Pastor Reveals He’s Gay
In this Gensex pop analysis, I will discuss on a pastor who disclosed his sexual identity as being gay. Jim Swilley, the vocal pastor of a Georgian megachurch, shocked the world when he hit the headlines of all the media. The 52-year-old decided to boldly break the news and tell the whole world that he has been gay for a long time. Jim was married to two wives who gave birth to two kids each. He told his four children about the challenges he was encountering after divorcing his wife of 21 years and the woman he knew all his life. He said that it was not his choice to chose gay life but was forced by frustrations after he divorced his first wife. He told his story to CNN and expressed his feelings about being gay.
Jim narrated the hardest encounter regarding his marriage, where his wife said that he was unattractive to her and denied him sexual rights. He, however, said that he loved his wife, who was a beautiful and wonderful woman. During the CNN interview, many people, including church members, asked questions on how he was feeling and the conflicts with his Christian religion, which does not support gay. Reverend Jim also explained how the Bible and the word of God talk about the dos and don’ts. He argued that the Bible does not speak about homosexuality. ABC News was also attracted by Jim’s story and invited him for an interview. The day that the reverend decided to say he is gay openly was when he heard of Tyler Clementi; an 18-year-boy jumped off a bridge in New York City. The roommates of Tyler narrated his story on sexuality on the internet.
I have experienced speakers in my previous classes, where one of them told us that her daughter wanted to become a lesbian. It is not the best news for a parent whose children want to transit from one sexual orientation to another. It is hard to listen to someone narrate a story regarding sexuality and whether they are gay or straight. I am a Muslim and my imam, the spiritual leader, advises us that it’s wrong to identify as a gay or lesbian. In my opinion, people should be allowed to love who they love, whether straight or not, because the Koran says we should love everyone and without discrimination.
In the case of Reverend Jim, I understand that it is tough for him to openly declare that he is gay, mainly because he is the founder of the church he leads. His congregation was shocked but were still bold to continue worshipping in his church. Although most people insulted and hated him, he was strong and stood his ground. I am happy with his ex-wife and children who stood behind him despite what he was going through. It is always good to have people standing with you during hard times like what he as experiencing. Jim is not sure whether after a few months that he will have his congregation, but it is okay rather than living a secret life of being gay.
Work Cited
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/megachurch-pastor-reveals-gay/story?id=12030163