Christians Defending Married Male Preachers Caught in Sexual Sin
I watched about fifteen minutes of an old repeat of TBN’s “Praise the Lord” that was aired about 2 or 3 AM this morning (I have insomnia, so yes, I can be up at strange hours).
The show I caught in repeat in the wee hours was first aired March 3, 1988, and featured a black haired lady with a white guy with kinky hair and glasses (Dan Shaeffer). The show was hosted by Paul Crouch Sr and his pink haired wife, Jan.
The topic was preacher Jimmy Swaggart having to possibly resign over his sex scandal. (I think he was caught using prostitutes?)
(Link): Wiki page on Swaggart Sex Scandal
- Sexual scandals in the late 1980s and early 1990s led the Assemblies of God to defrock him, and to his temporarily stepping down as the head of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.
One argument Crouch Sr raised on that show as to why AoG should not make Swaggart step down was non-sensical: he said, “In a phone call to Swaggart, I told him, if they force you to step down, what if one soul does not hear the Gospel because of that?”
Uh, if that one person did not hear the Gospel from Swaggart, they could have heard it from Pat Robertson’s “The 700 Club” TV show back then, or Jim and Tammy Baker’s show, or any of the other tele-evangelists, or in a Billy Graham crusade, or from visiting a church in person. It’s not like Swaggart was the only conduit to the Gospel in the 1980s, puh-leeze.
You can probably watch this repeat yourself over at “iTBN’s” site. I just looked it up; you can watch it here:
(Link): TBN Praise the Lord Mar 3, 1988
I was nauseated by the segment I saw. Crouch Sr and Shaeffer were arguing that Swaggert should not have to step down over his sexual sin because he has “repented.”
This would be a case where maybe “slut shaming” (in this instance, directed at a married man who committed adultery) wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but does not the New Testament state that a preacher/elder have to be ‘above reproach’ and all that? Wouldn’t an extra marital affair bar the dude from being a preacher?
My main reason for posting this,though, is to again point out how Christian are lax about sexual sin, too easily forgiving, not wanting the sexual sinner to suffer any sort of repercussion or fall out.
Meanwhile, men who are un-married (singles) are barred by some of these same churches from serving in leadership positions, primarily because biased Christians assume all un-married people are horny horn dogs who have sex with 567 people per week.
So, these prejudiced idiots will accept an adulterous preacher in the pulpit, but not a celibate single male (or woman)? HYPOCRISY. DOUBLE STANDARD.
Christians like to live in Fantasy Land, where they think married couples are more godly, sexually pure, or mature than un-married Christians.
Please, take the time to browse through my blog here, where I have featured news stories about married Christian (and Non Christian) men, some preachers, who have been jailed for rape, serial killing, child sexual abuse, breaking and entering, fraud, drug addiction, and stealing, etc.
Unmarried Christian adults are sometimes more godly, mature, and sexually pure than married Christian couples, but churches don’t like to admit to this.
This TBN segment also gets into this idea I’ve touched on before in older blog pages: Christians say they respect sexual fidelty, virginity, but where the rubber hits the road, they are more apt to fall over themselves making excuses for sexual sin and sexual sinners then they are in upholding virginity and sexual purity and celibates.
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Related posts this blog:
(Link): Scandals Galore at TBN – financial, sexual
(Link): Apparently Marriage and Parenting Turns Adults Into Incestuous Child Rapists
(Link): TBN, Kirk Cameron, and Misplaced Over- Concern On Marriage – What About the Unmarried?
(Link): Have we made an idol of families? by A. Stirrup (copy)
(Link): Never Married Christians Over Age 35 who are childless Are More Ignored Than Divorced or Infertile People or Single Parents
(Link): Salvation By Marriage Alone – The Over Emphasis Upon Marriage (and “family”) by Conservative Christians Evangelicals Southern Baptists
(Link): Mark Gungor on Sexuality and Singles on Jan. 2013 TBN Guest Appearance
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