A freshman Republican congressman drew the ire of fellow Republicans and other concerned sectors after he quoted the Bible in calling members of the LGBT community and their supporters "worthy of death."
Rep. Rick Allen of Georgia led the opening prayer in the weekly GOP conference meeting on Thursday by quoting Romans 1:18-32 in the King James Bible, which referred to homosexuality.
"And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet," Allen said, citing Romans 1:27, according to Roll Call.
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them," according to lines 28-32.
The Bible verse was cited before the U.S. House of Representatives voted to reject a spending bill that included an amendment that barred discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Many Republican lawmakers walked out of the room in disgust at Allen's action, according to The Hill. Several Republican congressmen supported the anti-discrimination amendment.
"A lot of members were clearly uncomfortable and upset," a GOP leadership aide said.
Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney sponsored that provision that said nothing in the spending bills can undermine President Barack Obama's executive order that prohibits discrimination by government contractors based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Human Rights Campaign has called on Republican leaders to condemn Allen's act.
"At a time when LGBT people face staggering rates of discrimination, harassment and violence, Representative Allen's comments spread hate that does real harm. Representative Allen should apologise or be censured—and Republican leaders must make clear that they will not tolerate lawmakers who sow hatred and violence against LGBT people," said HRC Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof.
The $37.4 billion spending bill was defeated 112-305 with conservative Republicans saying they opposed the amendment. The bill would provide funding for the Energy Department, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation and several commissions.
Allen is a member of the Trinity on the Hill Methodist Church.
