“I understand that the greatest point of offense from my article happened when I exposed homosexuality as a putrid-smelling demon that many have embraced,” Pastor Bert Farias writes in a rambling op-ed published Wednesday in Charisma News. “Apparently that was the arrow that afflicted the comfort of the hornet’s nest, creating cyberspace madness.”
Beautiful metaphor, Bert.
Last week, the pastor made headlines when he claimed gay people were possessed by fart demons so foul-smelling they had the power to drive pigs to suicide. He now says that, as a result of his comments, which were, naturally, misunderstood, he has become a victim of — surprise, surprise — online bullying.
Farias writes:
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.
The LGBT community … was up in arms about my article and made sure to let me know it through hundreds of comments on this site, a host of other public rants on various LGBT sites, and through many vile and venom-filled private messages.
Farias claims the messages said terrible, terrible things like “I hope you die of pancreatic cancer,” and accused him of being “filled with Satan” and a “delusion piece of trash.”
Last Tuesday, he tweeted:
I knew it was coming. After my article on homosexuality I’ve received more hate mail than ever. Time to pray for my enemies (Mat 5:44).
— Bert Farias (@BertFarias1) July 22, 2014
“One could easily have mistaken them for terrorists who delight in killing those who refuse to convert to their ideology,” Farias writes in yesterday’s op-ed.
Terrorists? Really?
He then goes on to explain what he meant by last week’s comments by offering the official definition of what a fart demon is.
A putrid-smelling demon would be considered an unclean spirit. Jesus taught on the operation of unclean spirits (demons) and their desire to inhabit human beings … [A]ny serious student of the Bible clearly understands that we live in a fallen world that demons rule.
Why all the rage and madness over a putrid-smelling demon? Is it not because I associated it with homosexuality? The scriptures condemn every form of sexual immorality, calling it a sin against your own body (1 Cor. 6:18). I singled out homosexuality in my article because it is widely accepted and celebrated in today’s culture.
After that he talks about lewdness and how it’s overtaken the gay community as demonstrated by gay pride parades.
Lewdness is associated with words such as licentiousness, filthiness, lasciviousness, etc. An unclean spirit or demon emanates these characteristics through human beings who yield to them. But the word lewdness has much stronger implications. It means total debauchery, unashamed indecency, unbridled lust, and unrestrained depravity … Ever been to a gay pride parade? Lewdness is rampant.
Farias concludes his article with this message to gay Christians:
With genuine godly sorrow, humble yourself and repent of your sin of homosexuality. Leave your partners and all gay associations, as if you were Lot in the days of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, escaping for your life. Your sinful associations will only keep you in a weakened position. Begin to call on the Name of the Lord from a sincere heart. He will give you grace to empower you toward change. Seek help and prayer from God-loving, Bible-believing Christians.
That’s one option. Alternatively, you could toss your Bible aside and join us down at the gay bar for some “licentiousness, filthiness, lasciviousness, etc.” First round is on the fart demons.
Ron Jackson
Religion is stupid. The fairy tale continues to delude millions here in the 21rst century. It’s amazing to me that this ignorance proliferates even in the “civilized” parts of the world.
LandStander
Everything he says is ridiculous, except the part about the pride parades… I’ve been an advocate of changing those for a long time 🙂
DickieJohnson
There’s nothing wrong with religion, per se. Its the ignorant misinterpretations of it that’s the problem. Many denominations accept us, but there will always be hate-filled kookoos on earth who won’t pull their heads out of their a$$es.
Maude
Ron, You’re entitled to your opinion, and I am entitled to mine. I will pray for you.
LandStander, I agree with you. He is ridiculous, and I would add, he is his own worst enemy.
His interpretation of the Bible is also ridiculous…In My opinion, it is he who is the stinking fart demon.
And those ‘pride parades’ are an embarrassment to every gay person with an ounce of self respect.
People don’t go to see it, they go to disrespectfully goggle at it.
Stache99
@LandStander: Please. They have cleaned up to being almost as boring as Macy Day Parade. Nothing like they once were.
Stache99
@DickieJohnson: There’s actually allot wrong with religion unless you consider genocide, slavery, and rape and lots of violence a good thing.
However, your point of misinterpretation which is what this knucklehead does is spot on.
gskorich
can i ask one really simple question? when are these religious people going to turn the page and preach something else, i’m 100% gay and i’m sick about hear gay, gay ,gay!! its time for the ‘christians’ to focus on what a christian is. if what we are is so bad then pray for us and move on. condemning people is not a very christian thing to do
Gordon
Isn’t he precious. Just friggin’ lovely. Make me wanna throw up in my mouth.
Maude
@gskorich: ,
Speaking as a 100% Gay Christian, I want to tell you that yours is the single most intelligent question and answer on the subject I have seen since I became an adult.
Hillers
@gskorich: They need gays to use as scapegoats to be emblematic of an “other” so that they feel more assured that they are the elect. There is no focus on the self and following the true tenements of Christ.
Ann Mason
Are you sure this man is real? His name sounds like a joke.
If you have Scrabble tiles, you can fact check this easily. His name is an anagram for FART BIAS.
mcflyer54
If this clown was a doctor he’d be called a quack, sued for malpractice and his license revoked. But, since he’s a “pastor” he is free to say and do whatever he wants based on his “strongly held religious beliefs”. That however, doesn’t make him any less of a quack. But someone needs to tell him that prayers are nothing more than wishes made by religious people and they provide exactly the same results. I don’t hate Christians, I just hate their agenda.
zwirad
I will provide THREE quotes from three most intelligent individuals.
“Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.” – Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason, 1794-1795.)
“The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends,” Einstein
“Religion is a noble lie. It is a myth which is told to the majority of the society by the philosophical elite in order to ensure social order. ” Plato
I agree ENTIRELY with these men since I was like, 8 yr old. This individual in the article is just another example of the totally deranged state religion has fallen from its heyday of the Grand Inquisition. I have no need for it.
LuckyboyLA
I wish certain Gay Men would lay off the Pride Parade thing. Especially with comments like this: ‘an embarrassment to every gay person with an ounce of self respect’. Speak for yourself and your own embarrassment with flamboyant queens, OK? They were the ones who stood up to the cops in the first place at the Stonewall Bar in NYC. Then everyone else joined in for the two night riot that we celebrate every year ad the birth of Gay Pride. I look as innocuous as they come, but I’ll defend every last drag queen, Sister of Indulgence, bare-assed leather man, Nellie twink flag twirler, circuit boy on a bar float, Dykes on Bikes etc etc etc to my last breath from guys like these two posters to parade down our streets every damn June. Stay home and ‘tsk tsk’ but remember why you can hold hands, kiss, and not get raided when you go to your local gay bar.
Hillers
@LuckyboyLA: This. I tend to be a bit more vanilla on the streets (but wild between the sheets), and prefer not to draw attention to myself at these events, or even in general. But they exist so we can be whoever we want to be, and celebrate that. My question to detractors is, How would you prefer these events go? Should the men dress in shirts and ties, the women in dresses, and we all sip coffee, shake hands and talk about the weather? I mean, it’s Pride for fuck’s sake.
oilgun
@Maude: Oh good grief, have you never seen a Mardi Gras parade?
SteveDenver
The caption for the main photo: “Give me your money… Give me your money.. Give me your money…”
Just another idiotic charlatan being followed by gullible morons.
Xzamilio
@Maude: I think you need to spend your time finding evidence for this god instead of arrogantly pushing your “prayers” on others as though YOU have some moral high ground. You do realize there are millions of people claiming to be Christians who call on the same god you pray to — or rather, the loose interpretation of this god none of you can demonstrate is real — when condemning us. You being entitled to your opinion is irrelevant to how asinine your opinion is. Don’t break this Christian crap down to those of us who reject it… tell your lesser evolved brethren.
Andrew Yang
Can someone tell me the difference between gay parades and carnival? Both are a celebration of freedom and the ability to celebrate this freedom of the body through movement and dance. Granted, although I believe in the message of both and will not condemn anyone who choose to go to these celebrations, they are both not for me and I would never go to either in their current form.
However, I would like to know why the attack on the gay parade which is really like carnival but instead of men grinding with women it is men with men and women with women. Why not attack them both if you are for decency and wanting to get rid of rampant lewdness? Hypocrite!!!!!!
Mikah
He belongs in a mental institution.
LadyL
@gskorich: You and I will stop being a target when we’re no longer useful as a fundraising tool. It’s all about the money with organized religion. And protecting the closets of whackjobs like him.
LadyL
@Andrew Yang: Why attack pride parades at all? Yes, a lot of it is over the top but so what? It’s a day of celebration and high spirits for a group that have historically been marginalized and demonized. And each year the Pride parade attracts newly out of the closet spectators and participants–for them it’s a heady, exotic experience.
Every June in my city, the CTA train brings carloads of scared but thrilled Black and Hispanic kids from South and West Side homes and neighborhoods where on a daily basis they are made to feel afraid, ashamed and unwelcome. The Pride parade is a HUGE deal for them.
Andrew Yang
I agree! Why attack the pride parade at all? This is partly my point. His comments are not about the things he stated as associated with pride events, as these are noted in other events as well. His attack on the pride parade is basically because it is a gay event. If it was about the issues he mentioned, then he would have included carnival and other such events.
As for it being “over the top and so what?” I would never advocate for it to change as we are all different individuals with varying tastes. The pride parade may not be my thing, but I would certainly demonstrate if there was ever a drive to make it obsolete. I think it is a very important part of gays being able to celebrate who they are, if this is how they choose to. It is a right that should be available for whoever wants to utilize same and celebrate in this fashion.
Elloreigh
“With genuine godly sorrow, humble yourself…”
You first, Bert.
Jamie
He wants lewdness and debauchery? How about 50 people arrested for intoxication, 46 people treated for alcohol poisoning, 22 people hospitalized, and 1 person arrested for raping a 17-year-old kid as others watched?
That all happened at a Keith Urban concert last week near Boston. So where is the rant about those sinner country music fans?
Jim Guinnessey
Not that headline seeking moron Farias again!
Ohyaza
You have to be kidding