Lawrence Khong — head of the Faith Community Baptist Church and Christian-friendly magician — has long been known to be an active campaigner against equal rights for the LGBT community in Singapore.
Thus the reason why so many folks find it extremely hypocritical for him to express his condolences for the recent mass shooting in Orlando. But hey, at least he didn’t bring up any conspiracy theories about one of the deadliest attacks against LGBT people.
On Tuesday, the pastor expressed his commiseration on Facebook, stating how his heart was “deeply grieved” by the senseless slaughter. This being a blatant anti-gay mass killing, Khong had to reference the issue.
“Sadly, this happened in a gay bar,” he wrote. “This may deepen the wounds of rejection within the community and if any of us Christians feel that they deserve to die because of their sin, we must think again.”
“There is no reason for further alienation. Instead, this is a time for compassion, love, and healing,” the pastor advised.
Indeed, an odd sentiment from the man who encouraged his followers to speak out against homosexuality and dress in white as a protest against Pink Dot. This was also the man who published a guide on how to support Section 377A of the Penal Code — a legislation which criminalises sex between mutually consenting adult men.
Clearly, folks weren’t so easily convinced. The comments section exploded in fury, with the word ‘hypocrisy’ being the main theme. Read on:
Aware of the explosive comment section, the Khong defended his stance, stating that he doesn’t harbour any hate for the LGBT community, despite disagreeing with their beliefs.
“Though I may be adamant about what I believe, that doesn’t mean that I won’t stand up for a gay person whose life is being threatened. That doesn’t mean that I won’t sit and eat with a gay person. That doesn’t mean that our church won’t welcome a gay person with open arms. This is why I posted what I did yesterday, because we are not fueled by hatred.”
More flak ensued of course:
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