Lawrence O’Donnell last night examined the story we’ve been reporting on all day: Pastor Sean Harris, the man who advocated beating the gay out of children as young as four who might be gay. Calling him a “hate-driven pastor,” O’Donnell asked, “What kind of holy man, what kind of man of god lies about what he says in a videotaped sermon when he is apologizing for what he said in that sermon?” and, “What does he sound like when he is intentionally trying to offend someone?”

O’Donnell insightfully noted:

Sean Harris asked for forgiveness in his statement of retraction but he didn’t ask for everyone’s forgiveness. Only christians. He said to those in the greater body of Christ in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and the world, ‘I seek your forgiveness if I have offended or hurt the cause of Christ.’ So, if you’re Jewish and you are offended and hurt, he doesn’t care. He’s not seeking your forgiveness. He lives in that world where only Christians matter.

In the second video, O’Donnell takes a more personal look at Pastor Harris, and calls him and his congregation “vile,” and says three’s no way the Pastor didn’t mean every word he said.

I agree.

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Transcript via MSNBC:

>>> time for tonight’s rewrite. shawn harris, the hate-driven pastor of a baptist church in fayetteville, north carolina, has finally, after days of protest, apologized for this sermon that he gave this sunday. >> so if your son starts acting girlish when he’s 4 years old and instead of squashing that and saying get outside and dig a ditch because that’s what boys do you, get out the camera and you start taking pictures of johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to youtube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid s. acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed. can i make it any clearer? dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and you crack that wrist. man up. give him a good punch. okay? you’re not going to act like that. you were made by god to be a male and you are going to be a male. and when your daughter starts acting too butch, you rein her in. and you say, oh, no. oh, no, sweetheart. you can play sports. play them. play them to the glory of god. but sometimes you’re going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you’re going to be beautiful, you’re going to be attractive. you’re going to dress yourself up. say, can i take charge as a parent? yeah, you can. you’re authorized. i just gave you a special to do that. >> in his official statement of retraction entitled official statement of retraction issued today, sean harris said he is retracting any and all words that suggest that child abuse is appropriate for any and all types of behaviors including but not limited to feminacy. i should not have said what i said about cracking and punching and outward bias towards girls nor should i have used the world special dispensation. i did not say that children should be squashed. >> your little son starts to act a little girlish when he’s 4 years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach. >> wait, isn’t the 4-year-old boy you’re talking about there the cockroach that should be squashed? sean harris’ statement of official retraction also said, i have never suggested children or those in the lgbt lifestyle should be beaten, punched, abused physically or psychologically in any form or fashion. >> dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. man up. give him a good punch. okay? >> a good punch. what kind of holy man, what kind of man of god lies about what he says in a videotaped sermon when he is apologizing for what he said in that sermon? he did say that if your son has a limp wrist, you should punch him. but on his baptist church stationery in his official retraction of his statement, he lies about having said that. he also says in his official statement, i apologize to anyone i have unintentionally offended. i did not say anything to intentionally offend anyone in the lgbt community. what does he sound like when he is intentionally trying to offend someone? >> and when your daughter starts acting too butch, you rein her in. and you say, oh, no. oh, no, sweetheart, you can play sports. play them. play them to the glory of god. but sometimes you’re going to act like a giand smell like a girl. >> smell like a girl. the child abuse advocating pastor did not explain what smell like a girl means. does he mean that he knows little girls who don’t smell like a girl? what do they smell like? does he know how very, very sick that sounds? >> but sometimes you can act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl. >> sean harris asked for forgiveness in his statement of retraction but he didn’t ask for everyone’s forgiveness. only christians. he said to those in the greater body of christ in fayetteville, north carolina, and the world, i seek your forgiveness if i have offended or hurt the cause of christ. so, if you’re jewish and you are offended and hurt, he doesn’t care. he’s not seeking your forgiveness. he lives in that world where only christians matter. and professor tony cartilage got his doctor of divinity teaches the old testament saying that the sermon was one of the most disappointing and un- christ-like diatribes i have ever heard. i would not dishonor the word “sermon” by stating it as such. harris’ position presents a distorted view of scripture that is completely out of keeping with the teachings of jesus. and why did sean harris spew all this hate? >> my job this morning, my objective this morning is to so motivate you that you will make it your priority to register a cast a ballot in the next eight days. >> the presidential primary in north carolina is next week. i wonder who the hateful champion of child abuse wants you

Related:

Pastor Who Advocated Gay Child Beating Is Having A Really Tough Day

Pastor Harris To Signorile: My Words Were ‘Chopped’ And Taken Out Of Context

Beat The Gay Out Of Kids Pastor Apology Attacks Homosexuality As ‘Abomination’

Pastor Who Told Parents To Beat The Gay Out Of 4 Year Olds: I Was Joking

Anti-Gay Pastor: Parents Must ‘Squash Like A Cockroach’ The Gay Out Of Kids

Tagged as: advocate gay, Child Abuse, child beating, christian theology, forgiveness, Gay, gay child, harris, lawrence, Lawrence O'Donnell, North Carolina, o'donnell, pastor, positive psychology, sean harris, spirituality, takes, theology

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