Arizona Pastor Says Still Praying For Obama’s Death Despite Spotlight

The pastor of the Faithful Word Baptist Church who preached two weeks ago for the death of President Barack Obama is not backing down from his controversial sermon, but has made clear he wants the President to die of natural causes and that his prayers were part of a “spiritual warfare.”

Steven Anderson’s sermon on Aug. 16 entitled “Why I Hate Barack Obama” is making the rounds on the internet and is a popular video on YouTube. In it, he cites Obama’s abortion stance as his reason for wishing violence upon the President.

“Let me tell you something, I hate Barack Obama,” Anderson says. “You’re going to say, well you don’t like what he stands for — no, I hate the person. You just don’t like his policies, no I hate him! I’m going to prove this from the Bible tonight, why I should hate him, why God wants me to hate Barack Obama, why God hates Barack Obama.”

“I am not going to pray for his good. I am going to pray that he dies and goes to hell,” he adds. “Since Barack Obama thinks it is OK to use a salty solution, right, to abort the unborn, because that’s how abortions are done, my friend, using salt — and I would like to see Barack Obama melt like a snail tonight.”

A father of five who founded the Tempe-based church in 2005, Anderson told FOX 10 on Sunday he hopes “God strikes Barack Obama with brain cancer so he can die like Ted Kennedy” but that he won’t take up arms because his wish is part of “spiritual warfare.” He also told ABC15 that he wants the President to “die of natural causes” and not to become a martyr because the nation doesn’t need another holiday.

Obama’s pro-choice stance had led to conservatives to call him the “Abortion President” during the campaign last year. In March, he faced strong criticisms when he lifted restrictions on stem cell research, reversing the policy put in place by the Bush administration for eight years. But top conservatives have dismissed Anderson’s sermon, calling it harmful to the substantive debate.

The Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody said on his blog, “It should be noted that while there is an argument to be made against President Obama’s policies on abortion and other matters, there just is no place for this type of talk. Not from the pulpit, pews or anywhere else for that matter. For people skeptical of Evangelical Christians, I post this story so you fully understand that you SHOULD NOT lump Steve Anderson into the group of Bible believing Christians. His message is absolutely empty of God’s grace and mercy.”

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