Leatherman: I Long To Kill Gays “In A Fleshy Way”

We have another preacher who is holding forth on homosexuality with some pretty shocking rhetoric. Dennis Leatherman of the Mountain Lake Independent Baptist Church in Oakland, Maryland can claim to be more merciful because, while he says that he positively aches to kill gays “in a fleshy way,” he cannot actually kill because of the Bible. That means that he cannot build the death camps of Rev. Worley — as much as he might want to.

During a 50-minute sermon entitled, “Homosexuality and the Bible,” Letherman is quoted as saying

“To be . . . have a tendency to be effeminate or homosexual is just as wicked as to have a tendency to be a womanizer . . . Sinful nature does not justify sinful behavior. Now what is our take? What is our response? . . . First of all, there is a danger of reacting in the flesh, of responding not in a scriptural, spiritual way, but in a fleshly way. Kill them all. Right? I will be very honest with you. My flesh kind of likes that idea. But it grieves the Holy Spirit. It violates Scripture. It is wrong. Number one, I put this down. How do we respond? We need to hold true to God’s Word. As despicable as it is to our thinking, we must not compromise. […]
The lies of the sodomite, same sex marriage promoters are going largely unchallenged in our society. It is a storm rolling across this country that is absolutely tearing everything up in its path and there are few of any, particularly in public positions who are standing up and saying, ‘This is wrong.’”

It is sad that in some quarters that passes for moral correctness. The disappointment in having to adhere to the limits of the Bible is palpable and painful. Just as you have a righteous desire to murder, the Bible steps in and tells you to let gays and lesbians live.

The Church has responded to the controversy with a curious distinction:

In a recent 50 minute message on homosexuality, Pastor Leatherman made a 5 second reference to his “flesh.” The term “flesh” in the Bible simply refers to our fallen, sinful nature. It is through the “new birth” of trusting Jesus Christ as Saviour that our nature is changed (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 5:19-24). Here is the full quote in question:

“First of all, there is a danger of reacting in the flesh, of responding not in a scriptural, spiritual way, but in a fleshly way. ‘Kill them all. Right?’ I will be very honest with you. My flesh kind of likes that idea. But it grieves the Holy Spirit. It violates Scripture. It is wrong.”
You cannot get any clearer, “it is wrong” to respond to homosexuality in any other way than a scriptural, spiritually mature and firmly compassionate way. Perhaps rewording the statement to say, “THE flesh” as opposed to “MY flesh” would more accurately express the meaning, but to suggest that Pastor Leatherman or the church advocates violence of any type toward homosexuals is to completely misconstrue what his message was saying.

I am unsure how the use of a definite article materially changes the meaning: ‘Kill them all. Right?’ I will be very honest with you. THE flesh kind of likes that idea. But it grieves the Holy Spirit.” Much better.

Source: Yahoo