Does anyone else sort of love when fire and brimstone anti-gay sermons from preachers get recorded and make the web rounds? I do! Yes, I completely understand that guys like Pastor Jeff Owens, of Texas’ Shenandoah Baptist Church (“One of America’s Most Exciting Churches”), are spreading terrible hatred, but c’mon, this stuff is rich!
Owens says “we need Hunt-A-Homo Week” where we can “take ’em [the gays] all out and shoot ’em with a scatter shot gun.” And it really makes me think: Really? A scatter shot gun? That’s not a good idea! You have to be pretty close to your target to have an effective kill shot with one of those. And it could be hard to do, because now the gays know about Hunt-A-Homo Week, and you just know they’re going to be running away from our gun barrels. I really think something like this would be more apropos.
Maybe if we get enough people involved we could get a sniper gun group discount through Groupon!
In the meantime, Owens has apologized for his 15-year-old comments made when he was “stupid and very immature,” which is too bad, because you know what does not qualify as protected speech under the First Amendment? Incitements to violence.
How about we take this to the next level?
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PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
What a vile, disgusting, reprehensive scumbag……Imagine the firestorm that would have enveloped one of us if we had suggested “hunt a Christian rightwing lunatic”.
And as to being “immature” you can possibly get a pass on with that one if you were maybe 13 when you made the comments. Not as an adult. And being it was part of a sermon, it clearly indicates the vile comments were well thought out with clear intnet………….
gollygeegaygoy
What a begrudging apology. And it is not his God who he should ask for forgiveness from. No doubt Owens will think that is an end to the matter, and can walk away with his God’s forgiveness. But as sure as eggs are eggs, he will back up attacking gay people from his pulpit, before long. Just doing it nicely. His apology sounds like it is being made through clenched teeth. Do some service for the gay community, Owens, show your contrition and show your God you are truly sorry.
Mike
Owens says “we need Hunt-A-Homo Week” where we can “take ’em [the gays] all out and shoot ’em with a scatter shot gun.”
GOPROUD response “We probably deserve it.”
Hyhybt
“This video no longer exists.”—A pity.
Bill
Heterosexual douchebaggery at its lowest.
tinkerbell
@Hyhybt: WTF? I just watched it…what happened? I smell a legal rat.
tjr101
Is there anyway we can deport him to Uganda? He’ll fit right in.
James_In_Cambridge
Just remember folks…these people are a dying out. Look at their children and grandchildren. They think of us as equals, for the most part. Same thing is happening with the part of the teabag movement which has been radicalized by seeing a Black guy in their WHITE House; whether it’s equal rights for gays, the fact this country is on the verge of becoming majority minority, uppity modern women who dress and fuck how they want (I can go on and on; in fact, Queerty should do an article on what’s driving the White hetero male anger), it’s all turning their lives upside down. They’re all losing their shit as people like Jeff Owens see their Whites/Heterosexuals-Only paradise slipping away into the ether right before their eyes. It’s almost (ALMOST) enough to make me pity them…
Lamar
There should be a hunt-a-homophobe-week instead.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@James_In_Cambridge: Co-sign, in any poll as the age of the respondent decreases the acceptance of all things Gays significantly increases. I don’t think we the next generations of the Gays will have as drama to deal with….
Arkano18
@Lamar: There shouldn’t be a hunt-a-nobody week. I’m not a hater.
CJ
I know that I’ve said things I now regret.
Jack Smythe
i actually thought it was a far more normal apology and thereby less offensive than the usual “i am sorry that someone MIGHT take offense at my otherwise acceptable sentiment” we usually hear. does this make him any less hateful, no, but at least he has the good manners to take responsabilty for his own words.
Tom
I wonder if he hunts homos on rentboy.com.
jeffree
I hope somebody follows his sermons to makes sure he doesnt “relapse”
Retracting one’s words is one thing, changing them is quite another! Thats a lot more difficult.
God, Guns & Gays: that’s STILL the focus of the religious right teabagging mainstream. Let’s not forget that !
cantstandthisbs
Breeders say this all the time who cares?
Lets hope us fags will not become like the Al Sharpton of homos. let people say what they want even if it offends us.
Breeders say ten times worse about us on there forums. We can’t accept a forced apology from every one of them!
B
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/05/vimeo-pulls-shoot-and-burn-gays-clip-by.html has a copy of the video – it has been removed from Youtube and vimeo for whatever reason, but the bottom line is that news is being censored whenever possible by the religious right wing. It’s the ideal thing to play when someone questions why hate-crime legislation is necessary.
From the sound of the video, you’d almost think the guy could be arrested for trying to incite a riot or issuing death threats.
This wasn’t a “youthful indiscretion”. It was more like terrorism.
Frankly, it sounded like what I’d imagine went on in a KKK rally when they were about to lynch some African Americans. This guy shouldn’t just apologize. He should resign.
Jaroslaw
God I’m sure is terribly embarrassed by some of the people who claim to represent Him! I totally agree with the #1 comment here by Plays well – MAYBE he could get a pass for these remarks at age 13 but really even when I and friends were 13 I don’t recall hearing remarks about killing people.
info4u
Some info so everyone here can get a more complete picture of just how horrible this person really is:
‘hunt a homo video’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur2FVLWTCWc
‘the sodomites are out to get your children’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv1sxyG0cHE
AND
two articles:
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-48756-Atlanta-Atheism-Examiner~y2010m5d26-Hate-Preacher-Who-Wants-to-Burn-Fags-Has-Pedophile-Son-Who-Raped-13-Yr-Old-from-Church
http://www.examiner.com/x-48756-Atlanta-Atheism-Examiner~y2010m5d24-Pastor-Suggesting-We-Need-Hunt-A-Homo-Week-Has-Another-Recorded-Sermon
Bill Courson
This is intended for Jeffrey Owens (I cannot find it in myself to address him as either “Doctor” or “Reverend”):
I am a 57 year-old gay man, and was raised to be (and am) proud of who and what I am, open to all and self-affirming. When I listen to your sermon, I am at one and the same time repelled as well as saddened.
Your savior and mine is crucified afresh in your words. When I reflect on the fate of your soul, I can think of little other than the words of Jesus: it would be better for you if you were to toss a millstone around your neck and throw yourself into the sea.
You “apology” exacerbates the gravity of your offense. You are demonstrably unregenerate.
Irrespective of whatever formal theological education you may possess (I note your use of the title of Doctor), you are plainly utterly ignorant of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Indeed, your words are the antithesis of Jesus’ teachings.
Thus, in your half-hearted way, you ask for forgiveness. You explain that your hurtful, hate-filled words were delivered when you were “young and stupid” Would He who you worship as God allow those excuses for sin? Do you ask mere humans to be more compassionate than your “God” (who if he were as you have depicted him would bear much resemblance to my own conception of Satan). What does this say about your theology?
If your regrets were sincere, you would betake yourself to the nearest AIDS hospice and beg to wash the feet of its residents. An action which, incidentally, I do not believe you to be worthy to perform.
I pity you, and I pity those who entrust their souls to you. You are like a running, leprous scab on the face of Christendom.