Pastor Wanted to Slap Woman for Objecting to Antigay Fliers

Rep. Steve Youngblood

An Iowa pastor whose church offered pamphlets decrying a pro-gay judge said he wanted to slap a churchgoer because she objected to the pamphlets.

The fliers regarded Justice David Wiggins, who is the last remaining judge who ruled in favor of marriage equality in 2009, thereby making it legal for same-sex couples to marry in Iowa. Three of the other justices who ruled in favor have been voted off the bench since their decision was handed down.

A woman who attends City Church services in Burlington, Iowa, told one pastor that she believed it was unlawful for churches to display politically charged materials that included a call to action. Another pastor, Steve Youngblood, said he would like to slap her for raising such questions, and that her husband should "correct her," reports the Associated Press.

"What makes me madder is that this person's husband won't correct them," he said in his October 7 sermon, according to the report. "I don't like rebellious women. I don't like rebellious men either. They're even worse."

Youngblood later said the law was not being broken by offering the pamphlets that encourages people to vote against Wiggins this November. He said that a church member brought the pamphlets and placed them on a table outside of the Hotel Burlington ballroom, where the congregation meets. He added that the church were not trying to create any controversy.

The Reverend Jane Willan of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa said that her organization has filed a complaint against Youngblood's church with the Internal Revenue Service.