Dr. Paul Crouch, the televangelist who cofounded the Trinity Broadcast Network, which provides a platform for many antigay “men of God” including Robert Jeffress, has died at age 79.
A note posted on TBN’s website indicated Crouch passed away yesterday following “a decade-long fight with degenerative heart disease.”
Crouch began his broadcasting career in the 1950s and founded TBN alongside his colorfully-coiffured wife Jan in 1973. Three years ago the network reached a settlement agreement with a former employee who claimed he was working in a not-so-Christian working environment.
While appearing on TBN, Jeffress used limp metaphors to explain what he considered God’s sex manual.
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“You know, in the instruction manual, it said, now plug this into a 120 [volt] outlet,” he informed viewers. “Suppose I said, ‘Oh, I’m not going to follow those instructions, those are antiquated instructions. I’m going to plug it into a 220 [volt] outlet. It’s my TV and I can do whatever I want to with it, but I’m going to blow that TV to smithereens if I put it in a 220 outlet! The manufacturer made it; he knows how it operates best. The Bible is God’s instruction manual for us.”
Other notable antigay figures who’ve used the network as a platform to promote bigotry include Kirk Cameron and Rick Santorum.
DShucking
Meh. Everyone dies.
Richard
His wife looks like Lady Bunny.
Daniel-Reader
There was something in the news a few years back about a closet case being outed who started one of the big religious networks. Is this the one?
Sohobod
Wot a shame. Not.
the other Greg
I’m surprised I never even heard of him before. Especially with that name, Crouch, lol. Let us crouch and be grateful that he’s gone!
2eo
He died slowly, painfully and in full view of everyone around him.
A good day indeed, great kickstart to the holiday season. I wonder is his family would appreciate a “we are better for having lost him” card.
StucknTx
RIP? Really? Should be RIH–Rot in Hell. Not that I believe in either, but seriously, this greedy, closeted, con artist has taken money from so many desperate, gullible people, all while he and his thinly-veiled beard/worst example of a bad drag queen for a wife, Jan, lived in separate mansions in multiple states. I have followed these two for years, partly for entertainment, partly out of disbelief that anyone could fall for them. Paul Crouch is dead. The world is a better place. Meanwhile, I hear the chicken Jan claims to have raised from the dead (seriously–she claims this) calling her name from the grave. Let’s hope she goes soon, too.
StucknTx
@Richard:
That’s really unfair to Lady Bunny! 😉 Jan Crouch makes Lady Bunny look like Miss Universe.
boring
What a kick in the Crouch.
Nixter
Why didn’t Jesus heal him? What good is god if he doesn’t heal his children?!
KDub
Rest in peace. Even if I don’t agree with his views, he was still a human being. Some of you guys are showing far worse malevolence than this guy ever did.
hephaestion
He founded the original Big Hair Network. Everyone on that network is dumb as a rock. I hope he gets some brains when he goes to Heaven and learns that God is angry with the bullshit he pulled on earth.
Chris-MI
@Daniel-Reader: Nah, not him. You’re probably thinking of the most reverend Ted Haggard who founded a big ol’ church and was a darling of the “new” evangelical movement, i.e. very big churches, very showy services, reclining seats with cupholders, minimal actual theology, self-serving politics, vague science bashing, and tea with President Bush. His regular service provider came forward after he saw his good buddy on TV putting the slap down on gay marriage. Ted first denied it all, then admitted to it all in little increments. He never owned a TV network or TV show though.
2eo
@KDub: No, not even close. But then you already knew that.
Well, in your case you actually didn’t.
mikey
One less hater in the world.Rest in peace my a**
glitterbang
@Daniel-Reader: The Rev. Crouch actually WAS involved in a scandal about 10 years ago that TBN attempted unsuccessfully to squelch. It involved a weekend retreat to a mountain cabin on Lake Arrowhead that Crouch had with a TBN employee who had done jail time for having had sex with a 17 year old boy. This man then claimed afterwards that he and Crouch engaged in various sexual activited while at the cabin and he proceeded to write a manuscript entitled Arrowhead describing what took place. Crouch was advised by TBN attorneys to pay the man off which took place, but it failed to quiet the scandal though few seem to remember it.
Daniel-Reader
I knew there was something about that name.
Josh in OR
Pity that his wife, the Cotton-Candy-and-Mascara-and-Bad-Plastic-Surgery Golem, Jan, is still around. These crooks screwed over Tammy Faye, one of the few televangelists who actually spoke for gay rights and AIDS victims in a time when people wouldn’t even touch the infected out of fear. They are also some of the least Christian ‘Christians’ I have ever seen, flaunting the wealth they stole from gullible people all over the world.
Good Riddance.
Volvoguy
The silence is amazing !!
Manchester
http://rodserlingsghost.wordpress.com/tag/jan-crouch-2013/
Eiswirth
One down; millions to go.
Large Marge
I guess god had a reason for not curing him no matter how much he prayed. Seems god doesn’t like dicks… well, except for jesus who is god and hanging out with 12 dudes and a hooker. Sounds pretty gay to me.
Ruhlmann
The bad news is Jan is single again.
Ruhlmann
@KDub: We’re having a bit of fun, he worked towards our debasement.
2eo
On a religion note, I hope you’re all stoking the feud between the conservative christian none catholics and the conservative catholics.
Caleb in SC
I hate to hear that someone has passed, but I read quite a few obituaries with great pleasure.
dvlaries
“I’ve never killed a man but I’ve read many an obituary with a great deal of satisfaction.” – Clarence Darrow
Ron Jackson
@dvlaries:
Ha! I like that one. I can’t wait until it can be used for Pat Robertson.
iMort
@KDub: you are a judgmental little prig. KDub..? Cool name so getto Zzzzzz
andy_d
@Richard: Please don’t be insulting. What a mean thing to say about Lady Bunny who has done so much for our community.
Caliban
Paul and Jan Crouch are nothing but con-men, preaching a “prosperity gospel” that boils down to “if you send ME money God will make you rich!” And it works! For themselves at least. For the people who send them money…. not so much.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Paul Crouch was gay or fooled around with men. There’s a LONG history of these anti-gay tools being complete hypocrites, from Jim Bakker to Ted Haggard and “Bishop” Eddie Long.
One of the more comic revelations after Jim Bakker’s “religious” empire imploded was it was more or less the duty of one of his bodyguards to screw him. As I recall, the man revealed a specific incident when Jim “whimpered like a puppy” as he was getting schtupped and Tammy Faye was banging on the door demanding to know what was going in! That may be why she was relatively pro-gay later- she’d been married to a gay man for years. Their son is also pro-gay and a preacher, another result perhaps of dear old dad’s hypocrisy. (Though as I recall, Bakker wasn’t rabidly anti-gay the way so many Religious Right “ministers” are today.)
Merv
I’m crying as I type this. My heart goes out!
seaguy
His wife must be a real mess with all that mascara running and her pink hair all messed up from crying uncontrollably while asking her followers to send more money. Good riddance hope he enjoys hell!
seaguy
@Merv: I hope your being sarcastic. How could anyone cry over someone so hateful towards our community dying?
Horse Lips
I’m quite happy that his way of thinking is dying off with his generation.
Horse Lips
To paraphrase Bette Davis… You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good . . . Paul Crouch is dead. Good!
mulletkitty
Queerty —
You left out all the money he paid to hush up sexual harassment charges of his male employees.
TheNewEnergyDude
@Horse Lips: LOLOLOLOL….oh man that’s awful, but a hilarious quote.
Armando5908
good riddance