There is a journalist in the Twin Cities – Mr. Andy Birkey of the Minnesota Independent -- who habitually falsifies our message – a message that has a long and consistent history. For years we have spoken out about the sinfulness of the gay life style without ever suggesting that gays should be subject to any kind of repression, let alone violence, either by the state or any individual or group. We have made the Christian position clear and stated it consistently over the years: Homosexuals are sinners who, like all sinners, need to be loved and respected as human beings by the church with a view to their redemption and transition -- just as heterosexuals who engage in fornication and adultery need to be admonished because of God’s love and the love he has given us for ourselves and others as sinners in need of a Redeemer (1 Corinthians 6:9). The media in Minnesota, even nationally, is very familiar with our message and its consistency. And so there is no excuse for lying about it -- falsifying it by removing it from its total history and context. Birkey in particular is guilty of twisting the meaning of our ministry and suggesting that it is associated with people and ideologies we have specifically repudiated.
Andy Birkey responds at The Minnesota Independent with quotes and and the audio segment. Birkey also points out that Bradlee Dean does not mention the broadcast where Bradlee Dean praised the arrest and incarceration of a gay couple in Malawi.
Bradlee Dean goes on to say his weekly tirades against homosexulty are really about his love for homosexuals:
Let me make this perfectly clear -- again. We are opposed to the state, in any country, no matter what its religious tradition, in executing homosexuals. We are against anyone, anywhere, at any time, who executes homosexuals for being homosexual. We would hide them in our homes before we would allow that to happen. But we would preach at them while they were there.
The gay “movement” is part of a sexual revolution that has stripped sexuality of all moral significance for an entire generation. We cannot accept the physical prosecution of homosexuals and we cannot accept the proposal that homosexuality is either private or moral. Therefore, as Christians, we must wrestle with this human sin in order to preserve healthy, loving human sexuality for as many as possible. We must love the homosexual and preach to him. God must and will do the rest. We are content with our role.
Bradlee Dean accuses "liberals" of exploiting gays:
Most liberals do not care about homosexuals. They care only for the political strategy they can build around the gay community; a strategy directed at reducing the influence of Christianity on government generally. It is nothing but a will to power, not a will to health and well being for real people.
Bradlee Dean then flat-out denies he referred to the execution of gays as "more moral"
Using an excerpt from our radio show, taken out of context, to suggest that I have called for the execution of homosexuals is not accurate, nor is it correct. I was not affirming Islamic law. I was contrasting its excesses with the approach of Christianity which recognizes both the law and grace. I have never said that homosexuals should be subject to any kind of violence. I oppose exercising any kind of violence on them.
Bradlee Dean winds up indicating he is going to "take action":
The media has twisted my remarks so irresponsibly, without calling me for correction or comment, as any competent journalist would have done. Given this statement, it is clear that if any media source were to slander this ministry’s position, we will have to take action and will be likely to succeed with it.
Does "take action" mean a defamation lawsuit?
Will Bradlee Dean also "take action" against Exodus International and CAIR for condemning his anti-gay and anti-muslim statements?
Listen to Bradlee Dean show his love for "the homos" in this clip from late last year:
UPDATE: Max Sparber has a post about Bradlee Dean at MinnPost:
The old rule in publishing is that you never pick a fight with anybody who buys ink by the barrel, but who does that anymore? We need to update that expression, but how? Never pick a fight with somebody who buys bandwidth by the gigabit? Never pick a fight with somebody whose Google Analytics stats are highers than yours? Whatever the appropriate expression, Bradlee Dean of You Can Run But You Cannot Hide Intl. has decided to pick a fight with his media gadfly, Andy Birkey of Minnesota Independent.
If you’ve been following the story, the menacingly named You Can Run But You Cannot Hide Intl. is a Christian rock band that regularly tours schools with their jejune version of rock 'n' roll music and their Culture War Christianity (samples of both can be found on their website). Birkey has regularly been following them and reporting on their exploits, for which he recently won a Page One Award.
Read the whole thing.
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