Pastor says student's suicide was tipping point for his coming out

[Meeker Morgan]

Pastor says student's suicide was tipping point for his coming out
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/13/pastor-says-students-suicide-was-tipping-point-for-his-coming-out/?hpt=C1

The founder and pastor of a Georgia megachurch said Saturday that the September suicide of a Rutgers University student was the tipping point for his decision to come out of the closet to his congregation.

"For some reason, his situation was kind of the tipping point with me," said Jim Swilley, who calls himself a bishop. "There comes a point in your life where you say - how much time do we have left in our lives? Are we going to be authentic or not?"

Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, 18, jumped off a bridge after a secretly-taped sexual encounter between him and another man was posted on the internet.

Swilley, 52, said that he has known he is gay since childhood, but that he never thought he would live openly. He came out recently after more than 20 years of marriage to his former wife, who continues to work at their church.

...

"My position is not about gaying up the church," he said. "It's about people being who they are."

Very good. Now be a really decent person and get an honest job.

[davidinalameda]

1. why ruin a great post with a hateful snarky comment

being a minister is an honest job

[Mopar151]

2. Exactly so

Performer, teacher, spiritual and social leader, social worker, counselor, administrator - doing all, or most of them well is a tough job.
It's when you throw in charlatan, thief, con man, and sleaze that it goes sour......

[iris27]

3. Because it sounds from the article like he led an anti-gay church.

"What I told my church is that I was given two things in my life that I didn't ask for... one is the call of God in my life and the other is my orientation. I didn't ever think that those two things could be compatible."

That, no, I would not call an honest job.

[thereismore]

4. I agree with your comment - I do not think pastoring is an honest job, gay or straight. nt