Sacramento Pastor Praises Omar Mateen and Says That God Will Finish The Job

It often seems that when the world is grieving some terrible tragedy, there are some religious extremists who will celebrate the loss. Stepping immediately into that role was Sacramento pastor Roger Jimenez of the California-based Verity Baptist Church who praised Omar Mateen’s murder of gays and lamented that he did not “finish” the job. It appears however that Jimenez will have to find another place to peddle his religious-based hate. Harsch Investment Properties has decided not to renew the church’s lease and wants Jimenez out by next March.

In his sermon at the church, Jimenez told his congregation:

“People say, ‘Well, aren’t you sad that 50 sodomites died?’ Here’s the problem with that, it’s like the equivalent of asking me, ‘Well, aren’t you sad that 50 pedophiles were killed today?’ No, I think that’s great. I think that helps society. I think that Orlando, Florida is a little safer tonight.”

He also said that “If we lived in a righteous government, they should round them all up and put them up against a firing wall, and blow their brains out.”

He continued to double down on this remarks despite protests:

“As far as the Bible is concerned, they crossed a line. The sin they performed is worthy of death,” he said. “I realize our society doesn’t take that, but that’s what the bible says. If someone does something that’s worthy of death and they end up dying, I’m not gonna mourn them. . . . Absolutely I think they are safer now because of these deaths, and the reason I think that is because I believe all of these homosexuals are pedophiles, and the Bible–see our culture and our society puts them in these categories–gay, lesbian, whatever, but that’s not found in scripture. And I understand the world does not want to accept that, that’s fine. I’m saying as a Christian, the Bible puts people in two categories: normal/natural, unnatural.”

The video was originally posted on YouTube but the company removed it for violating the company’s policy on hate speech. I once again have qualms about the censoring of such postings. I think it is important for people to hear such hateful sermons and to understand the intense prejudice against gays and lesbians.

What do you think?