The members of the Faithful Word Baptist Church have gathered to affirm their support for their pastor, Steven L. Anderson, who has called for the death of President Barack Obama and “melted like a snail.” Anderson went out of his way to reaffirm his desire to see Obama die.
A couple dozen members of the Faithful Word Baptist Church carried Bibles and rallied around their hate-filled preacher, who they insisted is a “caring human being.” One member appropriatedly wore a shirt reading “Hating is not a Crime.” I agree, though I doubt that he was stating a constitutional principle as much as a personal preference.
Anderson wants to spread God’s word by calling for the death of those with whom he disagrees. What is scary is not just his shaping his family but his religious flock.
Here i a transcript of his Jan. 18, 2009 sermon from talk2action:
“…in the prayer closet with David,
`Break their teeth, Oh God, in their mouths. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Oh Lord, let them melt away as waters which run continually. When he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.’ [Psalm 58, KJV]
`As a snail which melteth’, Barack Obama, since you want to use your salt solution to kill babies in this country, Barack Obama, you’re going to REAP what you SOW because one day, Barack Obama, you’re going to be burning in HELL and you’re going to feel a burning sensation all over your SKIN – which was the same sensation felt by every baby that was aborted in his mother’s womb.
And David, praying, is saying, `As a snail which melteth.’ See, I’m very scriptural when I brought up about snails being salted. He said, `as a snail which melteth let every one of them pass away like the untimely birth of a woman.’ He’s saying `like an abortion,’ right ? Like a miscarriage. Because that’s what an untimely birth is. He’s saying, let Barack Obama perish like an abortion. Let Barack Obama perish like a miscarriage. – `As the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.’
Let me tell you something – somebody needs to abort Barack Obama. It’s true. Now, I’m not to do it. I’m not saying vigilanteism. I’m not saying that somebody should go kill. I’m saying there should be a government in this country that, you know, under God’s authority, that takes Barack Obama and aborts him. On television. For everybody to see in the whole world.
Did you hear me ?
Now, I’m not saying I’m going to do it. I’m not a vigilante. But I’m going to tell you something – if there was any justice in this country, if the judicial branch of this country meant ANYTHING they would take Barack Obama and all of his colleagues and take them and they would abort him. They would melt him like a snail. That’s what they – they’d break the teeth out of his head, my friends…
And you say, `oh, I can’t believe you’re threatening the president,’ I’m not saying I’m going to do it, I just wish God would do it. And he will do it, my friends. And I wish we had a government that would act on God’s behalf. Like the government is supposed to do. You know, the government is supposed to carry out God’s law – enforce God’s laws against murder, against stealing, against lying, against deceit, against adultery. That’s the purpose of human government.
And so I’d like to see Barack Obama melt like a snail. I’d like to see the teeth knocked right out of his head. I’d like to see him perish just like an abortion. That’s what David preached. That’s what he prayed to God.
Let’s read him one more time:
`As a snail which,’ — I think this is Barack Obama’s life verse. If you’re one of those people that doesn’t write in your Bible, fine. But if you like to make notes in your Bible, just put Barack Obama’s name next to Psalm 58:8. I think this is a great verse for him –
[Psalm 58:8-11]’As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.’
`Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.’
`The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance:’ [Anderson ad-libs, `he shall wash his feet in the blood of Barack Obama.’ continues] I’m sorry, `he shall wash his feet in the wicked.’
`So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.’
Now look – we could sit there and say you know… and we’re only talking about one thing that we don’t like about Barack Obama. I could name for you a hundred things that he’s wrong on. I could name for you a hundred… [unintelligible ] We’re just talking about one aspect of it – the abortion that he’s fighting for, the murder that he’s fighting for.
What about the fact that he’s turning it into a communist nation ? That he wants to redistribute the wealth, like Levi Mordachai – also known as Karl Marx ? And his Communist Manifesto – [He] wanted to redistribute the wealth. You know, you think I want taken the wealth that I go out and work by the sweat of my face and the sweat of my brow and give it to some lazy jerk in the ghetto, somewhere, who’s never gone to work in their life ?
I don’t care whether you like that or not, it’s wicked. God said to the man that works, `if a man will not work neither shall he eat.’ That’s what the Bible preaches. Why should I go out and work so that some fat slob in the ghetto can get fat off of my food stamps that I’m paying for and EBT – you know, [to audience], what, is it – EBT ? You know, `I want Domino’s Pizza’ – we’ve got a big sign, `We Accept EBT.’ You know what I mean ? And they probably deliver it on EBT. They don’t even have to leave the house, my friend, they’ll get the pizza delivered to them.
And, you pay for it. It’s wicked, it’s stealing. You say, `It’s not a moral issue.’ – Uh… last time I checked, stealing’s a moral issue. Take money out of my pocket and give it to somebody else – isn’t that in the Ten Commandments ? Oh, you know, you just care about these financial issues, gotta care about the moral issues… financial issues are moral issues my friend. Somebody takes money out of my bank account – it’s immoral. OK ? It’s wrong.
Now, let’s keep reading, let’s get back to the Bible here.
So many other things that we don’t like about Barack Obama. Does anybody… let’s have a little open forum here. Is there a man — and, only men speak in this church — is there a man here that can tell me something else that’s wicked about Barack Obama tonight ? Do you have some other policy that you think is wicked ?
[audience member] – Pro queer.
[Anderson] – Gay rights. Thank you, sir. All right, this is great. Gay rights. — interactive preaching with pastor Anderson — gay rights, right ? Promoting the Sodomites. Pushing not only that but a sodomite agenda in schools. Schools teaching sodomite curriculum. Teaching alternative lifestyles. See, your five-year olds, your six-year olds, you seven year olds… [you] say they don’t start that young.
Well you know what ? – You only have to drive two hours, my friend. Get in your car and drive two hours and you’ll be in California. And it’s by law being taught in elementary school in the earliest grades. Only drive two hours to get there !
What else ? What other wicked policies in Barack Obama’s policies besides promoting sodomites and pedophiles and perverts ? Besides murdering children ? Besides wealth redistribution and communist stealing of the property of hard working men and women – and to pay for lazy jerks to get rich off them and to sit around and, and – you say `nobody gets rich’ – oh yeah ? I grew up in South Sacramento California and people got rich off welfare. Because there will be people living in a house – a whole bunch of people would get together in a house, they’re all on Welfare, and this was back in the 1980’s, this was a big thing that was going on. Who’s ever heard of the `Home Invasion Robbery’ ? Has anybody ever heard of it ?
It’s when somebody jumps through the front window of the house, just busts in , runs in, you know – ransacks the house, steals everything and gets out of there with a bunch of guys. Gang violence – it’s what we’re talking about.
You know… and, this has nothing to do with race. I’m so sick and tired of people calling me a racist for being against Barack Obama. You know, I thought we were past that in this country. You know what I mean ? Let it go ! I love all people equally – red, yellow, black and white – they’re Christians inside – I’ve won more black people to the Lord, probably, than I’ve won white people to the Lord my friend. I love black people, I want to see them saved. I want to get them the Gospel. I have very close friends, right now, that are black.
One of my best friends is black. But, you know what ? I’m not going to sit there and dwell on it and cry about it. Let’s get over it. They’re perpetuating the hatred between races by bringing it up all the time. Oh WOW – you know, the first black president ! No he’s not – he’s white.
He’s just as white as he is black. He’s half black, half white. But, yet, he’s just BLACK, BLACK, BLACK. Why not say he’s white ? I mean, if he’s half black and half white, I’m going to say he’s white. That’s the half I want to chase ! You know ?
I’m calling him a white man. We have a white president coming in, my friend.
He’s WHITE !
Don’t tell me he’s black, he’s WHITE
His mom is WHITE. Her mom is WHITE ! Her dad is WHITE ! His parents are WHITE.
He’s a WHITE MAN !
Barack Obama is WHITE… DEAL with it !”
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Professor Turley,
Thanks for your response to my previous post. I asked about the rumors that certain Federal agencies had talked to Mr. Anderson about his comments. You responded with a short defense of the First Amendment. I completely agree with your position.
Never-the-less I worry that this sort of speech may incite real violence against our first African-American president. I am sure that I am not alone in this concern. Even an unsuccesful attempt on the President’s life would unleash an unimaginable torrent of hate and fear.
This is a big request and probably much too unfocused for this site. Will you give me a brief brief (I am sure that only one of these is necessary) on what the statutes and case law say about the First Amendment and the incitement to violence? Is this one of those situations where the violence has to occur first?
I love your site and read it daily.
Thanks.
Mike S writes: GWLSM,
There is nothing I can add to this summation of what are also my own feelings on the subject save that I have found myself enraged when approached on the street by some pimply faced “Jews for Jesus” types, Christian proselytizers, or LDS teenagers on a mission. I am not one to quickly lose my temper, but the smug stupidity of their attempts is something I find insufferable.
As to Sassy, my guess is she’s a recent convert and thus uses her verses to protect her from what she’s as impulses from her baser nature.
I used to volunteer with Jews for Judaism and found it really gratifying. developing strategies to protect vulnerable Jews from J4J proselytization and vulnerable college students from Campus Crusade for Christ was incredibly gratifying and helping people learn that Jesus, very simply, is not the jewish messiah in any real or imaginary sense is at the core of our goal to keep Jews Jewish unless and until conversion is their ultimate choice.
I think Sassy and people like Sassy are simply indoctrinated with the recent mandate to christianize Judaism and thereby gain more converts. its easier to do this when the lines between to very exclusive belief systems are blurred enough. many J4J’s have been doing this for decades, but what I know is that they are mostly failing and can go into that in greater detail if anyone is interested.
oh, and for the record, I have no problem with any belief system that captures anyone’s imagination. what gives others hope and joy is none of my business and I’m happy for them if they find comfort in any system of belief or lack thereof.
I just ask that they leave me and my family in peace and respect our privacy.