Lindner stressed that he was not denying Jewish suffering, believing the only way his comments could be construed that way was because they "were edited by Democrats". Lindner (who originally came to Minnesota from Texas to earn his Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis) stressed his theological opposition to harming Jews, "As a Christian who believes the Bible is true, there has always been a special place in my heart and life for God's words about the Jewish people. In Genesis 12:3, the Lord says regarding the Jewish nation, 'I will bless them that bless thee and I will curse them that curse thee.' ...God has given us the Bible as our guide for living. The Bible teaches me homosexual activity is wrong, sinful, and harmful. ...The Jew shall always be my friend."