O'Reilly Highlights Far-Left Threats Against Church

On Thursday's The O'Reilly Factor, FNC host Bill O'Reilly gave attention to threatening tactics from some on the far left, as he focused on the case of a Bishop from the D.C. area who became a target after speaking out against same-sex marriage. O'Reilly began the interview:

For example, if you oppose gay marriage, some far-left people will try to hurt you, as Bishop Harry Jackson is finding out, and the Bishop joins us now from Washington, D.C. Now, since you made the gay marriage issue a centerpiece of your commentary, because you are a traditional guy and you believe in traditional man-woman marriage, what's happened to you?

Jackson recounted some of the problems he has experienced:

Well, Bill, they hacked into my records, found out when I registered to vote in the District of Columbia. They printed in two newspapers my home address and the address of houses I own in the Maryland region outside D.C., and there have been emails that have gone forth, saying that they want to destroy my church. Kind of amazing, isn't it?

Below is a complete transcript of the interview with Bishop Harry Jackson from the Thursday, June 11, The O'Reilly Factor on FNC:

BILL O'REILLY: "Factor Follow-up" segment tonight, as we've been reporting, the far left is crazy over conservative commentators criticizing people like Dr. Tiller. But at the same time, the loons are doing terrible things to people with whom they disagree, as Laura Ingraham pointed out. For example, if you oppose gay marriage, some far-left people will try to hurt you, as Bishop Harry Jackson is finding out, and the Bishop joins us now from Washington, D.C. Now, since you made the gay marriage issue a centerpiece of your commentary, because you are a traditional guy and you believe in traditional man-woman marriage, what's happened to you?

BISHOP HARRY JACKSON, HOPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Well, Bill, they hacked into my records, found out when I registered to vote in the District of Columbia. They printed in two newspapers my home address and the address of houses I own in the Maryland region outside D.C. nd there have been emails that have gone forth, saying that they want to destroy my church. Kind of amazing, isn't it?

O'REILLY: So -- it isn't. I'm not amazed by it. You know, in California the people that gave money to the traditional marriage thing. They put their names on a Web site. But you've heard about the Tiller controversy. You know what's going on. People like me are getting blamed, this, that, and the other thing. But you don't read a word about people like you, and they're printing their name in the paper. And I mean, the theme of this program tonight is the staggering hypocrisy of the left in the media that enables the far left to do these things.

JACKSON: That's it exactly. You know, Bill, people are looking for privacy. They say their rights need to be protected. And on the other side, unlike the Civil Rights Movement with King, allowed dogs to be released on the marchers and water hoses, and they operated in a Christian spirit, this minority is going to rise up and impose their will on the majority. And they don't care. I've got young adult daughters and a wife. They don't care what happens to my family. They just want it their way, and they will intimidate you or me into submission if they can.

O'REILLY: Now, how are you handling all of this, as a man of God? I mean, are you forgiving them? Are you angry with them? How are you handling it?

JACKSON: Well, I am praying for them and forgiving them. Bill, this is very much a spiritual battle, in my view. And I look at Martin Luther King, Jr., as the ultimate model in terms of this public resistance to pressure. And I think that this is going to deepen our faith roots, if you will. But very sincerely, I cannot answer that, obviously, the same kind of craziness that they're operating at. But I'm glad that you had me on tonight so that we can expose the fact that folks are saying one thing and doing something totally hypocritical on the other side.

O'REILLY: Sure. And I'll take it a step further. I know you can't do anything, but I can. And if anybody bothers you or your family, and if you believe that anybody's putting you in danger or doing anything against your church, I want you to call me immediately. And we will deal with those people. Because it's -- we are going to defend people like you. Look, even if I disagreed with you on gay marriage, I would defend you. You're an American. You have a right to your opinion. It's a valid opinion.
I'll give you the last word, Bishop.

JACKSON: Well, the thing that I think -- I appreciate it, by the way -- the thing that I'm so concerned about is that this kind of thing has a chilling effect on people standing up for their rights.

O'REILLY: Absolutely.

JACKSON: Once people see about -- see what's happened to me, they say, "Shoot, I'm not going to get involved. I'm not going to say my peace."

O'REILLY: And that's why they do it. That's why they do it to me. That's why they do it to you. And it's not the American way. It's un-American. ishop, thanks very much. Stay in touch with us, please.