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Loading ...Lesbians claim assault at Memphis church
08.25.2009 12:00pm EDT
Monique Stephens and her partner were called “devil worshippers” and “gay” after not bowing down to the ground to blow kisses to God at Memphis’ New Olivet Baptist Church, reports the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The women were attending last Sunday morning’s service to meet the Rev. Kenneth Whalum Jr., a mayoral candidate in Memphis.But when Whalum told the congregation to bow to the ground and blow kisses to God, Stephens and her partner, both agnostics, didn’t move.
Stephens said that Whalum and church members then called them “devil worshippers” and “gay” and security guards pushed them out of the sanctuary. Stephen’s classes were broken. No arrests were made.
Whalum told the Commercial Appeal that the women were “being disruptive, boisterous and speaking loud. They had to have some kind of agenda to come in church like that.”
He said that the women were kicked out because of interrupting the service, not because they were lesbians. “If I put every lesbian out of church, we’d be putting people out of church all day long,” said Whalum.
Sorry, but the Southern Baptist Church is a dangerous, crazy CULT … they also teach that Bach and Beethoven aren’t “Christian” music because Bach was a Lutheran and Beethoven was a Catholic. As a professional church musician, that HIGHLY offends me.
Blowing kisses to God, indeed! Somebody should BLOW that crazy closet case of a preacher and be DONE with it!
I have never seen this highly “unorthodox” method of worship conducted at any Baptist church I have ever attended. True, I don’t normally attend a Baptist church but I have never heard of this there or at the church of any other denomination where I have visited.
This Whalum is conducting a highly unusual type of service and nowhere in any prayer book, Bible, church etc have I ever encountered a need for this sort of thing. If this were a normal, run of mill procedure for churches, I am sure it would have been common knowledge by now.
No Episcopal church I have ever attended had this style of worship.
I think this might be Whalum’s “signature style” at his church and yeah sure lesbians and gay males are just anxious to go there just so they can be pushed out all day.
I think the issue that is being overlooked here is that this was a candidate for public office telling people to blow kisses to God. If he is doing this as a candidate, I wonder how well he will be able to distinguish his duty to the public — all of the public — from his duty to his religion. We have enough religious ideologues occupying elective office right now. We don’t need any more, thank you!
I never read that biblical worship required the bizarre ritual of bowing down and blowing kisses to God. What next. As a strong gay christian I don’t think I would have participated as well. I recall King David danced before God, but never blew “kisses”. Some churches get stranger and stranger
Two people who didn’t want to bow down and blow kisses to anyone are not a disruption. The disruptions began when the supposedly loving and Christ-filled congregation singled them out (can we say prejudice and discrimination anyone?). I have participated in many services where I didn’t bow my head to pray toward any other Deity than the one I serve, that is our constitutional right afforded us by this country. I guess these supposedly moral people have forgotten why so many men and women have died defending this country. Of course their leader has probably informed them those people died to make this a Christian nation, not for religious liberty but domination over those who don’t worship as they do.
May Goddess Bless Those Who Learn and Grow!
Blessed Be,
Rev. Draigh Lunara
Sounds like he’s just another sanctimonious crackpot. I hope they sue and win their lawsuit.
Can’t you just feel the christian “love”?
Whalum: blow the kisses out your a–!!
and this guy is running for Mayor? Sad thing, being Memphis, he probably has a chance. The voters should take note of the type of person running for Mayor. Again, Memphis, whith its history and more contemporary issues..no surprise.
I went there once on business. Left the stinky little town as fast as I could not bothering to look around as I normally do. It was creepy, like a time warp into the 70’s (before the current unfortunate fashion for that decade).
LMAO!
“If I put every lesbian out of church, we’d be putting people out of church all day long,” said Whalum.
Yeah…because that many Gays and Lesbians go to BAPTIST churches….Riiiiight!