Just as the world is reeling from an apparent act of terror and blatant anti-LGBT attack in Orlando, Florida – where at least 50 people were killed and 53 more wounded after a gunman opened fire inside a gay club because he was supposedly offended seeing two men kissing – champion boxer Nonito Donaire Jr. re-visited Manny Pacquiao’s words denigrating LGBT people that could incite violence against them.
In a Facebook post, Donaire stressed that “the only reason why I’m mentioning Manny in this post is to reference a post I made a couple months ago. This is in no way blaming him for what happened.”
Donaire said that “it’s scary that months ago I posted that I pray that Pacquiao’s post quoting the Bible about ‘putting gays to death’ (from) Leviticus 20:13 not be put into literal action.”
Donaire said that many told him that his sentiments were not necessary because no one would actually kill gays. “I don’t know if there is a similar quote in the Quran but this speaker at a mosque in this video is sending the same message even though he believes in a different religion. Words are powerful it can make us feel pain, joy, sadness, happiness, hatred, but most of all Love.”
Pacquiao earlier said that LGBT people are “worse than animals”, citing the Bible for his erroneous beliefs while also quoting that LGBT people be put to death.
In response, Donaire said that he prays that nobody takes the Bible verse that Pacquiao posted about “put to death gays” literally.
“You don’t need to accept their lifestyle but id rather not see it turned into actual action. Crazy people may use it as an encouragement to do so just like how others say rap music made them violent or how Islam extremists kill in the name of their Holy War like Sept. 11th,” Donaire stated then, verbatim.
Donaire also added that “from witchcraft to the Holocaust to the more recent ISIS… without compassion we will fall. Without love we will fall. Coming from such a well respected devout Christian may make enraged individuals take righteous action in their minds.”
Now, Donaire said that “this is why influential people – i.e. teachers, community leaders, celebrities and athletes… must be cautious in the messages they put out. We live in a scary time (when) respect for life is so miniscule. People are judging, condemning, and taking irreversible actions in the name of their ‘belief’. We look at someone and point out all their sins and how we could fix them. I think we need to love again. And not love only who you are comfortable with loving, but also loving people you wouldn’t readily choose to love. Because in the end, love is a very powerful thing.”
