Preachers stoke anti-gay sentiment (Dayton Tennessee)

Preachers stoke anti-gay sentiment


AP
The Rev. Franklin Raddish leads a protest
march against same-sex marriage in Dayton,
Tenn. Bible-carrying preachers who led a
downtown protest against homosexuality
attracted little attention yesterday on
the eve of a gay rights celebration in
Rhea County.

By LEON ALLIGOOD
Staff Writer

DAYTON, Tenn. — Eight preachers, spurred by anti-gay rights organizer the Rev. Frank Raddish of Washington, D.C., heaped fire and brimstone on ''homosexuals and sodomites'' during a five-hour preaching marathon yesterday beneath the century oaks of the historic Rhea County Courthouse.

Before the ''Amen'' of the final prayer, a preacher in the audience took exception with his fellow pastors on the program, a local gay man quietly protested the meeting's ''hate message'' and passers-by pondered what today's Gay Day in Rhea will bring — when an estimated 3,500 people plus and unknown quantity of protesters converge in Dayton.

''This is going to be a mess,'' predicted Joe Cox as he stood on the sidewalk listening to the courthouse speeches.

More at the Nashville Tennessean

Site of the Scopes Monkey Trial. Evolution vs. Creationism. Clarence Darrow vs. William Jennings Bryan. H.L. Mencken vs. Ignorant Hillbilly/Redneck/Yahoo Nation. Ain't a damn thing changed there in almost 80 years.

humble. God is watching them! God help those fools.

They outlawed gays from the town for about 3 days.

American Madrasas?

Somewhere, I imagine Satan giggling gleefully.

--bkl