Nearly two weeks ago, natives on the remote island of North Sentinel (near India) killed 26-year-old American Christian missionary John Allen Chau when he illegally visited the island to convert its residents to Christianity.
Now, Mat Staver, head of the anti-LGBTQ legal group Liberty Counsel, is demanding authorities retrieve Chau’s body, even though its retrieval could possibly spread diseases to the long-isolated natives, killing them all.
Chau paid local fisherman to take him near the island. He then traveled the rest of the way on a kayak, bringing gifts like a soccer ball and a fish. Natives later shot and killed Chau with arrows — fishermen saw tribe members dragging Chau’s body across the shore.
According to USA Today, in 2015 Chau visited Israel with Covenant Journey, Staver’s group which transports college-aged Christians to Israel to re-affirm their faith.
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.
While it’s unclear whether Staver and Chau ever interacted directly, Staver has since spoken loudly about Chau’s death, calling it a “senseless murder” and stating, “[Chau’s] family deserves to bring John’s body back home where he can be buried.”
Related: Right-Wing Liberty Counsel Opposes California’s Ban On Ex-Gay Therapy
This might sound reasonable, but it’s potentially catastrophic. The island natives have been isolated for tens of thousands of years, leaving them highly susceptible to modern-day diseases. Even a simple flu could kill scores of them.
Since Chau’s murder is a crime, Indian authorities have pledged to investigate. They’re consulting with anthropologists about the best way to proceed.
In a statement issued Monday, the anthropological advisory group said, “The rights and the desires of the Sentinelese need to be respected, and nothing is to be achieved by escalating the conflict and tension, and worse, to creating a situation where more harm is caused.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center lists the Liberty Counsel as a hate group. As its leader, Staver has called gay men a bunch of perverted, disease-spreading child molesters. He supports the criminalization of consensual gay sex and defends “right” to discriminate against LGBTQ people under the guise of religious liberty.
If this was the kind of Christianity that Chau hoped to spread to the islanders, they’re better off without it.
Chrisk
I’m okay with throwing mat staver over there. let one worthless piece of shit go looking for another worthless piece of shit.
moolahmike
I hate missionaries,
please believe in my imaginary friend
barkomatic
I think this guy committed suicide by religion. On his first trip he was shot at and had arrow wounds. He then *returned* knowing what the likely outcome would be. I know he said in a letter that he didn’t want to die but I think that was just a way to justify to himself that he wasn’t actually killing himself.
What a shame, he was a young handsome guy with a mental disorder that was untreated because it was disguised as religion. The people on the island deserve to live without being bothered by some univinted person coming to challenge their beliefs. However, killing someone because they are annoying is pretty horrible and unjustified — and they’ve killed before. I’m not sure how that makes them any different or more sympathetic than other violent cultures throughout history.
They could have just tied him up, gagged him and left him on the beach to be picked up.
Chrisk
Yeah that reminds me of the school church group I used to belong to way back. All the crazies would be attracted to our group like bugs to a light and you’re right that it was a mask for their mental illness. Of course looking back it was painfully obvious.
Kangol
They didn’t want to touch him because they are susceptible to a wide array of diseases many human beings carry, because they don’t have biological immunity, having been cut off from the rest of the world for centuries. So the arrows allowed them to dispatch him without getting near him. The questions now are: how will they dump him in the Andaman Sea OR will India’s authorities get his corpse safely off North Sentinel Island before being killed themselves?
QueerTruth
Coulda, woulda, bull. It was justified.
He invaded their island and risked the entire community lives. They were simply defending themselves. This is a native tribe. The don’t have ICE working for them.
msfrost
It is well known, that they will kill anyone landing at their island.
Hussain-TheCanadian
I feel sorry for him as a fellow human being who died needlessly; I don’t know if its arrogance that got him killed, or if there is more to the story, but it makes me wonder if he was “sent” to the Island by someone at his Church?
I thought our western history of conquest and colonization is more than enough to demonstrate that we need to leave others the fck alone.
Click >>> www.g-letshave.fun
Real truth. And I would like to inform you about one great place to find love and pleasure. Just check my profile name. There are a lot of real gay sugar “daddies” and frivolous gay singles
TheRealist
You kidding. Without western intervention, no other shit is worth of existing in this time and space. Though, religion crap — a mental plague, should be erased from western civilization.
Rock-N-RollHS
Don’t feel pity. He’s with his man, Jesus! Don’t know why all these evangelicals just don’t walk off a cliff to be with him sooner. Oh happy day, indeed
calpoidog
It is the arrogance of many conservative Christians to think that everyone in the world that doesn’t think like they do needs Jesus Christ in their lives (and crazies like this guy who thinks he possess magical powers because of his religion).
Please keep your religion in your own community and not where it’s not wanted. We ALL know where to find it if it’s of interest to us.
TheRealist
#don’t spread religion.
mz.sam
Another hate-filled arrogant Christian zealot. Destiny = God’s Will…Period.
Giuseppe
Not everyone wants or needs Jesus and the sooner these religious fanatics realize it, the better off they’ll be. And I’m waiting for someone to come forward to say that he was gay and that they were in a secret relationship with him.
Ajs33308
Its not the ignorance of religion I am going to write about, just plain ole ignorance. If we do not learn from the past we are doomed to relive it. Meaning europeans brought unknown diseases to the americas in the past killing off so many natives who were not exposed to what we would consider even the normal flu.
Ukin Blome
If we can send one missionary to this island, why can’t we send them all?
frankcar1965
Please tell me he has not bred and passed his genes on, he’s better off out of his misery like we do for a sick dog. Good Riddance stupid bastard.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Finally a story posted on Queerty with a happy ending!!!
TheRealist
Take the gift of Science to them and risk your life for that, not the curse of a mental disorder, it’s getting old asf.
Rock-N-RollHS
This was probably the best series of comments I’ve seen on this site. Makes me proud to be gay! lol
ShowMeGuy
“Keep thy religion to thyself.” – George Carlin