmail.com
- agipson@house.ms.gov (e-mail)
Don’t Use the Bible to Justify Your Homophobia When There Are Other Reasons
May 16, 2012 By 61 Comments
(via The Atheist Pig)
Lutheran Vicar Refused to Bury a 74-year-old Woman because She Was a Lesbian
May 16, 2012 By 22 Comments
It’s not just American religious leaders who do despicable things because of their homophobia.
In North Jutland, Denmark, a Lutheran vicar said he would not bury a 74-year old woman because she was a lesbian:
“I thought — can this really be possible that we have to be ashamed? I looked at my mother’s partner and she was silent. I was upset for her. What a terrible situation to put her in,” Kirsten Østergaard told DR1.
The vicar has since apologized, but little good that does now:
“What use is that to me? This is about his views about humanity, and I don’t think those have changed. He has probably regretted it, but not because of us — rather because he has put himself in a very bad light,” Østergaard tells DR.
Must be an example of religious love… it’s not enough to hate gay people during their lifetime; the bigotry has to be implemented full force even in death.
Becky, who lives in Denmark, adds:
Complicating the issue further, is the fact that Denmark does not have separation between church and state. The Danish Lutheran Church is a state church, and as such, not only do all members of the church have the right to be buried at their local church — and the vicar has no right to refuse to bury any member of the church for any reason, but even non-members of the church have the right to be buried at the local cemetery (although in the case of non-members the vicar may choose not to officiate the burial).
(Thanks to @rksteg for the link)
Lesbian Couple Barred from Attending Catholic School Prom… So They Throw Their Own Version
May 14, 2012 By 45 Comments
It’s hard to understand why a school would bar a same-sex couple from attending prom… maybe because dancing leads to slow dancing and slow dancing leads to not procreating and that goes against all things good and holy.
But that’s what Lexington Catholic High School in Kentucky did to senior Hope Decker and her date, sophomore Tiffany Wright:
In an email Sunday, Lexington Catholic president Steve Angelucci said, “As a Catholic high school, we uphold every teaching of the Catholic Church. The policies and procedures of our school reflect those teachings.”
When the couple tried to enter the school’s gymnasium, where the prom was held, they were turned away…
But the students — always smarter than the administrators at these schools — got the last laugh:
Dancing outside the prom (via Lexington Herald-Reader)
Armed with several car stereos and a group of supportive friends, the teens hosted their own prom in the school parking lot, complete with a table stacked with snacks. After the night’s final song under the stars, 108 students signed a letter to the administration criticizing its decision to turn the girls away.
…
“We had a wonderful night, and we were surrounded by true friends,” Wright said. “I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
Beautiful 
And Wright even got in the perfect response to anything the administrators could say against them:
“I would understand and respect the school’s decision if they truly upheld church teachings,” Wright said Sunday night. “They didn’t forbid the entrance of all the couples who’ve had premarital sex and all the kids who planned to get drunk after the prom.”
It didn’t happen in the classroom, but the girls and their classmates learned something valuable that night: If you stand together for the right reasons, people will be on your side. Too bad school officials aren’t supporting them, but the media sure as hell will be.
Why Does Tony Perkins Even Bother Going on TV…?
May 13, 2012 By 77 Comments
Tony Perkins, the head Christian at the Family Research Council, made news this week when he appeared on Piers Morgan‘s show and said this incredibly stupid thing:
Morgan: You have five kids, right?
Perkins: Yes, I do.
Morgan: What would you do if one of them came home and said, dad, I’m gay?
Perkins: Well, we would have a conversation about it. I doubt that would happen with my children, as we are teaching them the right ways that they are to interact as human beings.
In other words, his kids wouldn’t turn out gay because he raised them “right.”
Chris Matthews invited Perkins on Hardball to elaborate on the comment… and, for some reason, Perkins accepted. Barney Frank was there, too, and both he and Matthews went off on Perkins for 15 glorious minutes:
When Barney Frank is defending Dick Cheney for any reason, you know it’s a good one… the entire clip makes you wonder why Christian leaders don’t just stick their usual one-direction-only method of conversation. Whenever they allow themselves to be fact-checked, their arguments are torn apart.
One of Perkins’ arguments is that children are better off raised by a mother and father and studies have shown that. GLAAD points out that those studies only compare two-parent homes to single-parent homes:
No study has ever found any differences between kids raised in straight two-parent homes and kids raised in gay two-parent homes.”
To add insult to injury, Lawrence O’Donnell took Perkins to task for suggesting there has only been one definition of marriage throughout mankind’s 5,000-year history (wait, what?):
I don’t know why Perkins agrees to go on national TV to defend bigotry but I hope he keeps doing it. He makes Christians look bad, he makes Christian values seem outdated and immoral, and he makes it a lot easier for people to realize Christians are flat-out wrong when it comes to social issues.
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