Pastor Joseph Mattera is one of the most outspoken opponents of marriage equality legislation in New York, and has condemned gays and lesbians for, among other things, their supposed ties to Nazism and lack of concern for the poor. Reacting to dueling rallies in Albany between the bill’s supporters and detractors, Mattera blasted religious leaders who support marriage equality and cast doubt on their religiosity. He even criticized one “supposed rabbi” for wearing “a rainbow Yakama [sic].”
In anticipation of the state Senate’s vote, various groups held rallies Monday — one side requesting the “separation of church and state,” while the other chanted, “God says no!” Joseph Mattera, overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church in New York, tells OneNewsNow many of those who support same-sex marriage were irreverent and antagonistic toward the Christian faith.
“The other side was very belligerent. There were ministers, there were people dressed in Catholic garb, and there were supposed rabbis — at least one with a rainbow Yakama,” Bishop Mattera accounts. “So they tried to bring out so-called ‘clergy’ who were in favor of what they call ‘marriage equality.'”
