Christian Author Gets Flamed for Proudly Telling Weed-Smoking Teens They Smell 'Like Failure'

Eric Metaxas’ Twitter mentions are in shambles.

The evangelical author and Christian radio host received backlash this week when he recalled his bizarre interaction with a group of Harlem teens. Metaxas claimed he was running through Central Park when he spotted four minors smoking marijuana.

“As I passed them I shouted in a firm but friendly voice: ‘Smells like failure!’ and kept going,” Metaxas tweeted Thursday. “I said it as an act of love, honestly. I hope that at some point one of them might think about it.”

Twitter users wasted little time flaming Metaxas for his self-congratulatory and embarrassing anecdote.  Justice reform activists, social commentators, and even Stephen A. Smith participated in the roast session, which included insults like “nerd,” “narc,” and “total tool,” as well as allegations of racism. Some suspected Metaxas’ actions were rooted in bigotry, as he claimed the incident went down in the predominately Black neighborhood of Harlem.

The Veggie Tales writer has yet to directly respond to the criticism but has shared a link to 2023 Telegraph article that explored the alleged link between marijuana use and schizophrenia.

You can check out some of the reactions below.