A Tennessee church is receiving widespread backlash over a message posted on its billboard over the weekend that said, “Remember Satan was the first to demand equal rights.”
Leaders of the Knoxville Baptist Tabernacle told the local ABC News affiliate that the sign was not intended to offend any particular group, but have removed the billboard following a string of outraged responses.
“Our sign referencing Satan demanding his equal rights to ascend into the heavens and God was simply ’I’ and all about that individual,” Pastor Tony Greene said in an interview with the news station. “It was not a statement against any one group in particular. You know, what about the rights of the unborn babies, the rights of children, the rights of everyone?”
But many who saw the sign were outraged by its implications.
“It’s clearly a sign that was meant to offend a particular community — the LGBT community,” Andy Henry told the station. “Because of [the church’s] lack of foresight, they ended up offending everybody who had ever fought for equality of civil rights in general.”
Other community members took to Facebook to blast the church for posting the offensive message.
“As a Christian, I find this highly offensive, these kinds of signs and messages are exactly the reason why people are turned off by Christianity,” Stephanie Settlemyre wrote on the station’s Facebook page.
“I am still trying to figure out what the message on the sign has to do with unity,” posted David Rambo. “Can someone enlighten me? And we must remember too that the Bible tells us to let our words be seasoned with salt. It doesn’t say let your words be seasoned with shock value.”
The previous message has been removed from the church’s billboard and a new sign reads “Glad you (sic) reading did not intend to offend we all need Christ.”
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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