The National Secular Society has reported a newly registered Christian charity to the regulator for promoting homophobia.
Speke Baptist Church, which is based in Liverpool, registered under the charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’ in May. Charities are legally required to act for the public benefit.
In a sermon titled ‘The world’s biggest problem’, Church pastor and charity trustee Stephen Casey says homosexuality is a “degrading perversion”, adding “it’s not natural, it’s not decent and it’s not normal”.
The sermon was uploaded to YouTube in September but appears to be have delivered in person to an audience including children.
Casey says the media had carried out a “relentless campaign” over 25 years to “reject the biblical understanding of homosexuality”.
He says there is “glaring anatomical evidence” that homosexuality is unnatural, and opposes the idea that “there’s no sordidness that goes with it”.
He says people “feel very crushed by this temptation” but the answer is not to say homosexuality is natural, decent or normal.
He says people “pretend it’s not a sin” in order to deny the “emotional trauma” and “torturous effects” of pursuing such “sexual addictions”.
Saying a sin is okay “doesn’t remove the internal damage” it causes, he says. He says homosexuality is “so against nature”, a form of “sexual brokenness” and an “addiction”.
He says “we’re a nation of sexual perverts” and it “damages us terribly”.
He quotes a bible verse (Romans 1:27) about men receiving the “due penalty for their perversion”.
He claims “twisted studies” from the 1960s attempt to overstate how common homosexuality is.
Religious charities promoting homophobia
Speke Baptist Church is one of many charities the NSS has reported to charity regulators in recent years.
In April, the NSS reported Christianity charity C&S Akobi Olorun Restoration Ministry UK to the regulator after its chair of trustees said gay people who marry are ‘acting like demons’.
The Charity Commission provided the charity with “advice and guidance” but the Facebook post in question remains up.
In other cases, regulators have refused to take any action.
Forward in Faith Church International described the exorcism of a man possessed by a “homosexual spirit” as a “miracle”. But the Charity Commission told the NSS there was “no evidence” the charity “was advocating a particular position on homosexuality”.
NSS: ‘Religious charities allowed to promote homophobia with impunity’
National Secular Society spokesperson Alejandro Sanchez said: “This is just the latest example of a religious charity spreading vicious homophobia. Any suggestion it is acting in the public benefit is utterly farcical.
“It is of particular concern that the sermon in question appears to have been delivered to children.
“Religious charities are being allowed to promote homophobia with impunity. The charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’ must be urgently reviewed.”
Media coverage:
– Liverpool Echo: ‘Children’ told ‘homosexuality is a sin’ at Liverpool church