Christian fundamentalist sentenced for preaching homophobia

The man delivered his "sermon" on Zurich's busy Bahnhofstrasse in front of many passers-by. Manuel Lopez

A 63-year-old Christian fundamentalist was on Friday given a suspended sentence for having delivered a homophobic "sermon" on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich. He said he had only quoted the Bible.

The Zurich District Court found the defendant guilty of discrimination and incitement to hatred. He was also convicted of obstructing authorities by running away when the police tried to arrest him.

The man, a teacher who has been preaching in the streets of Zurich since 1983, was given a suspended fine totalling CHF15,200 or the equivalent of 95 days in jail (“jours-amende”).  He must also pay the court costs.

The incident dates back to June 2021, when the defendant started a “sermon” in the street in front of many passers-by. He declared that homosexuality was a sin and that such relationships had no value before God. He expressed the view that homosexual love was “bad desire”, and that homosexuality can be “reversed”.

The court found that he had demeaned and discriminated against homosexuals. During the hearing, the Christian fundamentalist stated that he had only quoted the Bible, saying he did not mind the sentence because he willingly gave “all his possessions” for Jesus.