Swaggart of Hooker Fame Opposes Warren, Threatens Gays

Jimmy Swaggart is trying to make his own version of a religious comeback by being the counter movement against Rick Warren and the Purpose-Driven Life. He also continues his high-profile messages that bring his type of evangelism to the masses.

He didn’t like Warren as the representative preacher for the Obama inauguration since he doesn’t believe in Warren’s concepts. Signs around the City of Baton Rouge show Swaggart remains in business, despite his forays into prostitution and public confessions about it. He has a comprehensive website that relates his numerous ventures that keep his particular brand of Christianity in a comprehensive business mode. The mission, according to the website is to fulfill “the Great Mission.” Swaggart was born in 1935 and by the age of 8 was already drawing an audience for speaking in tongues, according to his biography. His message was submission to Jesus and opposition to Satan which he gave in fiery tones. He went on to create a powerful ministry, interrupted for a time by his forays into prostitution for which he publicly repented. The fire-and-brimstone preacher and his ministry have frequently been in the news, off and on since the 80’s when Swaggart’s foibles entertained the masses with recitations of his wanderings in the night to find women. Last year a man with a machete by the name of Garland Morris was arrested outside the Swaggart headquarters. In 1990 his Swaggart and his organization challenged having to pay taxes to California for religious materials sold there, and a decision to make them do so was upheld by the Supreme Court. Some declare his organization has been infiltrated by Satan. The Swaggart controversies continued into the 1990’s and the past few years as well. He had a serious reprimand in relationship to his stated views of gays. In 2005 Swaggart and a Toronto television station were disciplined over threats Swaggart made on the lives of gays. During a radio broadcast, he said,

"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." (story)

Swaggart is listed as one of the critics of Rick Warren’s messages. He also doesn't like Joel Osteen. So while Obama asks for change and reaches out to people of all faiths, Swaggart continues to emphasize that only through Jesus can people be saved and continues to be his own brand of faith in the Christian world.