Far-Right Televangelist Michael Youssef Endorses Gingrich

Leading The Way ministries pastor Michael Youssef is endorsing Newt Gingrich, whom he once compared to King David. He claims that only Gingrich “truly understands” the “threat to Western civilization, threat to our way of life, threat to the American Constitution.”

A fierce critic of gay rights, he said that America is going to have “the same fate as that of Sodom and Gomorrah” because of “homosexual lobbyists,” whom he claims “know deep down that homosexuality is contrary to God’s creator order.” He contends that America is removing “the land of God’s blessing and protection” by legalizing same-sex marriage, telling Charisma News that “it is very disturbing to see the greatest nation leading the world in abomination”:

Charisma News: What are some of your thoughts on this gay marriage law passing in New York?

Youssef: Here is another one that goes down the tubes. The stats say one in nine Americans are living in states where gay marriage is legal and it’s not going to stop there.

Let’s go to the beginning. When we begin to be immoral people we will cease to be blessed people. God blessed us as a nation through the years because of the faithfulness of the Founding Fathers to God’s Word. It might not be explicit but implicit in every action of their deliberation. Now we come to a time where we are removing the boundaries of our forefathers and as we remove these boundaries we are removing ourselves from the hand of God’s blessing and protection.

It is very disturbing to see the greatest nation leading the world in this abomination. It is very, very sad. This is a group of Republicans that made this happen. This is not a Republican-Democrat issue anymore. It is a moral issue. Those who love the Scripture and God’s ideal for our society must be very repulsed and speak against it. We need to examine every candidate for office from now on—to check not how he is going to help the economy, but how he is going to uphold God’s moral standard.

Youssef also has had strong words for mainline Protestants, arguing that Episcopalians are not Christians and urging people to leave the Episcopal and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) and “deliver these institutions to Satan” over their support of gay rights. Moreover, Youssef called for America to be “at war with Islam” and has written about the “peculiar similarities between the Mormon faith and Islam.”

He joins Religious Right leaders Tim and Beverly LaHaye, Don Wildmon, Mat Staver, George Barna, David Lane and Jim Garlow in endorsing Gingrich.

UPDATE: The Gingrich campaign has named Youssef National Co-Chair of his Faith Leaders Coalition:

Newt 2012 today announced that Dr. Michael Youssef has endorsed Newt Gingrich, and Dr. Youssef will be joining the Gingrich Faith Leaders Coalition as a National Co-Chair.

...

“I’m couldn’t be happier in having Dr. Youssef on board,” said Newt Gingrich. “Our Faith Leaders Coalition will benefit tremendously from his leadership as a Pastor, a communicator, and an immigrant to the U.S.”