https://arab.news/jvt93
- The American pastor embodies a trend of preachers hiding behind religion to spew messages of bigotry
- Anderson has lauded the 2016 Orlando massacre, publicly prayed for Obama's death and denied the Holocaust
DUBAI: Pastor Steven Anderson uses his pulpit as his hate platform and justifies his extremist views in the name of religion.
Banned from half a dozen countries across the globe, the US-born hate preacher has lauded the 2016 Orlando massacre, publicly prayed for the death of former US President Barack Obama and denied the Holocaust.
Anderson says he hates anyone who believes in the 鈥渟in鈥� of any other religion than his own fundamentalist Christian beliefs.
According to experts, he is part of a growing trend of hate preachers hiding behind religion, using their places of worship as a sanctuary to spread their discriminatory and bigoted messages to the world, all under the smokescreen of 鈥渞eligious freedom.鈥�
Such preachers of hate justify their actions by saying they are fighting the enemies of God, said Josh Lipowsky, a research analyst at the Counter Extremism Project.
鈥淐alling Anderson a hate preacher is an appropriate term as he promotes an extreme version of religion,鈥� Lipowsky told Arab News.
BIO
- Nationality: American
- Place of residence: Tempe, Arizona
- Occupation: Pastor and founder of the Faithful Word Baptist Church, a fundamentalist Baptist church
- Legal status Banned from Ireland, the Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Botswana and the UK
- Medium YouTube sermons, personal vlogs 鈥渟anderson1611鈥� and 鈥淔aithful Word Baptist Church,鈥� Facebook
鈥淲hile he doesn鈥檛 specifically encourage violence, he praises it and justifies his ideology by using his religious beliefs to disprove others.鈥�
Anderson promotes an image that 鈥渉e鈥檚 on the side of God, therefore anyone who disagrees with him is an enemy of God,鈥� Lipowsky said.
A father of 10, Anderson heads the infamous Faithful Word Baptist Church, a fundamentalist Independent Baptist church in Tempe, Arizona.
The church 鈥� which he describes as an 鈥渙ld-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church鈥� 鈥� is currently listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) because of Anderson鈥檚 radical stands.
Lipowsky said 鈥渄angerous is an appropriate term to describe the messages鈥� that Anderson spreads, pointing to his comments in the aftermath of the massacre inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Anderson claimed in one of his uploaded YouTube sermons that 鈥渢hese people all should鈥檝e been killed anyway鈥� given that 鈥渢he Bible says that homosexuals should be put to death.鈥�
He claimed at the time that a 鈥渞ighteous government鈥� should have tried the victims in court and had them executed according to 鈥淕od鈥檚 perfect law.鈥�
Lipowsky said: 鈥淵ou could have people listening to that and take that responsibility because this is the will of God 鈥� 鈥榠f the government won鈥檛 take that action then I have to do it.鈥� That鈥檚 the danger of the consequences of these types of work.鈥�
It is also an example of why it is often so difficult to directly penalize hate speech, said Lipowsky.
鈥淯nder US laws, you have to be very clear in showing that the speech specifically led to the act of violence,鈥� he added.
鈥淏y saying he doesn鈥檛 condone the violence in Orlando per se, Anderson is covered, although we can see he鈥檚 preaching that hatred and someone who listened to that might feel this makes sense and we need to take this from words into action.鈥�
鈥淚n Anderson鈥檚 YouTube videos, you can see a physical pulpit, but social media also allows him a digital pulpit that allows him to reach much further.鈥�
Josh Lipowsky, research analyst at the Counter Extremism Project
Katharine Gelber, professor of politics and public policy at the University of Queensland, said Anderson hides behind religion to spread his messages of hate.
鈥淚n some countries, those engaged in hate speech are trying to cite religious freedom as their defense,鈥� she told Arab News.
鈥淭his is a clever tactic because they鈥檙e using the language of human rights to engage in an anti-human rights agenda. However, it shouldn鈥檛 be supported,鈥� she said.
鈥淭he term 鈥榟ate鈥� relates to hate speech, and should be used to identify people engaged in speech that鈥檚 discriminatory and harmful. Anderson certainly appears to fit this pattern,鈥� Gelber added.
鈥淟ike any human right, free speech carries with it commensurate responsibilities. The right to free speech, and the right to religious freedom, aren鈥檛 absolute.鈥�
Like many other hate preachers, Anderson goes online to spread religious discrimination and hatred.
He has a huge YouTube following, both on his personal vlog 鈥渟anderson1611,鈥� which has more than 120,000 subscribers, and through his church鈥檚 dedicated vlog 鈥淔aithful Word Baptist Church,鈥� which has more than 5,000 subscribers.
In one sermon, Anderson said 鈥淗induism is Satanic,鈥� and those who follow the Roman Catholic faith are 鈥渃onfessing their sins to the priest who calls himself father and dresses like his mother in a dress.鈥�
He has also said 鈥淚鈥檓 gonna pray that he (Obama) dies and goes to hell,鈥� according to the SPLC.
Following the 2015 terror attack at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, where 90 people were killed, Anderson said the victims deserved to die: 鈥淵ou went to a death metal concert. You bought the ticket.鈥�
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He has also openly criticized Pope Francis for his more tolerant views, describing him as 鈥渢he greatest false prophet on the earth at this time.鈥�
Gelber said Anderson is a key example of extremists鈥� use of social media and the problems that arise with it.
鈥淪ocial media provides a reach and volume that wouldn鈥檛 be possible without it. Narrowing hate speech regulations is entirely appropriate, and should be applied online just as they are offline,鈥� she said.
鈥淏eyond that, we need leadership that clarifies that rights come with commensurate responsibilities, and that one person鈥檚 exercise of their human rights stops at the point at which their exercise of their rights impedes another鈥檚 exercise of their own.
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鈥淒emocratic states have drawn a line in the sand that says discrimination isn鈥檛 acceptable. We need to hold that line.鈥�
Anderson has made international headlines by getting banned from several countries 鈥� including Ireland, the Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Botswana and the UK 鈥� because of his comments and beliefs.
While his physical presence in these countries may have been curtailed by the bans, his digital presence continues uncensored.
Until stricter online rules are introduced, Lipowsky said, listening to 鈥� and being influenced by 鈥� the messages of hate spread by preachers such as Anderson will continue to expand.