Right Wing Watch, an online publication of the non-profit advocacy group People For, reports that Austin, TX-based Pastor Joel Webbon is advocating public execution of women who falsely report being sexually assaulted, adding that a few such killings would quickly put an end to the #MeToo movement.
Webbon made his comments in a recent sermon he preached at Covenant Bible Church, now archived by People For.
Covenant, which meets at an Austin-area roadhouse, is an independent Christian Nationalist church that advocates general equity theonomy. This doctrine holds that the civil provisions of Mosaic law apply to government today. As a result, Covenant opposes “wokeism,” gender equality, and marriage equality while advocating for the death penalty and legislation that would recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior.
One of the church’s specific beliefs is that persons who make a false criminal report — already illegal throughout the US — face the same consequences as someone would face when convicted for the crime at issue. However, no jurisdiction imposes the death penalty for sexual assault.
In addition to his misogynistic comments, Webbon is the executive director of Right Response Ministries, a Christian Nationalist organization that advocates for a theocratic dictatorship, legislation that would force all US citizens to be Christians and second-class citizenship for non-protestants. Thus, we infer that members of the Episcopal Church, which purports to be both Catholic and Protestant, would lose full citizenship, particularly in light of the denomination’s support for reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Webbon reportedly maintains ties to unabashed Christian Nationalist and former Trump administration official William Wolfe. Wolfe served under Trump as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon and a Director of Legislative Affairs at the Department of State.
His beliefs are utterly warped and very sick. This Joel Webbon is as thoroughly ugly inside and outside as sin itself.
Yes, his statements are inconsistent with any notion of Christianity,
” If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” Deuteronomy 19:16-21
“Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.” Leviticus 19:13.
“Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.” Leviticus 19:19
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.” Leviticus 19:33-34
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:10-12