Radio host says he wasn't ‘setting a trap’ for Lauren Daigle with homosexuality question
Domenick Nati, the radio host who asked Lauren Daigle if homosexuality is a sin, is refuting accusations that he “set a trap” for the singer by asking that question.
"The backlash Lauren Daigle received from our interview has been very disappointing to witness. I was shocked by the amount of attack and assumption there was on someone simply saying ‘I don't know,’” Nati said in a statement shared with The Christian Post on Thursday.
“The truth is YOU don't know! You don't know if she was being honest, you don't know if she was dodging the question, and you don't know if she was lying ... and neither do I,” he added.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
During an interview for "The Domenick Nati Show" on iHeart radio, Nati asked Daigle about her stance, as a Christian, on homosexuality and whether it's a sin.
“I can’t honestly answer on that, in the sense of I have too many people that I love and they are homosexuals,” Daigle responded. “I can't say one way or the other, I’m not God. When people ask questions like that, I just say, ‘Read the Bible and find out for yourself. And when you find out let me know because I’m learning too.’”
Daigle’s comments caused an uproar in the Christian community and many challenged the singer's assertion by sharing Bible verses that say same-sex relationships are sinful. But others slammed Nati for even asking such a provocative question.
“For everyone that is accusing me of ‘setting a trap’ for Lauren. I want to clarify two things. No. 1, I have had a relationship with Jesus for 18 years, however, 'The Domenick Nati Show' is not a ‘Christian’ show, it is a pop culture/entertainment show that happens to be hosted by a Christian,” he added in his statement.
“The tagline for the show is, and always has been, ‘Maximum Exposure, Minimum Censorship.’ Every celebrity guest knows that I always ask tough, provocative, and sometimes invasive questions that produce shocking content and news headlines. That is the show and it was not a secret before Lauren was our guest. Lauren was the first Christian artist we've ever had on the show and she does not deserve the backlash that she received,” he said.
Nati further emphasized that he supports Daigle’s response about homosexuality because Jesus never addressed it.
“I know that Moses thought it was a sin and I know Paul thought it was a sin, but Jesus didn't speak on it. And Paul and Moses did [not] always get things right in their writings nor was it always recorded, copied, and translated correctly,” asserted Nati, who also believes cursing and smoking are permissible.
He quoted John 16:8-9 which says, "When the Holy Spirit comes He will expose the world concerning sin, concerning righteousness, and concerning judging. Of sin that they are not believing in Me."
“Jesus identifies sin as not believing in Himself. Not our sexual preference, or wrongdoings, but rather our unbelief. So it's possible that someone doesn't know what is considered a sin and what isn't, and neither does anyone else. Not Moses, Paul, you, me or Lauren Daigle because they're ‘not God,’" he concluded.
The Christian question-and-answer website Got Questions refutes Nati's assertion, noting that Jesus also didn't speak about kidnapping, but believers know it's wrong. "The goal of the Gospels was not to give us a comprehensive list of sinful activities, and there are many obvious sins that are not found in the 'red letter' section of the Bible," the site adds.
"It is technically true that Jesus did not specifically address homosexuality in the Gospel accounts; however, He did speak clearly about sexuality in general. Concerning marriage, Jesus stated, 'At the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh[.]’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matthew 19:4–6). Here Jesus clearly referred to Adam and Eve and affirmed God’s intended design for marriage and sexuality.
"For those who follow Jesus, sexual practices are limited," Got Questions continues. "Rather than take a permissive view of sexual immorality and divorce, Jesus affirmed that people are either to be single and celibate or married and faithful to one spouse of the opposite gender. Jesus considered any other expression of sexuality sinful. This would include same-sex activity."
In the Old Testament, the book of Leviticus 18:22 says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
The New Testament also says: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
1 Timothy 1:9-10 also says: “Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.”
Nati's interview with Daigle took place after she had been criticized for performing on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Oct. 24. Most of the critics on social media argued that Daigle was wrong to appear on the show because Ellen is a lesbian.
After the performance, DeGeneres rushed onto the stage, hugged Daigle and joked that the former "American Idol" contestant was successful today because DeGeneres was a judge while Daigle was on the singing competition. The Christian singer said backstage that DeGeneres was so kind to her and told her she was a “history maker.”
Despite accusations that Daigle is compromising her faith, the 27-year-old Louisiana native told The Christian Post in a recent interview that she's not afraid to appeal to the world with her message of hope."
[My music] is having crossover appeal, but it doesn't mean that I'm leaving one for the other or that I'm going to be swept up by one thing or the other. For me, it's like, 'Oh, everything just got even more clear.' Everything just got clearer as to why it is that we go and love people who are outside of the walls of our church, outside of the walls that we're comfortable with," Daigle told CP.
Her latest album, Look Up Child, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart following its release in September, beating out popular secular musicians such as Drake, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B that week.
