It’s Not Just One Pastor
The theology behind hate isn’t fringe — it’s familiar.
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Last week, a pastor in Indiana stood at his pulpit and told the congregation that LGBTQ people “ought to blow their brains out.” He added that they’re “worthy of death,” citing Leviticus as his source and insisting this wasn’t his opinion — it was God’s.
The clip went viral. And so did the outrage.
Mainstream pastors called it “irresponsible” and “un-Christian.” Churches rushed to distance themselves. Apologists claimed, “That’s not real Christianity.” And yet, when you look past the shock, it becomes clear: the difference between this man’s theology and most church doctrine is not what they believe — but how loudly they say it.
Because while many Christians would never condone violence, they still hold a belief that leads to the same conclusion. That LGBTQ people, by living authentically, are in sin. And sin, in their theology, carries a price: eternal punishment.
You don’t need to preach execution when you already preach damnation.
Hell by Any Other Name
Let’s be direct. A majority of evangelical pastors in the U.S. believe homosexuality is a sin. According to surveys from Pew Research and Lifeway, many teach that LGBTQ people are separated from God — not just in life, but in eternity — unless they “repent.” Catholic doctrine echoes the same. In many churches, a gay person who lives openly is deemed spiritually lost, disordered, or under the influence of darkness.
The language varies. Some pastors are fire-and-brimstone. Others are “welcoming but not affirming.” Either way, the destination is the same: a theology where being gay is incompatible with salvation.
To be clear, most churches won’t call for violence. They won’t quote Leviticus 20:13 on a Sunday morning. But when a church tells you that God created you, loves you, and will punish you forever for who you are, they’ve already endorsed something far more permanent than a hate crime. They've sanctified the harm. They've made eternal suffering sound like justice.
This is what needs to be exposed. Not just the extremes. The normalization of cruelty under the cover of compassion.
The Systemic Silence
When pastors like the one in Indiana speak, they are rarely condemned for their theology — only their tone. Religious leaders who rush to denounce these moments almost never address the underlying beliefs that allow this rhetoric to exist.
They'll say “we don't preach hate,” but continue to teach that being gay is sinful.
They’ll say “we love everyone,” but still warn that affirming LGBTQ+ identity leads people away from God.
They'll use Jesus' name to comfort while quietly reinforcing the idea that someone’s core identity is a spiritual threat.
Silence on this isn’t neutrality. It’s complicity.
It allows the same message to spread more palatably. In Sunday school. In youth group. In pulpits cloaked in “grace and truth.”
Theology Becomes Policy
This isn’t just about belief — it’s about what belief fuels.
Right now, dozens of states are passing or defending anti-LGBTQ+ laws. From bathroom bans to book removals to laws targeting trans healthcare. And behind many of these policies are Christian lawmakers who believe they’re acting in line with “biblical truth.”
A belief that LGBTQ+ people are spiritually broken creates a moral justification for civil discrimination. If someone is taught their identity is sinful, they’re more likely to support policies that restrict it. It’s not hate in their mind. It’s righteousness.
That’s how theology becomes law. Not through violence — through votes.
The Exit Is Honesty
You can’t heal what you won’t name. And you can’t reform a religion that won’t admit what it still believes.
For churches that claim to be loving, it’s time to ask the harder question: if you still believe LGBTQ+ people go to hell for being who they are, how is that not hate with a halo?
Because the damage isn’t just in what gets said at a fringe pulpit in Indiana. It’s in what gets said — and not said — in thousands of churches across the country every single week.
This isn’t about attacking faith. It’s about telling the truth.
Because when someone says “those people deserve to die,” we call it evil.
But when someone says “they’ll suffer for eternity,” we call it theology.
That’s the problem.
This space is for all of us who were handed fear and called it faith. Who were taught to sacrifice ourselves for the comfort of others. Who are finally learning to take it all back.
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