Holy balls, is Christ the safe space for every high-profile guy who gets caught sleeping with dudes? First Ted Haggard returns to the cloth, and now gay American and former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey wants to get all up in god’s good graces?
A frail-looking McGreevey is training to become an Episcopal priest at a church in Hoboken, though for now he merely “assists the Rev. Geoffrey Curtiss at three Masses on Sunday and participates in parish programs, donation drives and activities.” It’s a stark departure for McGreevey. No, not because he now spends so much time before the cross, but because he used to be Roman Catholic, which frowns on (forbids?) the man-on-man thing. Episcopals are a smidge more lenient.
If anything, perhaps it will teach McGreevey to be more patient — so he can sit through movies about gay politicos without squirming. See you in the pews, Jim!
tarf
He used to remind me a little of Gregory Peck.
Now its Gene Robinson if Gene Robinson were a lesbian librarian in rural Maine 1974.
The Cross must be really heavy.
GeoffM
Wow…he does look “frail”. The stress must be finally catching up w/him. Sad.
fubar
Why is it that no one can accept the fact that you can be gay and also a person of faith. I know the bigots and haters tell us we cant…but why should we listen to them.
I find comfort in the scriptures, in knowing that i am just a tiny part of a divine plan. NO i don’t think I’m going to rot in hell because i’m gay. But i don’t get the hostility that a lot of the gay community has to religion in general. Yeah, i understand the anger at the bigots…but religion/spirituality is bigger than a few angry old white men trying to make a profit
terrwill
He has a huge cross to bear…………….
Jaroslaw
Fubar, dear, it is possible to be Gay and a person of faith. And yes, sometimes blogs imply there is a problem with that, but I think the problem is much more so that James McGreevey put himself first by marrying for cover and then lied about an affair and lied about other things and THEN like so many others retreats into religion as a final cover.
Is he sincere in his faith? Only God knows, but there is a good chance he isn’t. That, my dear, is why he is in this blog.
dsdrane
Here’s an inconvenient fact for the snarkers: he’s still gay. He and his partner live in Plainfield, NJ. He’s attending the Episcopalian General Theological Seminary in Manhattan, presumably because he can still be openly gay and partnered and still become a priest. (Though it should be noted that you can complete an M.Div. degree without necessarily becoming a priest.)
jarvisbearcub
Do you people all realize exactly HOW MANY gay priests there are? When I meet an episcopal priest now, and he isn’t holding hands with his wife, I assume that he is gay.
The research in literature backs it up for Catholics. I’m not sure if Anglican studies have been done, but if I had a nickel for every gay anglican priest/theologian I knew…. well, I’d have at least 30 cents. And that’s in one tiny part of the world.
dsdrane
I don’t think anyone is surprised anymore about the number of gay people in the clergy. The point, here, is that Queerty feels the need to tar McGreevey as some sort if hypocrite, but the facts don’t support it. I have no idea why the man wanted to enter seminary, but it’s pretty clear he didn’t do it to run away from his sexuality.
Gay clergy may be a dime [or nickel] a dozen, but openly gay and partnered ones are still pretty rare.
Bill Perdue
Given his history, this is not too mcuh of a loss. As a former Democrat (or Republican) politician he’s well qualified to be a car salesperson, a mortgage broker, a lawyer, a pimp or a priest. He chose the least challenging of those ‘professions’.
“Christianity…(has become) the most perverted system that ever shone on man.” Thomas Jefferson
“History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government.” Thomas Jefferson
“During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? …superstition, bigotry, and persecution.” James Madison
“Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory in itself than this thing called Christianity” Thomas Paine
“Lighthouses are more useful than churches” Benjamin Franklin
w
Can you believe this guy……give me a break! Or is this his way of staying out of hell?
Steve
Gay priests, if they are willing to lead, can have a dramatic effect. The gay movement has lots of priests and preachers, but none have stepped forward and been willing to lead the nation. None has been willing to confront the “main line” churches by calling the hypocrites, “hypocrites”.
Every church needs to consider and produce answers to several questions:
How can we minister to couples who are not allowed to marry?
How has the church harmed those people?
How has the church harmed the children of those couples?
How has the church harmed the relationships of those couples?
Why did the church do those terrible, harmful things?
Are those people actual, human beings, or something less?
What would Jesus have done for those people?
ANY gay priest or minister could step forward to lead the nation. So far, none has. The Reverend Troy Perry was willing to lead a small church, but was not willing to enter politics, or to confront politicians. Perry was bold for his time, but he is old and tired. We are still waiting for the gay version of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King.
Perhaps that leader will come from an unexpected source.
When a Catholic bishop makes a speech, opposing fair treatment for gay people, it can be answered effectively by a Gay bishop, if he is willing to attract national attention, call the Catholic a Hypocrite, and offer a more Christian alternative.
TikiHead
As a gay atheist, I have to say this affects me no more than if you’d told me he joined the McDonald’s middle / (upper?) management training program…
The Artist
Leave the man alone. I live in Hoboken and attend the church and he is walking a new path. And he is NOT frail, a little greyer, but that’s it…the picture is just terrible. Also, I’m not sure why this is on the gay news blog now. McGreevey has been at the church for quite sometime, along with his family. Most comments about this subject is just silly. Don’t judge other people and redirect their energy to something more positive. PEACELUVNBWILD!
Brian
Finding religion? Well, nobody ever said McGreevey was smart.
B
In No. 2 · GeoffM wrote, “Wow…he does look ‘frail’. The stress must be finally catching up w/him. Sad.”
Either that or he is no longer getting the beauty treatments including getting his hair dyed that politicians sometimes use to project a more “youthful” image.
Jenkins
Well, see, I’m against that. People using religion as some sort of scape goat is not ok. What would he have turned to if there was no religion? These guys do the wrong thing, they’re ashamed and they go like: “Oh, right, religion. If I’m religious, people won’t believe what the newspapers say about me”.
Brandy Shiloh