NEWS: Another Gay Pastor Resigns, Possibly Not the Last

CULTURE: Another Gay Pastor Resigns, Possibly Not the Last

A month after preaching to his congregation about responsibility and character (using the Ted Haggard scandal as an example), Rev. Paul Barnes revealed his homosexuality in a pre-recorded message. The pastor, who has avoided combining his beliefs and politics, announced his resignation only after being outed by an anonymous member of the Denver-based, 2,100 member megachurch.

When asked for his opinion on whether Barnes' admission would warrant further criticism of the evangelical community and accusations of hypocrisy, an associate of Barnes, Dave Palmer, said, "The criticism is valid if you look at perfection being the mark, because the next person who stands at our pulpit is going to be guilty of not being perfect as well," he said. "Does that mean we have to change what we say about the word of God? We can't do that."

Will this be the last instance of exposed homosexuality in the evangelical community? Another evangelical leader in Denver doesn't think so.

Illustration: Robert Neubecker

disclaimer: this is the source for the second quote, and i do not endorse the image that has been attached.

huh?

i forgot to provide a source for the seond quote when i submitted the article, and i never agreed to the inclusion of the image that accompanies it. honestly, i find the image, which depicts a catholic priest, not an evangelical pastor, offensive and tasteless.

I find that highly disturbing.

However, let me add that I have been enjoying your articles as of late.

We need more men like Barnes in the world.

So wait....does he still view homosexuality as being a moral abomination? I realize that NOBODY is perfect, but that quote had an odd context to it. Like it's a drug addiction or something.


And where are my lesbian nuns?

We need more Mr. Crisps in this world.

(Let me add that I've been appreciating your articles of late, too, but I won't say "enjoy" because I'm reserving that for when the world actually gives you some good news to report.)

So which churches preach an inclusive, loving message? I know the US part of the Anglican church is heading that way, but they're being held back by attempts to maintain unity across the world. A lot of their congregation is in Africa, where gay friendly messages don't go down well (enough).

The evangelical church I went to as a child didn't put forward an opinion on the matter. It wouldn't have been happily received by the congregation, either pro or anti. People get told what they want to hear.

Out em all. Then point & laugh.

yeah. that's not what this is about at all.

You know, I don't agree with the ideology behind this statement (i.e., that being homosexual is a personal failing), nor do I believe in God, but I will say that this seems like the most cogent response I've seen from a believer in the sinfulness of homosexuality. I mean, I don't think most religious people believe their priests are infallible.

It'd be interesting if someone was randomly calling churches and threatening to "out" their pastors to see how many are actually gay.

Not that I would condone that behavior and the pain or offense it would cause people but at least talking about it is good for a laugh.

Why is it okay to laugh at priests? Would it be okay to laugh at a man who struggled with an abusive bigotted father, went through all the struggles involved in coming to terms with his sexual identity, and then came out? Why does them being priests make it okay to point and laugh? Because they've preached against it so long? The hypocrisy? Haven't they gone through just as much struggle as the next gay guy? Haven't they dealt with the same issues of self-loathing and guilt as any gay man?

We should laugh at the congregation, not the priest. We should laugh because even their holy men can be gay, while they continue to believe that religion is the only way to avoid homosexuality. We should laugh because even their supposedly most devout men haven't shaken this sin that religion is supposed to cure.

Some United Methodist Churches are that way... also the Unitarians. It probably varies from church to church within a denomination. I'm known gay Catholics who were perfectly happy in their congregation. Curiously, this was in the Red-state redneck midwest, not the liberated coasts.

It amuses me to see Christian churches (I'm a Jewish Taoist) use the Levitican laws to demonstrate that Homosexuality is a sin, when they don't follow any of the other 612 commandments in the Torah. Eating a cheeseburger is just as bad as getting a blowjob from your boyfriend according to Moses.

Not that this has anything at all to do with the article, but holy crap, 2100 is a mega church in Denver? The church I went to growing up in a rural town had 1100+. That was over 10% of the county population.

I definately think it's OK and fun to point and laugh at disgraced, outed priests. Fuck em. At least this one didn't appear to do anything illegal, no small boys or anything (yet).

yeah because all gay people go after small boys..

he came out and it seems was trying to make things right. i dont know why anyone should be laughed at for doing something this difficult and (possibly) life destroying.

Why out them? I already point and laugh at evangelical Christians for "living by the book" but not really understanding it.
Pointing and laughing at the stupid = OK
Pointing and laughing at gays = OK only when it's Tom Cruise

Maybe because he's made a career out of hypocritically destroying other peoples lives ?


I see your point and I don't think you'll find me laughing at this particular guy like I did Haggard. He definitely seems a little more sincere and I have just a little bit of sympathy for him ( at this point of the story ). But I also feel a bit that for his hypocrisy he should be ridiculed, tarred, feathered and drivin out of town in a clown car.

I actually feel bad for the guy.

I have no sympathy for this guy. If he wasn't outed by a member of the church he would still be up on his pulpit spreading hate.

He didn't come out, he was outed. I have no problem with what anyone does with their sex life. I fully believe in the theory "consenting adults can do anything they want, as long as noone is getting hurt".
But this choad liked to preach against homosexually, then go home and practice exactly that. If he had come out on his own, and been willing to discuss the topic in person (not a pre-recorded message) than I would respect that to.
But since he had to be outed, and then ran away as a quitter, yer damn right I say "FUCK HIM."

I'm with you on this MrCrisp. It would seem that gratuitous artistry has taken over the site; now exemplified by adorable visual aids.

The good news for the creative staff at SG - doodling never needs to be researched; you just toss it up on the site, or on the boards, and it sticks without benefit of peer review