Bible Belt Pastor Says Black Segregation is like ‘Gay’ Discrimination

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Phil Snider of Brentwood Christian Church surprised fellow Christians at a city council meeting, in Missouri, with his views about an ordinance.The emergent leader proclaimed that s*xual orientation and gender identity should be added to the city’s non-discrimination law.

When Snider began his speech, it appeared that he was speaking against being Gay but as his speech progressed, it became apparent that he wasn’t.

Snider said,

“I worry about the future of our city. Any accurate reading of the Bible should make it clear that gay rights goes against the plain truth of the word of God. As one preacher warns, man, in overstepping the boundary lines God has drawn, by making special rights for gays and lesbians, has taken a step in the direction in inviting the judgment of God upon our land. This step of gay rights is but another stepping stone of the immorality and lawlessness that will be characteristic of the last days. This ordinance represents a denial of all that we believe in and no one should force it on us. It’s not that we don’t care about [gays], but it’s that our rights will be taken away, and un-Christian views will be forced on us and our children, and we’ll be forced to go against our personal morals. [E]very Orthodox Christian can read the word of God and know that what is happening is not of God,” Snider stated. “When you run into conflict with God’s established order, you have trouble. You do not produce harmony. You produce destruction, and our city is in the greatest danger that it has even been in in its history.”

Fellow Christians seemed to get uncomfortable as Snider began to talk about “the right of segregation,” saying,

“The right of segregation is clearly established by the Holy Scriptures, both by precept and example.”

Just as the audience was getting uncomfortable, Snider surprised them, saying,

“I’m sorry, I brought the wrong notes with me this evening. I borrowed my argument from the wrong century. Turns out what I’ve been reading to you the whole time are direct quotes from white preachers from the 1950′s and the 1960′s — all in support of racial segregation. All I have done is simply take out the phrase ‘racial segregation’ and simply substituted it with the phrase ‘gay rights.’”

As the audience started to realize that Snider’s “mistake was part of his speech, he continued,

“I guess the arguments that I’ve been hearing around Springfield lately have been so similar to these that I got them confused. I hope you will not make the same mistake. I hope you will stand on the right side of history.”

When Snider’s audience began to overcome their shock, they started to applaud his speech.

Snider is a follower of emergent teachings. (Emergent churches have sought to reshape how to “do church” in the postmodern culture, often challenging traditional Christian understandings of faith and practice.) Snider is also a graduate of Phillips Theological Seminary of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The measure is still under deliberation by the Springfield City Council .