The Natomas office park that houses Verity Baptist Church, whose pastor praised the recent massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., has asked the church to move out.
“We communicated our views to Verity Baptist Church, and while their lease does not expire until March 31, 2017, we have asked them to consider moving out of our business park, and we would immediately cancel their lease without any penalty to them,” read a statement issued by Harsch Investment Properties.
You’re in the wrong profession, pastor.
Nearly a thousand people from across California flooded the Northgate Business Park owned by Harsch on Sunday, wielding rainbow flags and megaphones to protest the sermon delivered by Rev. Roger Jimenez the day of the mass shooting, the worst in modern U.S. history. Forty-nine people were killed.
In his sermon, Jimenez told his congregants that he wished the shooter had killed more people in the gay nightclub. He said God had put a death sentence on gay people.
“There’s no tragedy,” Jimenez said. “I wish the government would round them all up, put them up against a firing wall, put a firing squad in front of them, and blow their brains out.”
The sermon, which a congregant posted on YouTube, grabbed national headlines and has been condemned by Sacramento area faith leaders.
I don’t really think I’m out too far on a limb here: He does not speak for me, and neither does he speak for Christ. Jesus offers salvation for all of the sinners.
The Artisan Craft Blog -- Dave Alexander & Company with David Edgren and Gus Bailey 
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I for one would ask said “preacher”, does he also extend his ban on membership in his “church” to drunkards, fornicators and adulterors??
if not, WHY NOT? why single out “teh gays!!1!” when it comes to sin??
without a biblical reason to do so all he is practising is rank hypocrisy.
I agree that it is a bit disconcerting for a church to be asked to vacate due to the teachings, but I believe in private property rights too, so I’m ok with the owner asking them to leave, however IF they choose to finish out their lease, said owner is pretty much stuck with the side show.
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Digging back to Leviticus:
Adulterers, probably not as it is a capital crime.
Fornicators, maybe, don’t remember it as capital.
Drunkards, probably, definitely redeemable under the LAW.
Which, by the way, a thorough reading of even the KJV will show that Jesus set the old LAW aside and created the NEW COVENANT; rendering the old testament a very significant history book. Now that doesn’t mean that Judeo-Christian mores should not be Judeo-Christian; just don’t get hung up on the mosaic laws as literal statutes.
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the point I’m making is (and something I’ve seen repeatedly in modern churchs) is ignoring some sins while dogmatically preaching hellfire for others. Such as churchs that have members in good standing that are currently engaged in adultery (my wife left a church for that very reason a few years before we got together).
Whenever church leaders turn a blind eye to some willfull sinful behaviour of their congregation while thundering fire and brimstone towards other willfull sinful behaviour, it encourages the idea that one can engage in these other sins and not have to repent of them which doesnt help anyone grow closer to God.
Thats why I question is the church as hard nosed towards other types of sin as it is homosexuality? cause if it’s not then they are hypocrites.
I was referencing ! Corinthians rather poorly in my initial post btw.
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I apologize, Jinxx; you are right and they are wrong.
Sin is sin. It is by definition a turning away from God. I don’t like holy rollers. They tend to find themselves elevating themselves above our Lord.
Judgement of the person is reserved unto God. We can decry any and every sin, and we should; but we must always open our arms and hearts to the Body of Christ wherever we meet Him.
So, again, I was trying to be cute. Too much by half. Shalom.
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no worries Gus, the exclamation point was supposed to be the number 1, for 1st Corinthians.
was just trying to clarify my point, not yelling or nothing 🙂
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isnt it funny how idiots like that church leader are considered representative of ALL forms of Christianity, but murderers like Mateen isn’t representative of ALL muslims or democrats (but IS representative of ALL legal gun owners)…
SMDH
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Wow, one of those really tough free speech situations….
When I first read it I was under the impression that Verity was getting kicked out, and then upon re-reading saw that they were being asked to leave.
I reluctantly support Verity’s right to speak their ill-will, but totally support Natomas’s right to ask them to leave.
and Rev. Jimminez, who is so quick to act the judge, will in turn be judged.
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The only punishment churches are authorized to carryout in the New Testament is banning. There is a procedure to be followed and it does not include shooting, beatings, fines or any other physical or monetary punishment. The non-repenant sinner is just asked to leave the congregation.
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And this Reverend does not understand that even if you consider homosexual behavior a sin — you should pray for the individual to live long enough to repent and be saved. I don’t know where to find the “line ’em up and shoot ’em’ passage in the Bible.
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Stone ’em, but I quibble; Leviticus. (See supra)
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If the Second Amendment was meant to include only muskets, then the First Amendment can’t include the internet and the Bible is restricted to stones, spears, hanging, lion’s dens, desert exile, burning, crucifixion and other pre-gunpowder methods of execution.
Seriously, though, I agree with Gus regarding Jesus bringing a new covenant. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging homosexuality as a sin, but we are ALL SINNERS. If we were here to eliminate all the imperfect people or to praise those who try to do so, we’d all be dead anyway.
We need to pray imperfectly for sinners (including ourselves) and leave judgment and punishment to those who ARE perfect.
And fail at that in the eyes of the Lord, as we fail at everything else. And lay that failure at the feet of the savior who takes away the sin of the world.
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I don’t see anyone cloaking themselves in glory in this story. The preacher sure seems to have an opinion that is un-Christian like, and counter to what I know of Christian belief. The landlord appears to be practicing religious discrimination, and should have been much more circumspect with their request and are SOL if the church says no. The people who showed up and protested appear to be generally anti-free speech. So: no heroes in this drama.
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Private entities are allowed to discriminate. Or should be allowed.
I’m also not sure it’s about the religion per se, but about the protests that disrupt other tenants.
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Enh; fella calls for killing people; I’m going to invite him to end his lease as soon as possible. Don’t really care what flag he might fly.
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Exactly. The right of free speech allows for the most disgusting language however it doesn’t allow for people to make threats including threats calling for others to be killed. A fine Point liberals seem to miss all the time.
The preacher in question also seems to be unaware that once someone dies they are unable to repent and change. Calling for gays to be killed instead of calling for them to repent and turn to the Lord is screwing up the message of the Bible in a pretty fundamental way.
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Landlord isn’t demanding they go. Just offering a no-cost way for these nutbags to break the lease and move their place of congregation somewhere the protesters won’t know where they are. It’s convenient for the landlord as well, but I can’t knock them for that.
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It’s gotta be tough when your tenant makes your plaza a target.
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