Op-Ed Of The Day

From the Fayetteville Observer in North Carolina:

On Sunday, the pastor of Fayetteville's Berean Baptist Church preached about why his flock should vote for Amendment One. Many have heard and seen his shouted exhortations about "squashing like a cockroach," the first signs of gender-variant behavior in children. Fewer have seen his searing denunciation of transgendered persons as "an affront to God." Voting for Amendment One, he declared, was their Christian duty. To do otherwise, would be "S-I-N. Sin." It would give aid and comfort to homosexuals and open the door to same-sex marriage.

The pastor preached for an hour, barking almost every sentence like a military order. I have counseled at least three GLBT young adults who have attended this church. They all said they heard similarly hateful messages there, which not only drove them away, but also pushed them into depression and self-harm, even suicide attempts. [snip] The homophobia and transgender bashing unleashed in this local church to boost Amendment One are like throwing lethal lighted matches in every direction of our tinderbox society. By Monday, facing criticism for his violent tirade, the preacher insisted that all the talk of punching and cracking wrists of children was just a joke. But I'm not laughing. Are you?