Megachurch Pastor Preaching In Congress: God ‘Has Rendered His Opinion’ On Gay Marriage

A highly-controversial Texas megachurch pastor was among the many faith leaders, Congressmen, and Senators who assembled for a three hour Christian prayer event inside the nation’s Capitol Building last night. Pastor Robert Jeffress preached to his fellow Christians inside Statuary Hall — located in the rotunda, the top of the same building Congress meets to lead the nation and debate policy and law. Jeffress loudly ordained that there can never be any debate on same-sex marriage, because, he said, God has already spoken against it.

“In this Capitol building,” Jeffress sermonized, “issues such as immigration policy, healthcare reform, taxation policy — all those things can and should be debated vigorously.”

This was the third annual “Washington — A Man of Prayer” prayer event inside Statuary Hall, organized by the most radical and extreme members of Congress and their friends in the faith community, and sponsored by the right wing extremist Tea Party birther conspiracy site World Net Daily (WND).

The pastor who came up with the idea of the event even bragged that it is “a Christian led prayer event!“

“But Ladies and Gentlemen,” Pastor Jeffress continued, “there are some issues that are beyond debate, for the judge of the universe has already rendered His opinion. Issues such as the value of life, inside and outside the womb. The sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. The right to religious freedom for every human being. The compassionate treatment of the poor.”

(Lawmakers were silent on that last one.)

“About these issues there should be no debate, for as the Scriptures state, thy word oh God is established forever, in heaven.”

Pastor Jeffress is widely acknowledged to be anti-gay, anti-Islam, anti-Mormon, and anti-Catholic. The religious right’s favorite football player, Tim Tebow, was scheduled to speak at Jeffress’ megachurch last year, but pulled out, citing “new information” about Jeffress.

And just two days before the 2012 election, Jeffress said, “I am not saying that President Obama is the Antichrist, I am not saying that at all. One reason I know he’s not the Antichrist is the Antichrist is going to have much higher poll numbers when he comes. President Obama is not the Antichrist. But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist.” 

In November of 2008, Jeffress delivered a sermon titled, “Gay Is Not O.K.”  

That same year, the Dallas Observer reported that Jeffress “said Mormon Mitt Romney was a member of a ‘cult’ and who, in September, said that ‘Christians are uniquely favored by God, [while] Mormons, Hindus and Muslims worship a false god.’ And in the 1990s, he said that homosexuality causes ‘the deaths of tens of thousands every year through AIDS.’ He’s super-tolerant. Then again, Jeffress has done quite a bit for the gay community: In 1998, while he was pastor at the First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, he protested the library’s carrying such titles as Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate, which only served to make them more popular.” 

Jeffress is the author of almost two dozen books. His latest is Perfect Ending: Why Your Eternal Future Matters Today. 

Among those in attendance last night in addition to Jeffress were Rep. Michele Bachmann, Rep. Louie Gohmert, Senator Ted Cruz, Tony Perkins, Mike Huckabee, Phyllis Schlafly, Penny Nance, and Pastors Harry Jackson, Raphael Cruz and Jim Garlow. 

You can watch the entire event here, or Pastor Jeffress’ sermon below.

Hat tip: The Raw Story