The 27-year-old son of the Rev. Rick Warren, one of America’s most influential religious anti-gay leaders, committed suicide, Mr. Warren said in an e-mail released on Saturday to staff members and congregants at his 20,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church.
NBC News reported that Warren was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound around 10 a.m. Friday in his home in Mission Viejo, Calif., according to supervising deputy Dan Aikin of the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department.
Rick Warren said in the e-mail that his youngest son, Matthew, had “struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts.” After a happy evening with his parents, the e-mail said, “in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.”
Mr. Warren said that he and his wife, Kay, often marveled at Matthew Warren’s “courage to keep moving in spite of relentless pain. I’ll never forget how, many years ago, after another approach had failed to give relief, Matthew said ‘Dad, I know I’m going to heaven. Why can’t I just die and end this pain?’ but he kept going for another decade.”
Mathew was a member of the mega-church for his entire life.
Reports indicate the suicide occurred at 10 am Friday, yet the police were only called to the home at 5:15pm.
One wonders….
Source NY Times
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/12/16/7415
What can you say about a man who would rather have his own son dead than accept & support him as gay? Very likely that the son’s depression was directly related to his fathers condemnation. Rick Warren: another sick, twisted, & hateful Christian.
Well no one is saying his son was gay. I dont even think there is speculation at this point. I am not sure how Rick Warren would have acted toward him had he been gay. Who knows? However they are attributing his suicide to “mental illness since birth.”
The fact that you put the words “One wonders…” in the context of this article would suggest that you are implying that Matthew committed suicide due to his repressive upbringing under the Reverend. It’s rather tacky that you publish that, then say that it’s not worth speculating, when you actually just did that with that one sentence. It’s gossipy and rather petty. The excuse that it’s based on hearsay from what the Reverend has said after the suicide is irrelevant as it’s still underhanded speculation.
Well Dexter thank you for the challenge. I was waiting for someone to take the bait and to give me this opportunity. I have compassion and feel sad for Warren and his family. What could be more awful. I have expressed that on social media. However I have no respect for Rick Warren’s rhetoric against gays, circa UGANDA 2009. I abhor his behavior. He has hurt millions of gay people and I believe what he preaches and has taught is the type of crap that ay lead to suicide in young gay people. I do not think his family deserved this. I do not speculate about anything – I simply wondered- it seems you have done the speculation for me. May he RIP and may G-d bring comfort to his family.