Cross posted at Dirigo Blue
Update: MSNBC has sent the following statement regarding the lawsuit:
This suit is baseless and we stand by our reporting.
::
Rachel Maddow and MSNBC are being sued by a fundamentalist Christian minister, Bradlee Dean, for defamation. It seems Dean is bothered by others using his actual words:
In the course of his ministry, Dean once made a statement on radio criticizing his fellow Christians for not taking a stronger stand about the gay rights lobby promoting homosexuality in the schools. He made a strong reference to Muslims taking the issue more seriously in the context of Shariah law, but did not condone their practices. It was Bradlee's intent to focus attention on the issue, not to advocate harm to anyone.
Despite the very clear disclaimer by Bradlee Dean on his ministry's website and elsewhere regarding the false accusation that he was calling for the execution of homosexuals, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and others seized on and accused Dean on her show of supporting the killing of homosexuals, as is the practice in some radical Islamic countries. This seriously has harmed Dean and the ministry, who pride themselves on respect and love for all people.
Bradlee Dean has close ties to presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann. Right Wing Watch has more on Dean here.
What Dean said on a radio show, and what Maddow refers to is this:
Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination.... If America won't enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that. That’s what you are seeing today in America.
You can watch what Maddow had to say last May below; the part about Bachmann and Dean occurs at about 7:25:
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kestrel9000 also has a diary on this topic: Rachel Maddow sued by hard rock H8R preacher.