LGBT activists accuse Regina pastor of promoting hate

LGBT activists are accusing a Regina pastor of spreading hate towards the gay and transgender communities.

In a sermon posted to Facebook and YouTube, Pastor Terry Murphy of Victory Church made multiple comments that many are calling hateful.

“It started maybe in the 70’s or 80’s. We had the start of the cultural push to normalize homosexuality. On TV shows, in the movies, in the media, everywhere. Normalizing this behaviour that, before then, was not considered normal. (It) was considered abnormal … The normalizing of this behaviour has caused chaos in a lot of ways,” he said, among other things, in the March 7 sermon.

The speech has led to backlash from many activists.

Terry Van Mackelberg is filing a complaint against Murphy under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.

“Really, it comes down to it being a violation of my human rights … Speech like that is not acceptable and it’s not tolerated,” he said.

“I want people to realize that we belong … We’re humans. We have a right to exist and to not be prosecuted or looked down upon because of who we are.”

Over 840 co-plaintiffs have signed on to the complaint.

Murphy has since issued a public apology.

In an interview with 980 CJME, Murphy elaborated further, and said that he worded his sermon too strongly.

“I just hope and pray that the fervor can come down on this … I do feel quite concerned that I should have been more cautious, knowing that a broader community was watching,” he said.

“The message I was trying to relay was really pointed to the congregation, to the Christian church, to encourage them to raise their children … according to what we believe.”

Van Mackelberg argues that the sermon being broadcast over social media makes it amount to a public attack.

“When you promote speech like that as a leader in the community and publicize it to the members that are attending, but then (you) put it live on Facebook and put it on YouTube, it’s going out to the general public. It’s very public that you’re essentially denouncing who we are as people,” he said.

“It was over 10 minutes that he talked about the community. (He) told parents that it’s wrong if their children are part of the community.”

Murphy disagrees. He believes that, in the midst of the pandemic, it’s reasonable to put his sermons on public platforms.

“Given the COVID restrictions, our congregation can’t gather. We use the internet to reach out congregation. That’s the context it was delivered in. It was never meant to be a repudiation of the LGBT community,” he said.

A passage from the original sermon that Van Mackelberg saw as particularly harmful was Murphy mentioning pedophilia, as an example of something people make a choice on.

“If you promote a choice, any choice, as acceptable, people will start to make it more. If you promote pedophilia and make it normal … The inhibitions will come down,” Murphy said in the original sermon.

Van Mackelberg believes that is a harmful association.

“He made two references to pedophilia. That is very damaging to the community, especially for our youth that have to hear this.”

Murphy acknowledged that the example went too far, but he also said the comment has been taken out of context.

“I was using that as an extreme contrast that even (pedophiles) have to restrain themselves or choose not to act on those behaviours,” he told 980 CJME.

On top of the human rights complaint, activists also organized a rally outside of the Regina Victory Church Sunday morning.