Pastor compares gays to rapists in his plea for No vote
A PASTOR’S comments comparing homosexuals to paedophiles and rapists have been dismissed as ‘utterly disrespectful and offensive’ by the Yes side in the same-sex marriage referendum.
Pastor Craig Ledbetter of the Bible Baptist Church of Ballincollig made the comments when calling for a No vote.
This week he told the Irish Mail on Sunday that gay people were committing a sin like paedophiles and rapists. ‘That’s what it says in black and white. There are few things clearer in the Bible. In God’s eyes, their sin is exactly the same.’
He added: ‘Yes, I’m aware my views may be offensive to some people but Jesus Christ was crucified because he was offensive too. That’s good enough for me.’ Responding to his com- ments, Tiernan Brady of the Yes Equality Campaign said that they were ‘utterly disrespectful and offensive and had no place in our great national debate. ‘I think everybody, whether you’re on the Yes side or the No side, has to remember that this debate is about people. It’s about people in your family, people who work with you and people who live in your towns
and villages.
‘Every one of these people deserve respect and these comments show no respect.’
Pastor Ledbetter’s church in Co. Cork has 130 members. Originally from the US, he is a naturalised Irish citizen having lived here for 21 years.
Members of the Catholic clergy, the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, and the Reformed Presbyterian Church this week signed an online petition calling for a ‘conscientious objection’ clause in the referendum.
Pastor Ledbetter said he supported this call and it had prompted him to speak out.
He said: ‘Marriage should never be about government entitlements, but about the protection of the family unit, and its happiness.’
The pastor’s comments came on the day the Yes Equality campaign unveiled its first billboard. Featuring the words ‘Loving, Equal, and Inclusive’.
Yes spokesman Gráinne Healy said: ‘We hope the billboard prompts people to talk about marriage equality.’