“Marriage” sermon suggests squashing girlishness “like a cockroach”

Pastor Sean Harris, Berean Baptist Church, Fayetteville, NC
(517 Glensford Drive  Fayetteville, NC 28314, (910) 868-5156)

“Marriage Sunday” sermon – April 29, 2012
(full audio here)

Can I make it any clearer? Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? “You are not going to act like that.

. . .

And when your daughter starts acting too butch you reign her in. And you say, “Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive.

Official statement of retraction, May 2, 2012

The purpose of this document is to issue an official statement of retraction of any and all words that suggest that child abuse is appropriate for any and all types of behaviors including (but not limited to) effeminacy and sexual immorality of all types. I should not have said what I said about “cracking,” “punching,” and particular bias toward outward attraction of girls.”
. . .
I did not say anything to intentionally offend anyone in the LGBT community. . . . I can understand how these words could be misunderstood without the context of years of ministering to the people of God at Berean Baptist Church. I have received nothing but notes of appreciation and support from the people within the church.

. . .

However, I do not apologize for the manner in which the Word of God articulates sexual immorality, including homosexuality and effeminacy, as a behavior that is an abomination to God.

From Berean Baptist Church’s statement page on contemporary issues:

Discipline of Children:  We believe that parents should train their children in light of the gospel. Remembering the love and forgiveness that God has shown them, parents in turn should train their children with the purpose of reflecting the Heavenly Father to their children. Parents should consider their responsibility to be the instrument of discipline in their child’s life (Prov. 19:18).  At times this may include appropriate and reasonable physical means (Prov. 10:13) employed upon the fleshy portion of the child’s buttocks (Prov. 22:15; 23:13); that this method is to be viewed as correction rather than punishment (Prov. 23:13); and that this correction will result in the child’s physical and spiritual betterment (Prov. 23:14).  We believe a parent should correct his child with other means as well, but that they should—as led by the Holy Spirit—model the chastening of God the Father (Prov. 3:11-12) Who corrects all of His children out of love (2 Sam 7:14; Prov. 3:12; Heb 12:6; Rev 3:19) and forgives them by virtue of His Son’s redemptive work on the cross (1 Pet. 3:18).  The Father does this to develop His child’s reverence for Himself (Heb. 12:9) and likeness to His Son Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29; Heb 12:11).

. . .

Effeminacy: We believe males dressing and/or behaving in an effeminate manner is an act of rebellion against the God who created the gender distinctions of male and female. We believe men should dress and act like men, and Christian parents should raise boys to become godly men and girls to become godly women. We believe the gospel is powerful enough to deliver a man from effeminacy and that those whose lives are characterized by effeminate dress and behavior shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Deut. 22:5, 1 Cor. 6:9-10). (We believe a woman dressing and/or behaving like a man is also a sin before God).

(On the church site, hovering over the links will pop up the referenced Bible quotes, such as Pro 23:13 KJV 13 – Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.)