Radio host Iain Dale shuts down vile anti-gay guest

Radio host Iain Dale was involved in a fiery exchange with an anti-gay evangelical preacher on his LBC radio show yesterday (September 18), during an interview about the growing split in the worldwide Anglican Church.

While discussing the views of Anglican Churches in the southern hemisphere, it quickly became apparent that guest David Virtue held some incredibly distasteful views about homosexuality – views which Attitude columnist Iain Dale sternly challenged.

Discussing gay rights worldwide, Virtue said: “Why should I cater to the current cultural climate? This is a cultural issue for them, but a theological issue [for Christians].

“You’re asking me and others to cave in to sodomy, because a handful of homosexuals demand it? That’s not going to happen!”

When he went on to say that he didn’t have a problem with homosexuals, just with their ‘ ‘behaviour’, Dale could hear no more.

“You judge my behaviour… you dare to judge my behaviour? How dare you say that!” he cut in.

“Why don’t you accept that what two people get up to in their own private life is none of your business?!” he went on to ask the preacher.

“It’s true, it isn’t,” Virtue spluttered in response. “But it is the business of the Church if you’re asking the Church to change it’s mind!”

Dale quickly countered: “But this is an issue that’s dividing the Church. We have more enlightened people in this country, including Archbishop Justin Welby, who actually understand that homosexuality is not a disease. It’s something that people are born with.”

He continued: “I just think that over 2000 years humanity has actually evolved, and unfortunately you’re sticking to something that was written 2000 years ago, maybe by people who weren’t so enlightened as they are today.”

Virtue went on to imply that people would not suffer from AIDs did they not engage in homosexual behaviour, shortly after which Dale ends the interview.

“How that man can call himself a Christian, I do not know,” he said. “If the Archbishop of Canterbury had been in the studio with me, durng that conversation, I suspect he would have been cheering me on.

“The modern-day Anglican Church I don’t think has anything in common with David Virtue. I think he represents all that is wrong with the Anglican church.”

Shortly after the exchange Dale took to Twitter to slam the “inappropriately-named” Virtue as a “vile, despicable man”.

The audioboom of my very shouty interview with the wholly inappropriately named David Virtue will be ready soon. Vile, despicable man.

— Iain Dale (@IainDale) September 17, 2015

Listen to the pair’s fiery exchange below:

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