Rick Scarborough is a Christian political advocate and former Southern Baptist pastor from Pearland, Texas, who leads Recover America and Recover America Action.
In 2016, Scarborough gave the reins of Vision America to a subordinate and took a position in Washington DC as the Skyline DC Executive Director, with the assignment to lead Bible studies with governmental officials. He conducted studies with members of Congress, the State Department, and the Pentagon, as well as personally discipling members of the World Bank.[citation needed]
After Beto O’Rourke came within 1.6 percentage points of defeating Senator Cruz, Scarborough moved back to Texas to mobilize pastors. That event was the catalyst for Scarborough to return to Houston and start Recover America Now![citation needed]
He has traveled extensively and was viewed by some conservative leaders as the Christian right leader in 2006 and in 2008.[3][4]
Scarborough opposes same-sex marriage, describing it as a sign America is moving "closer to hell"[11] and told E. W. Jackson he is willing to be burned to death opposing gay rights.[12] After the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized Same-sex marriage in the United States with the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the media reported that Scarborough had not set himself on fire.[13] He describes AIDS as "God's judgement"[14] and supports filing class-action lawsuits against homosexuals for "subjecting people to becoming AIDS sufferers".[15][16][17][18]
Concerning the decision of Texas Governor Rick Perry to vaccinate all 6th grade girls against those HPV strains that are most likely to produce cancer after infection, Scarborough said, "Nor we can not overlook the moral dimension. The governor's action seems to signify that God's moral law regarding sex outside of marriage can be transgressed without consequence."[19][20]
^"Pastor Vows to Burn over Same Sex Marriage". NBC 12. 27 June 2015. A former Baptist minister, who reportedly vowed to set himself on fire if the high court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, is still alive.
^'Far Right: Saving America from Gays', in The Advocate, May 9, 2006, p. 16 (Here Publishing (9 May 2006). The Advocate. Here Publishing. p. 16. ISSN0001-8996.)
