BURNING PASSION

Rick Scarborough Says He’s Not An Unstable Bigot, Loves Gay People

scarborough_rick_cross_aWhat a difference a few days make.

One week ago today, pastor Rick Scarborough vowed to set himself on ablaze if same-sex marriage was ever made legal in the United States.

“We are not going to bow. We are not going to bend. If necessary, we will burn,” the 65-year-old pastor intoned during a conference call. “The preachers need to get out front, the leaders need to get out front, out front of these ordinary citizens and say, ‘Shoot me first!’”

After the Supreme Court issued its historic ruling on Friday morning, Scarborough released a statement that said, actually, on second thought, he wasn’t going to light himself on fire. He was just, you know, trying to prove a point by quoting a spiritual song. He didn’t mean for anyone to take him literally. After all, where would we be if we took everything the Scripture says literally?

Related: Christian Extremist Records Herself Imploding Over Marriage Equality

Now, the man of God is back again with a new op-ed published by Variety (!), and he wants everyone to know that, contrary to popular belief, he does not hate gay people. In fact, he loves them! So much so that he feels “compelled” to remind them all that they’re all going to hell.

“I believe that most homosexuals in America are like most Christians,” Scarborough writes, “they simply want to live and let live, and have no desire to impose their beliefs on others. But fringe groups on both sides of the debate over marriage are forcing a dangerous polarization in our culture.”

Fringe groups… like the two he founded — Vision America and Tea Party Unity — and the one he currently heads–the Judeo-Christian Council for Constitutional Restoration.

“We who believe that homosexuality is wrong are compelled by our love for homosexuals to express that belief, based on biblical revelation,” Scarborough continues. “We believe that we are expressing the purist form of love. We love them enough to face their rejection and at times their ridicule, in order to offer God’s redemption and freedom.”

Huh?

“We want homosexuals to know we love them enough to tell the truth and forthrightly state our support of God’s definition of marriage.”

Um…

“We do not hate homosexuals and we are not out to hurt them. We love them, and we love God, His Word, and His truth.”

Thanks? We guess.

“By the way,” Scarborough adds, “when was the last time a movie or sitcom produced in Hollywood depicted a pastor as caring, loving and selfless? … [T]he typical portrayal of a pastor in a movie is that of an unstable or bigoted hypocrite.”

Related: Christian Right Prepares For Arrival Of Marriage Equality By Doing Even Crazier Things

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