Jimmy Swaggart tells congregation he'd kill gays

Catholic New Times, Oct 10, 2004

WASHINGTON -- According to David Batstone of Sojomail, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart on Sept. 19 during a worship service broadcast to a global audience proclaimed that he would "kill" a man that looked at him with romantic intent. "I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry." Swaggart roared to much applause. "And I'm gonna be blunt and plain," he continued," if one ever looks at me like that I'm going to kill him and tell God he died." Laughter and applause ensued.

"In case anybody doesn't know God calls it an abomination. It's an abomination! It's an abomination ... I'm not knocking the poor homosexual. I'm not. They need salvation just like anybody else.... I'm knocking our pitiful, pathetic lawmakers. And I thank God that President Bush has stated we need a constitutional amendment that states that marriage is between a man and a woman."

The author David Batstone asked, "How has it become so possible today for Christian leaders to twist Jesus' teaching about loving all of God's children? The pattern is transparent in many sectors of the church. Too many Christians have turned Jesus into a war maker, not a peacemaker, and justify their position by the same logic. Our enemies in the Middle East are an "abomination."