'It Was About the GOSPEL! #FreeSpeech': Vimeo Removes Church's Videos

Christian Ellis
03-21-2019

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Popular social media video site Vimeo has removed multiple videos from Oklahoma's Fairview Baptist Church's account after the church uploaded videos condemning homosexuality. The videos were from the church's God's Voice conference that took place in February.

In an email to the church from Vimeo's "Trust and Safety" department, the media site stated they removed the videos because they found them guilty of violating Vimeo's policy in the following ways:

  • Make derogatory or inflammatory statements about individuals or groups of people
  • Are intended to harm someone's reputation
  • Have an overall mean-spirited vibe

Vimeo also stated the site "forbids" any videos that promote Sexual Orientation Change Efforts. Vimeo removed the church's account then restored it on March 15. However, they deleted all their videos from their God's Voice conference. 

The God's Voice conference was established to "bring(ing) biblical clarity to the recent confusion surrounding the issues of 'revoiced' sexuality and 'LGBTQ+ Christians'." 

That reference to a "revoiced" sexuality stems from the Revoice Conference which supports homosexuality in the church. Established by Catholics and Protestants, that conference condemns "Christian versions of heteronormativity" and demands for Christians "to subvert straight privilege when it causes difficulties for gays." 

Fairview Baptist took to Facebook to argue against Vimeo's decision and to warn other churches to be aware of its policy.

"Christians should be worried," the church wrote. "It is only getting worse in America. Churches using Vimeo should be aware and consider other options if (and when) the censors come for them."

God's Voice conference speakers included syndicated radio host Janet Mefferd, Rev. Thomas Littleton of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth about Homosexuality.

Mefferd took to Twitter to condemn Vimeo's actions. "They removed SERMONS that had nothing to do w/SOCE Sexual Orientation Change Efforts," she tweeted.

"P.S. You may not care about us, but this is an attack on Christianity. Period," she continued. "There was no fair reason for @Vimeo to delete ALL the church's sermons, w/no warning or discussion. There was NO hate, insulting or "mean vibe" at @GodsVoiceConf - it was about the GOSPEL! #FreeSpeech."

The recent actions from Vimeo are following a continual pattern from the company and other social media platforms to censor conservatives. In 2017, David Kyle Foster of Pure Passion Media, an organization that discusses issues like pornography and homosexuality, was censored by Vimeo. The company deleted Pure Passion's account which included 850 videos. 

Foster informed LifeSiteNews a Vimeo spokesperson informed him that "we don't believe that homosexuality requires a cure and we don't allow videos on our platform that espouse this point of view."

"They also demanded we take down all the videos that were offensive to them, but would not tell us what they all were," added Foster. 

He went on to share that Pure Passion Media videos "also helped child sexual abuse and sex-trafficking victims."

"They couldn't have cared less," stated Foster. "They took all 850 of them down! So it would appear that helping those other victims is also offensive to Vimeo."

Last year, a Facebook post from "Activist Mommy" Elizabeth Johnston was removed and her account was suspend on three different occasions for arguing against homosexuality. Her post included scriptures from the Old and New Testament, and Facebook told her the post did not "follow the Facebook Community Standards."

Even evangelical leader Franklin Graham had his Facebook page temporarily suspended for a post that dealt with LGBTQ issues.

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