* Update, May 16, 10:30 a.m.: Pacquiao's original interviewer, Granville Ampong, is now saying that he himself quoted Leviticus 20:13 in his article — so the words “put to death” never came out of Pacquiao's mouth. And the boxer tells ABS-CBN that “I only gave out my opinion that same sex marriage is against the law of God… I didn't know that quote from Leviticus because I haven't read the Book of Leviticus yet.” For further explanation, see “The Manny Pacquiao Misquote: A Timeline.”

Update: Manny Pacquiao Barred From 'Extra' Interview at the Grove After Bashing Gay Marriage

Updated with comments from the founder of the Courage Campaign. First posted at 12:51 p.m.

See also: Manny Pacquiao: The Fight of His Life.

Manny Pacquiao, who lives and trains in Los Angeles, is probably in deep shit in this liberal city of brotherly love.

That's because the boxing champion said that gay men “must be put to death.”

Really. In a recent interview with the National Conservative Examiner the fighter quoted the Bible in relaying his feelings about President Obama's support for same-sex marriage:

If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Um. Okay. He was quoting Leviticus 20:13.

Pacquiao also said:

God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other. It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old.

Wow. Be ready for the blowback on this one folks. We're trying to reach out to Pacquiao's people for reaction or clarification.

[Added at 1:15 p.m.]: It's been pointed out to us that the very married Pacquiao hasn't exactly been by-the-book when it comes to his own union — allegedly. He has been linked in reports to a Filipina actress named Krista Ranillo. How Catholic of him.

We called Freddie Roach, his Hollywood trainer, for reaction to the anti-gay comment, but had yet to hear back.

UP NEXT: The LGBT community reacts to Pacquiao's interview.

[Update at 4:04 p.m.]: Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign, suggests that this could end up hurting Pacquiao in the pocketbook. He told the Weekly this afternoon:

I do think that American sponsors are going to have to look very carefully about whether they can continue to pour money into his apparently rather empty soul. Not only does he live in L.A., he makes a lot of money thanks the United States and sponsors here in particular.

Jacobs notes that Pacquiao is a member of the Philippine congress and as such has a special responsibility to be careful when criticizing the leader of the free world.

I think that it is outrageous that an official of a foreign government is criticizing an ally, is taking a position about the president's support for Americans. That's a really big step for a foreign elected official to take. We should look carefully at that.

Ouch.

See also:

The Bible Via-Manny Pacquiao: Gays Shouldn't Get Married, They Should Be “Put To Death.”

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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