West Auckland pastor preaches gay people should be shot

WARNING: Content may offend

A West Auckland pastor has delivered a sermon calling for gay people to be shot.

Westcity Bible Baptist Church pastor Logan Robertson agrees his comments are hate speech but is unapologetic.

Footage posted online at the end of July shows Robertson making highly offensive comments against homosexuals. His words have been roundly condemned by another Christian leader.

"My view on homo marriage is that the Bible never mentions it so I'm not against them getting married," Robertson says.

"As long as a bullet goes through their head the moment they kiss ... Because that's what it talks about - not homo marriage but homo death."

WestCity is independent and has no association with the Baptist denomination of New Zealand.

Reverend Helen Jacobi - vicar of Auckland's St-Matthew-in-the-City - said the video was "inciting violence, verging on hate speech and verging on criminal behaviour".

"Jesus in particular said that he came to not live by those old laws but to bring a new law which is a law of love. So it's hard to see how that could be biblical."

St Matthew's is known for advocating for gay rights, but Jacobi said the wider Anglican church did not have a stellar record on the issue.

"The national church hasn't allowed gay marriage yet. We're not perfect either but we're wishing we could get there.

"We're working away at it but the church moves slowly - but certainly nobody in the Anglican church would ever use that kind of language."

When contacted by the Herald, Robertson said he did not deny his words were hate speech.

"Of course it is. Does it sound like hate speech to you?" he said. "If the world thinks that's hate speech then that's fine."

Robertson said if other churches disagreed with his stance "that's because they don't believe the Bible". Photo / Supplied

But he said he was just repeating the Bible - specifically Leviticus 20:13 which calls for gay men to be put to death.

Robertson said he was not calling for church members to shoot anyone, and took no responsibility if someone did so after viewing the video.

"It's got nothing to do with me - they could read that verse in the Bible.

"I'm not inciting vigilantes ... I believe it's the Government's job."

Robertson said if other churches disagreed with his stance "that's because they don't believe the Bible".

Robertson has previously admitted emailing a gay author to tell him he was praying for the man to commit suicide.

The Baptist Union at the time condemned the email and said it was not associated with WestCity Bible Baptist.

WestCity bills itself as a family-oriented Bible-believing Baptist church, but says on its website it is independent of any denomination. Robertson said the church has around 40 members.

Other video posted to the church's Facebook page also takes aim at Labour leader Jacinda Ardern and at women voters.

"I don't vote. I don't let my wife vote. I don't believe in women voting," he said in the post, before launching into a commentary on leaders, including Ardern.

"The Bible actually says that it's a curse for a nation to have a woman ruling over them," he said.

"Don't vote for Jacinda. She needs to shut up, go home and get in the kitchen where women belong and bake a cake for her boyfriend."

Human Rights Commissioner Dr Jackie Blue called the pastor's video "hateful" and "un-Kiwi".

"Those who preach hate and violence are out of touch with everything means to be a New Zealander. We pride ourselves on defending human rights," Blue said.

"To use this language is not only hateful and shameful, it is un-Kiwi and has no place here."

New Zealand Baptist Union national leader Reverend Craig Vernall said his organisation totally rejected Robertson's attitudes towards the gay community.

Robertson was not part of the NZ Baptist Union, which was "deeply disappointed when we're aligned alongside his outrageous views".

Vernall said Robertson came to the union's attention about three years ago when he made inflammatory comments.

At the time, Robertson had only four or five people in his congregation, Vernall said.

"He was meeting in his own home. All which hardly constitutes a church or a person of any influence. But as we know all you need is a camera and a website and you can say what you want.

"The Baptist name has been claimed over years by many different church groups. No one has ownership of that name. So there's always the risk of community oriented churches like the NZ Baptist Union being aligned with haters like Pastor Robertson."

A police spokesman said they are aware of the matter, taking it seriously and making inquiries.