A Texas church has come under fire after a pastor said gay people should be ‘lined up against the wall and shot in the back of the head’ during a Sunday morning sermon.
Pastor Dillon Awes of Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga, Texas, made the comment along with other controversial remarks during a sermon titled
‘I’m angry this morning because our entire country is celebrating the worse sin in the Bible,’ Awes said, referencing Pride Month, which recognizes the LBGTQ+ community each June.
In his sermon, the pastor called for the execution of gay people.
‘What does God say is the answer, is the solution, for the homosexual in 2022, here in the New Testament, here in the Book of Romans?’ Awes said. ‘That they are worthy of death! These people should be put to death!’
At certain points his words were met with cheers from the room, even when he said that homosexuality should be met with the death penalty.
‘Every single homosexual in our country should be charged with the crime, the abomination of homosexuality, that they have,’ he continued. ‘They should be convicted in a lawful trial. They should be sentenced with death.’
‘They should be lined up against the wall and shot in the back of the head. That is what God teaches,’ Awes said.
The Stedfast Baptist Church has been labeled an ‘anti-LGBT hate group’ by the Southern Poverty Law.
Awes read several passages from the Bible and condemned homosexuality as a six. At a separate point, he told congregants that gay people are a danger to society, and that ‘all homosexuals are pedophiles.’
Protestors reportedly gathered outside the church during sermon, while others took to Twitter to voice their concerns over the hateful commentary. Some even complained to local police, saying action should be taken against Awes and the church.
Police in Watauga posted a statement to social media denouncing the pastor’s message, but adding that his comments are protected by free speech.
‘First, the Watauga Police Department would like to affirm our commitment to making Watauga a Great Place to Live for all people. The Watauga Police Department values diversity and will continue to protect people’s right to express their identities,’ the statement read.
‘Any message that promotes hatred toward any class or group of people is absolutely counter to the culture of the Watauga Police Department. The language used by the Pastor of the Stedfast Baptist Church is likely to be offensive to many people. However, at this time, the reported language of the sermon appears to be Constitutionally protected free speech. We will continue to monitor this evolving situation.’
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