Peter Sprigg of the Christian
conservative Family Research Council (FRC) has accused gay activists
of “intolerance” for Pastor Louie Giglio's withdrawal from
President Barack Obama's second inauguration.
Giglio, of the Georgia-based Passion
City Church, had been selected to deliver the inaugural benediction
but withdrew after reports surfaced that in the mid-1990s he
advocated for therapies which claim to “cure” gay people's sexual
orientation and called on Christians to prevent the “homosexual
lifestyle” from becoming accepted in society.
On Thursday, Giglio, acknowledging the
sermon, said he had a right to “hold differing views” and
withdrew his name.
Appearing on CNN along with Wayne Besen
of Truth Wins Out, Sprigg accused gay activists of pursing
“intolerance in the name of tolerance.”
“The world we live in, unfortunately,
is increasingly marked by the enforcement of intolerance in the name
of tolerance, exclusion in the name of inclusion, and forced
uniformity in the name of diversity,” Sprigg said. “It's
contradictory, it's downright Orwellian, and yet people actually make
these statements, unbelievably, with a straight face.”
Besen said he found it “ironic”
that Sprigg was “embracing diversity.”
“I mean you called for the
imprisonment of gay people and said we should export homosexuals out
of the United States and suddenly you're for tolerance?” he said.
“Well this is about Pastor Giglio and
President Obama, it's not about me,” Sprigg responded with a laugh.
(Watch
the entire segment at CNN.)