Did Anti-Gay Pastor Rick Warren Bully his Son to Death?
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When evidence suggests that a parent bludgeoned his child to death with a baseball bat, more expressive members of the public may convey their horror at the deed in raw emotional terms. Nobody denounces them for "hate" and "vitriol." Nor does anyone accuse them of being "monsters" for not offering their condolences to the parent suspected of the crime, before the truth is known. Supporters of Pastor Rick Warren, have launched campaigns all over the Internet denouncing anyone raising questions about his son's death.
It is sad but true that parents and family members are always the first suspects when a child dies of unnatural causes. Why should anti-gay Pastor Rick Warren be treated any differently? "Did he drive his son to commit suicide" is a legitimate question to ask under these circumstances. The answer may not put the founder and pastor of the 20,000 member Saddleback Church in legal jeopardy, but it certainly raises (or puts to rest) moral issues that pierce the core of that man's humanity.
Rick Warren, not his enemies, generated the initial suspicions about the true cause of his 27 year old son, Matthew's suicide. For instance, in colloquial American English the term "inner city" is often a code for "black ghetto." The Warren family's description of their unmarried son as an "incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many," are commonly used code words for guess what? We do not know whether or not Matthew Warren was gay. But we do know that if he was, the homophobic Reverend and Mrs. Warren may indeed have driven their son to suicide, and attempted to cover it up by claiming that he was "mentally ill."
A severe pattern of bullying that leads to the victim's suicidal death may be considered involuntary manslaughter. We don't yet know whether the Warrens are guilty of any such actions or not. But for his supporters to denounce those who raise legitimate questions as being "sickos," only serves to fuel the speculation that the Warren family may indeed have something to hide.
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| Matthew Warren died of suicide |
When evidence suggests that a parent bludgeoned his child to death with a baseball bat, more expressive members of the public may convey their horror at the deed in raw emotional terms. Nobody denounces them for "hate" and "vitriol." Nor does anyone accuse them of being "monsters" for not offering their condolences to the parent suspected of the crime, before the truth is known. Supporters of Pastor Rick Warren, have launched campaigns all over the Internet denouncing anyone raising questions about his son's death.
It is sad but true that parents and family members are always the first suspects when a child dies of unnatural causes. Why should anti-gay Pastor Rick Warren be treated any differently? "Did he drive his son to commit suicide" is a legitimate question to ask under these circumstances. The answer may not put the founder and pastor of the 20,000 member Saddleback Church in legal jeopardy, but it certainly raises (or puts to rest) moral issues that pierce the core of that man's humanity.
Rick Warren, not his enemies, generated the initial suspicions about the true cause of his 27 year old son, Matthew's suicide. For instance, in colloquial American English the term "inner city" is often a code for "black ghetto." The Warren family's description of their unmarried son as an "incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was encouragement and comfort to many," are commonly used code words for guess what? We do not know whether or not Matthew Warren was gay. But we do know that if he was, the homophobic Reverend and Mrs. Warren may indeed have driven their son to suicide, and attempted to cover it up by claiming that he was "mentally ill."
A severe pattern of bullying that leads to the victim's suicidal death may be considered involuntary manslaughter. We don't yet know whether the Warrens are guilty of any such actions or not. But for his supporters to denounce those who raise legitimate questions as being "sickos," only serves to fuel the speculation that the Warren family may indeed have something to hide.
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