North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (Photo: YouTube)

North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson, has found himself making headlines in recent days. A speech in which he seems to suggest that guns are a gift from God is now doing the rounds.

Robinson, 53, was speaking in June at Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove. He explains, “To every animal, God has given the ability to defend yourself. God didn’t even leave the garden slug out. Garden slugs have little enzymes in it that make it unappealing for folks to eat … God gave the garden slug a way to defend itself.

“Now, if God gave the garden slug a way to defend themselves, what makes you think he didn’t give man, who he created in his own image, a way to defend himself?

“Those AR-15s and Glock 9mms and .45 calibers; where do you think they came from? Who do you think inspired them?

“God knew the world he was putting us into, so he formed in our mind the ability for us to be able to defend ourselves from anybody who may threaten us.”

Elected earlier this year, Robinson has never made any secret of his devoutly held Christian beliefs.

However, after a recent speech in which he urged more conservative Christians to get involved in politics (“It is time for the church to start being the leader … if there is to be a future in this country, it is going to have to be led by the people of God”), there’s been more attention on some of his other speeches.

Related: Gay couple refused wedding service by North Carolina venue

Right Wing Watch reported on Robinson’s recent speech at the North Carolina Faith & Freedom Coalition’s “Salt & Light Conference.” At this, he said America was a “Christian Nation” and anybody who didn’t like it was free to leave: “I’ll buy your plane, train, or automobile ticket right up out of here.”

He went on to say schools could avoid shootings by teaching more about Jesus.

“If you had let God come in that building before that shooting, if you had told those students, ‘Jesus Christ is the way and the light, and only through him can you receive salvation,’ there wouldn’t have been no school shooting.”

Robinson has got a lot to say about school curriculum. Comments he made in the summer regarding LGBTQ issues and education have come to light following his other recent remarks.

Back in June, at the same Asbury Baptist Church gathering where he talked about slugs and guns, Robinson, took aim at what schools were teaching kids.

“There is no reason anybody, anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality or any of that filth,” Robinson said to applause from the congregation.

“And yes, I called it filth. And if you don’t like it that I called it filth, come see me about it.”

Related: North Carolina gay couple beaten by police impersonators

Yesterday, after media began to pick up on his comments, NC Sen. Jeff Jackson (D-Mecklenburg) said Robinson should resign.

“To our LGBTQ friends who were the targets of this discrimination, you’ve had to put up with this hate for far too long,” Jackson said on Twitter. “This kind of behavior should be part of our past, not our present. We’re going to prevail over it, again, and move closer to full equality and dignity.”

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