Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and recent pullout Bobby Jindal have refused to back down on their support for ‘kill the gays' pastor Kevin Swanson.
Speaking at the candidate-supported National Religious Liberties Conference earlier this month, Swanson said he “is not ashamed of the gospel” which calls for the death of gay people.
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1,700 people attended the conference having paid $79 for a single ticket. Discounts were applied for couples and families.
A video of the event shows Swanson claiming that “in Romans Chapter 1, Verse 32, the Apostle Paul does say homosexuals are worthy of death – his words, not mine. And I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I am not ashamed of the truth, of the word of God. I am willing to go to jail for it.”
Calls and mails to the three candidates from the Des Moines Register were ignored by Cruz and Jindal while a Huckabee representative said the former Arkansas governor “appreciated the opportunity to speak with an audience in Iowa about the importance of standing up for our religious liberties.”
Earlier this year, Swanson said that churches accepting gay people will lead to the murder of Christians.
Watch Rachel Maddow's take on Swanson's comments below.
