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Who is Rick Morrow? Missouri pastor resigns as he comes under fire for claiming autism is 'caused by the devil'

'This sickens me. I don't see how a congregation could possibly keep a minister like this. Shame on all of you,' a user wrote

RICHLAND, MISSOURI: Rick Morrow, a Missouri pastor, is being slammed online for making insensitive comments about autistic children.

During a live-streamed sermon to a congregation on September 6, Pastor Morrow of the Beulah Baptist Church in Richland infamously preached that the “demonic” powers are the causes of autism.

In the video, Morrow can be seen preaching to the congregation “If it’s not demonic, then we have to say God made them that way,” before adding with conviction, “That’s the only other explanation.”

Continuing to misrepresent the neurological condition, he said, “Either the devil has attacked them, he’s brought this infirmity upon them, he’s got them where he wants them, and/or God just doesn’t like them very much, and he made them that way.”

Later, he continued, “Well my God doesn’t make junk. God doesn’t make mess ups,” which naturally gained huge traction online.

“Quit putting a Band-Aid on it and saying, "Oh, it'll be okay. We just need to treat this or treat that,” said the pastor.

He opined that casting the demon away might cure the problem and said, “How about you just cast the demon out and then treat all the problems?”

Morrow also opined that praying for autistic children can only cure the condition, adding he is acquainted with a minister who cured “lots of kids that are autistic” just by praying for them.

He added, “He had to pray and their brain was rewired and they were fixed.”

Though initially live-streamed, the video was later uploaded to the Beulah Church’s Facebook page, but after garnering backlash, it was taken down, as per the New York Post.

Rick Morrow gives a reaction on his ‘junk’ comment

On Sunday, September 10, the pastor further incited the wrath of the netizens by bringing up the topic of cancer in his reactionary sermon. 

During the sermon, he said that he thought autism was ‘junk’, not the children affected by it.

He said, “I have been told that autism is a blessing from God. I have been told that I’m the evil one.”

Morrow continued, “But you know what? If I was to stand up here and say cancer is junk, people would agree.”

He further added, “If I were to stand up here and say addiction is junk, people would agree.”

Rick Morrow believes that Autism is caused by 'demons'

In an interview with KY3, the pastor was found sticking to his initial stand and said, “Yes, either in or around on, somehow it's affecting.”

He continued, “And when I say a demon, you people want to, like I said, they want to get that Hollywood description of what a demon is this nasty, so ugly and, and that's not the case, it's just an evil presence. It's just the presence of evil.”

He continued explaining his terminology of “junk” and said, “By junk, I meant autism, that condition, the illness or the neurodivergence.”

Morrow added, “All of us have issues; all of us have problems. All of us have conditions. All of us have sicknesses and diseases and illnesses. And I just refuse to blame God for those things.”

Where is Rick Morrow now?

Following his controversial sermons, Rick Morrow had to resign from a position he held at the Stoutland School Board.

Daily Mail reports that the Stoutland School district said in a statement, “The District is aware that a member of the Board of Education, in a setting and capacity outside of his board member role, made comments that have been interpreted as derogatory toward individuals with certain disabilities.”

“One member of the Board of Education does not speak for the Board of Education as a whole, nor the District itself,” added the board.

'God does make junk and you are a prime example'

The pastor started receiving immense hatred from the netizens on several social media platforms.

""God doesn't make junk" but he sure made you! The ignorance the audacity of this pastor!!! He is nothing more than a money hungry liar who will go so far as to start going after individuals that have any type of disability just to get an audience!" said an angry citizen.

Someone else said, "This makes me so angry. There are no words for his evil and ignorance."

"This sickens me. I don't see how a congregation could possibly keep a minister like this. Shame on all of you," assailed another angry social media user.

"What is coming out of your mouth is demonic. People wake-up leave this church asap!" said another user.

"It's sad that he believes that people with autism are *junk*," said a disheartened user.

An angry father with an autistic child commented, "Talking about autism and clearly doesn't have a child with autism. Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut before Someone closes it for him. I don't take kindly to people talking about my child with autism in any facet."

"Saying this about kids with Autism should be considered hate speech," said someone else on the social media platform X.

A distraught parent replied poignantly with their son's photo and a text, "So my son is "junk.""

"Would it be wrong to suggest that pastor Morrow is evidence that God makes junk? Asking for a friend," added someone sarcastically.

"What a hateful man. I have 10 grandkids, and 1 has autism. He just processes things differently. He's sweet & smart & loving," shared a loving and understanding grandparent of an autistic grandson.

"Now I know who to thank for my autism!" commented a person belonging in the spectrum.

"Wow...God does make junk and you are a prime example," castigated another.