AMES, Iowa (Washington Examiner) — An Iowa man was sentenced to serve 16 years behind bars after he tore down a rainbow flag symbolizing gay pride from the front of a church and burned it.
Adolfo Martinez, 30, was found guilty of a felony hate crime and third-degree harassment after he tore down the pride flag displayed in front of the United Church of Christ in Ames, Iowa. Martinez ripped down the flag and walked it over to Dangerous Curves Gentleman’s Club, where police say he was a regular.
Martinez, who has two other felonies, received the maximum sentence of 16 years for his crimes because he was a habitual offender. When he committed the crimes in June, he told KCCI that he did it because he despises homosexuality.
“It was an honor to do that. It was a blessing from the Lord,” Martinez said. “It is a judgment, and it is written to execute vengeance on the heathen and punishments upon the people.”
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Editor’s Note: The Bible teaches that all men — whatever their sin, whether engaging in homosexuality or frequenting “gentlemen’s clubs” — are in the exact same predicament:
All are born with the Adamic sin nature and have various inherent inclinations and feelings that are contrary to the law and will of God, and are unable to change by themselves (Job 14:4).
It is why Jesus came: to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, Luke 19:10 and 1 Timothy 1:15).
Jesus outlined in John 3:5-7 that men must be regenerated by the second birth, and have their very nature transformed from being in Adam to being in Christ, or they cannot see the kingdom of Heaven.
He also proclaimed in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel.”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you: Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth ever,” Jesus said in John 8:34-36. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
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