A few weeks ago a state senator in Oklahoma called LGTBQ people “filth”:

“We are a religious state and we are going to fight it to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma because we are a Christian state – we are a moral state,” Woods said. “We want to lower taxes and let people be able to live and work and go to the faith they choose. We are a Republican state and I’m going to vote my district, and I’m going to vote my values, and we don’t want that in the state of Oklahoma.”

I have only my anger — and sadness in response.

Anger because this is so far away from how Jesus treated anybody, spoke to anybody or how the New Testament speaks of people. Indeed, in a letter Paul wrote, he calls himself the worst of sinners.

Such language isn’t even used in the most oft-cited passaged against LGBTQ lifestyles. The harshest language in the entire New Testament is reserved for hypocritical religious leaders, whom Jesus calls “snakes.”

Sadness, because people will believe that this is what Christians believe and what the Bible says. Sadness, because it is what many Christians believe. I believe you can legitimately believe that someone is not living up to the standards set in the Bible and still respect them, see them as people, and realize that you are the same — because none of us are able to live up to those standards.

So let me condemn this language, it should never be said of anybody, and it is absolutely wrong to use it against people that already discriminated against disproportionately. Never ever ever.