Chicago Magazine's Exposé of IFB: The Berean Pastors Respond

Chicago Magazine recently published a hard-hitting exposé of the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) church. "Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church" discusses the inappropriate behavior of Jack Schaap, pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammon, Indiana, which culminated in a scandal surrounding his sexual abuse of a teenage girl. According to CBS Chicago, Schaap pleaded guilty earlier this year to transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sex acts. (Hat tip to the Ramblings of Sheldon)

The abuse scandal should come as little surprise to those familiar with Schaap's unsettling behaviors and attitudes. His utter contempt for females was demonstrated in one sermon dripping with misogyny. Furthermore, the Chicago Magazine article references to Schaap's increasingly brazen behavior, such as his 2010 "Polishing the Shaft" sermon in which he made suggestive gestures with an arrow. (NSFW!)

A man like that has no business in a pulpit. Sadly, Schaap was not alone. Chicago Magazine documents the controlling behaviors, misogyny, and sexual misconduct allegations of other preachers in the IFB church, including that of late IFB leader Jack Hyles (Schaap's father-in-law).

Curious about what one controversial preacher has to say about another? Look no further.

As discussed in a prior post, Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC landed in hot water this spring when he told congregants to punch "effeminate" sons. His disturbing comments earned him condemnation from many quarters, including LGBTQ advocates and clergy. Also, Harris has made sexist comments in several Berean podcasts (see here and here). Since the "punching sermon" controversy, I have listened to Berean Baptist Church's podcasts from time to time, and when the Berean pastors voiced their thoughts on Jack Schaap, I had to share them.

On December 20th, Berean Baptist Church pastors Sean Harris, William J. Sturm, and David McManus shared their thoughts on the Chicago Magazine exposé in a podcast entited "Let Us Pray: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church". The three pastors discussed the history and controversies of the IFB church, acknowledging IFB leader Jack Hyles as both an "early megachurch builder" and a deeply flawed man. Regarding Schaap, the three men disapproved of Schaap's behavior and the unhealthy church culture that granted Schaap impunity. David McManus compared the Schaap sexual abuse case to the Catholic church's sexual abuse scandals, noting that both institutions gave excessive spiritual authority to their leaders. At the 26:06 mark of the podcast, the three pastors had this to say.

HARRIS: What is going on in Independent Fundamental Baptist churches across the nation where this type of a culture, Bill, is allowed to occur? How does a guy preach a sermon and for all practical purposes, it looks as though he's masturbating, and nobody says 'that's enough'? Are there no lines in the sand?

STURM: ... This is a cultural issue of, we have one pastor, he's right below Jesus and above the congregation. He need not be questioned, especially if he grips hard a King James version of the Bible, and never mind the fact that his mind might be full of filth because he wears a shirt, a tie, and has a King James Bible and a tapered hair cut, and as long as he has all those things and is dogmatic on all those things, and oh by the way, if he has a bus ministry* ... He must be right with the Lord.

MCMANUS: And have we not just totally subjugated the priesthood of the believer in this idea that we have to elevate a man to a position where I can't be spiritually fed, I can't get in touch with my savior unless he is the one that's preaching? Where else have we seen these sexual sins going on? The Catholic Church, and there's a parallel here. I need that priest in order to intercede for me, in order to pray and to confess and to do these different things, and we've got that molestation sin that's prevalent in the Catholic Church, and I think there's a parallel here. We have elevated a man to the position of, like you said, just below if not close to being equal with Christ.

The Berean pastors' condemnation of Schaap's behavior was spot-on and insightful. However, I found Harris' comments highly ironic. This was, after all, a man who told his congregation to punch "effeminate" sons and crack their limp wrists, all while his audience laughed and said "amen". Did anyone in his audience that Sunday say 'that's enough'?

On the other hand, I wondered if these comments were a sign that Berean Baptist Church is now taking pastoral accountability seriously. The "punching sermon" firestorm might have reminded Berean's leaders that a pastor must be held accountable for his words and actions, and that pastors acting without accountability run the risk of doing harm. Only time will tell if Sean Harris and his colleagues have used the firestorm as an opportunity to evolve.


To listen to Berean Baptist Church's podcasts, visit www[dot]bbcfnc[dot]org/media-audio[dot]php

* Sturm is referencing the strict standards of personal appearance in IFB "Hyles churches", as well as Jack Hyles' bus ministry.

The Berean Pastors Reflect on the Newtown Tragedy

Earlier this year, Pastor Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC found himself in the middle of a media firestorm. During a "Marriage Sunday" sermon, Harris told congregants to punch "effeminate" sons. Ever since the controversy, I've taken an interest in Berean's rhetoric, listening to their podcasts from time to time in search of controversial messages.

With the Newtown shooting drawing so much attention from the nation, I was eager to hear what the Berean pastors had to say about the tragedy. What I found was a mixed bag, with the Berean pastors making both sensitive and insensitive remarks about Newtown.

On one hand, the Berean pastors seemed to be trying to add constructive observations to the public conversation about violence. On December 17th, in a podcast entitled "Violent America Wonders Why", William Sturm rejected the idea that widespread gun ownership is correlated with violence. Rather, he blamed society glorification and normalization of violence for brutal crimes such as the Newtown massacre. "America is a culture that absolutely craved violence," Sturm stated, telling listeners that if they seek out ultraviolent entertainment, allow children to play violent first-person shooter video games, or become mired in anger, they are part of the problem. At the 5:01 mark, Sturm criticized people who blame politicians for America's problems without doing their share to stop violence.

"I am irritated, aggravated, nauseated, annoyed and frustrated at the believers who want to hound their president, their representatives, their senators and bemoan all that is wrong in America when they won't even fix their own front yard. It's easy to slam a politician. It's hard to take something from one of your children, and to remove something, an influence of some type from their life and for just a few moments, understand that you have just disappointed them. That's the hard work."

On the other hand, Sturm also used the Newtown tragedy to disparage non-Christians. On December 16th, in a podcast entitled "Obama Cries, Quotes Scripture in Speech on Conn. School Shooting", Sturm was pleased that Obama quoted the Bible during his speech on the massacre. At the 2:50 mark, Sturm gloated that President Obama supposedly left out Muslims and atheists.

"I think it's interesting that first of all, we need to point out that he did not quote the Quran. I think that should be pointed out. I think it should be pointed out that he was willing to, for just a few brief moments, ostracize the Muslims, to make them feel like they were unincluded. Why did he not quote the Quran? Why did he not quote simply the Torah, to endure [sic] the Jewish folks to himself? why did he have to quote anything? He right flat out probably offended the atheists, and before anyone says something stupid like, well, the separation of church and state ... don't even bring that dog to the fight. The truth is, it's not in the constitution, and only a novice would bring that up."

Actually, it is. Amendment I of the U.S. Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," while Article VI states that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." But I digress.

Sturm's interpretation of the President's speech indicate a deep contempt for non-Christians and an eagerness to see them delegitimized in the public realm. He should reflect on the fact that people of many faiths contribute to American society, and that people of many faith were horrified by the Newtown shooting, not just Christians. Sturm should remember that fundamentalist Christians do not have a monopoly on American identity, compassion, or sorrow.

Finally, in a December 16th podcast entitled "The Hero of Sandy Hook: Vicki Soto", Sean E. Harris recounted the heroism of Vicki Soto, who tried to protect children from Lanza's rampage. He also spoke reverently of the Sandy Hook Elementary principle and school psychology, who demonstrated bravery during the massacre. In doing so, Harris demonstrated sensitivity and respect for victims. However, at the 9:01 mark, Harris claimed that the Gospel, not legislation, was the real answer to mass violence.

"The Gospel's the only solution to this. There are not enough laws that could be enacted to solve this problem. We already have the law that communicated all that needs to be communicated. The law's very simple. The law's very simple. Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt do no murder. That's the law. That's the plain and simple law. That law's not sufficient, and adding two more laws or three more laws or four more laws is not going to do anything to correct depraved situations. And certainly safeguards can be taken, and we should look for every measure of safeguard we can, but I want to remind you what the word of God says ... We're to do everything we can to prevent these kind of tragedies, everything we can to safeguard children. Do all we can, but safety belongs to the Lord."

I did not find this comment particularly constructive. Instead of hoping that a return to the Christian Gospel will solve America's violence problem, we need to explore the roots of mass violence and developed multi-pronged strategies for preventing future tragedies. Lasting solutions to any social problem includes cultural change and community awareness as well as legislation, so automatically dismissing any new laws is premature.

In short, the Berean pastors' response to the Sandy Hook tragedy was mixed. Some of their comments encouraged sensitivity, respect for lives lost, and personal efforts to change our culture of violence. On the other hand, other comments used the tragedy as an excuse to take jabs at non-Christians, or promote a Gospel solution to violence when far more efforts are needed.



To listen to Berean Baptist Church's podcasts, click here.

More on Sean Harris, Pastor Who Told Audience to Punch "Effeminate" Sons

Remember Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC, who told his congregation to punch their "effeminate" sons? Republic of Gilead has blogged on the aftermath of that sermon, as well as the reaction of Berean leaders to J. Lee Grady's commentary on male dominance. While wandering through the audio selections of the Berean Baptist Church website, I stumbled upon several other sermons and commentaries from Harris that I'd like to share with readers. Harris has much to say about environmentalism, feminism, progressive Christians, and the LGBTQ community.

Berean Baptist Pastors and Patriarchy

In a June 6th column at Charisma Magazine entitled "The #1 Reason Why Christian Marriages Fail," J. Lee Grady delivers a beautifully progressive message about gender equality. Grady laments the pervasiveness of violence against women across the globe, which he attributes to "male superiority" and machismo. Male dominance, he argues, is one of the biggest threats to Christian marriages, which should be a relationship between equal. Male dominance is a result of the Fall, he argues, insisting that God never intended marriage to be a setting for domination or abuse. He urges men to treat their wives as equals, help their wives with everyday responsibilities, and encourage their wives to cultivate their gifts.

Grady's column is refreshing in its respect for women. He takes violence against women seriously, acknowledging the connection between male violence and sexism. Whereas some Christian speakers praise women but stop short of rejecting patriarchy (i.e., Mike Bickle), Grady urges men to treat women as equals. Unfortunately, one church of recent notoriety disagrees.

Remember Pastor Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC? Several weeks ago, Harris was soundly condemned for encouraging fathers to punch "effeminate" sons and scold "butch" daughters (see here and here). Harris' sermon not only reeked of homophobia, but it also suggested a worldview in which gender roles are extremely rigid. That misogyny reared its head once again in a podcast available at the Berean Baptist Church website.

In a June 7^th podcast entitled “Why Christian Marriages Fail,” Harris sat down with Berean pastors Dwayne Smith and Steve Wilson to discuss Grady’s commentary. Harris condemned physical violence against women, reminding listeners that “guys hitting their wives is off limits” and that physically abused women are entitled to leave their abusers and seek safety. Unfortunately, Harris and the other Berean pastors seemed more concerned about defending Christian patriarchy that tackling the real-life issues that Grady’s column addressed. The pastors spent much of the interview criticizing the idea that unfair treatment of wives was the chief threat to Christian marriage.

At the 5:54 mark of the podcast, one pastor claimed that the degree of male dominance seen in foreign cultures isn’t a problem in the U.S. Rather, he saw equality between the sexes and a lack of rigid gender roles as a more immediate cause of marital problems in America.

"I also think that it needs to go further because really what he's saying is the root cause is the symptom, and in those cultures the root cause of sin is this cultural idea that, hey, 'I'm the man, I'm in charge, I'm the king, I'm the boss, I'm going to put you under the thumb,' but I don't find that really to be the problem in the United States of America. I think that I think the opposite, in fact, could be argued, that we've reached such a point in our American culture that everything is egalitarian that in many cases, some of the causes of marital problems in America is there is no defined roles. Nobody knows what's going on. I wish this guy would step up and take some leadership."

At the 7:07 mark, Sean Harris correlated male dominance with leadership in the home.

"Well, if I look at this statement, and it says male superiority is a global problem, is the number one reason why Christian marriages suffer and fail, I'm going to become less of a leader, because the assumption here is that you stop trying to be so superior as the husband of the house, and your life is going to get better."

The 7:36 mark featured the single most facepalm-worthy statement in the podcast. One pastor, completely missing the point of Grady’s commentary, assumed that violence against women across the globe had little to do with Christian marriages.

"Well, there's not many Christians in India. There's not very many Christians in Africa, and there's not very many Christians in the Middle East, especially in Afghanistan."

At the 7:54 mark, Another pastor claimed that parts of the world where violence against women is extreme tend to be placed with little Christian influence. The fact that violence against women occurs in Christian and non-Christian communities alike was not considered.

"You're pointing to folks outside of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ that are putting on their wives, that are putting on their daughters something other that Christianity in this respect."

Grady’s assertion that male dominance is a result of Adam and Eve’s sin drew ire from the Berean leaders, who argued that Adam was created before Eve and was intended to be dominant. 1 Timothy 2, in which Paul endorses female subjugation on account of Eve’s sin, was quickly cited as evidence. One pastor called Grady’s ideas “theologically irresponsible” at the 9:11 mark.

"I think if he was saying that the male role leadership was corrupted after the fall, or was made more difficult after the fall, that would be accurate, but to say that the male leadership role was not until after the fall is entirely inaccurate and theologically irresponsible."

Sean Harris painted a glorified picture of patriarchal marriage at the 9:55 mark, arguing that the relationship between a dominant husband and wife mirrors that of Adam and Eve.

"In this case, he seems to argue that we need to understand that God's plan was never to have Adam in charge, but we would completely disagree with that. We would say that Adam is a picture of the coming Christ, the leader of the church, the king of the church, and that the bride is the picture of Eve and he glorious relationships is when the husband and wife get it right, and it becomes this picture of the gospel."

Predictably, one of the pastors disapproved of Grady’s attention to violence against women, complaining that Grady neglected women’s sins at the 12:11 mark. He seemed to forget that women are far more likely to be abused than men, preferring to categorize domestic violence as just another form of sin.

"He hasn't mentioned the sin of the ladies or the females in this at all, and it's a terrible thing that the male sin seems to show itself through this domination that he is clearly showing, and we would agree with that that this is a problem, not to minimize that in any way, but it's both sides are sinners. Both sides are the ones that have struggles with sin."

These men need a dose of reality. According to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 35.6% of female respondents reported experiencing physical violence, rape, and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. A report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics states that in 45% of female homicide cases in 2007, the female victim was murdered by a spouse, ex-spouse, or romantic partner. Whether the Berean leaders want to admit it or not, mistreatment of women IS an American problem. It is not just another sin, but a social pathology born of misogyny that has destroyed countless lives. By failing to confront patriarchy and misogyny, the Berean leaders are refusing to confront the roots of male violence against women.

J. Lee Grady’s column could have been a opportunity for the Berean leaders to meaningfully address spousal abuse in their congregation. Instead, they seemed more concerned about defending male dominance and deflecting attention and responsibility off of violence in their own culture. Instead of recognizing violence against women as a scourge in their own community, the men envisioned it as a problem over there, in foreign cultures.

How do you reach men who cling to patriarchal power so tightly that they cannot see its evils? With men like this at the helm of some churches, I worry for any abused women in their congregations.

To listen to Berean Baptist Church sermons, visit www[dot]bereanbaptistchurch[dot]org/media-audio.php

Sean Harris' Sermon About Punching "Effeminate" Boys Condemned

As discussed in a prior post, Pastor Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC drew condemnation for his comments about punching "effeminate" boys. Good As You posted an audio clip from one of Harris' sermons in which he told fathers to punch sons who act feminine and to scold daughters who act "butch." In the wake of the controversy, Harris has spoken publicly about his statements amidst criticism from secular and faith voices alike.

Following the firestorm over his sermon, Harris issued a retraction and participated in a filmed interview. On May 7th, blogger Justin Griffith of Rock Beyond Belief posted a video of his interview with Harris, which touched upon child discipline, political activism, and the impact of Harris' controversial sermon.



At the 1:44 mark, Harris tells Griffith that his church does not promote a violent environment for children.

"It's abundantly clear that we are not encouraging parents to beat their children. That is not the environment we have here. The statement that is on our website with regard to child discipline has been on that website for two years. That wasn't a statement that was manufactured in response to the incident. That is a defined paragraph to help parents understand their parental responsibilities."

During the interview, Harris stressed that he did not mean for parents to beat their children, admitting that he needs to be more mindful about what he says. However, at the 5:32 mark, he seemed to deflect attention away from his shocking sermon by suggesting that the audio clip was edited.

"I did not realize the degree to which someone could take a sermon, edit it any way they want, upload a portion up to the website, chop out the words that they don't like, and then present that to the world. I'd like to be more careful with my words, but I can't keep them from doing that in the future."

Harris was unwavering in his defense of traditional gender roles. At the 4:41 mark, Harris defended "gender distinctions" that were allegedly created by God, adding that fathers have a responsibility to foster "manhood" in their sons.

"I believe that the gender distinctions that God created must be affirmed in children. I do not believe that  children are allowed to pick a different sexual orientation for themselves. If they become adults and they want to act out that kind of behavior, that is their choice. All I was affirming is a father's responsibility to affirm and develop the manhood in their son. That's the extent of it, and with regard to the special dispensation, that was a joke. Yes, I was joking."

At the 9:29 mark, Griffith confronted Harris about his political advocacy for North Carolina's Amendment One, pointing out that Harris' church has pro-Amendment One signs above the bathroom urinals.

GRIFFITH: You're church is not a political action committee. I heard you say this.

HARRIS: That's correct.

GRIFFITH: Why do you have signs telling your members how to vote, even right at eye level at your urinals?

HARRIS: Oh, because we believe that this issue is not a political issue. We believe that this is a Bible issue. We're not endorsing any candidates. You didn't find that anywhere in the church, but this marriage amendment as far as we're concerned is a Bible issue, and so as the pastor of the church, I have a responsibility to instruct the congregation on that which I think is good for America and good for the state of North Carolina.

At his blog, Griffith admitted that some of Harris' statements about child discipline were "odd," and that Harris doesn't seem to think before speaking. (Hat tip to Unreasonable Faith.)

As Harris strives to defend himself in the public eye, other voices of faith are condemning his comments. For example, Rev. Dr. Cindi Love, executive director of Soulforce, penned a May 8th commentary on Sean Harris' tirade for Huffington Post. Love expressed disappointment that no mothers in Harris' audience said "no" to his hateful comments, noting that this may have been an effect of patriarchal norms in fundamentalist Christian circles. Harris' church, she observed, is part of the expanding Christian patriarchy movement which admonishes women to remain silent and submit to men. Christian fundamentalism and the Christian patriarchy movement have wronged both women and LGBT persons, thereby creating much suffering. Love urged mothers to "just say no" to homophobic rejection of their children.

"I would like to use this occasion to recommend a role reversal for any moms who are caught at the religious divide on this issue, or any home or church that espouses any part of its doctrine. Just say no ... Mother's Day can be a national coming-out day of love and reconciliation for families of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning children. Claim it, moms (and dads)! Just say no to rejection."

During an appearance on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, Rev. Dr. Cindi Love discussed the high ethical standards to which clergy are held. (Hat tip to Soulforce.)

"I think those of us who are ministers are called to a  really high ethical standard of what we speak to and about in our congregation. If I had heard those words and I were a young child, I would have felt that the perceived authority of my church, someone like my dad, was saying it was okay to punch or crack the wrist of another child who appeared to be effeminate ... Jesus wouldn't have preached that sermon. What was chilling to me was hearing the members of the congregation laugh and say 'amen' and really sort of be in concert with what the minister was saying."

Faithful America, an online community of believers devoted to addressing social issues, responded to Harris' sermon by creating an online petition that reads as follows.

"Faithful Christians are appalled by Pastor Sean Harris's hateful tirade urging violence against gay and lesbian youth. Violence and child abuse can never be justified by the teachings of Jesus Christ. All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, should be assured in church that they are beloved children of God."

The petition has already gathered over 14,000 signatures. (Hat tip to Gaystar News.)

People of faith are also reaching out to Harris' congregation. According to Huffington Post, Judson Baptist Church of New York, NY is creating "Cards of Hope" which will be mailed to Sunday school students at Berean Baptist Church. The article quotes Judson church school director Andy Frantz explaining that the project will allow the children to talk about discrimination and God's love.

Harris can apologize and backpedal all he wants, but the fact remains that his sermon was vicious, misogynist, and homophobic. His hateful rhetoric has left many people disgusted, including people of faith who reject bigotry and violent words. Kudos to everyone who is holding Harris accountable.

North Carolina Pastor Tells Parents to Punch Effeminate Boys

On Tuesday, Good As You shared an audio excerpt from last week's "Marriage Sunday," a faith even sponsored by Vote For Marriage NC in opposition to same-sex marriage. The event comes before a May 8th vote on Amendment One, the so-called North Carolina Marriage Protection Amendment which would ban same-sex marriage. 

The audio segment features Pastor Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC, telling parents to punch sons who act effeminate and force "butch" daughters to act stereotypically feminine.

"So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he's 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, cause that's 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, okay? You're 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 too butch, you reign her in, and you say, 'Oh no, 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."

The viciousness of the message, combined with Harris' loud, overbearing voice, made the excerpt difficult for me to listen to. What shocked me even more was that members of the audience were laughing and saying "Amen" during the sermon.

According to a May 2nd article in the Fayetteville Observer, Harris insisted that he does not advocate violence against children and was joking when he made those comments. Nevertheless, he stressed that "effeminate behavior is ungodly." At his personal blog, Harris insisted that his words were being "completely taken out of context by those in the LGBT community." He stressed that he does not believe violence is capable of "fixing effeminate behavior or homosexual behavior," and that parents should not punch babies or children. Only Jesus, he wrote, can "deliver" people from homosexuality and effeminacy. "The opposition is revealing their complete lack of toleration toward those do not approve of the LGBT lifestyle or agenda," he concluded. In short, Harris backed off from his statements about violence, but not from his disapproval of homosexuality or of males who don't act stereotypically masculine enough for him.

Let me get this straight. Joking (allegedly) about punching little boys and cracking their wrists? Oops, so sorry. Expressing horror at such statements? Oh, that's a "complete lack of toleration." Huh!?

Also on May 2nd, Harris issued an official statement of retraction, admitting that he should not have made comments about "cracking," "punching," and "special dispensation." He apologized to anyone he may have offended and claimed that he did not saying anything to intentionally offend the LGBT community. Harris insisted that he never suggested that children or people in the "LGBT lifestyle" should be physically or psychologically abused. (Listen to his sermon and decide for yourselves.) However, he still referred to homosexuality as an abomination and form of sexual immorality. The retraction, he stressed, should not be construed as an apology for his views on marriage.

Radio host David Pakman condemned Harris' statements on a recent edition of his show. He called Berean Baptist Church and threw Harris' comments back at them, which was absolutely priceless. (Hat tip to Truth Wins Out.)



Harris' comments sickened me. Not only did his sermon reek of homophobia and misogyny, but his "joke" about brutalizing boys who don't fit his masculine ideal was repugnant. Why on earth would anyone joke about punching children? What's wrong with allowing children to be themselves? What's wrong with acknowledging that there are many healthy ways to be a boy or a girl? Why do girls necessarily have to be attractive to others? What is this thing Harris has against "effeminancy"? Why are traits associated with females so abhorrent to Harris that he would joke about literally beating them out of boys? 

His lukewarm apology notwithstanding, Harris was out of line, whether he was joking or not. His statements suggest a worldview in which heterosexism is the rule, children are shoehorned into rigid gender roles, and people who deviate from antiquated stereotypes are targets of scorn.

The pastor says that he was joking, but I'm not laughing.



For additional commentary, visit the following links.

Think Progress: Amendment One Pastor: 'Crack' Your Four-Year-Old Son's Limp Wrist

The Advocate: Hateful Pastor Sean Harris Thinks Effeminate Children Are Ungodly

Box Turtle Bulletin: NC Pastor: Gay Kids Just Need a Good Punch

Good As You: I Proudly, Unapologetically Reject Sean Harris' Non-Apology