Pastor Sean Harris Says Parents Should ?Punch? Gay Children When Sons Have ?Limp Wrist,? Daughters ?Acting Butch?

Sean Harris, a pastor at Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, has sparked controversy when he went on a tirade on Sunday speaking out against homosexual children as it pertains to the proposed Amendment 1 in North Carolina. According to Harris speaking to a congregation, parents should punch children exhibiting gay tendencies, like sons who have limp wrists and daughters acting butch.

Harris delivered the controversial sermon encouraging parents to hit their gay children while at a sermon on Sunday, just a week before the state will cast its vote on the amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. The rant delivered by Harris is transcribed below from audio courtesy of the blog Good as You.

So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, 'Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,' you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed, Harris said.

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. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male. And when your daughter starts acting too butch, you reign [sic] 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. You are going to dress yourself up.

Later, Sean Harris took to his blog to clear up the context of his sermon, which he said is being completely taken out of context by those in the LGBT community.

I misspoke, Harris wrote.

For the record, I want to ensure everyone that I do NOT believe physical force is capable of fixing effeminate behavior or homosexual behavior. Parents should not punch babies or children. (Ultimately only the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to deliver one from sexual immorality and behavior including effeminacy; ) I would never advocate for such discipline or actions on behalf of a father or mother...Hopefully, you understood that I was speaking in a forceful manner to emphasize the degree to which gender distinctions matter to God; and therefore, must matter to each of us and especially parents.

The tirade came as the issue of gay marriage heats up in North Carolina before the May 8 vote on whether or not same-sex marriages should be permitted in addition to selecting a Republican presidential candidate. The state will vote on Tuesday about proposed Amendment 1, which, if passed, will define marriage as being between a man and a woman and outlaw civil unions and domestic partnerships. Amendment 1 on the ballot reads, Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.

Since same-sex marriage is already banned in North Carolina, Amendment 1 would ban them under the state constitution as well.