Speaking of So many pastors and so little time, ex-pastor Ted Haggard, now in deep therapy, might have a new therapy buddy:
On Sunday, Paul Barnes, founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel in this Denver suburb, told his evangelical congregation in a videotaped message he had had sexual relations with other men and was stepping down.
[…]On the videotape…Barnes told church members: “I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy … I can’t tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away.”
But, but, but, all Barnes needed to do was put himself into the hands of Jesus! (Um…so to speak.) I mean, God hates homos doesn’t he? You would think an ordained pastor would have figured that out from the 15th chapter of the Gospel according to the Apostle John, verse 16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
Failing that, he could always go for the 10-day solution with Anita Bryant’s Homo No-Mo.
Isn’t the issue here whether or not the guy trashed gays and lesbians? The Times story just says he was an evangelical minister, outed himself and quit. Oh, and he doesn’t want to be gay. Is there news here? There’s a bit of a leap from evangelical to gay bashing, metaphorical or otherwise.
Sorry to be off-topic, but I just saw the news item from Reuters:
“WASHINGTON – Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al-Faisal, abruptly resigned his post after 15 months on the job and left the country, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials and foreign envoys.
Al-Faisal told his staff he was leaving to spend more time with his family, the newspaper reported, citing Arab diplomats. His predecessor, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, held the job for 22 years.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16168349/
I don’t think anybody is buying the “family time” argument. There is a lot more to this than has come out to date. Could it bee that this ambassador is being implicated with regard to the payments from some prominent Saudi families to fund the insurgents in Iraq? Or has he decided that he can’t deal with the Bush administration any more, and wants to wash his hands of them/
Back on topic:
Gee, I wonder if its something in the water.
Why are you humans so fucking dense? As a 16-inch, 16-pound, well-fed, and thoroughly heterosexual rodent, I can tell you that I know plenty of crittrs in the so-called lower animal kingdom (ha! I know earthworms who are smarter than some of you humans — and unlike Redneck and JCH, all of my earthworm pals are getting laid) that aren’t what you would call gender-specific in their sexual proclivities, if you know what I mean.
So, if there’s all these faggots in the animal kingdom, from insects on up the ladder, why do some of you humans insist on believing that homosexuality is a learned behavior? In the face of observable evidence that a fairly steady percentage of incidence of homosexuality holds across the spectrum of human societies, across time and history, and across animal species, why can’t you accept the fact that all erector set toys are made from the same pieces, but some are put together a little differently than others?
I guess in order to impose all your silly human value judgments (you know, “evil,” “immoral,” “lifestyle choice,” etc.) you have to suspend belief in facts, despise science (now there’s a fucked-up value judgment for ya), and make some bad lifestyle choices in terms of who you listen to, what you believe, etc., that add up to being stoopid!
You humans amuse me sometimes.
Gees… when I was five, I struggled with crayons.
Well, ta-ta, I have to go now … I’m a busy rabbit. I’m making plans to rule the world after one of the so-called higher species commits species suicide and we rabbits take over. When that happens, I will be King of the Rabbits and I’ll rule the world! So I have to get back to work now on my cabinet appointments, fiscal notes, and so on. There’s gonna be quite a mess to clean up by the time you humans finish self-selecting yourselves out of the evolutionary progression.
P.S., I don’t know why Republicans have such a hard time understanding that some people are hard-wired for homosexuality. They should be able to understand compulsive behavior — all Republicans are kleptomaniacs.
R, J. @ 1
“Is there news here? There’s a bit of a leap from evangelical to gay bashing….”
Are you kidding? A man who has struggled with homosexuality and, effectively, living a lie for 49 years? Yeah…I think there is something of a story there. My post is not so much about Paul Barnes as it is a commentary on the fundamentalist Christian notion that homosexuality can be “cured through faith.”
Besides…how could I resist bringing up Anita Bryant?
Hey, its a patricentric religion…I’m suprised more preachers haven’t “come out”.
We all know what the preacher in Ballard would say, huh? Barnes’ wife has let herself go..she hasn’t made herself available to him, etc..
Maybe this is why JCH and his ilk are so conflicted? At heart, they are gay-bashing gays who ca’t reconcile their lust with their right wing agenda.
As for me…if I see a person who calls themself a “pastor” I immediately think child rapist.
Whoa! Whoa! Stop the hate parade please.
I thought the right-wing, whacko, hate-filled conservative Christians say gay rights are different from civil rights because you can’t choose your skin color, but you choose to be gay?
So much for another right-wing, conservative Christian lying point.
Oh, and JCH, stop fucking posting on HA you piece of shit, meth snorting, closet pedophile.
I assume you are being flippant. But to answer your question God hates the sin of homosexuality, along with all other sins, not homosexuals themselves.
I’m curious though, did you know the Bible verse you quoted, or did you have to look it up? Or did someone give it to you?
ConservativeFirst @12
I assume you are being flippant.
Yes…I was being flippant.
“I’m curious though, did you know the Bible verse you quoted, or did you have to look it up?”
I knew it approximately from memory, but had to look up the details. The verse I quoted is one of many “ask and ye shall receive” themed statements in the New Testament.
“Or did someone give it to you?”
Why yes…Jesus gave it to me, of course.
ConservativeFirst @12
“I assume you are being flippant. But to answer your question God hates the sin of homosexuality, along with all other sins, not homosexuals themselves.”
The person who really needs to know this is Fred Phelps and friends at the Westboro Baptist Church. He is well known for his line “God hates fags.”
The belief that “God hates the sin of homosexuality” is not universally accepted—some Christian denominations do not consider homosexuality to be a sin.
I have no idea who Fred Phelps is, if you have issue with what he has to say, bring it up with him.
True enough, and the Episcopal Church, one such denomination, goes through great pains to justify their stance.
I feel that God’s view of homosexuality is pretty simple. Adultery is a sin. Marriage, from a Biblical perspective, is between a man and a woman. The the act of homosexuality is adultery, there for a sin.
I see no difference, between Bill Clinton (or anyone else who commits adultery) and Paul Barnes.
Do you think Paul Barnes would be any less hypocritical if he had committed adultery with a woman? Would you have blogged on that topic? I’d suspect there are many more pastors committing heterosexual adultery, than homosexual adultery.
Speaking of gays, looks like Rahm Emanuel lied about knowing about Mark Foley. How do you know a Moonbat! lies; he goes on a Sunday show and opens his mouth.
http://www.washtimes.com/natio.....-4731r.htm
I don’t expect Moonbat!s like Yos Lib Bro to figure it out but maybe his alter ego Clueless will.
Hey Carl, this one’s for you!
The GOP is full of anti-gay, gay-bashing gays. And inbred theocrat wannabes like Conservative First who claim to be Christians are so drunk on the kool aid that they don’t see the irony of that.
Well let me say this as simply as I can – if Heaven is full of assholes like Conservative First – I hope to go to Hell.
Tom Foley – protected by the GOP leadership. The Christian church – abused by the GOP – inspired pastors – The people of America raped by the republican cowards, traitors and hypocrites who claim to be the moral majority when in fact, they are neither – moral or the majority!
There’s no irony in statement that is false. Please point out where I’ve bashed any homosexuals. Your comment appears to me to be just another ad hominem attack to deflect from the fact you have no argument to refute what I’ve said.
I think the real irony here is such a silly statement could be made by someone who goes by the name “RightEqualsStupid”.
(expletive deleted)
When did I ever claim that I was going to Heaven? Be careful what you wish for you might just get it. And later regret it.
“Democrats shopped Foley story to papers”
Shopped?
ConservativeFirst @ 15
“True enough, and the Episcopal Church, one such denomination, goes through great pains to justify their stance. I feel that God’s view of homosexuality is pretty simple. Adultery is a sin. “
But, Episcopalians and many Lutherans (for example) would claim that you go to great pains to justify your stance the homosexuality is a sin. Seriously, the fundie obsession with homosexuality as a sin looks to some other Christians as silly as how the fundies view the Catholic obsession with Mary.
“I see no difference, between Bill Clinton (or anyone else who commits adultery) and Paul Barnes.”
Well, I suppose one could view that a sin is a sin, and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and all that. But the idea that homosexuality is a sin is debatable. Whereas, adultery is recognized as a sin by almost all Christian denominations.
“Do you think Paul Barnes would be any less hypocritical if he had committed adultery with a woman?”
My post wasn’t at all about Barnes’ hypocracy in committing adultery. I could have written the same post if he had been unmarried.
“Would you have blogged on that topic?”
I’d have no qualms about blogging on the hypocracy of a “family values” wingnut (whether political or religious leader) cheating on a wife or a husband. In fact, I have (although admittedly there was much more to the story than simple adultry).
“I’d suspect there are many more pastors committing heterosexual adultery, than homosexual adultery.”
Almost certainly. And your point is????
Conservative First – I am glad you don’t plan on going to Heaven. That means you’ll have to deal with me for eternity. Boy that will be fun.
And listen asswipe, I am talking about your fellow republican conservative preachers who are ALL gaybashers and yes, all gay.
Get over it.
Darryl says:
LOL, I think my explantion, not a justification by the way, of why homosexuality was very simple. The Episcopal reasoning behind homosexuality being a sin is pages and pages. I’m not familiar with any of the Lutheran doctrine on this topic.
Darryl says:
LOL, I think my explantion, not a justification by the way, of why homosexuality was very simple. The Episcopal reasoning behind homosexuality being a sin is pages and pages. I’m not familiar with any of the Lutheran doctrine on this topic.