By Todd Starnes
The pastor of one of the nation?s most prominent Southern Baptist churches is calling on NBC to retract a column that labeled the congregation as being ?virulently anti-gay and anti-Semitic.?
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Rick Chandler, an NBC Sports ?Off the Bench? writer, smeared the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas and urged Tim Tebow to cancel an upcoming appearance at the church.
?Tim Tebow to speak at virulently anti-gay, anti-Semitic Dallas megachurch,? read the headline on Chandler?s column.
?That?s the church led by pastor Robert Jeffress, a virulently anti-gay and anti-Semitic evangelical Christian,? he wrote. ?It seems that lately Tim Tebow has been making more speaking appearances in church than he has quarterback appearances in NFL games.?
Jeffress said the accusations levied by Chandler were based on second and third-hand stories that were filled with inaccuracies.
?I would like NBC Sports to acknowledge that they made an error in their reporting and relied on secondary sources instead of doing their own reporting and fact-finding like any credible news organization ought to,? Jeffress told Fox News. ?
Jeffress denied that his 11,000-member church is anti-gay or anti-Semitic.
?Nothing could be further from the truth,? he told Fox News. ?We are a very pro-Israel church. To say that Jesus Christ is the only way for a person to be saved is not anti-Semitic.?
The New York Daily News also picked up on Tebow?s upcoming appearance at the church and also slammed the church.
?Tebow?s Hate Date: Tim to Talk at Gay Bash, Anti-Jew pastor?s church,? the headline screamed.
Jeffress said that kind of reporting is why Americans don?t trust journalists.
?This is another example of gross inaccuracies supported by the liberal press with no resemblance to truth whatsoever,? Jeffress said. ?This is a part of not just a liberal agenda ? but sloppy journalism.?
He said it?s clear the news organizations have no understanding of mainstream evangelical Christian beliefs.
?What I have said about homosexuality going against God?s standard for human sexuality ? and about Christ being the only provision for salvation ? these are not radical ideas,? he said. ?These have been a part of historic Christian faith for 2,000 years.?
But Jeffress ultimately believes the media was really looking for another chance to bash Tebow.
?I think the long knives have been out for Tim for some time,? he said. ?This is another way to try to attack him for his Christian beliefs. Most discerning people realize this was an ambush ? not of us so much ? but of Tim Tebow and the beliefs we hold dear.?
Ken Shepherd, managing editor of Newsbusters, defended Pastor Jeffress, while noting Chandler is entitled to his personal opinion of both the minister and Tebow.
?Jeffress is certainly controversial and outspoken on religious and political matters, but to tag him anti-gay or anti-Semite is unfair and unhelpful to the interests of any rational discussion about the religious beliefs that Jeffress holds,? he wrote.
Todd is the author of Dispatches From Bitter America ? endorsed by Sarah Palin, Mark Levin and Sean Hannity. Click here to get your copy!
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