Sermon triggers protest

Debbie Denmon reports

More WFAA Latest News

• View larger
• E-mail clip
• More video

Related links:

• 'Why Gay is not OK' sermon outline
• Listen to Dr. Jefress' sermon (MP3)
• Dr. Robert Jeffress bio

Search Video:

DALLAS — Protesters stood outside a prominent Dallas church in reaction to a sermon titled "Why Gay Is Not O.K."

Singing "Jesus Loves Me," about 100 people stood outside the First Baptist Church of Dallas to protest the sermon, which was part of a series called "Politically Incorrect."

Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress told First Baptist members to not believe the hate-speech hype and called the protest a plan to silence any criticism of homosexuality.

"In Romans I, it says because they rejected the true God and exchanged the truth of God for a lie, God gave them over to degrading passions - men with men and women with women," he said. "And so, the Bible says when the people reject the truth of God's word, they're open to any kind of immorality."

But Michael Robinson, the founder of Unified Community Against Gay Hate Crimes, said sermons like Jeffress' can lead to very serious hate crimes.

"What they are preaching from the pulpit is hate, and that breeds these type of people to come out and do these type of crimes," he said.

Linda Bell, another protester, said the sermon's message struck a personal nerve.

"I know one boy who committed suicide because he was homosexual," Bell said. "So, it's wrong."

While Jeffress said he believes "homosexuality is a perversion," he said he doesn't believe that should translate into "disrespectful" treatment.

"Being against homosexuality is no license to treat anybody in a disrespectful way," he said.

E-mail ddenmon@wfaa.com