A church in Tennessee caused an uproar last week after posting a message on its marquee that compared gay people to Satan.
“Remember Satan was the first to demand equal rights” the sign, which appeared last week outside the Knoxville Baptist Tabernacle, read.
Many felt the message was a direct attack on gay rights, an allegation church leaders have denied.
“Our sign referencing Satan demanding his equal rights to ascend into the heavens and be God was simply all about that individual,” Pastor Tony Greene told WATE. “It was not a statement against any one group in particular.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But not everyone agrees.
“It’s clearly a sign that was meant to offend a particular community,” local resident Andy Henry told WBIR. “The LGBT community.”
“Because of (the church’s) lack of foresight,” Henry continued, “they ended up offending everybody who had ever fought for equality or civil rights in general.”
After the sign made national headlines, it was quickly changed. It now reads: “‘Glad you reading, did not intend to offend, we all need Christ.”
Of course, the Knoxville Baptist Tabernacle isn’t the first house of god to use it’s marquee to spread a message of hate. Scroll down for images of other absurd, unintentionally hilarious church signage.
Related stories:
Me Speak English Good: When Homophobes Fail With Their Antigay Signage
“God” Purchases Year-Long “God Loves Gays” Billboard Near Westboro Baptist Church
Christians Warn Against “Self-Rape” And Other Bizarre Antigay Religious Signage
Michael Finnegan
Xzamilio
We can laugh now because they are just kooks and we as a society are removed from the iron age nonsense of such religious beliefs. Unfortunately, it’s so funny over in the Middle East or Uganda or Nigeria where this sky daddy woo woo bullshit is getting LGBTQ individuals attacked, imprisoned, and murdered.
And sadly, some of these pics are outlandish and buffoonish, but they are in fact real. That’s what woo woo nonsense does to people. I’m aware that not all religious people are evil or stupid or even subscribe to the full tenets of their faith, but if you’re going to cherry pick the bronze/iron age nonsense, why have it at all? Just admit you’re better than your god and be done with it.
Atrius
Stupid religions.
Xzamilio
“Unfortunately, it’s not so funny over in the Middle East…”
Man, it’s funny how omitting one word can throw off a sentiment.
Ron King
Soulless Christian Creeps…
Giancarlo85
Religion is the opiate of the masses. And if people think only Muslims support the jailing and killing of gay people, one could only look at Uganda. “The Fellowship” support the “Kill the gays” bill. I can’t quite grasp how stupid some people can be. Do we live in 2015 or 1890?
Paul Nadolski
Since there is no God, and there is no heaven, why do I care? If these people want to continue to live in their deluded world, I guess more power to them…
onthemark
“You can’t enter Heaven unless Jesus enters you.”
Can it be any Jesus? – there are a lot of Latino guys where I live. Sounds like fun!
Giancarlo85
You know… women at one point demanded equal rights too. I guess this particular church views women as being controlled by Satan too. lol.
TomMc
If those Christians really believed in life after death, they’d have devoted space on their placards for pics of that other prophet.
GayEGO
Much like the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas. These are Christian extremists, The Presbyterian church is Christian as it supports marriage equality.
Saint Law
Okay, I just learned that Queerty’s moderation policy forbids discussions of Satan’s c*ck.
Saint Law
Satan’s big, fat, stiff, crimson c*ck.
Saint Law
How I yearn for your c*ck, Satan!
Xzamilio
@GayEGO: No, they’re freaking humanist. Because they have no scriptural justification for supporting marriage equality. That book is many things, but pro-LGBT it is not. It’s not even pro-women, pro-non Israelite, or pro-knowledge. I mean, you’re entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. None of you can say who is Christian and who isn’t… even though that’s exactly what all of you do. Get a working definition of that BS and then get back to the rest of us nonbelievers.
Although, I can tell you now, as someone who has read the bible, you’re gonna need to come better than some cherry picking garbage about how “God is love.”
Merv
@GayEGO:
“The Presbyterian church is Christian as it supports marriage equality.”
Yeah, it’s been almost a whole week now, hasn’t it? Let’s not pretend that the persecution of gay people isn’t due almost entirely to Christians. Even the Muslims got their hatred of gay people from the Christians. Of course, the Jews had it, too, but Judaism isn’t an evangelical religion, so the damage was contained.
SteveDenver
Church leaders claim this isn’t an assault on gays or “any one group in particular.”
Let’s see, what other groups have sought equal rights?
Women
Blacks and other ethnic minorities
Handicapped
Economically disadvantaged
Oh you stupid white male morons!
chuck
Once again, GOD IS FAKE! Please don’t waste my time saying I’m real to him. What idiot can even prove it would be a man either. Religion is for the weak and gullible.
Timothy Grover
Darryl Moir
Die fucking die, your church is now on the burn list and so are your homes.
polarisfashion
Some of these signs are almost cartoonish. The one from Havens Corners is relatively close to where I live and I remember when it made the local news. I also remember the Jesus statue that was struck by lightning and caught fire and completely burned up. Guess Thor had enough of this usurper! Or was it Zeus that destroyed it?
Jessie Diaz
their god may not love me but mine does. it’s ok. we’ll all burn together.
ppp111
@Giancarlo85:
Actually yes. Most patriarchal religions tend to view women who demand to be heard as evil. Can you imagine what ethnic people in the past had to endure when they demanded equal rights and treatment? I imagine many of these bigots used Satan as an excuse to deny civil rights!
onthemark
@ppp111: “The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.”
1 Corinthians 14:34 – the quote is from Paul the apostle, of course!
Mary C Scohera
It never ceases to amaze me the hate churches spew out
Realitycheck
Religious people should be hanged upside down by their genitalia and
spanked for days at the time.
On that note “IF” I did believe in religion, I would think GOD is boring
as he forbids everything, while Satan is a kick ass fun guy.
CharlieM3
“You can’t enter heaven until Jesus enters you” Is that orally or anally?
Xzamilio
@CharlieM3: Doesn’t matter. I will pray and worship Jesus while awaiting his return to Earth… we were put here for him.
So I will get on me knees and service Jesus until he comes.
David Andrew Roubideaux
Churches will say about anything & everything just to discriminate anybody & everybody. :)’s
balddude13
WTF???!!! I won’t stop believing that there is a God who loves all men and women even those who love someone of the of the same sex. Whether I go to Hell or not won’t let me lose confidence that God truly loves the LGBT world community. Now I don’t buy what the Christian bible says, never did. If I go to Hell because I love a man, so be it. But I don’t buy it. I don’t believe that is how God operates, at least the God that I believe in. Fuck all you Christian Evangelists and Fundamentalists. Who do you think you are? You’re all ridiculous. You’re the ones who are going to Hell for all the hate that you have perpetuated throughout the ages.
jwtraveler
Some of those signs make Christianity far more appealing than it ever has been. I’ll be happy to come to church and let that hot amigo Jesus (with credit to @onthemark🙂 touch me and enter me. I’ll open my mouth and let him fill it with his sweet manjuice, then get my loose tongue into his tight place. Wow, church sounds like the hottest gay sex club in town. I can’t wait.
jwtraveler
@Paul Nadolski: Individual delusion is called mental illness. Mass delusion is called religion.
balddude13
Queerty, I apologize for saying F*ck all you…but I still meant every word I said. I give you permission to print my biography.
Reno Reeves
well I am quite the devil in bed 😉
Valerie Anderson
Unbelievable! I wonder if these haters will ever just go away already?
DavidTheLeo
Religions make me sick period.
Realitycheck
@balddude13:
Do you really believe we were made in god image? Now look at what we know of the universe and how….not us, not our planet, not our solar system is less then a speck of dust in the universe, and you think there is a god with nothing better to do, BUT, wait for you tho die and give you a good spank?????
Daniel Nespal
eat shellfish
Eric Hartloff
How about we agree that you stay out of my bedroom and I’ll stay out of your church.
transiteer
Christian Churches are the Home of Satan’s Ignorant Hateful People. They lie, they hate, they harm, they are really at home in Churches. And quoting Satan?? No such thing is recorded anywhere. Not even in their Holy Book of Fairy Stories. These people are harmful (keep your kids away), and mentally sick. You know where they should be.
John Kuehnle
What denomination is that church?
balddude13
@Realitycheck
You have a point but I never said that we were made in God’s image. I also believe in God as the Universe. I believe in goodness and decency. I believe in God in my own way. I am a Catholic who disagrees with many of the Catholic and Apostolic beliefs. Because I am homosexual and I am pro-choice, I can’t enjoy and admire the pageantry and art of the Catholic Religion. Call me whatever you want but as a gay child who suppressed his gayness and was afraid all the time, I felt safe in my church. Now it’s a different story but I do believe that Judy Garland and her daughter Liza should be canonized by Pope Francis. There you go. Is that gay enough for you. Why can’t the LGBT community believe in God or any deity in their own way. Lighten up.
Sluggo2007
For God’s sake, people, it’s Tennessee!!!!! What do you expect!!!!
Realitycheck
@balddude13:
Because there is no prove, not one shred of evidence that god
exists, god did not write the bible, and every century that book
gets changed as needed.
This people so called saints, that lived on top of mountains or
became martyrs, well now a day we know them as mentally
diseased or fanatic zealots.
The real question would be why anyone would need to believe in a deity?
Religion, always pray on the weak and in moments of need, at the hospital
for example, when some one is sick or when some one lost his job or a loved one.
Religion is about weakness, fear and confort and stupid people.
If you want or need to believe in a cosmic daddy, good for you,
but real freedom is from religion above all.
Religion is behind, discrimination of just about any kind, and in
extreme situations, you get terrorists or worse.
Realitycheck
@Sluggo2007:
Progress? LOL
Atrius
@Realitycheck: That’s asking too much from delusional people.
Elissa Lawrence
Wow
Christopher Michael
isn’t that special…and what will we do about it?
Danny Ray
Satan didn’t want equal rights at all–Dumbo!!!
Mikki Hurley
They aren’t too bright.
samdoj
To anyone who may be Christian and reading this, I am an ex-Christian and have studied the Bible for myself. Supposing that Christianity is actually true, Satan’s fight with God wasn’t an argument over rights. He wanted to overthrow him. Queers do not want to overthrow anyone. We just want the rights that everybody else has. Satan, according to Christianity wanted unequal rights; rights beyond everyone else’s. If there is a moral lesson in that, it’s that nobody should try to subvert the rights of others. According to the narrative, Satan tried to subvert the right of God to be God. So you can be Christian and gay if you want. I don’t believe there is a God, but if I am wrong against all odds, he doesn’t hate you, he loves you. Just don’t have sex with angels and your’e all good.