Posted on 09/09/2015 12:09:14 PM PDT by nickcarraway
John Gibson was a pastor and seminary professor. When he wasn’t teaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, one of his favorite pastimes was fixing cars.
He was married with two children. His daughter, Callie, was teaching in front of 250 college students when she got the call. Her father had killed himself.
It was August 24, six days after hackers exposed the names of millions of people who had signed up for Ashley Madison, the notorious site for those seeking affairs. Gibson’s name was on the list.
His wife, Christi, discovered her husband’s body.
“It was a moment that life doesn’t prepare you for,” she told CNNMoney. “I had to call my kids. How do you tell your kids that their dad is gone and that he took his own life?”
In his suicide note, Gibson chronicled his demons. He also mentioned Ashley Madison.
“He talked about depression. He talked about having his name on there, and he said he was just very, very sorry,” Christi said. “What we know about him is that he poured his life into other people, and he offered grace and mercy and forgiveness to everyone else, but somehow he couldn’t extend that to himself.”
Ashley Madison was hacked in July, and hackers released users’ personal information in August. Since then, authorities in Toronto have said they’re investigating suicides that could be linked to the data dump. Hackers have also sent extortion emails to people who were on the list.
Gibson said her husband was likely worried he’d lose his job.
From Gibson Family From Gibson Family “It wasn’t so bad that we wouldn’t have forgiven it, and so many people have said that to us, but for John, it carried such a shame,” she said.
Gibson, 56, was known as a great teacher with a “quirky laugh,” but he had struggled with depression and addiction in the past, his family said.
Ashley Madison did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since his death, his family has made a pact to be more transparent with one another about their struggles.
Christi Gibson has a message for the 32 million people exposed and their communities.
“These were real people with real families, real pain and real loss,” she says. But “don’t underestimate the power of love. Nothing is worth the loss of a father and a husband and a friend. It just didn’t merit it. It didn’t merit it at all.”
But apparently not his #1 favorite pastime...
How horrible.
Way too often we punish ourselves more than God would and don’t avail ourselves of the, often, easy forgiveness of the Savior and others.
Prayers for his family. Hope he will find peace in the hereafter.
Selfish in life and death. Not much of a pastor.
From what I’ve read about the male/female ratio and the possibility of bogus female profiles, the pastor was probably doing more looking than doing.
And again, we still never hear about big name lefties who were on this list. Coincidence?
Wow! Nice dig.
Biden’s son.
Read the article carefully before your easy judgment. All things being equal, you’re right. However, depression can play with the mind and with judgment. And when your brain does not function properly, you can make some pretty stupid decisions.
At least he felt deeply that what he did was wrong. Contrast him to our politicians who are absolutely shameless when they are shown to be corrupt and liars over and over, and some of them still continue to run for President (Hillary)!
If I could, I would strongly advise Mrs. Gibson not to talk to CNN. Ever. About anything. Same for the rest of the msm.
As for Mr. Gibson, may he RIP. Assuming this really was a suicide, I can’t imagine the mental torment that would make a person think taking their own life is the only way out.
May God welcome him home, and the peace of Christ be with his family. They’ll never be the same.
Coward.
His wife might have wanted to say this a little differently.
This guy would have been better off just banging the Bishop.
Something tells me he was their social justice theologian.
Being outed as having an affair isn’t the end of the world. Sure, it will cause pain, humiliation and probably a divorce, but he could have gotten through that. The issue is that, in our modern society, people no longer want to face the consequences of their bad decisions. He’d rather die than have to go through the months and perhaps years it would take to rebuild his life.
Sounds like you’re right; didn’t seem to be very many women to go around. - What ever the problem; taking suicide as a way out is not a way out.
Meanwhile “pastors” like Jimmy Swaggart and “Buff Bishop” Eddie Long keep on swingin’...
Women stay away from user “ChappaquaBill123”
She might have said it that way on purpose in the spirit of very bitter sarcasm.
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