Of Motes and Beams

The LDS Church, though a prime example of institutional homophobia, doesn't have a monopoly on religious bigotry and hypocrisy. Mainstream Christians (i.e. Catholics, Evangelicals, Anglicans etc.) have been persecuting "perverts" (archaic term for LGBT community) centuries longer than Mormons have existed. The relentless storm of condemnation persists today in this country (U.S.) and in developing ones like Uganda...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html

...but occasionally there is a silver lining:

Bishop Jim Swilley is the Evangelical pastor of a "megachurch" in Georgia. He recently announced he's gay to several thousand congregants. Many walked out of the assembly denouncing their previously beloved shepherd, but more stayed and stood by him in solidarity and acceptance.

http://www.npr.org/2010/11/14/131312723/out-of-the-closet-in-the-pulpit-of-a-megachurch?ft=1&f=1001

What's remarkable about this story is that Swilley's impetus for coming out wasn't a sex scandal.

Other rich and powerful preachers with their own megachurches have been caught in illicit affairs with male prostitutes and male parishioners.

Pastor Ted Haggard:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/02/national/main6541849.shtml

and more recently, Bishop Eddie Long:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20018905-504083.html

Haggard and Long are sad yet striking examples of closeted men who have profited enormously from spreading anti-gay rhetoric and propaganda from gilded pulpits of morality, while secretly indulging in homosexual liaisons.

But even their hypocrisy can't compare with that of the Catholic Church.

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-19/world/catholic.church.abuse_1_abusive-priests-church-abuse-archdiocese?_s=PM:WORLD

Let me emphasize that Haggard and Long are not in the same category of hypocrite as the PPPP (Papacy Protected Pedophile Priests).

Digression:

Both Haggard's and Long's extra-marital affairs were with post-pubescent men not pre-pubescent children. They are homosexuals not pedophiles. The former term indicates orientation the latter indicates victimology.

Disregarding this distinction Catholic leaders use the heinous crimes they previously tried to conceal as fuel for hatred of LGBT people.

Father Tarcisio Bertone, second only to Pope Benedict, blames homosexuality for the pederastic predation in his Church.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/12/tarcisio-bertone-vaticans_n_534837.html#postComment?show_comment_id=44501935#comment_44501935,sb=705095,b=facebook

That's like blaming adult rape on heterosexuality simply because the vast majority of rape cases are men violating women.

(Here's a Newsweek article with more information about young female victims of Catholic priests: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/04/14/what-about-the-girls.html )

Orientation, heterosexual or homosexual or bisexual, no more contributes to the incidence of sexual assault than eye color.

Digression concluded...

Bishop Jim Swilley is now in the company of Bishop Gene Robinson who presides in New Hampshire.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/06/eugene-robinson-first-gay-bishop-retires-_n_779987.html

Though members of different denominations they are both examples of true Christian faithfulness as they preach inclusion and acceptance starting with themselves.