Even though megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress wants to pray and counsel the police officers who put their lives on the line each day, one LGBT organization demands the city sever all ties with the leader.
The Resource Center lays the blame at the feet of Jeffress’ recent comments about how the chamber of commerce and desire for profit threatens religious freedom more than the Islamic State.
“I’ve said often the greatest threat to freedom of religion in America is not ISIS, it’s the chamber of commerce,” Jeffress said in a podcast. “I mean, it’s the businesses that say to our representatives, ‘Oh, don’t pass laws like that, don’t pass these religious freedom laws because people will interpret that as anti-gay, and we’ll lose business.'”
The pastor’s comments were too much for progressive organizations like the Resource Center.
“This most recent thing has crossed a bridge that should not be crossed,” said Rafael McDonnell with the Resource Center.
According to an ABC affiliate, the LGBT group’s demand comes one month after the city and the church announced a collaboration to support officers with counseling and other support services.
“We think as Christians, we ought to be commending law enforcement officials for their sacrificial services on our behalf,” Jeffress said of the Back the Blue initiative. “We’re making available to our Dallas Police Department and their families our counseling center free of charge.”
Despite the church’s good deeds in the community, the Resource Center demands the city back away.
“(The city of Dallas has) chosen to partner with an organization whose leader says the most provocative stuff against all sorts of groups—the Catholic church, the Mormons, Islam, women, the LGBT community. Is that who you want to be in business with?” McDonnell said. 
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