A pastor from Tempe, Ariz., has been trying to spread his fervently anti-gay message in Africa. Steven Anderson’s message is conveyed in his church’s doctrinal statement, which says that “homosexuality is a sin and an abomination which God punishes with the death penalty.”
Most African countries have laws against homosexuality. Perhaps Anderson thought he would be welcomed with open arms.
Instead, he was barred from entering South Africa, which also happens to be the only African country that has legalized same-sex marriage. Undeterred, the pastor said he would go to Botswana instead.
And he managed to enter the southern African country, and get on the radio there. On the air, he said the people killed at a gay nightclub in Orlando this summer were “disgusting homosexuals who the Bible says were worthy of death.”
Police then arrived at the radio station and initiated a deportation procedure.
Pastor #StevenAnderson, a #USA citizen has been declared a Prohibited Immigrant and as such is being deported from #Botswana
— Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) September 20, 2016
“He was picked up at the radio station. I said they should pick him up and show him out of the country,” Botswana’s president, Ian Khama, said in an interview with Reuters. “We don’t want hate speech in this country. Let him do it in his own country.”
Ironically, Botswana criminalizes homosexuality. Although the law is seldom enforced, homosexual acts can be punished with a large fine or up to seven years of imprisonment.
Anderson leads the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Arizona. He gained notoriety after the Orlando attack in June for saying that the shootings meant “there’s 50 less pedophiles in this world.” He has said that his planned Africa tour is a “soul-winning marathon” and is not focused on demonizing gays and lesbians.
Anderson reportedly also used the radio appearance in Botswana to call for pedophiles and adulterers to be killed and to say that the Bible barred women from preaching in church. He also claimed that he had reached Botswana by way of Ethiopia.
[Here are the 10 countries where homosexuality may be punished by death]
According to the Reuters report, Anderson denied that he was being deported. On his church’s Facebook page, he said his brief visit to Botswana was a success.
by Max Bearak
Source – The Washington Post
