I stopped counting the number of emails I get from readers when I hit 1000 some years ago. Thankfully, most are very encouraging.This one below came out of the blue, unsolicited; with no introduction, ‘Dear Anthony’ or what prompted him to send it. Quite strange considering Dr. Larry Petree has supposedly earned a Bachelor of Theology, a Master of Pastoral Counseling, and a Doctor of Theology degree. He was also conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Sacred Music. Dr. Petree has apparently been nominated for several Dove Awards, and it has been said that he has won Songwriter of the Year awards 3 times. Much of this is difficult to confirm but it was all on the original Wikipedia site and also Dr Petree’s site. Many of these claims are unsubstantiated.
One would think that with all that education that a more intelligent email could have been written. It certainly doesn’t say much for the educational institutions that conferred honorary degrees on him.
Dr. Petree
Dear Larry
I normally begin my emails to strangers who contacted me with the words “nice to hear from you”. Obviously that would not be appropriate with your email.I’m not sure exactly what has prompted you to email me. You make no mention of whether we have met or how you could have seen the demons in my eyes as you say. Possibly something on youtube?I have been very fortunate that in the 1000’s of emails I received from readers of my autobiography and people who have seen me in the media there have only been about a dozen nasty ones and only half of those have been vile. I think I’d have to put yours in the latter category.I see that you are a Christian song writer of some note and also an ordained minister. I didn’t see any of the love or compassion of Jesus Christ in your email; only judgment and condemnation. I hope that you look at this and if you intend to win people to Jesus Christ as you say on your website, that you begin to show some compassion instead of unprovoked attack. There is something very religious about your words but it would have more to do with Phariseeism than Christianity. As a bible scholar, and Doctor of Divinity, I’m assuming you are aware of the difference. Although I see on your website that your Bible College sells Doctorates for only US$200…..no study required.
Dr Petree, you may have actually revealed more about yourself than you intended when you emailed me. What is the secret thing inside you that makes you feel you have to lash out at others you have never met? You may want to ponder that before you send off emails such as this.
We know from research, that those who are the most homophobic and attack gay and lesbian people are actually projecting their own self hatred on to others. It is the gayness they reject within themselves that drives them to behave in inappropriate ways. If this is the case with you, I suggest you get some good professional help or it will create some very serious mental health issues for you. Maybe that is happening already.
I have experienced deliverance from demons and wrote about the experience in my book. You can read the chapter here http://alifeofunlearning.com/extracts/#tab-8d57251705b63edcdd2https://goo.gl/6jByBy
I did find out through that experience that your sexual orientation is not something that is evil or needs casting out……any more than a heterosexual orientation needs casting out. Interestingly enough my sexual addiction was created by the secrecy and shame I’d attached to my same sex orientation. Once I began to love myself and brought my secrets into the light then the addiction died immediately.
You see……my morality is a choice. My sexual orientation however isn’t.
Maybe you’d like to talk more about your own personal issues. If not there is no need to email me as you have already made it quite clear about your personal views about me.
Anthony Venn-Brown
That just might be the most stupid letter I’ve ever read. What an exaggerated and foolish attempt to justify your wicked sins. Bottom line is, you either repent and turn from your perversion or you will be lost forever. Enough with the nonsense and justification. Your attack against me for standing for the bible was unfounded and silly.You can sale your wooden theological nickles to your weak followers, but not me buster. You are filled with evil spirits. I can see the evil in your eyes. You have been turned over to demonic spirits.You should receive the award for the most stupid letter I’ve ever read. In fact, I might just send you a Dr.s degree for stupidity.
Now, my work is to call people to Jesus. I’m calling you to Jesus right now. Stop attempting to cover your sins. It is perversion and wicked what you do.
Now, I’m going to speak to you as a prophet. You either repent of your evil sins, or you will go to hell and pay for your own sins forever.
I loved the line about me showing you love and compassion. What a joke. Hey dude, you don’t even feel what you do is sin. You don’t need love and compassion, you need deliverance. When you turn to Jesus and decide to leave your perversion, I’ll show you love. Until then, you have had enough love, it’s time for deliverance.
Dr. Petree
I’m fascinated…… trying to understand what it was in my email that has triggered your response. What is it that makes you read things and come up with such a warped view of the intention of the communication? Are you a troubled man?I read through my previous email just to make sure I hadn’t given the wrong impression.“Your attack against me” I can’t really see where I have attacked you. It seems from the way you write that you are the one doing the attacking.“You are filled with evil spirits. I can see the evil in your eyes. You have been turned over to demonic spirits.”… You may have missed the part in my previous email where I suggested that this is not something that an intelligent person would write to a person they have never known or met. You still haven’t told me what prompted you emailing me in the first place and what prompted all the assumptions you’ve made about me and the life I live.
”It is perversion and wicked what you do”. You have no idea of who I am or my morality. Shame on you for calling me wicked and perverted.
Maybe your reading of the bible is selective as was your reading of my email. The bible makes it clear there is only one judge. You haven’t been given the right to stand in judgment of others, including me. I’d like to remind you of the words of Jesus Matthew 7:1….. Judge not, that ye be not judged.
“When you turn to Jesus and decide to leave your perversion, I’ll show you love” …Once again from reading of the bible I see that Christians’ are called to reflect the love of God…which is an unconditional love…full of grace. Your statement reflects that you have much to learn about Gods love and your role as a representative of Jesus Christ.
Do you have someone you are accountable to or a denomination you belong to that I can inform them of your unsolicited communication with me. It’s highly inappropriate. I’m sure they will feel the same.
If not, it won’t be necessary to reply to this email as I am fully aware of your beliefs and spirit……both of which are quite offensive.
From: Larry Petree [mailto:larrypetree1959@yahoo.com]
It is a shame that a leading Christian minister cannot recognise the love of Christ. OK, he has a right to point to judgment, but that's God's job, not ours.
I would have been tempted to tell him that when he saw demons in your eyes, he was looking at his own reflection.
I think that both authors showed immaturity in the discussion-or at least lack of control. Anthony, that is a low, and almost outdated, viewpoint that a person who attacks 'gayness' in other people is angry at the 'gayness' in themselves. The statement from Larry of not being able to show love to a gay person is an extreme emotion that is not scriptural. Also, I don't think the degree of offensiveness should be considered as something to judge someone's words by as it affects feelings-not judgements or viewpoints-except in very sensitive and insecure people.
thanks for your comment Bean. I dont think that me question re the motives of Mr Petree are low or outdated. It has not only been shown as a real possibility in reliable research we have many many examples to draw on Here are just 15 http://www.ranker.com/list/top-10-anti-gay-activists-caught-being-gay/joanne
Hello Anthony. I looked at the two websites you gave links for. I had heard of a couple of those people and I knew that it was a real possibility so it was wrong for me to imply that your accusation was based on an outdated opinion. What I should have said was that it was an old idea and that according to my feelings I don't like hearing it any more-which doesn't make it outdated.
I do, however, still think it a low blow to bring out that accusation because hypocrisy is so much a part of everyone that by pointing it out you have to be pointing it out in yourself as well; hypocrisy is such an obvious part of us that whatever you accuse someone of will definitely be true at some level but maybe not at the level of actually being consciously involved in.
I am interested in people's opinion about the relevance of offensiveness within a discussion.
no worries Bean Swan……I guess what prompted me to mention this in my reply is that firstly with the knowledge of a number of research projects in this area and secondly the ongoing history of so many anti-gay politicians and preachers I was puzxled/bewliderd at Dr Petree's unsolicited email to me. I was suggesting a possible motivation for what appeared to this person on the other side of the world as a bizare outburst. it was worth a try….I was finding any other explanation difficult. From my searh on the net it seems that there are others attempts he has made to either attack individuals or gay men as a group. Videos and MP3 he used to do this have either been taken down or as in the case removed from YouTube because they are in breach of policies. Unfortunately it doesn't say which ones……but we could guess
Found this also on Wikipedia that I thought I might put up here
Some studies have shown that people who are homophobic have repressed their own homosexual desires.[59] In 1996, a controlled study of 64 heterosexual men (half said they were homophobic by experience, with self-reported orientation) at the University of Georgia found that men who were found to be homophobic (as measured by the Index of Homophobia)[60] were considerably more likely to experience more erectile responses when exposed to homoerotic images than non-homophobic men.[61] Another study in 2012 came to similar findings when researchers found that students who came from "the most rigid anti-gay homes" were most likely to reveal repressed homosexual attraction.[62] The researchers noted that this explained why some religious leaders who denounce homosexuality are later revealed to be having secret homosexual relations, like Reverend Ted Haggard,[62] The researchers noted that "these people are at war with themselves and are turning this internal conflict outward."[62]
Page found http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia under the section Internatlised homophobia
ooooops…..just realised the hyperlink in the research word was not working……now fixed http://www.livescience.com/19563-homophobia-hidden-homosexuals.html
Mr. Petree's letters sound like he might be intoxicated. Something is a little "off" with his ramblings. Trust me, when I was at a point in my life when I was drinking on a daily bases, this would be the kind (minus the "Demon-possessed" line) of incoherent bursts that would come out of me. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Petree has a history of alcoholism.
I also don't see what "hypocrisy" has anything to do with the exchange between Anthony and Petree. As far as I know, Anthony isn't going around accusing people of being "Demon-possessed" and going to Hell.
thanks for the insight……there is definitely something 'off' as you say. I seriouosly wondered if there was a mental health issue of some kind. The exchange seemed completely irrational to me……from the word go. Although I have had other emails from people endeavouring to set me 'straight' (pun intended). I have done a bit more research on the net since I put this up…..and I tend to think the mental health theory is developing greater credibility.
The reason I mentioned hypocrisy is because I think that the same proof for showing that anti-homosexual protesters have a problem with the homosexuality within themselves could be used for showing the logic of the accusation of having this pattern shows a similar pattern within the accuser. I didn't mean to make hypocrisy as big of a point as I did.
Anthony, when you say, 'The exchange seemed completely irrational to me', I cannot take you seriously because you, of all people, should know the rationality behind attacking homosexuality; as a former Christian evangelist you would have seen many people say those kinds of things and worse and I cannot imagine that you would never have had those some of those same thoughts yourself at a particular time of your life. The logic or rationality behind attacking homosexuality is obvious: a follower of Jesus who believes that they have the words of God within them has a passion to share those words with others-whether it is their belief that a personal relationship with Christ is the only way to be accepted into Heaven, that continuing commitment to 'sin' hinders the journey towards Christ, and that certain behaviors are against Christ-within Christianity the passion to share beliefs is essential and to hide beliefs is denying Christ. The motivation to warn someone else is a simple one that I know you are aware of.
Songwriter Larry Petree had nothing to do with these posts.
thanks anonymous for posting but I have the emails still from his personal email address.
and so strange anonymous that I was receiving the emails from the same address posted on his contact page http://www.larrypetree.com/Contact.html
Hello. I am Anna N. I found this sight when a play list of Gospel quartets suddenly started screaming at me about the GQC. Just wanted to add my 2 cents:
I have never seen any hint of this being done in the NT. Never did anyone walk up to a stranger and say they were demonic. When they did encounter, face to face, a demonic they instantly and without needing the demonic to co-operate, healed them.Paul told how he became all things to all people so that by any means they might come to salvation. The apostles accepted beatings and jail without ever responding in anger. The problem is, we see other people's acts as less justified then our own. "Preacher/bishop/prophet" Larry should understand that EVERYONE is made in God's image. That if you break one part of the law you are guilty of the whole law. So if Larry feels hatred in his heart he is guilty of murder, adultery, blasphemy………..the works. A minister who causes anyone to reject God or turn from God by preaching false doctrine is in serious trouble.
Judge not lest ye be judged warns against judging anyone for a thing YOU ARE ALSO DOING, and warns that you will be judged by the same standard you hold others to. Bill Clinton and King David are wonderful examples. Bill Clinton reportedly signed the law that allowed victims of sexual harassment to question the harasser about any other workplace sexual impropriety. When that law was used against him he refused to comply but rather committed perjury. King David was told that a citizen had stolen a lamb from a neighbor. David pronounced judgment, then the prophet told him that he, David, was the guilty man and that he had just ordered his own punishment.
God does hate and judge sin. We need to rely on him to fight off our own failings. We all need God to do the work for us. EVERYONE is a sinner. That's the whole reason for the death and resurrection. And pride is a biggie. Anointing yourself as prophet and bishop is pure pride………………………………Anna
thanks Anna for dropping by on my blog and for your comments.
[…] get unsolicited emails from time to time telling me what I “should” do. This one is a classic telling me I should humble myself, […]
Larry Petree has major issues. Trust me. Just gotta pray for the guy I guess.
I believe so too Sara. Actually, I believe he was going through a major mental health meltdown at the time……now I have looked back and done more research. Since this encounter he seems to have quietened down….almost disappeared.
Larry Petree is correct and all of that back and forth was ruling up the demons , you can see it with the manipulative , twisting in your replies. Your bound big time. It was love the fact he took time to tell you to get delivered.