Domestic violence is never a joke
On April 29 a minister in North Carolina named Sean Harris spoke to his congregation at Berean Baptist Church about what to do to prevent their children from becoming gay. Since the tape of his advice was posted online, he has made a statement about his comment being misunderstood, and that he's sorry people were offended when they failed to understand his joke.
After listening to the recording, please count me among those who don't recognize a joke in what he said. I have already sent the below message to him, but doubt he will read it.
When someone can't even make a real apology after a mistake this serious, I think it deserves to be public knowledge. Sean Harris, you are now a superb reason for me to stay as far away from Fayetteville, NC, as I possibly can.
(Immediately after I first posted this, I got an automated response to my e-mail from Sean Harris. It linked to a newer response concerning his sermon, which begins by saying that he mis-spoke when he described beating children. It also has a link to his church's official stance toward corporal punishment [which says that striking the fleshy part of the buttocks, without intent to bruise or punish, but to chide is acceptable]. His message also repeats the theme that being tolerant of homosexuality is bad, and speaks about all the horrid, hateful messages he has received since last Sunday. Sorry, Pastor Harris, I don't see you as a victim here.)
Pastor Harris,
You recently spoke, from the pulpit, about punching children if their behavior seemed questionable. The statement seems pretty hard to misinterpret, and is definitely not a joke.
Do you use the pulpit to tell spouses to beat each other up for real or imagined mistakes? That would be despicable, and to offer such advice for the raising of children is even worse.
To compound the error, at various times in their lives most children will explore aspects of their gender identity. This has nothing to do with whether they will be heterosexual, but if you advocate beating a boy who puts on his mother's skirt at the age of 4, you are endorsing child abuse.
I'm a straight man, married to the same woman for more than twenty years, and I don't feel threatened by the presence of gays in the world. Having someone who is supposed to be a moral leader calling for the beating of children? That bothers me a great deal.
Shame on you, Pastor Harris. I hope you will pray on this matter, and that you will find that the Lamb of God had a different message than the one you have put forth.
After listening to the recording, please count me among those who don't recognize a joke in what he said. I have already sent the below message to him, but doubt he will read it.
When someone can't even make a real apology after a mistake this serious, I think it deserves to be public knowledge. Sean Harris, you are now a superb reason for me to stay as far away from Fayetteville, NC, as I possibly can.
(Immediately after I first posted this, I got an automated response to my e-mail from Sean Harris. It linked to a newer response concerning his sermon, which begins by saying that he mis-spoke when he described beating children. It also has a link to his church's official stance toward corporal punishment [which says that striking the fleshy part of the buttocks, without intent to bruise or punish, but to chide is acceptable]. His message also repeats the theme that being tolerant of homosexuality is bad, and speaks about all the horrid, hateful messages he has received since last Sunday. Sorry, Pastor Harris, I don't see you as a victim here.)
Pastor Harris,
You recently spoke, from the pulpit, about punching children if their behavior seemed questionable. The statement seems pretty hard to misinterpret, and is definitely not a joke.
Do you use the pulpit to tell spouses to beat each other up for real or imagined mistakes? That would be despicable, and to offer such advice for the raising of children is even worse.
To compound the error, at various times in their lives most children will explore aspects of their gender identity. This has nothing to do with whether they will be heterosexual, but if you advocate beating a boy who puts on his mother's skirt at the age of 4, you are endorsing child abuse.
I'm a straight man, married to the same woman for more than twenty years, and I don't feel threatened by the presence of gays in the world. Having someone who is supposed to be a moral leader calling for the beating of children? That bothers me a great deal.
Shame on you, Pastor Harris. I hope you will pray on this matter, and that you will find that the Lamb of God had a different message than the one you have put forth.