Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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1. 

   You get drivel about aliens, abduction etc from all sorts of people, not just Christians – there are atheists, agnostics…

2. 

   […] last time I had had occasion to write about Rowan County clerk Kim Davis, above, was three years ago…

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   Whatever is presented on the BBC, and I must admit I do not watch the TV, the fact is that…

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   “The curriculum had already drawn tensions among the county’s religious parents, with some worrying about appropriateness and arguing the material…

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   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

PITT Street Uniting Church in Syney, Australia, has been at the forefront of the fight for LGBT+ equality since the 1980s.

So it certainly would have had no quarrel with a woman—part of a small group—who decided to paint its stairs in rainbow colours to coincide with World Pride currently being held in the city.

In fact, the church approved it.

But one Christian zealot did have a big problem with the paint job, and launched a vicious tirade against her.

According to this report, which features a video of the hateful confrontation posted to social media by Charlie Bakhos, above, who runs the Facebook page Christian Lives Matter, the woman can be seen explaining that “God is love” as the man blathers on about hell and damnation.

Twitter screenshots

As the confrontation becomes fiery, the woman stops painting and is forced to defend her faith amid a barrage of questions.

She’s told by the fanatic:

A Christian is a Christ-follower. You’re not really following Christ. Without Christ, you’re going to a devil’s Hell, did you know that? You’re being deceived man, and I don’t want to be deceived. I’m worried for your soul.

In a later video also shared by Bakhos, men in hooded jumpers can be seen returning to the church after nightfall, throwing buckets of paint to destroy the rainbow stairs.

“Fuck the LGBT,” one of the men says.

Image via Facebook

Bakhos, above, a Catholic, approves of the vandalism of street art. In a 2018 petition, Pauline Pantsdown, a Sydney Gay Rights campaigner, said:

Christian Lives Matter is a violent, racist, homophobic vigilante FB [Facebook] group, operating a page that is littered with threats to attack and murder LGBTI people.

Josephine McDonnell Inkpin, the church’s priest, said they would repaint the steps.

We will repaint! all part of our faith community’s decades of experience standing up for justice. A few hours later the rainbow steps were restored.

Social media users commended the woman for her “grace” through the tense exchange.

“Props to the lady for showing kindness and grace when faced with a confrontation like this, she did amazing!” one user wrote.

Another said:

Such vile and destructive hatred.

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