Not just another outed preacher

[MsGuy]

Hard to feel anything but sad for the knots Rev. Tom Brock has tied himself up in.

The method the reporter used to out him though makes me feel a little quesy. Is it really ok for news organizations to infiltrate confidential support groups in search of a scoop? How many support groups for gays could survive this type of scrutiny?

excerpt:

"A few months ago, the publisher of Lavender got a tip that Brock was attending meetings of Courage, a Catholic support group for people trying to resist same-sex urges. A freelance writer attended the group posing as a prospective member, then wrote about Brock's attendance there — a move viewed by many as journalistically unethical."

The more I think about it, the less I like it.

[TotallyOz]

The more I think about it, the less I like it.

I have always disliked outing in any way. Even with those that are hypocritical. But, to go into a support group for the scoop, is despicable. There should be some things that reports just don't do.

How would one feel if a reporter dressed himself as a priest for the confessional?

[Guest restless]

Hard to feel anything but sad for the knots Rev. Tom Brock has tied himself up in.

Yeah. Support groups of any kind should be off-limits.

[MsGuy]

RE:ACTthe official blog of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association ran a piece on the ethics of this outing. The 'Update' link at the end of the article has significant additional information. The comments cover every concievable take on this (you can skim past the usual redundancy ).

The Ethics of outing Courage--Updated.

Excerpt from comments:

Lyn Carlson (Sherva), on June 24, 2010 at 11:14 am Said:

I was Children’s Ministry Director at hope Lutheran from 1990- 1996. Tom Brock, SR Pastor, asked me to resign when my husband & I divorced AND my gay son was 18 and self medicting with alcohol. Brent died of alcohol poisoning in 2000. Tom Brock’s homophobic railings from the pulpit broke spirits, and one was my son’s. Seems to me Tom Brock should resign… I had to.

Reply

Jay, on June 24, 2010 at 2:54 pm Said:

So sorry to learn of your son’s death and of your firing by Brock. The kind of smug self-righteousness he revealed in forcing you out because of your divorce seems to be characteristic of him, and may help explain his self-loathing. In any case, he deserves no sympathy. I have no sympathy for Courage either: this is a dangerous organization that practices “reparative therapy,” which has been condemned by the American Psychological Association as unethical and harmful. I hope that other journalists infiltrate them and shine some sunlight on their abusive practices

[Guest Klair]

I have always disliked outing in any way.

I don't know. If someone could find a way to out the good Reverend Phelps, I don't think I would have any objections!

[JKane]

I don't know. If someone could find a way to out the good Reverend Phelps, I don't think I would have any objections!

Maybe if somebody spiked his coffee with Viagra then secretly recorded what he does with his first erection in 50 years...

[Lucky]

This here just because it is a bad priest thread, and yes, a gay bad priest:

The ex-pastor of a wealthy Connecticut parish — who resigned in 2007 after an audit found he spent more than $500,000 in church funds on meals, travel and other questionable items — is set to plead guilty today to a federal obstruction-of-justice charge, The Post has learned.

The Rev. Michael Moynihan’s guilty plea in New Haven federal court involves allegations that he mislead federal investigators probing the missing money at St. Michael the Archangel parish in Greenwich, sources said.

The Catholic priest’s lawyers, Mark Sherman and Audrey Felsen, declined to comment.

The Bridgeport Diocese in 2007 revealed that Moynihan, 58, had used $185,000 to pay off personal credit-card bills, which included $32,000 for meals; almost $19,000 for travel, and another $13,000 on equestrian training. Another $44,000 went to people who did not work for the parish.

The money came from a secret bank account containing parish funds that Moynihan had set up.

In 2008, Moynihan was suspended as a priest and fired as a chaplain at SUNY Maritime College in The Bronx after The Post revealed he had long lived in a pricey, one-bedroom Midtown apartment with a man who was the former children’s-choir director at St. Michael the Archangel. Moynihan previously was banned by the diocese from associating with the man, actor-singer Michael Fawcett.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/priest_pleading_guilty_in_embezzle_HR6viddtNC4bmmmnKSeQnK#ixzz1fx5Ru6wS