Chris Matthews: 'If You're Really Anti-Gay, You Become Catholic Now' (VIDEO)

A comment made by MSNBC's Chris Matthews was brought into question on Monday, when the host sat on a Presidents Day panel at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C.

"If you're really anti-gay, you become Catholic now," Matthews said during the "Presidential Leadership Panel." During the question and answer portion of the event, Newsbusters' Scott Whitlock asked Matthews to clarify his statement.

"Earlier tonight, you were talking about Nixon and the Southern Strategy and bigotry and things like that and you said, quote, 'If you're really anti-gay, you become a Catholic now,'" Whitlock said. "I was wondering if you were saying that bigots become Catholic now and if you wanted to expand or apologize for that?"

Matthews answered, "I think there are people who have chosen to convert to the Catholic faith because they don't like the liberal positions taken by their sectarian groups. That's a fact. So, you can write that down." As Whitlock began to ask a follow-up question, Matthews reiterated, "No. You can write that down, what I just said."

Whitlock pressed, "So you're saying Catholicism is drawing bigots? Is that what you're saying?" Matthews responded, "I'm saying that some people who are bigoted against gay people have changed religions."

WATCH (via Daily Caller):

Comments

[JrayTo]

02:50 PM on 04/01/2012

Why has MSNBC hosted a Hate Group +23 times?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XryTYvJ2btw&feature=player_embedded

[JrayTo]

02:07 PM on 04/01/2012

Time to take off the donkey Suit, Chris.

[Eagleman]

01:44 PM on 02/23/2012

If you anti-gay but pro-pedophile you can still become a catholic...

[christian soccer mom]

09:51 AM on 03/15/2012

Your ignorance is astounding!

[christian soccer mom]

12:25 PM on 04/03/2012

Inquisition soccer moms? What is that supposed to mean?

[butterfly218]

07:09 PM on 02/22/2012

MSNBC has a great line up but i sure hope they get rid of Michael Steele . He is trying to get a job with Fox . Let him go . I will not watch Chris show when Steele is on there .

[christian soccer mom]

09:53 AM on 03/15/2012

Chris Matthews is a bigot, but because he is a liberal he gets away with his awful hate speech! He should be held accountable!

[chaucer1]

01:31 PM on 02/22/2012

It isn't clear to me what he means, not at all, but he certainly loves to interrupt other people, I suppose because he thinks his ideas are the most important.

[Tquin]

09:57 AM on 02/22/2012

Pagans are attacking Christians again. Where are the lions?????

[Jeff Bunting]

04:39 PM on 02/22/2012

hopefully they come soon. Nothing good has come from Christianity as of late and every time I hear Santorum and his buddies speak I dislike them that much more.

[christian soccer mom]

09:53 AM on 03/15/2012

I feel sorry for you.

[lemmyk73]

09:11 AM on 02/22/2012

Big Matthews fan but let's be honest- if a Republican said this, you would be crucifying him/her.

[Clarence Evans]

07:59 AM on 02/23/2012

I am also a Big Time Chris Matthews fan and you may be right my man but let's really be honest with ourselves when it talk comes from Mr. Matthews verses the Republican speaks it's a Big Time Difference? The republican would have made this statement out of Hatress while including all Christains and Mr. Matthews statement included the words was "Some Peopl e" and it was just the TRUTH!!!! I'm Just Saying?

[January Day]

08:31 AM on 02/22/2012

Why is it ok to bash Christianity on nation wide TV but one can't even express their views of Islam without getting censored?

[Timur Graham]

09:06 AM on 02/22/2012

Difficult to answer this question since the premise is false...

No one is bashing christianity..

[Bob Metcalfe]

02:12 PM on 02/22/2012

Just another example of the christian need to be persecuted, at least in thie minds. And there's plenty of anti islam opinion out there. If it were censored it wouldn't be as visible. Mind you JD it's ALL superstition.

[January Day]

07:51 AM on 02/23/2012

Sure they are. This definitley wasn't good what Mathews said.

[atravelinturtle]

01:55 PM on 02/22/2012

Not bashing Christianity. He is saying that the small-c christians who hate more than love others are leaving churches who are living by the gospel not Ayn Rand ideology.

[Clarence Evans]

08:05 AM on 02/23/2012

You get an A+ for that statement 91 Fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It Is What It Is? "Hate More Than Love Ideology"? I'm Just Saying?

[SallyMaclennane]

08:28 AM on 02/22/2012

Matthews has just sunk to a new low. I think I'll start referring to him as Archie Bunker.

[Timur Graham]

09:07 AM on 02/22/2012

In what way.. is he wrong?

[logicalllylogical]

02:28 PM on 02/22/2012

How was he right?

What proof did he, or you, offer?

[Clarence Evans]

08:10 AM on 02/23/2012

Timur Graham I can Anwser that? No He Is Not Wrong!!!!!!1 I do not know why "Some People" can't except the TRUTH? It Is What It Is and "Somebody Has To Say It? So Mr. Chris Matthews said it but he used the words "Some People"? I'm Just Saying?

[prudencehall]

10:35 AM on 02/22/2012

"refer"- away, Sally - no one will know what you're talking about.

[DesertRatzoRizzo]

08:21 AM on 02/22/2012

Chris Matthews is absolutely correct.

[logicalllylogical]

02:28 PM on 02/22/2012

Proof?

[Clarence Evans]

08:13 AM on 02/23/2012

483 fans you want PROOF? Look in the Mirror my man!!!!! Matthews said "SOME PEOPLE"? Nuff Said!!! I'm Just Saying?

[gsx99limited]

07:39 AM on 02/22/2012

Wow I didn't know this. It's amazing what the lib's thinks these day. Now this is leadership from the president and his supporters that you can believe in.

[centsable]

08:29 AM on 02/22/2012

Did Matthews mention anything about Obama?...NO, but you did....typical teapublican spin...blame Obama, even if he has nothing to do with it. The repubs want to make everything about social issue's with their repubs base "leadership". Name one time since Obama took office, where the republicans have shown any type of leadership......waiting....and still waiting.....

[Clarence Evans]

08:16 AM on 02/23/2012

LoL I am Still Waiting my darn self? LMBBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[catgirl666]

08:38 AM on 02/22/2012

The world is actually laughing at the Republican clown show as they have ruined any chance for a winning any major political election for decades. I hear McDonalds is hiring though, good luck!

[Cacey]

07:35 AM on 02/22/2012

The proof of Mathews' statement is found in what has happened in the Episcopal Chruch since it elected a gay Bishop and a female Presiding Bishiop. There's no controversy here only fact but facts seem to be controversial, inconvenient truths to Conservatives.

[January Day]

08:25 AM on 02/22/2012

And there is proof that many of the Muslim faith support terrorism, yet THAT would never be said on MSNBC. Yet Liberals fall all over themselves calling out anyone who even hints at something like this. Hypocritical? Of course. We ARE talking about Liberals (Mathews) here.

[Cacey]

08:57 AM on 02/22/2012

No, in this case you are wrong, very wrong. Liberals know and accept that many of the Muslim faith support terrorism and I've heard it said on MSNBC by liberals.

[Timur Graham]

09:07 AM on 02/22/2012

What garbage..

[Cacey]

07:28 AM on 02/22/2012

This is a known and easly proven fact. Since the ordination of an openly gay bishop in addition to the election of a female Presiding Bishop many Episcopalians in the US have joined the Roman Catholic Church and some entire dioceses have affiliated with Anglican groups in Africa of all places. There is nothing controversial about fact unless you are Conservative.

[Redhunteur]

04:45 AM on 02/22/2012

Once again, honest criticism and opinion of a group is treated as an attack, even when that person is willingly a part of the group.

[byoungusa]

02:11 AM on 02/22/2012

Chris is right, many formerly protestant people, and even clergy have been converting to Catholic because they are a bunch of bigots.Somewhere along the way the american church got taken over by a bunch of wanna-be pseudo-evangelical wingers. I was born into a catholic family, raised in the church, but this church has little to do with the liberal,socially responsible,loving and charitable faith I was raised in. Before everybody thinks the whole church is wrecked, I have it on good authority that the good nuns are still living and spreading the wonderful faith I knew, just as they always have.

[3fingerbrown]

06:55 AM on 02/22/2012

I had a similar upbringing.

There was a window in the history of the Catholic church in America -- post-Vatican Council II, pre-Reagan -- when the progressive strain of Catholicism was on the rise. I've never been religious, but I look back fondly at the Catholic world I grew up in. There were always the orthodox hard-liners, but the general thrust of the church in those days was more positive and forward-looking.

Sad to see the church sliding backwards into medievalism.