The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

An anti-gay Christian pastor challenged Kevin Rudd, Australia's pro-LGBT prime minister, on his support for marriage equality during a live, nationally-televised question-and-answer session.

The pastor, Matt Prater of New Hope Baptist Church in Brisbane, works for the National Christian Radio Network. Prater told the embattled Rudd -- who is lagging behind in the polls just days before the election -- that most of the callers they get at the network say they won't be voting for him: "...they're disillusioned because you seem to keep chopping and changing your beliefs just to get a popular vote with regard to things like marriage."

"Why should we vote for you?" Prater asked.

Rudd responded with an impassioned defense of his pro-marriage equality position and an epic takedown of the pastor's follow-up question, in which he claimed that support for equal marriage cannot come from a place of authentic Christian faith. The audience's approving response -- cheers and responding applause -- is indicative of public opinion in Australia, where a clear majority of voters support granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry.

Prime Minister Rudd's fabulously principled stand for equality reminds me of that classic clip from the West Wing television show where President Jed Bartlet called out and demolished an anti-gay Christian talk show host.

Watch both after the jump. What do you think -- did Kevin Rudd have a Jed Bartlet moment?

Here's Rudd:

And here's Jed Bartlet's takedown of Dr. Jenna Jacobs, a caricature of anti-gay radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger:

Update: After his decisive spanking by Prime Minister Rudd, Mr. Prater has already begun licking his wounds and claiming victimhood, telling the Christian Eternity newspaper that he "felt a bit like Daniel in the lion's den" for taking a stance in support of marriage discrimination. Prater also said, "I just want to make it clear to anyone reading this that I am not a homophobe. I don't hate homosexuals. I love everyone with the love of Jesus."

You believe him, right?