Boxer Posted Infamous Bible Verses From Leviticus After Firing
International boxing star Manny Pacquiao learned Wednesday what happens when people who make their money by being public figures treat the public poorly. After saying same-sex couples are “worse than animals,” and using the Bible to support his homophobia, a very outraged public waged a very public campaign to convince his sponsors to fire him.
Nike, which for many years has had a strong policy supporting equality, decided the best course of action was to part ways with the boxer and Filipino congressman. In a statement announcing his firing, Nike called Pacquiao’s anti-gay comments “abhorrent.”
RELATED:Â Nike Fires Manny Pacquiao Over ‘Abhorrent’ Anti-Gay Comments
Pacquiao, just hours later, lashed out.
Reportedly taking to his verified Instagram account, Pacquiao shared with the world what he truly believes about LGBT people and same-sex couples.
“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable,” Pacquio, quoting Leviticus, wrote, as first reported by ABS-CBN News. “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads,” he continued, citing another infamous Leviticus verse.
He then quoted a biblical verse that happens to be a particular favorite of other religious extremists, like Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson.
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?,” he wrote. While the entire passage is not viewable, the rest of the verse continues: “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
The post was later deleted, but not before over 18,000 people had the chance to “like” it on Instagram.
Others soon picked up the story, including TMZ and Joe.My.God.
Meanwhile, Scott Wooledge, the founder of Memeographs and a NYC-based LGBT activist who was behind the successful social media campaign to convince Nike to fire Pacquiao, told The New Civil Rights Movement that we’ve “heard apologies from Pacquiao before and yet his rhetorical outbursts continue.”
“I respect people still committed to working on educating him,” Wooledge adds. “However he has shown his so-called remorse and contrition are mere crocodile tears formulated for the sake of his image and income. If he was ever truly sorry for his hurtful words, he could simply stop saying hurtful things.”
There are still other megabrands that are sponsoring Pacquiao. There’s more work to be done.
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