Many Muslims have long complained that talk about religious extremism focuses almost exclusively on Islam. It's a legitimate complaint, especially when you consider the recent outburst from Jimmy Swaggart, the U.S. television evangelist.

Mr. Swaggart calls himself a Christian, but he is a disgrace to his religious tradition. As the Citizen reported earlier this week, Canadian viewers who caught him on television Sunday morning heard Mr. Swaggart use his sermon to tell his TV flock that if a gay person ever looks at him the "wrong" way, "I'm gonna kill him." He boasted that after carrying out his act, he would personally communicate the news to God.

Mr. Swaggart's militancy is especially alarming because he is not just any old backwoods preacher; he's an international figure whose words reach the ears of millions. After receiving complaints, the Toronto station that aired Mr. Swaggart's diatribe, Omni 1, admitted that there had been a "serious breach" of its broadcast standards.

Omni 1 has already had to apologize for Mr. Swaggart—in 2002 after he called for mass expulsion of Muslim students from the U.S. and referred to Muslims generally as people with a "diaper on their head."

Such talk is unacceptable, whether it comes from a run-of-the-mill bigot or from a man who professes to understand the Word of God. One way to deal with Mr. Swaggart would be to take away his microphone, which the Canadian Radio-television and Tele-communications Commission might well do. But a better solution is for all people who call themselves Christians, especially Evangelicals, to deny Mr. Swaggart an audience.

If enough people do that, he'll be turned into the marginal figure that he deserves to be.

Originally published in the Ottawa Citizen, September 17, 2004.
www.ottawacitizen.com

I am deeply concerned by the report that Jimmy Swaggart, an American televangelist, has made disturbing and offensive comments about gays and lesbians. Mr. Swaggart is reported to have said that he would shoot any man who wanted to marry him, and would then tell God the man had died.

His comments are contrary to the teaching of Christ and of the New Testament. Christ's message is a call to all for repentance and to become Christ-like in our service to God and His Kingdom, and to love our neighbours as ourselves as an expression of God's love for us.

Indeed, Jesus instructed His followers to love their enemies, and to offer prayers for those who oppose and even persecute them.

Mr. Swaggart's comments do not reflect our Evangelical Christian beliefs.

Bruce Clemenger is the president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

Related article

Originally published in the Ottawa Citizen, September 21, 2004.
www.ottawacitizen.com.

Used with permission of the author. Copyright © 2004 Christianity.ca.