Constitutional Law, Justice, Religion

Grace Under Pressure: Rev. Phil Snider Speaking “Against” The Inclusion of LGBT Into Springfield’s (Mo.) Non-Discrimination Ordinance

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Meet Reverend Doctor Phil Snider of the Brentwood Christian Church and consider his fire and brimstone speech on including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual citizens under the protection of Springfield, Missouri’s anti-discrimination ordinance. Phil did his undergraduate work at Missouri State University (Springfield, MO), then earned his masters degree at Phillips Theological Seminary (Tulsa, OK) and doctorate at Chicago Theological Seminary (at the University of Chicago).

Be sure to listen to the ENTIRE speech (it’s not very long) and be in awe:

That’s real religion!

~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

87 thoughts on “Grace Under Pressure: Rev. Phil Snider Speaking “Against” The Inclusion of LGBT Into Springfield’s (Mo.) Non-Discrimination Ordinance”

  1. Just so that you don’t have to change threads. here’s the letter to some friends about Hanauer speech at TED.
    And thanks to OS for it all.
    ——————————

    Here is a super-rich man who speaks at a conference, and declares that corporations DO NOT CREATE jobs, the middle class do—-by their demand for products.

    Pass this on to those with brains enough to listen and use the information. It is not difficult to understand, so let’em try it. It is their economy and politics it will effect.

    First a quote, and then the presentation at a conference.

    ————————
    Otteray Scribe
    1, October 20, 2012 at 12:23 pm

    “Via Business Insider: “As the war over income inequality wages on, super-rich Seattle entrepreneur Nick Hanauer has been raising the hackles of his fellow 1-percenters, espousing the contrarian argument that rich people don’t actually create jobs. The position is controversial — so much so that TED is refusing to post a talk that Hanauer gave on the subject. National Journal reports today that TED officials decided not to put Hanauer’s March 1, 2012 speech up online after deeming his remarks “too politically controversial” for the site…”.

    ———————————

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKCvf8E7V1g&feature=player_embedded

    ========================================

    SPREAD THE WORD.

  2. There should be a stop, with a text: Listen to the next sentence carefully. Continue with video, stop again and new text with the sentence which reveals what he said—-for reflection. And then let the Reverend Dr. continue.

    Some of us need help. Maybe most of us are handicapped by our exposure to media, political cant, etc. A little help goes a long way.

    Then it might go viral.

    Meanwhile spread Hanuer’s speech at TED to kill the biggest lie in modern times. The rich do NOT create jobs.

  3. bettykath,

    Yes, I listened to a couple of the others and one can catch the slight nervousness in Dr. Snider’s delivery by listening to the careful, “centering”, breaths he takes … he knew the gauntlet he was throwing down. Courageous man.

  5. Actual reading of the Bible?? The last days?? What Jesus was he listening to? Unchristen views foisted on us? Uh He need to go back to seminary

    1. leejcaroll The seminar has taught waring Pharisaical views. Those people in the seminary were acting like the religions acting crafty against Jesus. He is repeating as the world needs to repent of oppressing anyone. That means the 900 militarily bases above, and below ground need to dissolve, and be gone. Legal system showing mercy not giving evil for evil.

  6. I am busy today but, that was pretty good. the man who is told by the holy spirit how to do every thing takes the wrong notes to class for a sure way to end the segregation problem. when all he had to do is file all gay and lesbians to one bathroom and all the straight to the other, segregation is solved. so gay and lesbians to one bath room and everybody else to the other one and you have gender equality also.

    do that and you will bring down the wrath of women upon you, and never p@$$ off a women. they are now in both bathrooms of the straight and the gay. problems solved.

  7. Did any of you listen to the other speakers? Holy cow! The other ministers sounded like the first two minutes of Dr. Snider’s presentation, but for real.

  9. The Churches are repenting becoming like the angels in Lots house not being like the I will do worse to you than them people out side Lot’s house that wanted to judge – condemn whoever was in lots house. KJV, Genesis 19 >>. 9A,The Churches are no longer seeking a vain thing thinking of others as being better than they are keeping this verse:King James Version. Philippians 2 >. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

    The Churches are no longer being oppressors hearing Gods voice Isaiah 1 ;17, not seeking a sacrifice as in verse 10 – 11 no longer warring against the gay. Don’t forget the zoo, and other sexualities too. Furries of the furry fandom need to be able to relax even as Adam,and Eve were relaxed in the garden before they allowed the devil to be their master. The church wants the Lord to be their master as of this day.

  10. The Churches are repenting becoming like the angels in Lots house not being like the I will do worse to you than them people out side Lot’s house that wanted to judge – condemn whoever was in lots house. KJV, Genesis 19 >>. 9A,The Churches are no longer seeking a vain thing thinking of others as being better than they are keeping this verse:King James Version. Philippians 2 >. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

    The Churches are no longer being oppressors hearing Gods voice Isaiah 1 ;17, not seeking a sacrifice as in verse 10 – 11 no longer warring against the gay. Don’t forget the zoo, and other sexualities too.

  11. OS, Meredith, don’t you think the real glory of Snider’s presentation was the fact that as he argued along through the beginning and middle, he HAD US THINKING we knew exactly what he was saying and it was “full of sound and fury signifying nothing”?

    And then he makes what looks like a little goof-up. (And he’s a good actor!) And then he looks like he’s trying to recover (and he’s a GREAT ACTOR!) and then he falls on his intellectual and moral sword and rises like the Phoenix from the giant adorable OOPS he has just built for us to focus on. I LOVE THIS GUY!

    Special thanks to you, OS, for providing me with a second-tier experience of “WTF?” Then when you rescued it, I had a great laugh! Special thanks to Mespo for saying “read to the end” because I would not have done so, absent that exhortation.

    THIS SHOULD GO VIRAL; this deserves a place in everybody’s mindset.

    BTW, did you watch the faces of the women behind him? Priceless! 😕

    1. Absolutely! That is the beauty of it. I hope it goes viral — and makes people realize that bigotry is simply WRONG. We now accept (well, most people, anyway…) that segregation is WRONG, and reject any idea that integration could be “an abomination before God”. By using the same language, Rev Snider shows us that people who believe homosexuality is “an abomination before God” are equally wrong. And he is a GREAT actor, I agree! He’s great. Makes me want to go to his church.

  12. Some of you folks haven’t understood the speech. Listen again. It’s marvelous. He’s pointing out precisely how ridiculous/bigoted similar speeches are. Stick with it to the end, and listen closely, and you’ll realize what he’s doing. (He perhaps should have pointed out in the beginning what he was doing!) I am sure his friends and parishioners, who know his views, understood him, but those of us who don’t know him had to figure it out. But it’s excellent. I hope this gets even wider coverage.

  13. nick, Not really. The church bills itself as the bible belt alternative. Have you ever visited that area?

  15. The Rev. Snider went on public record while speaking to the Springfield, Missouri city council and advocated not only for discrimination against gays and lesbians, but he also advocated for a return to racial segregation. Is this kind of racist and homophobic policy what Christians in Missouri support?

  16. Wow, Mark. Thanks. Unfortuantely these type videos are not the ones that usually go viral. I hope this one does.

    SWM, Way to stereotype an entire city.

  17. Indirection can be quite effective at times. His use of a civil rights bigot’s words from long ago then applying it to another realm of bigotry was an effective tactic, especially with this background.

    Those who would have had sufficient focus to detect the change in direction at the end would more likely not want to discriminate anyway.

    I wonder what techniques work to convince those in the audience who where biased against LGBT … perhaps reflecting back on their racial prejudices in the context of yet another realm of prejudice would move them.

  19. Zarathustra: It was sarcasm… You can’t seriously be that dense, can you?…

    Great video, great reverend. This man understands that religion should facilitate faith in a God that loves any and all who are willing to find him, and those who may have yet to. Any and ALL.

  20. He says he brought the wrong notes… from the wrong century. Right….. He’s still living in a century a few hundred years before Geebus…. Hey Rev. for cue……….

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