Major Andrew Craibe of the Salvation Army was speaking to a group of gay journalists just in time for Gay Pride month when he declared that all gays should be put to death. Immediately. And without bias.

Craibe was speaking to Serena Ryan and Pete Dillon on their Salt and Pepper radio show when the following exchange occurred:

Ryan: According to the Salvation Army, [gay people] deserve death. How do you respond to that, as part of your doctrine? Craibe: Well, that’s a part of our belief system. Ryan: So we should die. Craibe: You know, we have an alignment to the Scriptures, but that’s our belief.

The doctrine referred to is the Salvation Story: Salvationist Handbook of Doctrine which gathers much of its beliefs from Romans 1:18-32 and states:

For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. . . They know God’s decree, that those who practise such things deserve to die—yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practise them.

As the Atlantic reports Craibe’s remarks are far different from his past public appearances in which he fought to help people, specifically those with social and financial disadvantages and disabled children. Heck Craibe even fought to help a Zoo and all of its animals.

Whether or not a majority of workers at the Salvation Army agree with his remarks they have been quick to distance themselves since his statement was made and Salvation Army spokesman Major Bruce Harmer released the following statement:

The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of all human life and believes it would be inconsistent with Christian teaching to call for anyone to be put to death. We consider every person to be of infinite value, and each life a gift from God to be cherished, nurtured and preserved.

Here’s the full interview: