Oct. 14, 2006
 
MANN TALK: A Profile of a Rabid Homophobe
 
By Perry Mann
 
Hinton, WV (Special to HNN) – I recently wrote an article in answer to a letter in the Gazette’s Readers’ Forum written by a pastor who was upset because laws had been passed in California restricting his right to preach in a manner that would encourage the bashing of gays by homophobes and bigots. The pastor, certain that God hates gays, was chagrined that his right to characterize homosexual love as a God-condemned sin was being restricted.
 
My article so sorely provoked a homophobe and perennial candidate for the presidency of U.S. that he mailed me a copy of my article titled “An answer to a homophobe” besmirched with a blue marker, to wit: “B S !!!.” Also he sent as he has heretofore a pack of tracts setting forth his position on a number of issues, political and religious. This is the third time I have had such a response from this homophobe and bigot within memory. His political and religious beliefs are so extreme, I am going to reveal in his own words to whoever reads this column the extent of his rabid homophobia as well as his frightening theocratic views.
 
The Candidate: “There is no such thing as a homosexual christian [sic]. There is no such thing as a Christian homosexual. In fact, there never was, isn’t now, and never will be. This is based strictly and absolutely on what God Almighty says about the issue and rejects entirely and completely, every opinion of every person on every square foot of this earth that says anything different.” I suspect that includes me.
 
The Candidate quotes at length from Genesis, Leviticus, Romans, Corinthians, Timothy of the 1611 King James Bible, to establish his ground that God hates homosexuals. He is particular in letting all know that he is quoting from the 1611 King James Bible, which is a peculiarity of most rabid Christians. Any translation other than the King James translation is not in the language of God, who wrote the Bible, the Candidate believes, in Shakespearean English at a time in history when there wasn’t any Shakespearean English or any English at all. It’s interesting that the Candidate does not cite Scripture from the Gospels. The God of the homophobes is Jehovah, not the Father of Christ.
 
The Candidate: “On this day, November 3, in the year of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2004 AD, I declare my candidacy for the United States presidency, year 2008. My platform is the Authorized 1611 King James Bible. God Almighty wrote it as the supreme constitution and absolute authority in the affairs of men for time and eternity. It shall never be necessary to change it.” That is, the Bible, if he is elected, will become de facto the constitution.
 
The only difference in this man’s mind and his religio-political makeup from a zealous, rabid Muslim is that he thinks all truth is in the Bible, which God wrote, and a Muslim thinks that all truth lies in the Koran, which Allah dictated to Mohammad. And they both think that within their respective books lies the whole of the truth regarding the affairs of men and that their respective books should be the constitution of their respective nations. Further, they both think that really their God-given book should be the constitution of all men everywhere. The Candidate has the mindset of a Taliban terrorist.
 
The Candidate declares, among other citations of Scripture, that [I] “will take the inauguration oath of office with my hand on my Bible, opened to Deuteronomy chapter 28.”
 
I have refreshed my recollection of said chapter. The blessings Jehovah will rain down on the faithful if the faithful are faithful are touching. But if the faithful fail to be faithful the penalties are manifold and horrendous. Jehovah is not the forgiving Father of Christ but some primal god who is more man than god and is ready and able to do unto those who disobey him no end of unspeakable punishments. Among the numerous penalties is this: “Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her; thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.” And Further: “The Lord shall smite thee in the knees and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.”
 
May I say that I, a weak and sinful human, would never consider doing unto another for any reason whatever what the Candidate’s god would do to anyone who disobeys his commandments. It’s unthinkable and depressing to believe that anyone would worship such a god. But worse than unthinkable is that this man with fanatical belief in such a god works his whole life trying to bring down upon his fellow citizens the rule of such a barbarous tyrant.
 
One would be surprised were this man not hotly in favor of capital punishment. He is, and here is his proclamation of his passion for vengeance: “Whatever God Almighty, the supreme judge of the universe, says about CAPITAL PUNISHMENT is final and absolute. Anyone saying anything different is a liar. Romans 3:4 [God is not speaking here but Paul the Apostle]. This includes lawyers, college professors, psychiatrists, socialists, communists, popes, cardinals, civil rights champions, Caucasians, Negroes, Mongoloids, democrats and republicans.” I suspect that includes me.
 
I assume the Candidate, who has been a candidate for president since 1988 and who obviously has illusions of grandeur, claims to be a Christian, that is, a man attuned to and imbued with the teachings and ways of Christ. In all the pages of print of his political platform and his theological beliefs, one is hard pressed to find a reference to the words of Jesus Christ. In fact, to drag Christ into his theocratic and homophobic ravings would be blasphemous. But he believes he should be president of this nation and there are many others in this nation that would vote for him. George W. Bush, I suspect, would give him a hearing, as well as many of the Christian Right.
 
Perry Mann is a former teacher, a lawyer, a former prosecuting attorney of Summers County and a regular columnist for the Nicholas Chronicle in Summersville and Huntington News Network.