Fridae

Rev Mel White, founder of Soulforce, an advocacy group that protests against anti-gay religious teaching has released a statement suggesting that Christian conservative, Rev Jerry Falwell's remarks that partially blamed the recent terrorists attacks on gays and lesbians would not only backfire but may just advance the gay and lesbian cause in the long run.

Falwell who has since apologised for his comments said on a Christian TV programme hosted by Pat Robertson two days after the attacks that God has punished America because "pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays and lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, and People for the American Way" have tried secularise the country.

In its statement, White expressed approval that the White House immediately issued a statement calling Falwell's remarks "inappropriate" with a clear advisory that the "the President does not share those views."

"By frustrating the President's call for national unity during these most difficult days, Jerry and Pat have lost even more political clout and public credibility."
He also said that he is "grateful every time the President has cause to distance himself from leaders of the extremist right."

White also predicted that "clergy and lay leaders from every faith tradition" would distance themselves the two evangelists, increasing their isolation from the mainstream Christian community.

"Once again, Jerry and Pat have joined Fred on the front lines of ignorance and bigotry and I'm convinced that their words will help our cause. That's the good news. The bad news is that Jerry and Pat genuinely believe that the acceptance of sexual and gender minorities will lead to God's judgment and wrath against our nation," the statement read.

White said that he believes Falwell and Robertson are not phonies and are in fact fundamentalist Christians; and like fundamentalist Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, fundamentalist Christians are known by their "urge to purge." They believe they are called to "cleanse" society of all they find "unclean" and by cleansing society they will "save it."

Although Falwell and Robertson have never called for violence against these "enemies of God", they have regularly quoted a biblical verse that states that gays and lesbians are "...worthy of death and should be executed (Leviticus 20)" to condemn sexual minorities.

"Their daily misuse of a handful of Biblical verses to condemn sexual and gender minorities still confuses good people of faith across the nation," White said.

"Those good people of faith who have been convinced that homosexuality is a sickness, a sin, and a threat to the nation, are now waging war against us in and through their mainstream Roman Catholic and Protestant churches to deny our religious and our political rights and protections."

To read full statement, go to http://www.soulforce.org/wtcfalwell.html.