Anti-Gay Preacher Delivers Sermon with Surprise Ending (VIDEO)

We all know that LGBT people have had our share of problems with religion, particularly organized religion in America, due to one or two cherry-picked verses and stories in the Bible that seem to condemn us to hell for eternity. Said lines are used to demonize and persecute, promising eternal fiery brimstone for all who support equality and inclusiveness for LGBT citizens. However, one fundamentalist preacher realizes that that there is a difference between religious law and civil law, and recently delivered a fiery sermon that will knock your socks off.

His name is Pastor Phil Snider, and he is a preacher at Bentwood Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. He recently spoke at a Springfield city meeting on a proposal to include “sexual orientation” into the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance. 

As Gawker reports, he has a surprise ending to what is seemingly a fiery speech against the LGBT community and rights to equal protection under the letter of the law. He might PERSONALLY be against LGBT rights (though he never says that he is), but he also realizes that the Bible and personal religious and/or moral beliefs do not belong in government. We have had a large amount of religious leaders lately attempting to turn America into the theocracy it was never meant to be, but here is one  who steps up to say and do what is right. Pastor Snider realizes that the crusade against equal rights and protections for LGBT Americans closely mirrors the same bigoted opposition that was used to support segregation and racial bigotry in the past.

The way this pastor makes the parallels between racism and homophobia crystal clear is brilliant. When our Constitution says “liberty and justice for all,” it means ALL. That is the true definition of freedom.

Just as those people who supported racist laws in the past wound up being held in contempt within the pages of history, so will the people who stand against equal rights for LGBT Americans. No matter my feelings about organized religion, this is a man I can salute. Thank you, Pastor, for speaking up and doing what is right.

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