"Christian" pastor has harsh words for gay-affirming clergy

He wants to punch them out, in fact.  He calls it, "going Old Testament on them."

But the righteous Reverend Susan Russell (Episcopal priest from All Saint's Church, Pasadena) takes down the so called "Christian Pastor" Matt Brown.

My biggest issue is with the Pastor Matt Browns of the world who don’t see the disconnect between “being the best neighbor possible” and denying the marriage of your gay or lesbian neighbor the same respect you expect for your own. Jesus said “love your neighbor as yourself” – and there was no asterisk that said *”unless your neighbor is a same-sex couple.” (Matthew 22:39)

My biggest issue is that a pastor advocating violence against those who disagree with him about marriage equality gives license to those he leads to “go and do likewise” and fuels the fires of gay bashing, hate crimes and puts LGBT youth at risk. Jesus said “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) – not “punch them out.”

And -- putting aside for a moment the 21st century reality that not all clergy are men -- my biggest issue is with the clergymen who have hijacked the Gospel in the service of their own homophobia. It is with those who have taken the Good News of God’s inclusive love proclaimed by the radical rabbi from Nazareth and turned it into a weapon of mass discrimination against LGBT children of God. And it is with those – like Pastor Matt – whose polemic preaching throws Jesus under the bus every time he gives those yearning for a spiritual community yet another reason not to try Christianity. 

Clergy who preside at the blessing of marriages of same-sex couples have not thrown Jesus out – they have pulled him out from under the bus the Pastor Matts of the world have thrown him.

In the interests of full disclosure,  I attend an Episcopal church where every priest is gay-affirming. And where they actually, you know, perform weddings of gay couples.

So take that, "Pastor" Matt.