Life Is Short. Have An Affair.

Or...maybe not.

A US pastor committed suicide six days after his name was exposed by hackers of the Ashley Madison adultery website, his wife told CNN Wednesday.

Christi Gibson discovered her husband's body -- and a suicide note which chronicled his demons and his shame at being exposed -- in their New Orleans home on August 24.
"He talked about depression. He talked about having his name on there, and he said he was just very, very sorry," Gibson said as their adult son and daughter sat next to her in a New Orleans studio.
"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."
In addition to his work as a pastor, Gibson, 56, taught at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Gibson said her husband, who had struggled with depression and addiction in the past, was worried that he would lose his job.
"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 told CNN.
"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."

Note that police have not officially stated this suicide is connected to Ashley Madison, but rather the pastors wife. A formality, but worth mentioning.

Honestly, I'm surprised there haven't been more suicides and/or murders/ domestic violence/divorces over this. I'm not sure if this woman is serious, or if she is speaking rather kindly of her late husband because it's the "right thing to do" given her position and status as a pastor herself. Either way, the Ashley Madison leak has been instrumental in another death. And considering it's a pastor, will no doubt make it higher profile in the media.

Of particular note, though not directly related to the pastors suicide, is this snippet in the article...

Ashley Madison ran into more trouble when tech news site Gizmodo looked at the leaked data and concluded that it showed little if any activity from the site's purported female members, suggesting many accounts were in fact fake.

Avid Life Media rejected the analysis and said the site has registered hundreds of thousands of new members -- including real women -- in the wake of the hack, which has garnered massive media attention.

Hundreds of thousands of new accounts since the leak? Why yes, I'm sure people are flocking to sign-up...Not. Surely they realize the average person isn't going to believe this. So maybe Gizmodo's conclusion was correct. Ashley Madison a "honeytrap"?
Article

Oh well... he lived like a hypocrite and died like a hypocrite.

a reply to: Klassified

Hundreds of thousands of new accounts since the leak? Why yes, I'm sure people are flocking to sign-up...Not. Surely they realize the average person isn't going to believe this. So maybe Gizmodo's conclusion was correct. Ashley Madison a possible "honeytrap"?

Idk. I mentioned the AM hack to a few people and a lot of them hadn't even known what AM was until it started getting all this media attention.

Maybe any publicity is good publicity?

Probably still 90% dudes though.

originally posted by: rockintitz
a reply to: Klassified

Hundreds of thousands of new accounts since the leak? Why yes, I'm sure people are flocking to sign-up...Not. Surely they realize the average person isn't going to believe this. So maybe Gizmodo's conclusion was correct. Ashley Madison a possible "honeytrap"?

Idk. I mentioned the AM hack to a few people and a lot of them hadn't even known what AM was until it started getting all this media attention.

Maybe any publicity is good publicity?

Good point. I guess there could be people who recently discovered AM, and have no idea it has been compromised.

a reply to: Answer

Just because someone cheats does not mean they deserve to die or that, there death should be met with contempt. This is coming from someone who's wife left and cheated, so it's not because I am a habitual cheater, it's just that I understand that people make mistakes , however mistakes should not be a death sentence, nor a mockery of ones death.

originally posted by: TechniXcality
a reply to: Answer

Just because someone cheats does not mean they deserve to die or that, there death should be met with contempt. This is coming from someone who's wife left and cheated, so it's not because I am a habitual cheater, it's just that I understand that people make mistakes , however mistakes should not be a death sentence, nor a mockery of ones death.

Bravo. I would applause you for that if I could. Mods?

originally posted by: TechniXcality
a reply to: Answer

Just because someone cheats does not mean they deserve to die or that, there death should be met with contempt. This is coming from someone who's wife left and cheated, so it's not because I am a habitual cheater, it's just that I understand that people make mistakes , however mistakes should not be a death sentence, nor a mockery of ones death.

He was a pastor who told people how to live for a living while he was cheating on his wife. He was a hypocrite.

The Bible teaches that suicide is very very wrong and a guaranteed one-way trip to hell. He died as a hypocrite.

I don't care about people cheating... I care about people cheating while they're telling others how to live. I can't stand a hypocrite.

a reply to: Klassified

Woe, excellent thread from klass.

a reply to: TechniXcality

Well said... Also coming from someone that's been cheated on. I found the story quie sad.

Of course most of the ladies are fake. That's how all the popular dating sites at least start off. You can purchase profiles in bulk, and even have bots respond back with generic blahblah. How many people have met that freshman in college cutie who is just dying to show you her photo's on skype in the last few years? Try telling them to go boink their selves, and they'll stay sweet on ya.. cause it's a bot.

I'll go a step further. Life is too short to buy into that monogamous dream that never was, yet is always remembered, and it's just a shame we've lost our touch with believing in that lie... except forget all that.

Life is too short to buy into nonsense. Be a free individual.

a reply to: Answer

I am atheist, I have been cheated on horribly. To the point where I considered the end.

my life was forever changed by her stupid decision my life with my children forever changed without a single vote or opinion from me, I am glad she has not committed suicide and that she gets to learn a valuable lesson that the grass is not greener.

People don't kill themselves thinking of their hypocrisy they kill themselves because they are in deep emotional pain, and as a person with compassion and empathy that is how I look at this.

He did not deserve suicide, as much disdain as I have for religion as a whole I have compassion for people regardless of there stupid choices, as a person I know I've made plenty myself, but no one deserves the dark despair of depression and suicide.

originally posted by: chelsdh
a reply to: TechniXcality

Well said... Also coming from someone that's been cheated on. I found the story quie sad.

Indeed, compassion and empathy seem to be a fleeting concept on ats of course if this was their friend or brother it would be different.

The lesson here folks, leave no trail along your sordid paths, no matter how innocuous it may seem.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Thanks I'll keep that in mind next time I have a significant other and feel the cheating angst, thanks for the laugh.

originally posted by: TechniXcality
a reply to: Answer

I am atheist, I have been cheated on horribly. To the point where I considered the end.

my life was forever changed by her stupid decision my life with my children forever changed without a single vote or opinion from me, I am glad she has not committed suicide and that she gets to learn a valuable lesson that the grass is not greener.

People don't kill themselves thinking of their hypocrisy they kill themselves because they are in deep emotional pain, and as a person with compassion and empathy that is how I look at this.

He did not deserve suicide, as much disdain as I have for religion as a whole I have compassion for people regardless of there stupid choices, as a person I know I've made plenty myself, but no one deserves the dark despair of depression and suicide.

I never said he deserved it.

I'm saying it doesn't bother me that he did it.

originally posted by: Answer
Oh well... he lived like a hypocrite and died like a hypocrite.

You do know that all Christians (including pastors) are not sinless?

People are so judgemental and unforgiving. We seem to have a lynchmob, pack mentality, especially toward others who may be more successful, or have achieved a higher status in life, than ourselves. Kinda like a pack of starving wolves ripping apart a fresh kill. We get some kinda sick thrill out of destroying the character and slandering others. Shame, shame, shame on that person...

What a petty bunch of hypocrites we are. Shame on us....

a reply to: TechniXcality

Empathy is just a fleeting quality, period.

Regardless of what someone does, death isn't an action that should be taken or even thought of, when that does occur, it's exactly what " TechniXcality " said, it's coming from a deep emotional pain or a extremely misunderstood view of those around you ( thinking that no one is there for you, when in fact, you need only ask ).

We seem to hug the positive and shun the negative, when we need to analyze the issue before we act, your smile, kind word or even offer of kindness may very well save someone's life, if by no other means then just allowing a person to see there is hope and promise for this world.

The Ashley Madison thing was and is messed up on all sides, however, think about what's being done, people's private life is being tossed into the public without any opinion or word from the people on the site. It's basically them being cheated on by the site, regardless of the site doing the cheating and it being the hackers.

What happens to their relationships, I don't really care, it's not my koolaid, however never should someone's death be mocked or even poked fun at when they did nothing to deserve such a experience.

I've been cheated on more times than not, the whole aspect of cheating pisses me off to no end, but what it means is those people either aren't meant to be or have some issues to be addressed, but never that they should leave this planet.

originally posted by: chr0naut

originally posted by: Answer
Oh well... he lived like a hypocrite and died like a hypocrite.

You do know that all Christians (including pastors) are not sinless?

Obviously.

A man who cheats on his wife while telling people how to live their life under the guise of religion is still scum.

a reply to: Klassified

Perhaps the pastors wife really loved him.

That would be the best reason to forgive and to regret his passing.

To not see that as a possibility, says something.