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Name: Clint Echols
Age: 45
Occupation: preacher
Last Seen: Zeeland, MI
Bee-otched For: causing Jesus to make a face palm
Age: 45
Occupation: preacher
Last Seen: Zeeland, MI
Bee-otched For: causing Jesus to make a face palm
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It seems that any church with the name "Baptist" in its name has the God-given right to judge. Just ask Westboro in Topeka, KS.
Now, it appears that the Phelps family has a friend right here in Michigan, and he's in Zeeland, not far from here in Grand Rapids.
Clint Echols, the main pastor of the First Baptist Church is under fire when during a recent sermon, he compared gays to axe murderers. Because of this, a former member of the church decided to stage a protest.
Daniel VanderLey - who is openly gay - told local ABC-TV station WZZM 13 that "we need to love because hate hurts". Thirty protesters stood outside First Baptist Sunday morning holding signs with Bible verses and pictures of hate victims. Former state representative Lorence Wenke - who happens to be a Libertarian - was one of the protesters. He told WZZM that he cannot believe that even in this day in age, people stand up and say such insensitive remarks, especially from a pulpit. According to Echols, he wants to change the church's mission statement to not allow gays into his church.
VanderLey used to be a member of First Baptist until 15 years ago but left because he felt that it was too difficult to be a gay man in a church whose message targets the LGBT community. He now wants Pastor Echols to apologize for his sermon.
You know, there's no real verse in the Bible that either promotes or is against homosexuality. There's Leveticus 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination", but that's an Old Testament verse. Personally, I think most people who are against homosexuality are on a sick power trip and probably are gay deep down inside. Bear in mind, too that Echols is from North Carolina, a state that is very homophobic and racist (ie Jesse Helms).
REAL Christians know that it's simply not cool to judge others, especially on their sin, or what they perceive is sin. It's not my business if a man sleeps with another man or the same thing with women. It's not my business if somebody is transgender, either. However, I personally hate it when people trump their beliefs on me. When a person throws their religion onto me, I hate it. When another man tries to persuade me to have sex with him, same situation. I've dealt with both in my life, and the thing is, I do respect both gays and Christians, just as long as I 1) don't drink the Kool-Aid and 2) I don't end up with another man's penis inside of me.
Personally, I think this church needs to fire Clint Echols and hire somebody who realizes that only God should do the judging and not some nutjob from south of the Mason-Dixon Line. I know that Zeeland is a bass ackwards town, but that doesn't mean that people have the right to play God themselves.
If First Baptist has a brain, they'd hire this guy very quickly.
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Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!
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It seems that any church with the name "Baptist" in its name has the God-given right to judge. Just ask Westboro in Topeka, KS.
Now, it appears that the Phelps family has a friend right here in Michigan, and he's in Zeeland, not far from here in Grand Rapids.
Clint Echols, the main pastor of the First Baptist Church is under fire when during a recent sermon, he compared gays to axe murderers. Because of this, a former member of the church decided to stage a protest.
Daniel VanderLey - who is openly gay - told local ABC-TV station WZZM 13 that "we need to love because hate hurts". Thirty protesters stood outside First Baptist Sunday morning holding signs with Bible verses and pictures of hate victims. Former state representative Lorence Wenke - who happens to be a Libertarian - was one of the protesters. He told WZZM that he cannot believe that even in this day in age, people stand up and say such insensitive remarks, especially from a pulpit. According to Echols, he wants to change the church's mission statement to not allow gays into his church.
VanderLey used to be a member of First Baptist until 15 years ago but left because he felt that it was too difficult to be a gay man in a church whose message targets the LGBT community. He now wants Pastor Echols to apologize for his sermon.
You know, there's no real verse in the Bible that either promotes or is against homosexuality. There's Leveticus 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination", but that's an Old Testament verse. Personally, I think most people who are against homosexuality are on a sick power trip and probably are gay deep down inside. Bear in mind, too that Echols is from North Carolina, a state that is very homophobic and racist (ie Jesse Helms).
REAL Christians know that it's simply not cool to judge others, especially on their sin, or what they perceive is sin. It's not my business if a man sleeps with another man or the same thing with women. It's not my business if somebody is transgender, either. However, I personally hate it when people trump their beliefs on me. When a person throws their religion onto me, I hate it. When another man tries to persuade me to have sex with him, same situation. I've dealt with both in my life, and the thing is, I do respect both gays and Christians, just as long as I 1) don't drink the Kool-Aid and 2) I don't end up with another man's penis inside of me.
Personally, I think this church needs to fire Clint Echols and hire somebody who realizes that only God should do the judging and not some nutjob from south of the Mason-Dixon Line. I know that Zeeland is a bass ackwards town, but that doesn't mean that people have the right to play God themselves.
If First Baptist has a brain, they'd hire this guy very quickly.
-
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com!
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
I used to go to that church. They "preach love" but are pretty hateful. They discriminated against a teen 14 years ago because she grew up in an atheist family and was struggling at school with bullies. Senior Pastor called that person "Slow" because they seemed to have the behavior of a mentally retarded person. Different pastor, but same church, and yet they don't want to allow a group of people they're supposed to love as well?
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