September 8, 2009 12:10 PM

Minister in Spotlight After Obama Death Prayers

By
Alex Sundby
Topics
In The News
(AP)
A controversial Arizona minister who prays for the death of President Obama has attracted attention from the Secret Service to a small group of protesters who hold regular demonstrations outside his church.

The Rev. Steven Anderson quoted passages from the Old Testament to the congregation of his Faithful Word Baptist Church about the kinds of people God hates in Tempe Aug. 16. Anderson then told worshippers he interprets those passages to include Mr. Obama and that he prays for the president's death.

While Anderson didn't say he wanted his parishioners to attack the president, he did say the country would benefit from Mr. Obama dying.

Listen to the pastor's sermon here

"If you want to know how I'd like to see Obama die, I'd like him to die of natural causes," Anderson told KNXV-TV. "I don't want him to be a martyr. We don't need another holiday. I'd like to see him die, like Ted Kennedy, of brain cancer."

Anderson told the station the Secret Service contacted him after his comments became public and that his attorney advised him to deny giving the agency an interview.

Anderson's sermon inspired the creation of a group called People Against Clergy Who Preach Hate to protest against the pastor.

"I'm just disgusted with this man who claims to be a minister of the Lord preaching hate toward the president," protester Larry Crane told KNXV-TV.

"It's hard to believe we could have someone of a religious nature wishing our president was dead," protester William Crumb told the station.

Some parishioners — whether they didn't provide their names or the station just didn't report them is unclear — supported their minister.

"I hate people that hate God," one Faithful Word parishioner said.

"As far as I know we live in America, we have freedom of religion, freedom to assemble and the freedom of speech," another parishioner said.

Protesters will continue to demonstrate outside Anderson's church until he stops preaching what they consider hate speech.

"I just think it's sad," Crane told the station. "We can have discourse without preaching hate. That's what this minister is doing."

  • Alex Sundby

    Alex Sundby is an associate news editor for CBSNews.com

Add a Comment See all 56 Comments
by youarekidding September 14, 2009 12:45 AM EDT
I am a black Independant and my opinion is who cares?
Instead of being amazed about what this guy said, we should be amazed that these kind of people are given any press at all!!!!
Reply to this comment
by godhelpus13 September 12, 2009 11:00 PM EDT
I believe one of the worst sins, besides breaking The Ten Commandments, is to be a hypocrite of your own religion. If Christians would actually live "the life of their higher being" we would not have so many issues in the United States that we contend with. Forgiveness, is only through God, and it is not assumed. If we would only act in peace, love and understanding to begin with, we would never have to worry about forgiveness of sins.
For Steve Andersen and his followers I have pity.
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by klkirk September 11, 2009 9:05 AM EDT
And how is this minister any different than an Islam cleric that preaches hatred to his flock? Another nail in the coffin for organized religion which fails miserably in encouraging the individual to seek a personal spirituality and realize their own Oneness with God, Source - All that Is.
We can only feel this kind of hatred from fear. This fear is that sense of separation from God, which results in "them" vs "us". It is the illusion of duality. The story of the Prodigal Son is the parable that teaches us, each individually, that we must return home in consciousness - grow and expand - to realize God in our human mind, therefore our human lives. When individuals know their connectedness to All That Is, and actively feel that Love, it spiritualizes the human mind with Love and they know that "them" is me. We each must seek our own Connection with Source, first. Then, we'll see a new America.
Kathy Kirk
http://www.appliedspirituality.com
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by afyaaa September 10, 2009 7:24 PM EDT
I think we should just ignore this "Idiot"! Let the Secret Service do their job in regard to this matter! By giving him any credence...it attracts the attention of the other crazy minorities...i.e., Dr. Tiller and too many others to even mention here! Just get this "Bastard"!
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by guam-mom September 9, 2009 5:55 PM EDT
Indeed this man is a SORE LOSER and the Scummest OF SCUMS! The DEVIL in disguise. He belongs in the same class as Hitler! As much as he is preaching hate and hoping for the death of our President, he is likely to get more heat and retalliation than he could ever imagine. Who was he out to impress? Obviously, THE DEVIL. It's good the Secret Service has their eye on him. I hope he is HOUNDED forever! I bet there are hundreds and hundreds of people WISHING FOR HIS DEATH now. I'll be the FIRST! He has the audacity to call himself a Rev. SCUM Steve Anderson, I will hope everyday for you painful demise. Even addressing you as Sir Scum is an insult to the scum in my sewer system!
Reply to this comment
by ErnestNM September 9, 2009 2:05 AM EDT
Correction on post by by ErnestNM September 9, 2009 12:39 AM EDT

It is quite a bit more than "unfettered capitalism" Jesus wanted--->
It is quite a bit more than "unfettered capitalism" Jesus would oppose.
Reply to this comment
by dwright1now September 8, 2009 5:48 PM EDT
This is what happens when you let the crazies out of the loony bin. This guy needs to have a RPG round go off up his &*U())(U). To think that these lunatics stand behind the Constitution's Freedom of Speech Articles is to miss the point. You cannot yell FIRE in a crowed theater. To stir these very weird people up into a frenzy buy the likes of Rush, Sean & the like and if Obama is killed in office by one of the right-wing bozos and them the shock jock radio whackos - Glen Beck anyone ? is inexcusable and there will be another civil war between the Left & the Right. How come when the GOP is in office the DEMS play bipartisanship but when the GOP gets their butts handled to them in the elections they play mean spirited and play like sore losers. If anyone thinks that the GOP stands for American principals should look at Mein Kemp and see how the GOP is using the same tactics as Hitler. Now you understand why McCain was scared to death at what his party has become he has ducked out of sight.
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by legacyabq September 8, 2009 4:51 PM EDT
Wow, what a pathetic loser
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by ReasonableGuy September 8, 2009 4:42 PM EDT
Mr. Anderson is most certainly not a follower of Christ. Jesus never preached hatred. Jesus preached, and the early Christian church followed, that we all have a duty to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for widows and orphans. An agenda that all too many American Christians would denounce because they have been brainwashed to believe that Christianity as all about unfettered capitalism.
Mr. Anderson has pleased the devil. His followers should leave him and repent.
Reply to this comment
by ErnestNM September 9, 2009 12:39 AM EDT
by ReasonableGuy September 8, 2009 4:42 PM EDT

Mr. Anderson is most certainly not a follower of Christ. Jesus never preached hatred. Jesus preached, and the early Christian church followed, that we all have a duty to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for widows and orphans. An agenda that all too many American Christians would denounce because they have been brainwashed to believe that Christianity as all about unfettered capitalism?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It is quite a bit more than "unfettered capitalism" Jesus wanted. He clearly taught that the path to Heaven does not involve the accumulation of earthly wealth (money and possession). In fact he asked the rich man (who had followed ALL of the commandment all of his life) to give all his money to the poor and follow Him. The rich man refused.

The Republican Party refuses to follow the Teachings of Christ. Yet, it was able to seduced the Christian community to its side by the use of preachers just like this guy. It is completely anti-Christ-ian in philosophy!
by jr_latham September 9, 2009 12:45 PM EDT
Most Christians believe that they are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for widows and orphans with their own resources.

Liberals also care about these things, but they want to use everybody else's money to accomplish it.

And therein lies the difference.
by Hosheen September 8, 2009 4:31 PM EDT
Let's not be too hard on this individual. He's only admitting what a lot of others are doing. Does anyone imagine the religious reich is above this kind of thing> They just don;t have the honesty to admit it. If nothing else, this guy has testicular fortitude. Either that he is even more stupid than he sounds, if that's possible.
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