Charles L. Worley, North Carolina Pastor: Put Gays And Lesbians In Electrified Pen To Kill Them Off

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 22, 2012 at 9:15am

I know it's their purpose, but I get so worn down by all of this.  I just want to move into the wilderness and raise goats and chickens.  Remember when Mt. St. Helens blew up and Harry Truman was in the news?  He's me.  But first I want to fly over the volcano in a helicopter and drop certain people into it.  Bad me.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on May 22, 2012 at 10:42am

I was thinking the same thing. Guess I'll go in the garden and have my breakfast. 

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on May 22, 2012 at 9:33am

A long time ago, someone said that the opposite of love is not hate, but a lack of empathy. Certainly what Worley has laid down here represents an utter dearth of empathy, at least as it comes to the GLBT community, but that's not the whole story. There's also clearly the desire to act from what he sees as an irrevocable authority - the bible - and therewith manipulate his congregation into agreement both through their own desire to be
 Absolutely RIGHT but also their fear of the punishment which may come from NOT being absolutely right.

There is a part of me that looks at this and gets angrier than hell. There's another part that wonders where this man's humanity and empathy have gone, or why he has so manipulated himself so that his humanity and empathy have become so 
Conditional on who he is treating with.

Sad, very damned sad.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 22, 2012 at 11:49am

I agree with you about the lack of empathy.  That's one reason there is always pressure for us to be out and open as who we are.  So people know, "that's someone who thinks and feels like I do".    I think it's more than that - multifactorial.  There can also be a "7 Deadly Sins" format to hatemongering, whether racism or homophobia:

Pridefulness -not in the sense of lack of shame, or overcoming lack of esteem, but rather excessive belief in one's own abilities - "I know what is correct and right, and you do not."  Hubris would be another term. "I can condemn you because my belief is god's belief".

Envy - the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.- "The gays have it so good! They get to play and be rich and have all of the fun and not the responsibility"  The xyz get all of the benefits and compassion.  I should get some of that"  As if that was true.

Gluttony -  an ordinate desire to consume more than needed - "I should get all of the resources - not those people"

Lust - transferring their own feeling of lust for the pleasures of the body, onto other people, to absolve the self of guilt.  Also the lust for power - insatiable, pleasurable, ego boosting power over other lives.

Anger -  who has not seen an angry racist, or angry homophobe.  The  manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.

Greed - there is tremendous opportunity to gain for material wealth.  Ministers and politicians alike use bigotry to garner massive contributions, grants, and salaries.

Sloth - Avoidance mental work.  Prideful, willful ignorance is so much easier than actually thinking.  It's much easier to listen to demagogues pick and choose their bible verses, instead of really reading the thing and realizing it's not so simple and direct, and is self contradictory and condemns all ways of human living, not just the ways of the people who we hate.

And certainly, lack of empathy.

Permalink Reply by Pat on May 22, 2012 at 11:55am

I agree that part of this is a lack of empathy. But, I think that lack of empathy comes from de-humanizing other human beings that one arbitrarily defines as different, or "the enemy."  I recall back during the Viet Nam War, enemy soldiers, and for that matter civilians, were referred to as "gooks" and "slopes" (based on the epicanthic eye fold). By referring to them this way, they became less than human, and therefore killing them became easier. Same thing with the racial epithets of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement. And, same thing now with LGBTs.

This is probably slightly off topic, but one of things that amazes and saddens me is the adamant opposition I've seen from many black churches regarding equal rights for gays. A lot of people died in the 60's to forward the idea of equal citizenship, irrespective of race. Now, when the same thing is happening regarding equal citizenship irrespective of gender or sexual preference, the same people who benefited from the former struggle are either ignoring it, or actively opposing it. To paraphrase Animal Farm, they wanted to be equal with everyone else.  Now that they are, they're in the group that is more equal than others. Just an opinion.

Permalink Reply by Tammy S on May 22, 2012 at 12:37pm

This is probably slightly off topic, but one of things that amazes and saddens me is the adamant opposition I've seen from many black churches regarding equal rights for gays. A lot of people died in the 60's to forward the idea of equal citizenship, irrespective of race. Now, when the same thing is happening regarding equal citizenship irrespective of gender or sexual preference, the same people who benefited from the former struggle are either ignoring it, or actively opposing it. To paraphrase Animal Farm, they wanted to be equal with everyone else.  Now that they are, they're in the group that is more equal than others. Just an opinion.

I think I hurt myself nodding in agreement Pat. I live in that horrid 30th state that just passed their constitutional anti-gay amendment and I spent way too much time stressed out, by the bigots on my television during the horrible pro-Amendment 1 commercials and as I drove by churches with their quotes about marriage on their tacky auto sales style signs on the lawn, all over their cars and the sides of their buildings prior to the primary. Separation of Church and State anyone? They literally had signs on the lawns of the churches telling you to VOTE AGAINST Amendment 1! They need to be taxed, as it is supposedly unlawful for them to promote a political ideology in a church setting!  So much hateful interference into the lives of others will stop when it starts costing them some money to promote their little ideologies!

/rant off 

However, I think the hardest thing for me to accept was, how many black people were so  rabidly against gay marriage, silly me, I honestly thought we were beyond this kind of bigotry here in my once fair state... I have been depressed ever since the primary, so many people had their civil rights stomped on by this horrible amendment. 

I'll second the emotions expressed by Sentient Biped about going off into the wilderness to raise goats. Just when you think you know some people... 

▼ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 23, 2012 at 9:08am

The Animal Farm reference is appropriate.  Also remembering at the end, it was impossible to tell the pigs from the farmers.  

Permalink Reply by Pat on May 23, 2012 at 8:34am

Good News/Bad News follow up to this story.  I was watching CNN this morning and they played the video of 'ole Rev. Worley's "inspirational" sermon.

The good news is Barry Lynn, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, plans on filing a complaint to have the tax-exempt status of Worley's church revoked. Good for you Mr. Lynn!

The bad news is that once the video of Worley's diatribe went viral, the members of his congregation circled the wagons and, almost unanimously, voiced their support for his position. In an interview with a few of them, you got the typical southern evangelical message of "love." "The Bible's agin it, and we gots  to follow the word of god." Or, "I don't hate queers, but I hates that thar' homosexual behavior." I don't predict any Nobel Laureate nominations going to his congregation anytime in the near future.

One funny thing on CNN was when a reporter went to Worley's house to interview him. A bunch of people were standing in the yard, and the minute the news van parked across the street, they scattered like roaches when you turn on a room light, leaving lit cigarettes on the outside window sills. Yeah, there's nothing like publicly standing up for your principles!

As a final note, and believe it or not, Worley has actually toned down his position in this video. CNN played an audio tape of him several years ago where he was calling for gays to be hanged. Guess he's getting more liberal in his old age!

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on May 23, 2012 at 8:52am

It's amazing what people will say when they think that no one is listening, or in this case, literally "preaching to the choir."  You would think that in this age of cell phone cameras and YouTube that Worley and is ilk would learn that there is a price to pay for public bigotry.  Maybe he's finally gotten that memo.

As for revoking their tax exempt status, that's fine.  I'm still waiting for similar action on the LDS church in the wake of their actions associated with California's Prop 8.  Is that unreasonable of me?

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on May 23, 2012 at 9:12am

Not unreasonable in concept.  In reality, when the govt revokes the LDS tax status - or the catholic conspiracy (oops, I mean church) which is much more culpable in the big picture, the message will be dropped from the sky by flying pigs wearing lipstick and earrings and singing "We shall overcome".

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on May 23, 2012 at 9:14am

Actually I was sorta expecting it to happen when the cows come home in a Cadillac.  Silly me...

Permalink Reply by Pat on May 23, 2012 at 9:23am

Flying pigs? I didn't know Worley had a pilot's license.

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