Calls to OUTline highest ever following 'triggering' month of Trump election and Brian Tamaki comments

NZ Herald

27 Nov, 2016 10:44 PM2 mins to read

Bishop Brian Tamaki of the Destiny Church blamed natural disasters on sexual sin. Photo / File

Calls to LGBT support service OUTline are the highest they've ever been due to a "triggering" month with Donald Trump elected as US President and Destiny Church Bishop Brian Tamaki's comments that sexual sin causes earthquakes.

OUTline general manager Trevor Easton said their average call number per month was between 700-800, but for November they were approaching 1000 calls.

"This month has been a very triggering month for people," he said.

"There's growing fear of conservatism that seems to be throughout the world with Trump being elected in America, and with Brian Tamaki saying the most foul things."

Tamaki made headlines recently for a sermon he preached the day before the Kaikoura earthquake.

Quoting from the Bible's Old Testament, Tamaki told churchgoers the earth "convulses under the weight of certain human sin".

He also blamed a gay priest and the people of Christchurch for the devastating earthquakes that hit Canterbury in 2010 and 2011, which killed 185 people.

"The land actually speaks to God. Out of the soil ... Abel's blood spoke to God from a murder. The earth can speak. Leviticus says that the earth convulses under the weight of certain human sin.

"It spews itself up after a while - that's natural disasters. Because nature was never created to carry the bondage of our iniquity," Tamaki said.

Tamaki said in a blog post that natural disasters are side-effects of environmental pollution, abuse and sexual sins.

Referencing Leviticus, he wrote: "No other sin in the whole of the Bible has any connection to earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions, but sexual perversions alone."

Easton said there had been "a build up" of things this month that contributed to their clients' anxiety.