Texas pastor who said he’d set himself on fire if gay marriage was legalized was just kidding

A Texas pastor who suggested he would set himself on fire in protest if the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, now claims that he was only quoting lyrics from a song and didn’t intend to actually go through with the act in the first place.

The virulently antigay clergyman, Rick Scarborough, made the comments on June 16 to right-wing preacher E.W. Jackson in a recorded conference call with supporters.

“We are not going to bow, we are not going to bend, and if necessary we will burn,” Scarborough said.

He also added that “preachers need to get out front, the leaders need to get out front, in front of these ordinary citizens and say, ‘Shoot me first.’”

Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court made its historic ruling on gay marriage, Scarborough clarified that he wasn’t really going to set himself on fire. He was simply reciting words from a old Christian spiritual to rally the troops.

“I made that comment to paraphrase a spiritual song, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in which the three were given a choice—to bow to the image of Nebucahdnezzar or burn in a furnace,” Scarborough said.” ‘We will burn’ means that we will accept any sanction from the government for resisting [Friday’s] Supreme Court decision. We do not support any violence or physical harm.”

Scarborough did not clarify another claim he made that was first reported by Right Wing Watch, saying that he would volunteer to say, “Shoot me first,” if pro-marriage supporters threatened “ordinary citizens” who oppose gay marriage.

[The Raw Story, featured image via YouTube]

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