Religion
Related: About this forumProminent Antigay Evangelical Blogger Outed as Gay
James Merrit, the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is currently the pastor at an Atlanta mega-church, had promised that his son would join the church this weekend for a special announcement, but no word on whether this was what they had planned. Southworth outed Merritt in his blog this week, so Merritt responded by admitting his "inappropriate" actions to evangelist blogger Ed Stetzer.
Joe.My.Gods Joe Jervis posted a rundown of the relationship between Merritt and Southworth that occurred in 2009. Merritt says he and Southworth began emailing and sexting each other after Merritt wrote an article saying "that Christians must love people who experience sexual brokenness." The sexting led to a meet up and "as we were saying goodbye, we had physical contact that went beyond the bounds of friendship. I was overcome with guilt, knowing I had put myself in an unwise situation. We never saw each other again and we ceased contact after a period of time."
Merritt says he saw a Christian counselor to sort through his childhood and "what I believed God wanted for me. I also began to acknowledge to myself that I have sin in my past, sin for which I accept responsibility. Inappropriate texting, inappropriate actions are inappropriate no matter who the other party is. These were my decisions and no one elses. Its from my brokenness, that I feel I can now be transparent, honest, and authentic about these accusations. Those close to me know I have actually been planning to share the story of my brokenness for some time. Because it is part of my spiritual journey. And because it underscores the power of the Gospel to transform lives.
http://www.advocate.com/society/coming-out/2012/07/27/prominent-antigay-evangelical-blogger-outed-gay
2ndAmForComputers
(3,527 posts)backscatter712
(26,355 posts)tiny elvis
(979 posts)all the king's men couldn't make humpty dumpty's brokenness not be
how awkward
why is he still talking?
time for quiet, quiet reflection
AlbertCat
(17,505 posts)Good grief!
"what I believed God wanted for me."
What if what you BELIEVE god wants for you isn't what god actually wants for you?
How do these people get thru the day, with all this god stuff? Oh.... they forget about it while sexting.....
LARED
(11,735 posts)I dont identify as gay because I believe there can be a difference between what one experiences and the life that God offers, Merritt said in the interview posted Thursday (July 26).
Merritt also told Stetzer that an older man who lived in his neighborhood sexually abused him when he was a child.
The experience was followed with a tidal wave of shame and guilt so great that I never told anyone for many years, Merritt said.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)LARED
(11,735 posts)your "other ways of knowing" again.
Have a wonderful day.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)He is exhibiting the classic signs of cognitive dissonance. Not sure why you need to be so disagreeable on this.
LARED
(11,735 posts)Perhaps I misunderstood how you meant he was displaying cognitive dissonance.
You seemed to say that him saying he was not gay is a display of cognitive dissonance as he really is gay. While that may be true. I cannot discern if he is gay or not.
Again have a wonderful day.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)2ndAmForComputers
(3,527 posts)With extra niceness on top.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)I'm sure he thinks his religion will "cure" him.
It's sad people can't just be who they are. I also don't like how he plays into the false narrative that being sexually abused as a child somehow causes same-sex attraction.
LARED
(11,735 posts)having a single homosexual experiance means the person is gay?
I'll take him at his word until proved otherwise.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)LARED
(11,735 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,730 posts)(yes, you know where this is going)
vigorously pumping back and forth in the air....