Bizarre, Religion, Society

Parenting 101 With Pastor Harris: Slap The Gay Out Of Your Children

North Carolina pastor Sean Harris is being featured on many gay rights blogs this week due to his lesson on parenting to his congregation, including his advice that parents should punch and slap the gay out of children.

I doubt I could do the Pastor justice in his approach to child-rearing so here are his own words:

“So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, “Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is 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 is 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 crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are 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 to Butch you reign her in. And you say, “Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are 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 are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive. You are going to dress yourself up.”
You say, “Can I take charge like that as a parent?”
Yeah, you can. You are authorized. I just gave you a special dispensation this morning to do that.”

Harris is the senior pastor at the Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. According to his bio, Harris is a former paratrooper who promises “bold” but not “rash” preaching to his parishioners:

“‘Rash preaching,’ said Rowland Hill, ‘disgusts; timid preaching leaves poor souls fast asleep; bold preaching is the only preaching that is owned of God.’ ” If Pastor’s preaching can be categorized with any one word, “bold” would be that word. And his boldness comes not from his self-confidence. It comes rather from his belief that consistent, expository preaching of the whole of Scripture will be used by the Spirit to draw people to the Son. And when people are drawn to the Son, they are saved, sanctified, and they become disciples and teachers themselves. Pastor takes you through the chapters of God’s Word. You will learn the passage’s historical intent, literal interpretation, and twenty-first century application. He strives to teach God’s Word accurately and clearly, and he strives to preach God’s Word boldly.

The audiotape shows parents cheering and laughing at the sermon. The tape was originally posted here.

Of course, nothing brings clarity to gender confusion like a good beating in Harris’ view.

82 thoughts on “Parenting 101 With Pastor Harris: Slap The Gay Out Of Your Children”

  2. According to Christian Reconstructionisism, the prescribed Biblical punishment for gays is stoning…

    How far from “…crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch…” to stoning?

  7. anon nurse,

    “It was during his last deployment to Iraq that he sensed God’s call to the ministry.

    “Sean enjoys running, cycling, skiing, and writing.”

    *****

    I think Harris suffers from PTGD–Post Traumatic God Disorder. His biography should be revised:

    It was during his last deployment to Iraq after he suffered several concussions that he sensed God’s call to the ministry.

    Sean enjoys running, cycling, skiing, writing…and smacking the gay out of children.

    *****
    What a hero!!!!!

  8. What a hateful man.

    His bio (link above):

    http://www.bereanbaptistchurch.org/docs/Pastor%20Sean%20Harris%20Bio.pdf

    SEAN HARRIS
    BEREAN BAPTIST CHURCH
    FAYETTEVILLE, NC

    Pastor Sean Harris has been the Senior Pastor for Berean Baptist Church and Academy in Fayetteville, NC since 2006. He served as a member, lay teacher and deacon at Berean from 1987 until he became the Senior Pastor position. As the Senior Pastor, he oversees Berean’s ministry to over 1000 residents of Fayetteville, the education of over 400 students, and a staff of 80 employees. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in US History from Thomas Edison State College and a Masters of Divinity with a concentration in leadership from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, VA.

    Now retired from the military, Sean entered the US Army on May 5, 1987 in Boston, MA, trained as a fire support specialist, and graduated US Army Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA. Most of his career was spent in the 82d Abn Div where he served as a forward observer, team sergeant, platoon sergeant, firing battery first sergeant and division fire support sergeant major. His tours outside the Division include observer/controller at the Joint Readiness Training Center and ROTC instructor at Central Michigan University. He graduated from the US Army Sergeant’s Major Academy (Class #55), completed all levels of the NCOES, and numerous other courses relating to his specialty in the fire support community. He is a member of the All American Centurion Club and a lifetime member of the 82d Airborne Division Association. He was the 1993 82d Abn Div NCO of the Year and is a member of the SAMC, the Honorable Order of St. Barbara, and is a distinguished member of the 319th AFAR.

    His personal decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 7 oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with 7 oak leaf clusters), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with Arrowhead), Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 bronze stars), Kosovo Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Master Parachutist Badge (with bronze star), Air Assault Badge, and Ranger Tab. He has deployed to combat four times with the 82nd Abn Div in Panama, Southwest Asia, and Kosovo. It was during his last deployment to Iraq that he sensed God’s call to the ministry.

    Sean enjoys running, cycling, skiing, and writing. He is married to his wife of over 20 years, Pamela Sue (Gilbert), and they have one son.

  10. We can only hope that the folks who attend this church are smart enough to love and care for their children for who they are, no matter what. In my mind, true parenting is teaching, learning, and developing a child into a responsible adult. There is more nuance than that, but it’s the basic idea.

    If this loving higher being does exist, you’d think he would be telling these prophets (but should be “profits”) to stop hating people for no real reason. Luckily, I know many Christian parents that are wonderful and encourage their kids to be themselves without force, thank Whomever.

  12. I don’t have the energy to find polite words to comment on this ignorant excuse for an actual human.

  13. Arthus Randolph Erb, Like that preacher in Colorado……

  14. He’s got some theological backing you know:

    23:12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
    23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
    23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
    ~Proverbs

    God-fearing folk, these fundie Christians.

  15. This guy sounds like he is gay. The most virulent anti-gays are trying to keep that part of them from coming out in public. If I were there, I would like to find his gay lover and put a detective on his tail. I’ll bet we would find one

    The late unlamented Roy Cohn used to give anti-gay speeches, and have his current boy friend out in his limo waiting for him to finish so they could make love afterwards..

  18. I know people like this. So smug and self-righteous they are incapable of entertaining the possibility they might, just might, be wrong. I am a strong advocate of the First Amendment, but draw the line at advocating child abuse publicly. Especially in a public forum where there is a high likelihood of the sheeple following his pathological instructions.

    Authoritarian personalities seem to be attracted to employment in certain fundamentalist ministries.

  20. This story came out on the same day that Romney’s openly gay foreign policy spokesman was forced to resign.

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