This is a courageous man, doing something for a good cause. If only to save a few gay kids from suicide ..

Megachurch Pastor Comes Out

Posted on Advocate.com October 29, 2010
Megachurch Pastor Comes Out
By Advocate.com Editors
JIM SWILLEY X390 (GRAB) | ADVOCATE.COM

The pastor of a megachurch in Conyers, Ga., told his congregation last week that he's gay, saying that while he knows his announcement might ruin his career, the recent rash of suicides pushed him to speak out.

Jim Swilley, 52, founded Rockdale County's Church in the Now 25 years ago. His wife, Debye, was the associate pastor, and together they had four children.

Swilley says he's known that he's gay since he was a boy, and his wife knew when they got married. Jim and Debye are now divorced, but they kept his secret for more than 21 years. Earlier this year, Swilley says, Debye told him she thought it was time he stop living a lie.

Swilley says he decided she was right after reading stories about kids being harassed by antigay bullies and committing suicide.

"As a father, thinking about your 16-, 17-year-old killing themselves, I thought somebody needed to say something," he told WSB TV in Atlanta. "I know all the hateful stuff that's being written about me online, whatever. To think about saving a teenager, yeah, I'll risk my reputation for that."

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Interview with Jim Swilley

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/25570047/index.html

Sad story Mondo.
But now I'm trying to understand why you (Dear friend) are standing up for gay people.

What happened or who or why?
What deep in your heart compels you to defend and or make gay OK?

You must have some deep feelings about this your not sharing Mondo.
Unless its just humanism. But I don't think so.

Were all stuck on this planet together, me myself a bad story and?
A Catholic priest drugged me at the Minnesota Inventors Congress in 1983.
My invention was the Beeping Bobber, a fishing bobber that would beep when fish pulled on the bait.
That night in the motel in Redwood Falls Minnesota at the bar in the motel I was sitting with a Catholic priest at a table. I had two drinks and WAM I was out!!!!
I did get up to go to the bathroom and when I came back my drink must have been lased with something.

Next thing I remember is waking up in my room on a bed that was just made, and I was naked. And the door was propped open with a cooler.
I then 3% awake walked down the hall to the front desk, and I saw a young woman put her hand over her mouth, and I looked down at myself and I was naked. Then nothing till I woke up and was late for the MIC meeting.

I don't know what happened from about 9pm till 4am that night in 1983.
But it was not me who caused it.

Mondo, I have tried every drug that is not shot into the vanes and I have found nothing that compares to or impairs like 1983.

Are you gay Mondo?
Be honest old friend.
Are you gay or do you just wonder what its like to be a woman?
Or is it family things you can't talk about?

Love ya Mondo.
Any way you can say.

Stop holding me in suspense!!!!

Love to you and yours no matter what, in Jesus our Lord.
Bro Tim

The word gay would just be an unnecessary addition.
From your perspective here, women would be right to accuse all men as rapists.

What we do have, in fact, are men that are rapists, and men that are not
Gay people that rape and pay people that do not.
Same applies to straight women and lesbians, of course.

Any institution or person that condemns another because of their sexual preferances with other consensual people, are of the Dark Ages. We do not need agree, maybe in tha same way that a 20 something marries a 80 something, but that is no reason to condemn, if both parties are happy.

The Source is ALL, that makes the Source quite a Hermaphrodite, or maybe totally sexless. depends how we look at Sex and sex and male and female energies.


Your experience was deplorable and I am very sorry for that. But whether this sort of crime is conducted by a gay person or a straight person, one must not, in this case, condemn a whole section.

It is pleasing and freeing to see bigot made shackles being thrown back at them bit by bit. The crap strictness of Churchanity , hopefully the olde churchanity, is slowly being pulled into enlightenment. This will SAVE religion, instead of doing it to it's death.

IMO, of course.

Open to debate!


Love
Jackie

Tim said: But now I'm trying to understand why you (Dear friend) are standing up for gay people.

Why shouldn't he?

My uncle is gay and is one of the nicest persons in the world. And he has had a terrible time dealing with homophobic bigots. All decent people should have others stand up for them.

Reading your story, sounds like you should be pissed at priests, not gay people. I'm kinda ticked off at Catholic priests myself. From early childhood, Catholic priests helped my parents brainwash me into believing a giant, invisible man lived in the sky and watched everything I did.

Thankfully, I recovered from the brainwashing and I started thinking for myself.

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"The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church." -- Ferdinand Magellan

""""Reading your story, sounds like you should be pissed at priests, not gay people. I'm kinda ticked off at Catholic priests myself. From early childhood, Catholic priests helped my parents brainwash me into believing a giant, invisible man lived in the sky and watched everything I did.""""

Sorry but LOL, Catholics aren't Christian Doc.
I'm sorry you had that upbringing.

The Vatican will produce its Superman 666 in time.
The Vatican is the most corrupt mafia in the world, and its world wide.

Ponder that friend.
Tim

... regardless of particular dogmas and superstitions you and they adhere to, they still believe in the same giant, invisible man who lives in the sky that you do.

And they hate gay people just as much as you do.

If you just HAVE to be religious, I suggest you leave your cult and join a religion that is built on love, not hate.

I recommend Buddhism.

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"The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church." -- Ferdinand Magellan