Heavyweight Champion Under Investigation for Hate Crime After Comments on Sodomy

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MANCHESTER, U.K. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Tyson Fury, a Catholic heavyweight boxing champion from the United Kingdom, is under investigation for a "hate crime" after making negative comments about sodomy to the media.

The Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they're looking into reports of hate crime after Fury shared his views about "homosexuality" on Victoria Derbyshire's BBC show.

"There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home," said the 27-year-old fighter. "One of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other is paedophilia. Who would have thought in the 50s and 60s that those first two would be legalized?"

Following predictable backlash, Fury refused to back down or soften his words. Earlier this week, he reaffirmed to BBC Radio 2: "Homosexuality, abortion and paedophilia — them three things need to be accomplished before the world finishes. That's what the Bible tells me."

A spokeswoman for the Greater Manchester Police has since stated, "At 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday we received a report of a hate crime following comments made about homosexuality on the Victoria Derbyshire program."

"As with all allegations of hate crime," she continued, "we are taking the matter extremely seriously and will be attending the victim's address to take a statement in due course."

Fury has a reputation for speaking his mind openly and often controversially, and he certainly isn't shy about his faith in Christ. Asked recently by a reporter about his being stripped of the heavyweight title by the International Boxing Federation this week (for unrelated reasons), he ignored the questions and simply told viewers they must repent and believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.

There's currently a petition online demanding he be taken out of the race for BBC's "Sports Personality of the Year" shortlist, too, because of his so-called "homophobic and misogynistic comments." As of Thursday morning, that petition has more than 130,000 signatures.

Since the controversy broke, Fury has clarified his views by stating, "If you want to know any more about any of my opinions, consult the Pope of Rome, because he has the same opinions."

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