North Carolina Religious Right figure tripped up by his coy mistress

July 28, 2007

Guest Post by Morbo

Unless you’re from North Carolina, the name Coy Privette probably won’t mean much.

Privette is yet another of the Religious Right’s moral crusaders, a fighter against vice and immorality in all of its forms. A rather severe Southern Baptist minister, Privette until recently led the Christian Action League, a statewide Religious Right pressure group based in Raleigh. You know what kind of outfit this is — it takes the usual Religious Right line. Stick the Ten Commandments up everywhere, bash the gays and make the kids pray in school. For good measure, ban all forms of erotic material and shut down the bars.

Privette has also been politically active. He serves as a Republican member of the Cabarrus County Commission and was in the state legislature, also as a Republican, from 1984-92.

Guess what? Last week Privette was arrested for paying a prostitute for sex. Police allege that Privette rented a hotel room in Salisbury, N.C., on several occasions for sexual liaisons with Tiffany Denise Summers, a 32-year-old prostitute and drug addict.

Privette subsequently sent an e-mail to the Christian Action League stating, “Because of the nature of the allegations, I believe it is in the best interest for me to resign so that the charges will not distract from the important work of the Christian Action League.” (There’s no word yet on whether he’ll resign his government post.)

The Rev. David Prather, pastor at Privette’s church, told the Charlotte Observer:

“We’re shocked and dismayed and just concerned for the family — children, grandchildren, wife — and trying to reach out to them. Just as his pastor, I’m trying to reach out to him and his wife and let him know we still love him.”

That’s nice.

Prather sounds sincere, and he’s doing what a pastor should in a case like this.

But the reaction from some of Privette’s colleagues in the political sphere has been more interesting. They’ve either said nothing or have stated they’re willing to forgive Privette.

Forgiveness is a Christian virtue, of course. But I have to wonder why so many fundamentalists are stingy with it. Where is that spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation when a Democrat has a problem like this? These folks were not willing to forgive Bill Clinton, whose actions, while certainly inappropriate, were not illegal. In fact, they called for his impeachment. Remarkably, no one in authority has suggested that Privette step down.

So forgive me if I sound like a jerk, but I’m having a hard time mustering a lot of sympathy for Mr. Privette. Does anyone care to join me in a steaming hot cup of schadenfreude?

I take mine with cream and a little brandy. Seriously, it would be radical and probably incorrect to suggest everybody loves erotica and pornography, so there should be no restrictions on it – but why does it always seem to be those who shout loudest against it that are secretly drawn to it?

Few influences in the world are stronger than sexual attraction to whatever takes your fancy, and evidently fundamentalist religion is one of those that is not. I’m just waiting to learn that John Hagee has a secret cache of Richard Gere nudie snaps hidden in his sock drawer or something like that, maybe that picture of Janet Jackson’s boob during the Super Bowl show.

Reasoned voices in religion acknowledge the pull (if you’ll forgive a small pun) of sex, and generally acknowledge that as much of it as you want with your duly wedded spouse is probably not going to inspire a darkening of the skies and a shower of toads. However, reasoned voices on the right seem to be in short supply these days.

  • According to Dick Francis, the mystery writer, easy forgiveness corrupts the soul of a sinner, trivializes the sin, and therefore weakens the natural conscience. Privette’s fellow Christians can immediately forgive him all they want, but the rest of us are likely to see him as just one more religious hypocrite, full of hot air. Those who indulge in numerous “thou shalt nots” for the rest of us are likely to find that sharp sword turned back on themselves.

  • I think some of these Elmer Gantries try to substitute reigious rules for legal rules. Visiting a prostitute isn’t just a “sin”, it’s a crime.

    God is the hairy potter, always makings these sexy vessels to bring down good men.

  • Where is that spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation when a Democrat has a problem like this?

    Do not tithe the tribe that hates thy Godliness.
    Neither trust them not; nor wear their suffering on thy own sleeves.
    Wouldst thou allow the snake that would tread on thee to tread on thee?
    Go thou hither and take a sharp stone to thy enemies of thy God.

    That’s in the Bible somewhere isn’t it?

    Like the name says:

  • I think these religious folks spend more time thinking and talking about sex than most sixteen year old boys. And I doubt that you can do that without at some point getting a little curious about it all. Eventually, some will act on their curiosity. That makes for great entertainment, doesn’t it?

  • You would think that the concept of hypocrisy would prevent these people from making fools out of themselves. Maybe, concepts–like scientific theories–are too hard to grasp for those that adhere to religious dogma. I guess that also means that the self-stifling of “free thought” provides a world view free of anxiety.

  • Jerk shmerk! These hypocritical bullying cowardly lying thieving pervert scum should be called what they are. Save politeness and civility for those who make the effort to do the same. I know I seem a little harsh, but all these oh so holy gay bashing closeted jockstrap sniffers have done nothing for this country but make others miserable.

  • Their hypocrisy is overwhelming. They moan and groan over others behavior, loudly and publicly condemning them but when they get “busted” (they never confess to this behavior on their own) doing the same thing they condemn others for…they shut up, ask for forgiveness, and then act like they never condemned anybody. And all their colleagues play right along.

    I wouldn’t care if they had kept their beliefs to themselves and not been the first to condemn others for the same behavior, but their hypocrisy should have retribution. If they felt so strongly that they should banter loudly and publicly then they should be treated with the same respect.
    I can forgive you for your vices, but you should stand alone with your hypocrisy lest you make me a hypocrite too.

  • Thanks for highlighting this story, Morbo. I look forward to your posts every week, so please keep em coming! Please brew up another large pot of schadenfreude, I’m sure the first one is gone by now…

    I read about this last week, and wish I had the link to pass along, but I didn’t save it … think it was the Charlotte Observer, so I think it should be easily googleable.

    A couple of other notes on this tale of Privette’s woes…
    That “sweet young thang” of 32 looked more like 62, but given Privette’s photo, she was being generous to him!

    What I found fascinating was how this maroon played it so stupid and got himself caught. He gave her at least 2 blank, signed checks as payment. When she tried to cash them without ID she was refused, so she sent a friend to try, and that got authorities interested. Apparently blank checks filled out for the amounts of $4000 caught the attention of his bank, which then started an investigation that led to the prostitute, who had been multiply convicted on prostitution and drug charges. She quickly pointed the finger at Privette, who then claimed the checks had been stolen from his wallet at a restaurant. So, it was the lies, stupid, once again that brought him down.

    Now, I’m not at all versed in the ways of hooker-john etiquette, but doesn’t it seem rather foolish to pay by check? I always figured it was a cash only transaction, but then I’m not as ingenious as some of these fundie wingnuts. Hmm, maybe that’s why they keep getting caught?

  • i know pastor prather he was my pastor . he tries to have the compassion of christ in his heart and extend it to the hurting . the world need a helping hand not stone throwing. not to make like of sin but still to love the sinner sometimes is hard. but in the ways of god its a tough road. only the tough surive.i agree those who are in the church and in leadership should try to set exsamples and not to stumble to much . pastor prather wants to help also those who fall.i trust he will also comdem the sin. pastor prather is a good man.yes he is ,i know.

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