Pastor Punished for Sermon Denouncing ISIS Terrorists

While many are witnessing their religious and expressive rights stripped away in other countries, one pastor is being reprimanded for addressing something many of us discuss on a daily basis.

Daniel Ausbun of Moreland, Georgia is a passionate Christian minister. His desire to preach is so strong he uploads his weekly sermon to YouTube for members of his church that are unable to attend. He has had an upstanding account on the site for 3 years.

Not only teaching from biblical scripture, Ausbun keeps his congregation informed on current event affecting fellow Christians worldwide. Concerned for those suffering persecution and slaughter in countries such as Syria and Iraq, Ausbun addressed his internet listeners in his Sunday message, saying:

“As these terrorist go and wipe out towns, if they find there’s Christians there, you receive some options.

“1. You can convert to Islam. 2. You can pay a tax $250.00 dollars…You can immediately leave… or your last option is to die.”

After uploading his video to YouTube, he received an email informing him that his account had been terminated for violating community standards. Ausbun read through YouTube’s guidelines and concluded that he was probably banned for having his video labeled as “hate speech.”

According to YouTube’s policy, hate speech is defined as demeaning or attacking a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, etc. Ausbun attempted to contact YouTube for a week, but he was unsuccessful. The desperate pastor decided to take his story to Fox News. Within fifteen minutes of contributor Todd Starnes publishing the story, Ausbun says his YouTube account was reactivated.

“I would challenge them to show me anywhere in that message where hate speech is in there. It’s just being accurate on radical Islam. Show me one hateful comment. They do hate Americans. They commit acts of terror. They beheaded someone today,” Ausbun told IJReview.

He stressed that YouTube censorship would not discourage him from uploading his sermons:

“I want to continue it. Because it’s the truth. Our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq are literally dying, get[ting] killed. And they are dying in the name of radical Islam. It’s absolutely absurd that YouTube would ban something like that.”

YouTube needs to be reminded that ISIS, a group that is not identified as a religious organization or by race or ethnic origin, is a terrorist organization that targets not only Christians, but Jews, Yezidis, Kurds, gays, women, children, and anyone else that gets in the way of their onslaught. The only hate speech would be a preaching of tolerance for a group that seeks the slaughter of the innocent.