Fox News contributor "Pastor" Robert Jeffress has used their media platform to spread hateful ideas about other religions and races, as Shepard Smith enumerated.
May 14, 2018

If I were a news anchor covering the debacle in Jerusalem today and one of my tasks was to enumerate the hateful views spewed on cable news by "Pastor" Robert Jeffress, I might really hate that segment, as I'm sure Shepard Smith did today.

I'm fairly certain there's no love lost between Jeffress and Smith, but they do actually work for the same cable news network, so there's that.

First, the ugly bigotry of evangelical expectations and beliefs, in Jeffress' own words:

One of the men who gave a prayer before the ceremony in Jerusalem today says he believes all Jews are going to hell. Robert Jeffress is the pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas. Jeffress' views on other religious groups, and Judaism, as well as the LGBT community are well-documented.

[...]

Jeffress told reporters today, "Historically, Christianity has taught for 2,000 years that salvation is through faith alone in Jesus Christ." He goes on to say to reporters today, "The fact that I, along with millions of evangelical Christians around the world espouse that belief is neither bigoted nor newsworthy," unquote.

It is absolutely newsworthy and bigoted, given that Jeffress was speaking those words in Jerusalem, one of the places regarded as the highest, most holy place by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. No one religion has an exclusive claim. Furthermore, Jeffress and particularly Hagee believe that the destruction of Judaism is necessary to hasten the return of Christ.. Tell me exactly how that isn't hateful.

But there's more:

Here's Robert Jeffress in his own words. He told NBC News, "Mormonism has never been considered a part of historic Christianity." On Islam, quoting, "Islam is a false religion, and if you sincerely follow the tenets of Islam, then you will end up in hell when you die." On homosexuality, he's accused gays of being, quote, "engaged in the most detestable, unclean, abominable acts you can imagine," and said that the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality is "the greatest, most historic landmark blunder ever in the court's history."

Smith went on to tell viewers that there were questions at the White House briefing today about why Jeffress of all people was chosen to "bless" the wrongful move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

'[Raj Shah] said the pastor has a longstanding relationship with people on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill, and his remarks are onew with which the president does not agree," Smith reported.

Oh, and one last thing: "Full disclosure, [Robert] Jeffress is a Fox News contributor."

That had to suck to say, but I'm glad he said it.

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