Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday said a since-deleted social media post from a Republican congressman asserting “homosexuality has no place in America” was “untoward,” pointing to the Bible’s teaching on loving your neighbor.

The Speaker noted Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) had pulled the post down after bipartisan criticism. Ogles said the “stupid, hurtful” post was made by a member of his staff who has since been reprimanded.

Asked in a press conference Wednesday what he thought of the message, Johnson — a devout Southern Baptist — said he believes “the Bible is unequivocal.”

“We’re supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves, everybody,” Johnson said. “We’re supposed to treat every single person with dignity and respect, whether we agree with them or not.”

“It’s a Christian virtue, it’s a biblical virtue, it’s also an American virtue. It’s part of who we are — you know, ‘out of many, one.’ We’re a melting pot,” Johnson said. “We can advocate for policies and disagree with our colleagues or anyone else, but still treat them with dignity and respect. That’s an obvious thing.”

The Speaker said he has not spoken with Ogles, whom he called “a good guy,” about the post, but he said it was the right move to take the post down.

The Tuesday post from Ogles’s account earned swift pushback from former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who is openly gay, and swing-district Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who texted Ogles personally to push back against the post.

“I’m glad he deleted the post, but do better,” Lawler told reporters Tuesday. “Focus on real issues impacting the American people, and stop denigrating somebody just because you may disagree with who they are or their lifestyle. The fact is, this is what makes America great. You go to another part of the world, and people are killed for being gay. So, to me, that kind of crap just has no place in politics.”

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