“The good news is that there’s 50 less pedophiles in this world, because, you know, these homosexuals are a bunch of disgusting perverts and pedophiles. That’s who was a victim here, are a bunch of, just, disgusting homosexuals at a gay bar, okay? And then I’m sure it’s also gonna be used to push an agenda against so-called “hate speech.” So Bible-believing Christian preachers who preach what the Bible actually says about homosexuality — that it’s vile, that it’s disgusting, that they’re reprobates — you know, we’re gonna be blamed. Like, “It’s all extremism! It’s not just the Muslims, it’s the Christians!” I’m sure that that’s coming. I’m sure that people are gonna start attacking, you know, Bible-believing Christians now, because of what this guy did.I’m not sad about it, I’m not gonna cry about it. Because these 50 people in a gay bar that got shot up, they were gonna die of AIDS, and syphilis, and whatever else.
- Steven Anderson, preacher at Faithful Word Baptist Church, Tempe, AZ in response to the slaughter in Orlando
I have no desire to belabor the hateful strain of faux Christianity preached by “Pastor” Anderson. If you believe in karma as I do, you believe that he’ll get his due at some point. His particularly sick, twisted brand of Christian hatred is a subject best left to those able to be more objective.
My concern is more for what Anderson represents- a virulent righteous…well, hatred seems wholly inadequate, but it will have to do. Somehow this hatred is conflated and commingled with Christianity, to the point where it’s clear that God is an angry, mean-spirited SOB every bit as likely to smite humanity as He is to embrace it. This “Christianity” actually has little, if anything to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That the Prince of Peace actually preached about love, tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion somehow gets lost in this equation, leaving a rage-addicted, vindictive Deity who monitors your every thought, word, and deed 24/7/365. If one falls short of expectations, as one inevitably will, punishment can be expected to be swift, certain, and painful.
It’s no coincidence that this dark, angry faith seems to be the preferred choice of those who manifest various and assorted iterations of mental illness. The contention that intolerant, hate-filled Right-wing Christians like Anderson bear significant responsibility for creating an atmosphere enabling mass murderers like Omar Mateen would difficult to refute.
(BTW- “[T]here’s 50 less pedophiles in this world?” Really? Perhaps if “Pastor” Anderson could be bother to remove his anterior from his posterior, he’d recognize the truth that a pedophile if far less likely to be a homosexual than a heterosexual male. Next time, do your research, ‘kay??)
For one Florida Catholic bishop, there’s no question that Mateen was influenced by his religion to hate homosexuals — but he also says that this is a problem with many religions, including the Catholic faith.
“Sadly it is religion, including our own, which targets, mostly verbally, and also often breeds contempt for gays, lesbians and transgender people,” writes Bishop Robert Lynch on his personal blog. “Attacks today on LGBT men and women often plant the seed of contempt, then hatred, which can ultimately lead to violence.”
It’s a sad reality of modern life that religious faith too often appeals to those whose lives lack structure or perceived meaning. Religious doctrine, when taken to and past its meaning and intent, can too often be interpreted as inflexible and inviolable…thus, those not living by those rules may be perceived as being “less than,” sinful and therefore unworthy of the love of Jesus Christ and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. When you write someone off as “less than,” it’s easy to see them as being of little account or worth, making their death a net benefit to society.
Bishop Lynch’s observations are both true and refreshing, coming as they do from a representative of a Church not renowned for teaching tolerance and acceptance. The recognition that we’re all God’s children and worthy of being loved and appreciated as such seems increasingly more difficult to come by these days. No one is “less than,” and denying someone their basic humanity is to deny the uniqueness and validity of a life created by the God you allegedly worship.
How often have I heard Right-wing Christians say, “God doesn’t make mistakes”…before they go on to condemn homosexuals as violating “God’s laws?” The Lord and Savior these folks proclaim their devotion for preached love, acceptance, tolerance, and inclusion- NOT hatred of those who think, believe, live, and/or love differently than you.
Even if you want to look at this question in purely secular terms, how about considering that we’re in this together. We’re all human beings, trying to make our way in this world as best we can- hopefully in a way that feels genuine and authentic. As a species, we’d be much stronger if we could coalesce around the things we have in common, rather than focusing on things used to divide us. There’s enough sadness and darkness in this world without the dogmatic and inflexibly religious adding to it.
It’s time Right-wing Christians began to recognize and accept their part in creating the atmosphere that’s led to events like the Orlando massacre. Are they directly responsible? Of course not, though there’s little doubt but that the hatred and divisiveness they’ve sown has created an atmosphere that enables those unable to properly channel their issues.
The Lord and Savior you profess to revere preached love, tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion. Isn’t about time to act as if you recognize and honor those teachings? Hatred is NOT a Christian value. Period. End of story.
