Do You Think Pastor-Mayor F.L. Copeland is Now Burning in Hell?.

a reply to: WeMustCare

Did he love Jesus? I mean, he was a Christian. Christians will be the first to tell you they are wretched sinners, when confronted. As long as he was honest with Jesus, he's good. Right?

a reply to: WeMustCare

According to the Bible, killing yourself is a one way ticket to Hell. I'm pretty sure that the "Pastor" is probably looking for an ice cube right about now.

a reply to: stelth2

According to the Bible, killing yourself is a one way ticket to Hell.

No, I don't think so. Citation required.

a reply to: WeMustCare

I don't believe he went to hell. If he had accepted Jesus as his Savior and repented for his sins (even if he repented and THEN took his life) he goes to Heaven.

We can think anything we like with our fleshly brains, but God has the ultimate insight. He knows us inside and out. He wants more than anything to have a relationship with us. He understands if someone still believes in Him, but is mentally ill or at such depths that he makes a bad decision.

It is possible he may have lost his faith and no longer felt the call, while still posing as a man of faith and speaking sermons to his congregation while struggling with such agony of wanting to be who he felt so strongly inside.

I think this man was tormented. I pray he went to Heaven. But, I cannot speak for God.

It does not state anywhere in the Bible that one goes to hell for taking their own life.

a reply to: nugget1

Why did he hide it from his congregation? I think you are being disingenuous in posing this question. Obviously trying to avoid shame and stigma. To me, his reaction suggests that he was horrified of the shame that would ensue being “found out”.

How do you know this person actively lied to their congregation? Everyone has personal issues and they can come up any time in life. Do you broadcast all of yours the moment they arise? I don’t. I work on them privately.

“Living a lie” would be suppressing whatever obvious need was going unfulfilled for this person. It could very well be that they would have left ministry in due time, but we will never know that now. All we are left with is a scandal, discussion fodder, and a question posed in the OP.

And on that note, I personally hope that Bubba can rest in peace. I don’t believe in the biblical hell but I don’t have certain beliefs one way or the other about reincarnation.

originally posted by: stelth2
a reply to: WeMustCare

According to the Bible, killing yourself is a one way ticket to Hell. I'm pretty sure that the "Pastor" is probably looking for an ice cube right about now.

Now, that's a can of worms! If you're morbidly obese and you just can't do the work to drop the weight you're killing yourself. If you eat all the wrong foods, you're playing with fire and opening yourself up to all kinds of diseases that will slowly kill you. If you're a religious zealot who refuses modern medical treatment for a life threatening injury, you've signed your death certificate, etc., etc.
We all choose our own death in one form or another.

A lot of just be yourself and accept you for who you are without shame in this thread which is all well and good but raises a few points for consideration and perhaps a bit of reflection aimed at a few on some past and future behaviors?

My face here may be new* but I’ve been around for a very long time and historically, ATS hasn’t been very kind towards the “T” leaning folks in the alphabet acronym so the next time one of those threads full of demeaning and dehumanizing language and attitudes gets rolling along page after page, think how the person or people on the receiving end of that ire are likely to feel – how the Mayor/Pastor F.L. “Buddy” Copeland would have been made to feel and obviously did feel enough to unalive himself and ask yourself, do you want to be part of the reason people are driven to such despair or can you actually live and let live as you say?

It’s just a thought…





*my avatar is not my face!

a reply to: WeMustCare

I know one place he is, and it's rent free...

a reply to: WeMustCare

Most readers (thus far) don't want to touch the Afterlife question I asked.

What's the point of mentioning it. Individual life is temporary.

As for the social aspect, I've seen that movie before.


And Craig Monger, 1819 News, and Breitbart, and ATS, are reaping the rewards right now.




But anyway:

Something doesn't add up in this official story. There are several articles stating that this person was transitioning. Some things are hard to hide when they are permanently altered. So how did this person expect to keep the secrete double life if the transition was obviously visible? I mean when you look the part all the time, how can you say you aren't?

originally posted by: WeMustCare
Based on YOUR belief system ATS members, where do you think the Spirit who was known as F.L. "Bubba" Copeland is at this point in time, in what condition, and will there be a future for this individual?

Based on my belief system - That's for God to decide. I'm not qualified. I don't know his heart. Now if you had asked about a Hamas terrorist, I'd be more willing to take a guess (which wouldn't be a judgement)... and that wouldn't be a pretty eternity for the guy.

originally posted by: nugget1
a reply to: AnAlternateOpinion

Why hide hid trans persona? It seems really hypocritical for a pastor to lead a secret life such as this, and IMHO this kind of stuff is why religion is on the fast track to becoming a thing of the past.

Why hide your true self if you're not ashamed of who you are and what you're doing?

Financial reasons, running a Church can be quite profitable, depending on your popularity within that community (the potential market/customers). Getting elected as mayor works similarly, obviously, in that community (Alabama/Bible Belt), it's more profitable and effective to pretend to be a good Christian, qualified to be a shepherd of the flock (for extra prestige and consequent support from admirers).

That's why true Christianity does not have paid clergy, actually it doesn't have a clergy-laity distinction at all. “For we are not peddlers of the word of God as many men are, but we speak in all sincerity as sent from God.” (2Cor 2:17)

See mark #21 below starting at 17:14 (see also #5 for the other subject I mentioned, a clergy-laity distinction, starting at 5:04):

For an answer to the OP's question(s), see #9. Or this video:

originally posted by: BeyondKnowledge3
Something doesn't add up in this official story. There are several articles stating that this person was transitioning. Some things are hard to hide when they are permanently altered. So how did this person expect to keep the secrete double life if the transition was obviously visible? I mean when you look the part all the time, how can you say you aren't?

Then again, most of the major church denominations in America tolerate clergymen who campaign for greater sexual freedom. According to the 1995 Britannica Book of the Year, 55 Episcopalian bishops signed a declaration “affirming the acceptability of homosexual ordination and practice.”

Some clergymen even argue in favor of homosexuality, claiming that Jesus never spoke against it. “A growing number of U.S. theologians are arguing that Christian churches need a sexual revolution,” reported the Star Tribune in 1989. Well, they've had it by now, and it has moved ahead at approx. the same speed as the rest of (secular) society. In 2001, an article in the British newspaper The Times stated that “thirteen openly gay clergy” have been elected to the General Synod of the Church of England.

London’s Daily Telegraph of November 12, 1987, reported on a motion before the General Synod of the Church of England. This called for ousting homosexual “Christians” from the church. Large headlines in the London Daily Mail of October 22, 1987, had declared: “‘One vicar in three gay’ . . . Campaign to drive out homosexuals ‘would shut Church of England.’” The reports quoted the “reverend” general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement as saying: “If this motion were accepted it would wreck the Church, and the Archbishop of Canterbury knows it. As a general figure, we believe between 30 and 40 per cent of Church of England clergymen are gay. And they are the most active people contributing to the ministry of the Church.”

The situation really is not all that different in other demoninations within Christendom, even those who are much more officially (publicly) opposed to that lifestyle (LGBTQ+). Did you notice how that percentage is so much higher than the general public?

Revelation 18:2

And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: “She has fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen, and she has become a dwelling place of demons and a place where every unclean spirit* [Or possibly, “breath; exhalation; inspired statement.”] and every unclean and hated bird lurks! For because of the wine of the passion* [Or “anger.”] of her sexual immorality,* [Greek, por·neiʹa. See Glossary.] all the nations have fallen victim, and the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants* [Or “traveling merchants.”] of the earth became rich owing to the power of her shameless luxury.”

Matthew 15:7-9

You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said: ‘This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”

originally posted by: nugget1

originally posted by: frogs453
a reply to: nugget1

Maybe because his religion and a lot of the public feel that he should feel shame by telling him it's wrong and he will burn in hell.

He shouldn't have to be afraid or ashamed to come out how he truly feels. But here we are. The fallout from being outed like that was more than he could take.

So, the poor guy never learned to accept himself and instead chose to live a lie. Yeah, that can certainly cause mental health issues that can become overwhelming when you build your life and lively hood on deception.

It's my understanding his wife knew. Was he hurting someone? I mean I don't know the details, Was he preaching it was wrong to do what he was doing? If so, then he was a hypocrite and yeah out him. But if he wasn't, then what he does, with the blessing of his wife isn't really my business and he didn't need to be outed.

I imagine there are people who may enjoy certain proclivities or even kinks in their personal life that they don't go bragging about to friends or family. If they are not hurting anyone and don't preach during daylight that it is wrong, then I say leave them alone.

And please know, I don't mean any kind of thing that would hurt others or children.

I don't think any of us care that Falwell is a cuck. We do care that he preaches that the rest of us would go to hell for it, and kids at his college could be expelled just for dancing, but he can be a drunk cuck.

Based on YOUR belief system ATS members, where do you think the Spirit who was known as F.L. "Bubba" Copeland is at this point in time, in what condition, and will there be a future for this individual?

He was a passionate preacher that knew how to rally a crowd. Got some of his sermons here in Australia TV. Had some respect for him when he admitted to getting prostitutes. Lost some respect with how many tears he had about it. More worried about his status than giving someone a job.

His body is past its used by date. That ain't coming back. As for his spirit, was he perfectly possessed to be such a performer? Is that spirit still roaming the earth looking for another host? It is a tough job to put yourself out in the public eye like that, can be dangerous and does not work for everyone. If something does live on of the Copeland consciousness, its in a similar kind of place with the rest of our ancestors. He done some good, some bad like most of us.

a reply to: WeMustCare

Do You Think Pastor-Mayor F.L. Copeland is Now Burning in Hell?

I'm apt to go with probably not.

However, my understanding is based on the Christian belief a person needs to repent of sin to receive salvation.

The problem being a person who commits suicide can't repent, thus getting into heaven might present somewhat of an issue.

This individual posted himself in his wife's clothes to Reddit as brittiniblaire. He outed himself. He also wrote a fetish fanfic about a real person in his town and it wasn't pretty.

FictionMania Story: Brooke just like Taylor "The Bimbo Twins"
www.fictionmania.tv...

To answer OP, I believe this person was separated from God for a while now; power in such a small town is hard to relinquish. Knowing he'd lose all of that, he offed himself. If there is a Hell, this person is experiencing it (again).

As a devout Christian for my entire life.

I believe it is none of my business to judge where Copeland is in the afterlife.

I believe that no one should judge where someone will ultimately end up after death. That is solely the purview of God.

I believe that to say he is in hell is unkind, mean spirited, and against the will of Jesus and God.

We are to love one another always and let God and Jesus do the judging.

That doesn't mean I don't disapprove of transgenderism, I strongly disapprove of the behavior of the liberal left when it comes to transgenderism. I find support for transgenderism in today's society to verge on misogyny if not actually be misogyny. I disapprove of allowing biological males to be in sports where their larger musculature and bone structure has caused multiple injuries to biological females. I find interpreting Title 9 to mean that biological males must be allowed in sports designed for biological females negates the entire purpose of Title 9. I find putting an XY criminal in a prison cell with an unwilling XX where verified rape and pregnancies have occurred to be massively misogynistic. I find that the overwhelming number of liberal organizations who have declared XY persons "women of the year" to be misogynistic and gives the message to young girls that to be a superior woman one must have a penis.

But like with ones own children you can strongly disapprove of behavior and still love them and be kind to them and loving to them.

I have encountered transgenders in stores, some who have asked my opinion on things. I am always kind, always give a genuine answer, never recoil. They have come back to me for more opinions, which means I must be treating them as they want to be treated.

There are many behaviors I disapprove of, like getting drunk, getting recreational high, promiscuity, supporting Hamas, supporting late term abortion for a healthy mother with a healthy near-born baby. However, I don't say that this behavior will send them to hell. That isn't even my place to think much less assert. God and Jesus warn us against this type of arrogance and sin, and yes it is a sin to judge where someone else ends up after death.

At least these are how I as a life long, very long life, very conservative Christian see the issue. Copeland is where God decided he should be because only God and Jesus can make that judgement. I sin and am wrong if I even try to make that judgement.

I can judge behavior based on the tenets of the Bible, I can not condemn the person and where they will end up when they die. That is not what the Bible or Christianity teaches.

Imagine when you die that God is kinda like the Sun.

The better life you lived, the closer you get to be to Him. More light, more warmth.

Then you got the naughty ones, when they die they still orbit around the Sun but get significantly less light and warmth.

This guy's orbit is somewhere around Uranus.

a reply to: WeMustCare

I believe he's an avatar on the Damned Souls Torture Chamber. An anti-social network, registered in Hell, with an enhanced virtual experience, kinda like Meta, only attended by Devil's minions. There, he has to constantly explain himself why he was such a perverted, deceitful and cowardly hypocrite. Because this is what he was trying to escape from by committing suicide.

And I believe that what we are running away from will continue to haunt us for eternity.

His real problem was hypocrisy, living the life of deception. I don't understand why he suddenly became a sort of a martyr for LGBT ideology. He wasn't really LGBT. It was a joke for him, a dress up, a way to transgress the social norms in the safe word of virtual anonymity.

Only there is no transgressing of a taboo without personal accountability. It always comes with the risk of losing the social status, there's no freedom without sacrifice. Those who want to stay true to themselves are ready to pay the price.

It's understood by the freedom advocates and activists in authoritarian countries. They know that if they don't risk losing everything, nothing will change. Democracy has turned people into coach potatoes who play rebels online and give vent to their darkest personality traits under the guise of anonymity. And they can't gather up enough of courage even to defend their online persona. Neither do they have the balls to admit they f***ed it all up. When all is revealed, they fall apart together with their little world of lies.