Manny Pacquiao: Death to the Gays

Manny Pacquiao is doubling down on his anti-gay stance -- posting a bible verse that condones putting gays to death ... hours after he was fired by Nike.

The Filipino news agency ABS-CBN captured an Instagram Manny put up early Thursday morning quoting Leviticus 20.13:

"If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death, their blood will be on their own heads."

The post has since been deleted.

TMZ Sports spoke with Manny's longtime promoter Bob Arum who says although he finds Manny's views abhorrent, he understands them because they're rooted in religious belief. Manny is a born again Christian.

Earlier this week, Manny said gays are "worse than animals" -- though he later apologized, while noting that he is still very much anti-gay marriage.