"My Pastor Is on the Ashley Madison List."

[AtheistCrusader]

‘My Pastor Is on the Ashley Madison List.’
Too many Christians have been caught using Ashley Madison, many of them pastors and church leaders. What now? | Ed Stetzer
This week, I’ve already written a couple of posts on the Ashley Madison hack and information leak because pastors, Christian leaders, and families are facing devastating revelation and the after-effects of public sin.

Based on my conversations with leaders from several denominations in the U.S. and Canada, I estimate that at least 400 church leaders (pastors, elders, staff, deacons, etc.) will be resigning Sunday. This is a significant moment of embarrassment for the church—and it should be. To be honest, the number of pastors and church leaders on Ashley Madison is much lower than the number of those looking to have an affair. Yet, there is still much that we must consider in the midst of the embarrassment.

Also, to be clear, in situations like these, we must confirm all things. Not everyone on the list signed themselves up. Among those who did, the sin and circumstances will be different. Many likely signed themselves up and didn't actually go through with adultery. Regardless, though, trust has been shattered and hearts have been broken. But before we assume a name on a list means adultery has taken place, we must confirm all things and seek the full truth.

On Tuesday I wrote “Life Is Eternal. Don’t Have an Affair,” reflecting on the issue. Yesterday, I wrote, “I’m on the Ashley Madison List. Now What?” to help people caught on the list deal with the consequences.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/august/my-pastor-is-on-ashley-madison-list.html

Looks like the number of pastors/priests/ministers is well north of 400 now.

Remember, these folks are the ones with the bat phone to the arbiter of all things moral!

[Laffy Kat]

1. . . .

[Laf.La.Dem.]

2. Joined only to do "research"?

[AtheistCrusader]

3. Which is funny, because I'm pretty sure users can't browse other users names.

Otherwise, there would be a single PI firm out there with one AM account, telling spouses their partners are flaming dirtbags.

[safeinOhio]

4. Bet there are ten times as many

that log on to Backpage dot com and browse the hooker adds.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. 400 people who have made their career out of bashing LGBT people found to be cheating shits

all at once. Reminds me of the hundreds of others that have gone before them. No occupation has more sexual scandals than the clergy, which makes money by attacking other people's sexuality.

The thing is, it's not just the 400 it is also their congregations that arrogantly claimed to have discernment as to who was a 'sinner' and who was a saint. They have no discernment.
But this is common and constant and if people did not turn against the church for raping children they sure won't mind this. They will weep, be forgiven, give a sermon attacking gay people and their congregation will then remodel the parsonage and give them all raises.
It takes a village to put corruption in charge of sanctity.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. And it's just 400 *so far*.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. I wonder what the deflection will be for this op?

[rug]

9. Here's one. Do you wonder how many atheists are on the subscriber list?

[AtheistCrusader]

11. It would be curious to find some perhaps.

The rules might be different though. I know some that are in open relationships, so this sort of thing wouldn't be 'against the rules' or a moral deficiency for them at all.

Pretty sure people adhering to the Abrahamic faiths are 'agin it, as a general rule.

[EvilAL]

13. My friend has an account on ChristianMingle

and he has hooked up with a few women on there, had a one-night stand and had sex with the others after a few dates. He's atheist and said only one of the women was 'saving herself' for the right man and only a couple even talked about religion on the dates. Not all of them had sex with him, but he's been at it for a few years now.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Fluid sexuality can be within the scope of one's morals.

I have no beef with that. But if that person is also preaching monogamy and chastity, and whatnot as a matter of public policy, alters school education systems to support that, etc,

and they turn out to be on a site like AM?

Oh man, that pisses me off.

[EvilAL]

53. Yeah. . kinda hard to

Take a religious moral high road when you are committing or attempting to commit adultery while telling people they'll go to hell if they do it.. lol

[LiberalAndProud]

12. Since "sin" is a religious concept, I think it would be unremarkable.

[rug]

15. Cheating isn't.

[LiberalAndProud]

18. I truly think you're smart enough to discern the nuance here.

Whereas I recognize that committed monogamy is a magnificent idea to aspire to with fabulous benefits, I recognize that our human nature doesn't seem to lend itself to realizing that ideal. I will note, though, that having a religion and believing in a higher power doesn't appear to deter bad and very hurtful behavior. I'm told, though, that the sinners are Forgiven. So there is that.

[AtheistCrusader]

20. I'm of the opinion that committed monogamy is a social construct, largely informed by social mores

that are handed down by or strongly influenced by religion.

I don't 'share' well, so I'm monogamous, but I have no expectations that anyone else is.

[LiberalAndProud]

50. I can only speak about my own experience.

Committed monogamy can be a wonderful thing.

[Lordquinton]

16. How is that relevant? nt

[rug]

17. As relevant as the OP.

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Pewee Herman, is that you?

Seriously, 'I'm rubber you're glue' is all you've got?

OP specifies a group that intrinsically is hostile to cheating. It's a sin. Even in the new testament it's a sin. Sin-tastic. Turned the sin-amp to 11.


Atheists don't 'have' sin. It's not our bag, baby. To find an atheist on that list is not prima facie evidence of cheating. Some people have open relationships. To cheat and lie is a moral failing when that's not part of your arrangement with your partner, but that's not a universal moral rule for atheists. It's not a rule in our bible we don't have.

So, swing and a miss there, bro.

[rug]

23. You're not saying that atheists have no sexual morality arre you?

[AtheistCrusader]

24. Not universal, no.

That's between consenting partners, whether XYZ behavior/act/preference is a 'bad thing' or not.

[rug]

25. I did not qualify it with "universal".

The simple fact is, if you are consistent, that atheism says nothing at all about sexual morality.

There are prudes libertines and hypocrites among self-identifying atheists, as with other groups, none of whom are acting in the name of atheism.

[Lordquinton]

28. Here's your problem

The priests are preaching in the name of their religion, that's why this is important.

[rug]

31. And you are constantly moralizing in the name of atheism.

Hypocrites and moral failures are the main actors jn humanity.

[AtheistCrusader]

35. Link?

[Lordquinton]

49. wat?

You seem to have lost the plot. This is about christian preachers who routinely use their religion to bully people about their personal lives (Their marriage, in this case) and they have been caught doing what they were preaching against.

Atheism doesn't even exist in this same argument.

[AtheistCrusader]

30. Sure sounded like it.

Atheism is totally silent on the issue of sexual mores.

People get their rules from mutual consent, or possibly some other ideology.

Something that is both liberating (not being told what to believe by some arbitrary authoritarian) and more work (coming to a mutually acceptable arrangement with your partner)

[rug]

33. Absent words make no sound.

[AtheistCrusader]

34. And yet, you felt it important to come in here and ask your silly

Question about how many atheists would be found on that list.

Odd.

[rug]

36. Those words resounded, given the apologists' reaction.

[AtheistCrusader]

38. Reply does not compute.

[rug]

40. Did you check the plug?

[AtheistCrusader]

42. Looks like you've been caught hoping for a different reaction, and now

You're just going for the last word.

If there's nothing else, go ahead and take it.

[Lordquinton]

27. Look past your bias

It's been explained why the op is notable, your point here is not.

[rug]

29. Oh, good, link to the explanation.

Unless your own bias is paralyzing you.

[AtheistCrusader]

37. You already know the answer to this question, and why the question is invalid.

[rug]

39. There's plenty of invalidity on display, and it's not the question.

[AtheistCrusader]

41. You're just all over the place today. I'll wait till you collect your thoughts.

[Lordquinton]

43. Post 28 nt

[Warren Stupidity]

46. sic qed ipso facto ceteris paribus

[cleanhippie]

8. When ones role model is a genocidal, misogynistic, petty and jealous

Asshole whose main edict is "do as I say not as I do"...


Hypocrisy is the inevitable result.

[Warren Stupidity]

10. Why the number of atheists on this list is irrelevant.

(an exercise left to the reader.)

[trotsky]

19. Perhaps if there were atheist leaders...

who were vocal about their opposition to marriage equality and homosexuality, and blaming those for the downfall of marriage?

What do I win, Alex?

[AtheistCrusader]

21. And modifying schools for abstinence only education, etc.

[Warren Stupidity]

44. Well trotsky, you've earned a free trip to a burning pit of fire in hell, and

what's more, its for eternity! Because as you know, trotsky, god loves you.

[AZ Mike]

26. #NotAllPastors

Just waiting for it....

[AtheistCrusader]

32. Looooool

Is true, some are probably on OK Cupid

[Warren Stupidity]

45. which is fine. They could be single and looking for a good christian spouse.

Or perhaps just a good christian quickie. Is there a christian version of tinder? Holy Fuck! There is a christian tinder. It's called "collide". I googled christian grindr but all I found was the religiously afflicted officials who got outed for using grindr while preaching homophobia. Now there's a shock.

[AtheistCrusader]

47. Rule 34

[hrmjustin]

48. I like your post.

[still_one]

51. well, bless their little hearts.........

[PatrickforO]

52. These guys are railing against Obama, against LGBT people, against contraception, abortion and

Planned Parenthood. Because they want to impose their racial and sexual hang-ups on the rest of us.

Now the rock has been lifted and the maggots exposed.

[AtheistCrusader]

55. Some of the maggots that can figure out how to use a computer, anyway.

[pokerfan]

54. Toon....