Tonight on AC360: Toddler sings anti-gay song at church
About 20 protesters gathered on Sunday outside the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle here to voice opposition to a viral online video that was taped in the church and shows a young child singing a song with lyrics that offer a harsh message for homosexuals.
The video, which surfaced on YouTube last week, shows a child in front of the congregation, singing "I know that God is right, and somebody's wrong... ain't no homo going to make it to heaven."
The congregation erupts in applause at those lines, which the unidentified boy repeats as the pastor looks on.
At another point in the video a voice is heard shouting,"That’s my boy."
In the first Sunday service since the video surfaced, congregants arrived to the church as protesters jeered them over the video.
A church leader, who would not give his name, told CNN that journalists were not allowed inside the church and declined to offer anyone from church leadership to comment on the video.
The leader said that he needed to be cautious about letting outsiders into the church because it had received threats over the video and asked CNN to leave the premises.
The local sheriff's office said the church had not reported any verifiable threats.
No one answered the door at the home of Jeff Sangl, the church's pastor.
The video of the singing boy was the latest in a string of viral anti-gay videos that have surfaced from independent churches. Those videos have been resoundingly condemned by religious leaders, even by conservatives who believe homosexual sex is a sin.
The Apostolic Truth Tabernacle posted a statement on its website that says in part: "The Pastor and members of Apostolic Truth Tabernacle do not condone, teach, or practice hate of any person for any reason.”
The pastor's son, Josh Sangl, told CNN his father was away on vacation and that there was much more to the video than we were being told, though he wouldn’t elaborate.
The majority of the church members wouldn’t comment about the controversy or respond to questions about the parents of the young boy.
"I think it's blown out of proportion, you know," said Robert Kirby, who is not a church member but was attending Sunday's church service in support of his daughter, who teaches Sunday School there. "They love everybody.
"They don't love sin though," he said. "It's all in the Bible."
Tune in to AC360° tonight for Gary Tuchman's report at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.
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Post by: Ismael Estrada Filed under: Religion |
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Any Christian that supports homosexuality is not a true Christian. The church said in their statement that they are following the teachings of the Bible. The Bible (both old and new testament) totally condemns homosexuality (see Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-28, Ephesians 5:23-33). If you are a homo.... or supports same, know that it is a sin against Jehovah God. Confess your sins and He shall abundantly pardon you and forgive your sins.
I also wish to refer you to Timothy 3:1-4, "Perilous times shall come, men shall be lovers of themselves .................. boasters, proud, unholy, lovers of pleasures"; and in Matthew 24:12, the Bible says "Iniquity shall abound". These are the signs of the end time as told by the Bible.
Being over-weight is a sin! Harmful to your body!! Should we keep obese people out of church, for, their sin?? A sin is a sin. No matter how big, or, how small. 😛
There are ALL kinds of things in the Bible, sin and sex perhaps considered pre-eminent by those searching for some titillation. A point about the latter was made by a follow-up studio guest including his mention of the “begats” as lots of sex acts. Go read the Old Testament “begats,” and the New Testament version which adds a few folks to the list. At first blush, the bible student is left blowing off the recitation as a colossal ho-hummer and wondering, What was that about? Conventional responses inevitably equate sex to sin - hence, the first sexless advent of Jesus as propitiation for mankind’s sins, by which is inferred everyone having sex, sex, sex, and more sex to multiply and clog the planet with humans until his second advent to save the believers’ rears. However, the “begats”’ true intent is to claim direct lineage of Jesus from God, through Adam and Eve to his birth. What is important is not multi-generational sex acts, but to establish that Jesus was the last hereditary monarch of the Jewish people, which in his time would have been of supreme importance to his people. Politics, desperation, Saul-Paul, and time turned him into the Christian Jesus worshipped today as the son of god, relevant to homo-phobic followers, but irrelevant to Reality.
As w/most Christians, they haven't done their Biblical homework. If they'd used their STRONG's, with their 1611 King James Bible, they'd know all that stuff is claptrap. Anderson, get your folks to pick up a Hendrickson's version (Unrevised) of the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, & a 1611 King James Bible. Then when you want to know something, TRANSLATE IT!! Don't go ask some pastor for his OPINION!
I think it is important to note that these are extremists, which can be found in ANY people group. The vast majority of Christians which number in the hundreds of millions would not agree with the position of this tiny church in rural Indiana. Many millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, innocent children, gays, women and various ethnic groups have been murdered and tortured, sold into sex slavery and much worse, just because of their age, gender, race, beliefs, sexual orientation. It would be best to focus on some of these atrocities and how we can combat them rather than feeding the hate mongers... I agree with alicia g, we should promote love toward others rather than fueling the fires of hate.
Thank you Anderson for allowing me to post my comments love both your shows!!!!
countrygirl64
I am so ashamed of my North Carolina home ,what this stupid preacher has said is so totally ignorant nor is it how i feel i was saddened when i first heard this story about this preacher it made all of us North Carolinians lok really bad i hope the world does not view us all to be that way,i myself am a christianbut my beliefs are that God loves us all he made us who we are no matter the nature of our sexuality, i have two openly gay cousins and i would never try to change the wonderful human beings that they are.God does not discriminate so i think we need to put all these narrow minded so called preacher behind the electric fence !!!! How bout that!!!
Although I think this message of hatred these churches are offering is anti-christian, whoever finds their teachings disgusting has the right to leave that place. Nobody is forcing anybody to attend that church or hear their absurd pseudotheology.
Hi Anderson,
I saw your show tonight (June 4) about the child that sang at a church singing about "No gays getting to heaven" and I was shocked, not as much by the childs comments, but by the support and encouragement the child received from the congregation, the minister/pastor and the community.
The church figure-heads always seem to hide behind scriptures and speaking out against homosexuality, but why is it that so may pastors/priests enjoys little boys. (That is not homosexuality, it is considered rape, yet they are ok with that!!!!)
It was my understanding that God loves everyone.
Gays and lesbians are compationate and loving human beings, and are a contribution to friendships and communities.
I had hoped the world had evolved a little more in the recent years.
As always, I enjoy the views and opinions you bring to our attention thropugh your program.
Jeff Pearcy
Christ preached forgiveness. He also said "I have not come to end the law, but to fulfill it." and "the wages of sin is death." These are quotes I would remind you to keep.
I was raised Mormon (LDS) and this was the reason I left. I never understood why everything I read was love and understanding but what I was taught by the elders is to discriminate against anyone who disagreed with your beliefs.
Anderson, if you had an Old Testament Professor like Jimmy Roberts or Kathryn Roberts or many others on your show, they could share with you the historical and political perspective on what is in the Bible about the homosexual issue. The intent was not what these fundamentalist churches are saying. The intent at that time was against the pedophiles and the men of the day who were engaging in that practice. It did not have to do with consenting adults. It is sad that this issue is even important to so many misguided and misinformed people.
These are not christians. Jesus taught love and tolerance, dined with a tax collector, chatted with a prostitute and challenged whoever had not sinned to cast the first stone. These are hypocrites who cherry pick and use parts of the old testament to progate hatred.
I truly offended by Anderson Coopers tirade against the Christian Church. Secular people want us to respect their beliefs but they won't respect ours. This boy didn't say anything about killing gays, torturing gays, or hanging gays. All he said was they aren’t going to heaven. That's exactly what the bible teaches. Those who say otherwise haven't read the whole book or rationalize the teaching the have read away. Doesn't matter, do what you want. It’s a free country. But Anderson goes too far when he criticizes religious people for simply singing and preaching what they believe. Preaching violence is bad. Preaching what the bible teaches and what people religiously believe is a first amendment right I hope we still respect in this country. Secondly, people who don't understand God should stop saying God loves all people as though that ends the discussion. God may love all people but he has a standard he wants people to live by. Otherwise the Bible wouldn't be as thick as it is. It’s the same as a parent who loves their child but cuts them off in their addicted to drugs. God may love you but he don’t sincerely attempt to live according to his Word, I'm sorry, no he won't accept you to Heaven.
When I was a little kid in church we sang the song "Jesus loves the children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white they are precious in his sight". After seeing this video, do we wonder that the world is full of bullies, hate, bigotry and intolerance.
I cant believe these people. There is a way to voice your opinion without using gay slurs and promoting hatred. Who are these people to judge anyone. When the bible says "love thy neighbor" it doesnt say except if their gay or even siners because we all are. Teach your children a message of love!
Preaching a standard is not preaching hate, its called preaching religion. Please learn the difference and stop assaulting my First Amendment right to religious freedom.
Another product of Feminist docterine as crafted by the CIA and the New World Order. This country has to fix our families and that starts with dismantleing the Family Courts that run on feminism.