Republican Senate candidate blamed 9/11 on ‘sodomy’
(Photo by Gary Tramontina/Getty Images)
The GOPās frontrunner for a vacant Senate seat blamed the September 11 terror attacks on āsodomyā.
Ultra-conservative former judge Roy Moore is running for the US Senate seat vacated by Trumpās Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and has a lead over his GOP primary opponent Luther Strange.
Moore is a diehard opponent of LGBT rights who was ejected from his role as Alabamaās Chief Justice, after abusing his authority in a bid to block gay weddings in the state.
But even more disturbing claims have now come to light about his conduct.
CNN revealed this week that Moore gave a sermon earlier this year which suggested the 9/11 attacks were sent by God as a punishment for gay sex.
In a speech Moore suggested God was angry at the USbecause āwe legitimize sodomyā and ālegitimize abortion.ā
He quoted a Bible verse about Godās wrath, before adding: āSounds a little bit like the Pentagon, whose breaking came suddenly at an instance [on 9/11], doesnāt it?ā
Moore will face off against Luther Strange in a GOP run-off election this month.
The winner of the Republican run-off will take on Democrat Doug Jones in the special Senate election on December 12.
Victory in the GOP run-off all-but-guarantees victory in the special election, as no Democrat has won a Senate race in the state in more than two decades.
It emerged earlier this week that Moore also has ties to an extremist pastor who has called for gay people to be put to death.
CNN revealed that Moore has appeared multiple times on a radio show hosted by pastor Kevin Swanson, who is known for preaching that gay people must be stoned to death.
GOP officials have been embarrassed over ties to Swanson in the past, with Senator Ted Cruz forced to apologise last year for appearing at an event run by him.
However, Mooreās association with him is much more long-standing, appearing at least five times on Swansonās Generations Radio show. He appeared as recently as February 2017, long after Swansonās views were known.
In his appearances on Swansonās show, the pair both rallied against the āgay agendaā.
Meanwhile, in a 2015 interview Moore refused to say whether he supports gay people being put to death.
Asked if gay people should be executed, he said: āWell I donāt, you know, Iām not here to outline any punishments for sodomy.
āThatās far beyond any issues Iāve come in contact with. I canāt help what some people say, what some people do.ā
He added: āIn 1960, every state in the union had laws against sodomy. And in the beginning of the country, in 1776, all 13 colonies had laws against sodomy. So sodomy is historically against the law.ā
Moore is most famous for being ejected from his role as Alabamaās Chief Justice.
The disgraced justice had issued a string of orders declaring the US Supreme Court ruling on equal marriage ādoesnāt applyā in Alabama due to state anti-gay laws, and ordered probate judges to enforce a gay marriage ban.
