First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park pastor Wiley Drake now has high-profile competition when it comes to praying for President Barack Obama's death.
Pastor Steven L. Anderson of Tempe, Arizona's Faithful Word Baptist Church–which, from the looks of it in this video of his “Why I Hate Barack Obama” sermon, appears to have been decorated by the Blind Boys of Alabama–told congregants recently that he also prays for the president's death.
However, where Drake simply prays for God to take Obama out however the Creator chooses, Anderson wishes the president will die “today” of brain cancer “like Ted Kennedy,” calls on his flock to join in on the death prayer, and spews Christian blessings such as this: “Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. Let his children be continually vagabonds and beg.”
It's almost like Jesus Christ himself is talking, isn't it?
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There is a telling difference between the reactions in Tempe, Ariz., and Buena Park, Ca., to their respective hometown pastors' death prayers. Wiley's only drew headlines, while Stevie's drew about 100 protesters this past Sunday.
Tempe, Ariz., displaying more enlightenment than Buena Park, Ca., is, of course, the eighth sign of the Acopalypse.
“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 a Phoenix TV news crew covering the dust-up.
Also on hand was a fellow whose food reviews you may recall having read in OC Weekly years ago. In an exchange 24***@kn**.com“>captured on local television, Stephen Lemons, who now toils at our Village Voice Media Mothership paper Phoenix New Times, confronted Anderson about using his church as a commercial fire alarm installation business.
“Are you running a church and business at the same place?” asked Lemons.
“I'm not running a church and business at the same place,” responded Anderson. “You are trying to make up a story. You're a liar.”
Anderson claimed only to store equipment at the church, then apparently got too touchy-feelie with the reporter.
“Don't touch me,” protested Lemons. “I'm not the Border Patrol so don't touch me.” He was referring to another high-profile incident from earlier this year in which Border Patrol agents deployed a stun gun on Anderson.
Anderson eventually tried to shut the front door on Lemons, but not before the reporter could say, “Idiot!” as the door closed.
“Jerk!” replied Anderson.
Lemons blogs about the encounter here.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.