Rev. Jimmy Swaggart | |
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File:Revjimmy.jpg | |
Born | |
Occupation | Pentecostal Preacher |
Website | www.jsm.org |
Jimmy Lee Swaggart (born March 15, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is a Pentecostal preacher and pioneer of televangelism who reached the height of his popularity in the 1980s. During the 1970s, Swaggart established a ministry under the Assemblies of God.
Swaggart is the cousin of rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl McVoy, and country musician Mickey Gilley. All four of them played the piano.
Controversy and criticism
Sex scandals
In 1988 Swaggart resigned from his ministry after pictures were taken of him with prostitute Debra Murphree. He issued a lengthy on air apology for his actions. [1]
The photographs had been taken as a result of a rivalvy with fellow TV Evangelist Martin Gorman, who had been defrocked shortly after being accused of "immoral dalliances" by Swaggart. [2]
In 1991 he faced controversy again when it was alleged that he was stopped by police in a car with prostitute Rosemary Garcia.[3]
Views on homosexuality
In 2004 swaggart threatened to kill gays on his TV program, saying "I'm trying to find the correct name for it ... this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. ... I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died." [4]
See also
References
- ^ Swaggart, Jimmy. "Reverend Jimmy Swaggart: Apology Sermon". americanrhetoric.com. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
- ^ "On tis day: 21st Febuary 1998 TV evangelist quits over sex scandal". BBC World News. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
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(help) - ^ "Swaggart Plans to Step Down". The New York Times. October 15, 1991. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
- ^ Prout, Jan (September 19, 2004). "Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart Threatens To Kill Gays". Connexion. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
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