LGBT-affirming church vandalized with Leviticus 18:22
Police in Mitchell, South Dakota, are investigating after Congregational United Church of Christ, an LGBT-affirming congregation planning to host a gay pride event this month, was vandalized with Scripture on Thursday night.
The church's vandalism was first noticed around 8 a.m. last Friday morning by individuals from law offices across the street from the church, according to Dakota News Now. The vandals spray painted Leviticus 18:22 on the walls and sidewalk of the church in red multiple times. They also urged the congregants to “repent” in their message.
Leviticus 18:22, which condemns same-sex relationships, states: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
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In The Bible in History: How the Texts Have Shaped the Times, author David W. Kling, a religious studies professor at the University of Miami, states Leviticus 18:22 forms part of what scholars refer to as “the Holiness Code,” a set of texts made after God’s command.
“After God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, the people wandered in the desert and were subject to attacks from pagan tribes, disease, and starvation. Divine commandments were thus given to define their religious, civic, and cultural identity as a means of achieving holy purity,” Kling writes.
Progressive or liberal Christians, like churches affiliated with the United Church of Christ, are committed to “revising and re-envisioning the faith in accord with the verdicts of modern intellectual inquiry, especially those of the natural and social sciences,” writes Kling. “For them, the Bible’s judgments against homosexuality have no relevance to the contemporary debate.”
Officials from the church did not immediately respond to calls for comment from The Christian Post on Monday, but the vandalism is likely to have happened after 10:30 p.m. last Thursday night when a group left the church.
Police are reviewing cameras from neighbors, including a courthouse located near the church.
The church said in a statement on its Facebook page that community members helped them to cover Bible verses, which they framed as "hate" speech.
“After the vandalism of our building, friends, allies and members gathered today for support and beautification in re-covering the love over hate. Thanks to everyone who came out to share in the beautiful re-covery,” the church said Friday.
In their welcome message on Facebook, the church states, “No matter who you are and where you are on life's journey you are welcome here. Our inclusive welcome extends to the LGBTQ community and any and all who are on the margins.”
Pastor Matt Richards told KELO that it wasn’t the first time the church faced backlash for its stance.
“We’ve had chalk obscenities written and symbols drawn on our sidewalks, you know, never to the extent of, you know, spray paint until now,” he said.
Wendy Figland, who attended the church her entire life, said the hostility toward their message “cuts deep.”
“Freedom of religion is a constitutional right, and to have that damaged and threatened cuts really deep,” she said.
Richards believes its “hypocritical” for someone preaching the Gospel of Jesus to react this way to a message they disagree with.
“So it seems pretty hypocritical for someone who claims to be a Christian to come and vandalize a building and break the law irregardless as to whether it’s a church or not,” he said.
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