From Towleroad comes a disturbing report on Phoenix, Ariz. pastor Steve Anderson. In an interview with talk show host Michelangelo Signorile, the off-his-meds pastor stated he "would not call someone who shot a group of gays and lesbians with a machine gun a murderer." In further comments, this "Man Of God" said he wouldn't "condemn any person who killed President Obama", and, in fact, wished brain cancer on both the President and Signorile. Anderson joins the ranks of other hate-filled clergy, including Fred Phelps and Ken Hutcherson, whose rabid homophobia have poisoned the hearts and minds of countless parishioners.
That Anderson can openly espouse the machine-gunning of gays and lesbians, while still professing himself as a spiritual leader, is corrosive to the body of Christianity. That he can find willing ears to listen to his bigotry is an affront to the principles of our country. But here it is, in all its ugliness. During his interview with Signorile, Anderson called all gays child molesters, advocated the execution of gays, lesbians, abortionists, and the President Of The United States. You can see the video of Anderson's interview with Signorile (who, by the way, is gay) here, as well as the full audio.
It's perhaps worth noting that bigots like Anderson's words are more than just the mere rantings of unbalanced individuals. These are public figures in leadership positions, whose exhortations of hatred and violence encourage others to act on their words. That's why one of Anderson's flock, Christopher Broughton, took an AR-15 rifle with him to an Obama town-hall meeting in Phoenix last month. Now, that little fact should scare us all.
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