On Sunday, May 15, at an anti-marriage equality rally sponsored and promoted by Maggie Gallagher’s National Organization for Marriage, Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega spoke before the audience, microphone in hand, and said,
“Committing sexual acts between man and man. And receiving the retribution of the things that they have done from straying away. And because they did not take God in count. God gave them over to reprimand their mind to do things that are not right, being against all justice, fornication, perversity, aberrations, malignity…those who practice such things are worthy to death, not only do they do it, but those who also practice it. God bless this earth. That is the word of God.”
Advocating death, especially death of a particular group, is unacceptable, and certainly hate speech.
Maggie Gallagher, Chairman of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) must immediately denounce this hate-filled statement that occurred at her event, and agree that no one should advocate or support the killing of LGBT people.
Yes, according to this man of God, gay and bisexual men (evidently, not lesbians though,) should die. He did not state if he believed this should be coded into law, whom would be the judge, how proof would be obtained, and if this was a stepped program, i.e., if any homosexual act would automatically deserve the death penalty, or if there would be a “three strikes” provision.
What is especially troublesome is that this rally was headlined by New York State Senator and Reverend Rubén Díaz, who spoke just minutes after Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega. Senator Diaz certainly has the ability to introduce a bill supporting Rev. Ortega’s beliefs. What would prevent him?
We already know, according to a Diaz aide, that Senator Diaz does not believe in separation of church and state.
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{ 6 comments }
It is a stretch to call a bigot like this a "man of God."
No it isn't. Nor is it a stretch to call him a "Christian."
They can always say "well, we're just telling you what it says in the bible" and to some extend they'd be right; but what they're not telling you is all the other groups that the bible says are "worthy of death" (I'm pretty sure adulterers listed–and there are quite a few of those in the Republican leadership!). They're also not telling you all the other crazy things the bible says, like having your disobedient children stoned to death (Deuteronomy 21: 18-21). So while their "worth of death" rhetoric is appalling, at the same time we should be laughing at them and asking them–loudly and often–why they pick and choose from this ancient book of myths, while overlooking so much of what else is in there. It's really pretty sad–most of them either have no idea what is in this book they claim to believe in, or they know it's there and just overlook the inconvenient parts.
If your gonna ask them why they "pick and choose" from the bible maybe you should ask the writers of this article why they pick and choose what to put to words from his speech. In the speech the guy brings up some of those things you sited as being left out but of course that wouldn't be inflammatory reporting nearly as capable as getting folks worked up like the way they twisted the story. Not saying it's right but the pot was calling the kettle black.
I whole-heartedly and unreservedly denounce any suggestion of violence against gay people, or anyone in the gay marriage debate. Without any compulsion.
I do not know, because I don't speak spanish, what this person said. "Worthy of death" is the standard King James translation of Romans 1: 28-32. If anyone believes this scripture means, "it's okay to commit violence against gay people" I'm here to stand with you, as an American, and as a Christian: that's totally wrong, evil, and untrue.
Ms. Gallagher, you are duplicitous, coming here to make that comment. What you need instead to do is to put out a press release, and then very widely publicize it, the way you publicize all of your gay-bashing lies 24/7. If you are sincere about disassociating NOM from incitements to anti-gay violence, you will make the anti-violence message directed at your followers, not hidden away in the comments of an LGBT-interest site. Where is the NOM press release repudiating the NOM speaker who said that homosexuals are "worthy to death" at a NOM-sponsored rally? Will the press release include a pledge that no subsequent NOM event will incite to anti-gay violence? Will the press release also contain a pledge from NOM, never again to spread demonizing lies against LGBTers, a separate, but equally important demand we have. Yes, Ms. Gallagher: we demand that you stop all of your hateful lying about LGBTers. At this next link, readers may view "The Endless Anti-Gay Lies of the National Organization for Marriage's Maggie Gallagher" http://tinyurl.com/8m5jvh3
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