Celebrity preacher Mark Driscoll, of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church, is a bully — though that’s no revelation to anyone familiar with his macho posturing and derisive attitude towards those who fail to live up to his archaic vision of the Christian alpha male.
Now Driscoll is in trouble again over a vicious Facebook status update in which, with all the finesse of a high-school jock, he called on his followers to expose and ridicule effeminate men:
So, what stories do you have about the most effeminate anatomically male worship leaders you’ve ever personally witnessed?
Before Driscoll apologists take issue with “expose and ridicule,” I ask you what other possible intent Driscoll could have? By characterizing effeminate men as “anatomically male” — he could have said just “male,” or even just “worship leaders,” since only a male can be effeminate — he’s clearly making fun. And by asking for “stories” about subjects his followers have “personally witnessed,” he wants more than vague, friend-of-a-friend tales. He wants the details. “Expose and ridicule” is a frighteningly accurate description of his request.
Doesn’t Driscoll know that every day millions of effeminate young men suffer untold misery because they don’t live up to his misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic ideal of what a man should look and sound like? Doesn’t he know that many kids would rather kill themselves than face such humiliation? Apparently Driscoll doesn’t know or doesn’t care.
He removed the offending status update when he was called out on it, but he has yet to comment on why he made the remarks in the first place.
If he hasn’t learned not to be a vicious bully by this stage in his pastoral career, Mark Driscoll should look for another job.
This is even more disgusting to read than the reports of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell stuff we’ve recently been hearing about. I hope he realizes how unacceptable his ‘ministry’ is.
I believe this pastor isn’t worthy of the title…and I am also reeling from the above photo clip that says there were 610 comments!
@Jacquie
From what I can gather, a lot of those comments were complaints. The 87 “Likes” are unambiguous, though.
It’s truly a sign of lack of enlightenment, when gender characteristics ARE mocked. The ancient cultures that established the Torah and Bible and so on….required men and women to adhere to very strict standards of gender. Disregarding the fluid nature of gender, and calling it evil and punishable by death instead.
And gays and the transgendered have had to live it down ever since. People who position themselves to influence their whole neighborhoods or get media attention, need to be held to a higher standard of intelligence and outreach.
In the 21st century and more and more opportunity to know better, people like this hump still perpetuate prejudice and stereotype under the guise of ‘faith teaching’.
Morals will always be about how you treat other human beings. Always. Empathy is the most ethical of virtues and few so called Christians like him care to have any. ESPECIALLY for gay people…or even women.
I still hold and always will to the tempering factor of homosexuality and transgenderism. I firmly, more and more understand that gay men are here to teach straight men how to treat women properly, and the same is true for lesbians. Men like Driscoll treat females like children or at least people who should be around to massage his fat ego. Gay folks interfere with that false sense of supremacy.
And it’s no wonder he’d hate that too. What an insecure and petty man!
@Dave Rattigan
I did wonder what the ratio would be in the comments….some did have a ‘thumbs down’ for his ministry thankfully. Thanks for that, Dave.
Is this a classic case of a putative “macho” man needing to reassure himself of his own masculinity by picking on those whom he perceives to be less than masculine? Men who bully gay men are usually trying to mask feelings of attraction to other men. (Cf. “Glee:” the football player who is secretly gay who bullies Kurt.) Otherwise, why would a pastor put a call out for his flock to regale him with stories which, to put it in Christian terms, could only be called gossip and backbiting–??
Yeah, misogyny aside (and it is a large thing to put aside), this supposed man of God and voice of morality is calling on people to gossip and sow discord.
wtf? it’s ok as long as it’s against those whom he deems “less than?”
Come to think of it (to answer Driscoll’s query), in my experience the most effeminate worship leaders which I’ve personally witnessed would be Randy Thomas and Alan Chambers, at the Exodus conference at Wheaton College in 2009.
Those of you who are taking offense to Pastor Mark Driscoll don’t even know the man’s personality. You’re just afraid of him because he tells The Truth. God is using him for a great purpose of which many couldn’t even comprehend. He only answers to God, not man, as do I. So, all that being said… I’ll say a prayer for all those who are against The One True God. Period.
@Truth Defender
Is this a joke? It’s eerily cult-like in tone.
Note to “Truth Defender,” please use a real email address if you wish to comment further.
Truth Defender…Are you calling Driscoll “The One True God”? Looks like it. Some folks are so blinded by idolatry that they can’t admit when one of their idols stumbles. So sad.
@ Truth Defender
But we DO know his personality, because it’s plain to see to anyone who visits his websites where one can listen/watch his sermons for the past several years. But that still doesn’t explain why he would be interested in hearing stories about effeminate worship leaders.
I smell a Poe.
” He only answers to God, as do I.”
A very prophetic statement, indeed. You and Mark Driscoll will give an account to Almighty God, unless you repent from your bullying ways.
“He only answers to God, and so do I.”
Well, us mortals are the only ones HERE!
I’m am SO not impressed with pomposity hiding behind religion to treat others like dirt. And if hetero folks left judgement of gay people UP TO God, instead of playing with other’s lives as if promoted to Lieutenant God, THEN I’d believe there was some sincerity at work.
Driscoll doesn’t answer to God, he’s not worried about God in the least. As evidenced by how he answers those of us who ARE a part of God’s creative work too.
No man is supreme above another, and never has been. Only GOOD people who do GOOD FOR others, have the spirit of what God is in them.