Yet another Megachurch Pastor ... no wait

Yet another Megachurch Pastor ... no wait

by A Person | Published on October 31st, 2010, 10:42 am | Religion

This isn't how it's supposed to happen. We know that many pastors are gay, but we're supposed to find out when a rent boy is discovered lifting their luggage, or they are discovered just after their dick accidentally fell out of their pants and into a young man's mouth.

They're not supposed to actually just tell everyone.

ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. -- The pastor of a Rockdale County megachurch has publicly announced he is gay.

Jim Swilley, bishop of Conyers’ Church in the Now, said he hopes his coming out will change attitudes toward homosexuality.

“I know a lot of straight people think it is a choice. It is not,” Swilley told Channel 2’s Diana Davis.

Swilley, 52, founded the church 25 years ago. He seemed the stereotypical picture of a pastor, with four kids and a wife who doubled as his associate pastor. But Swilley said he's known he was gay since he was little boy. He said his wife, Debye, also knew his secret from the start.

“I think some women marry gay men because they really think they can change them,” Swilley said.

The now-divorced couple kept their secret for 21 years, but earlier this year, Swilley said Debye told him it was time to stop living a lie.

She said he should practice what he preaches and follow the church’s motto, “Real people experiencing a real God in the real world.”

So, Swilley came out to his kids and his congregation. He said he knew he might risk everything, but the recent rash of gay teen suicides pushed him over the edge.

“As a father, thinking about your 16, 17 year old killing themselves. I thought somebody needed to say something,” Swilley said through tears.

He says he's received support from many in his congregation, but at least one conservative Christian blog has called him sick, twisted, unclean and an instrument of the devil.

“I know all the hateful stuff that’s being written about me online, whatever,” Swilley said. “To think about saving a teenager yeah, I'll risk my reputation for that.”

Congratulations and kudos. Oh and that 'Devil' thing isn't real, so don't worry and enjoy your life.

Finally, someone who learns from watching others make the same mistake over and over and over...

He is sick, twisted, unclean and an instrument of the devil.

You'd think with all the good musicians down there the Devil could find a better fiddle

Yeah, goodness knows there needs to be more hatred and fear in the world. I'm sure the pastor who wants Christians to live in peace with their neighbors will be replaced shortly by a properly hateful fellow.

BecauseHeLives wrote:He is sick, twisted, unclean and an instrument of the devil.

Am I an instrument of the devil? Then does that mean you are too?

Wait... I've got a Livism....

The world is like a symphony orchestra, and all it's men and women merely instruments. It's not what kind of instrument you play in the Devil's concert, it's how hard you blow.

I'm getting that on a t-shirt.

BecauseHeLives wrote:He is sick, twisted, unclean and an instrument of the devil.

Seriously, at what point can we simply ban the troll?

Sanjuro wrote:
BecauseHeLives wrote:He is sick, twisted, unclean and an instrument of the devil.

Seriously, at what point can we simply ban the troll?

You hate truth? Or do you just not recognize it when you see it? Both?

Everything BHL posts now makes me think he's channeling The Waterboy's mom.

Bobby Boucher wrote: Everything is the devil to you, Mama! Well, I like school, and I like football! And I'm gonna keep doin' them both because they make me feel good! [runs out, slamming the door, then comes back in] And by the way, Mama. Alligators are ornery 'cause of their "medulla oblongata"! [runs back out, then back in again] And I like Vicki, and she like me back! And she showed me her boobies and I like them too! [slams the door on Mama]

I'm learning that Christians come in many forms. There are those who use Jesus as an example and love the sinner, not the sin. There are those who put their hand up, blocking the opportunity to get to know some of "God's children" for fear. Fear of what other people think. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the ground opening up and swallowing you whole in to the firey pits of Hell for being a compassionate person. There are Christians who want to go out into the world do good and those who are frightened to learn anything new and never reach out. There are some that let others see God's love through their lives, while other titled Christians only send negativity (or conditional kindness) into the world.

Sanjuro wrote:Seriously, at what point can we simply ban the troll?

This is why Sanjuro isn't a pre-school teacher.... Parents come to pick kids up in the afternoon and he tells them "We sent them back to their kind... they've been banned from our playground of reason and logic because they believe in Santa, and the Easter Bunny."

Liv wrote:
Sanjuro wrote:Seriously, at what point can we simply ban the troll?

This is why Sanjuro isn't a pre-school teacher.... Parents come to pick kids up in the afternoon and he tells them "We sent them back to their kind... they've been banned from our playground of reason and logic because they believe in Santa, and the Easter Bunny."

Ha, no. I could care less what someone believes in. Its not what someone believes, its how they conduct themselves in the forum of civil discourse. The point is that there is nothing added of any substance anymore from this guy.

When was the last time he started a post about anything that wasn't meant to flame the fires of religious mantra? It all seems bent on trolling and causing derailment of conversation.

And to use your toddler analogy, he knows he can get away with it because his parents are enabling the behaviour by not holding up any rules and so he will continue to repeat it. Even the daycare has rules.

Liv wrote:
Sanjuro wrote:Seriously, at what point can we simply ban the troll?

This is why Sanjuro isn't a pre-school teacher.... Parents come to pick kids up in the afternoon and he tells them "We sent them back to their kind... they've been banned from our playground of reason and logic because they believe in Santa, and the Easter Bunny."

Sounds like you think there's some hope that BHL will learn some things about reason while spending time in this forum. I believe you can forget it. BHL would never consider the mere possibility of loosening his grip on his security blankie, even for a couple of seconds.

Perhaps that blankie has some positives for him, but it also creates so many negatives, it sometimes is amazing that he can continue to function. The sad part, of course, is that the blankie makes those negatives SEEM like positives, and so BHL has come to love the negatives as much as his blankie. He won't ever grow out of them.

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:
Liv wrote:
This is why Sanjuro isn't a pre-school teacher.... Parents come to pick kids up in the afternoon and he tells them "We sent them back to their kind... they've been banned from our playground of reason and logic because they believe in Santa, and the Easter Bunny."

Sounds like you think there's some hope that BHL will learn some things about reason while spending time in this forum. I believe you can forget it. BHL would never consider the mere possibility of loosening his grip on his security blankie, even for a couple of seconds.

Perhaps that blankie has some positives for him, but it also creates so many negatives, it sometimes is amazing that he can continue to function. The sad part, of course, is that the blankie makes those negatives SEEM like positives, and so BHL has come to love the negatives as much as his blankie. He won't ever grow out of them.

Very good point. He has a mighty heavy period at the end of his sentences and nothing will sway him. I'd go a step further and say that BHL actively exploits and manipulates Liv's soft spot for him (since hes been around at the site for quite a long time in one form or another) for his own ends. I used to have the same soft spot as Liv, back when BHL posted about more than slinging "bible verse/damnation". He was like the crazy uncle everyone loved and seemed more human and less of a farce. Now though, he has completely cut off anything that made him interesting and just continually instigates. This flow of bile is one reason Ive stayed away a lot.

I'm beginning to think you guys are really starting to like me. <sniff> :shhh:

I think, despite our differences, BHL represents a definite minority of the majority (or some degree of something else), and therefore presents a perfect opportunity to bounce concepts and conversation off of him. Admit it or not, many, many people believe how BHL believes. We may not be able to change the way BHL believes but someone with his beliefs who may be lurking may be swayed in our often heated arguments. Some may be swayed the other way too (which is why I expect he's here) but my honest opinion, and something I must respect BHL for, is that he's for better or worse strong in his convictions.

Liv wrote:I think, despite our differences, BHL represents a definite minority of the majority (or some degree of something else), and therefore presents a perfect opportunity to bounce concepts and conversation off of him. Admit it or not, many, many people believe how BHL believes. We may not be able to change the way BHL believes but someone with his beliefs who may be lurking may be swayed in our often heated arguments. Some may be swayed the other way too (which is why I expect he's here) but my honest opinion, and something I must respect BHL for, is that he's for better or worse strong in his convictions.

Again, its not his beliefs. Its his behavior.

I'm all for leaving him alone. He may have given up serious commenting, but at least he's not usually gratuitously insulting like thesumofyourfears. Like summy, every now and again he tries to engage seriously and he's a good witness for his church.