Alabama Mayor And Pastor F.L. "Bubba" Copeland Died By Suicide After His Social Media Accounts Are Exposed by Conservative Newsblog

[Pommer]

I am a sinner. I fall short and stumble from time to time. I sin boldly. I pick myself up, have God dust myself off, and walk upright, left foot, right foot, in repentance.

What I do not do is come home from preaching on Sunday, draw the curtains, dress myself up like a woman, turn on my computer camera, log onto what is most likely a inappropriate contentographic website, and expose myself there in drag and wallow in sexual deviancy for the sake of the wider internet's viewing pleasure.

Yes, it’s easy to condemn those “sins” to which one isn’t drawn to commit.

 

[JustOneWay]

I am a sinner. I fall short and stumble from time to time. I sin boldly. I pick myself up, have God dust myself off, and walk upright, left foot, right foot, in repentance.

What I do not do is come home from preaching on Sunday, draw the curtains, dress myself up like a woman, turn on my computer camera, log onto what is most likely a inappropriate contentographic website, and expose myself there in drag and wallow in sexual deviancy for the sake of the wider internet's viewing pleasure.

A sin is a sin

How would you feel if some reporter posts your sins on the internet for all to see?

That is all we are talking about here - that it was not a good thing to do to others.

 

[friend of]

That is all we are talking about here - that it was not a good thing to do to others

The people in his congregation have the right to know if their pastor is engaging in unfettered sexual deviancy.

A sin is a sin

There's a huge difference between accidentally falling into sin from time to time and living a lifestyle of practicing sin. If you are a Christian you should know that difference full well.

 

[George95]

[ @George95 why doesn’t a new line automatically capitalize the first letter?]

That isn't something that I have ever seen in a forum software, that would require a custom addon.

 

[Pommer]

That isn't something that I have ever seen in a forum software, that would require a custom addon.

Fair enough, but it USED to.

 

[essentialsaltes]

TL;DR article from Esquire
Right-Wing Media and the Death of an Alabama Pastor: An American Tragedy​

Bubba Copeland was the heart and soul of his community—mayor, businessman. When a website exposed his deepest secrets, his life wasn’t the only thing that was destroyed.

At the First Baptist Church of Phenix City, Alabama, the last Sunday of October 2023 was Pastor Appreciation Day. The church was festive, the service well attended. There was strawberry cake, Pastor Copeland’s favorite, and special music in his honor by two of his closest friends, who sang a program of Baptist hymns, accompanying themselves on piano. Bernard Vann, the church’s elder statesman, spoke from the pulpit on behalf of the congregation, testifying as to how blessed they all felt that Bubba Copeland had entered their lives and bestowed his gifts, bound them together as a spiritual community.

Once Vann took his seat, Bubba stepped up to the pulpit. “I am so undeserving,” he said. “I don’t come from a background of being a pastor. I come from a background of loving people. And I believe there’s a giant difference between being a Christian and being Christlike. I try my best to be Christlike. There’s a lot of Christians that hurt people. What we should strive to do is go out of our way to love people unconditionally, despite who they are, what they are—because you know why? Jesus loves me.”

In his spare time, Bubba also owned and operated the Country Market over in Salem, where he had a reputation for employing local folks who might have trouble finding work elsewhere. His social-media feed was always full of cheerful posts about the latest specials on pork butts and paper towels.

By the last Sunday of October 2023, not only were Bubba and his second wife, Angela, and his two stepdaughters the first family of First Baptist Church, but the Copelands were also the first family of nearby Smiths Station, Bubba’s hometown, where he was finishing his second term as mayor. He was renowned for bringing a Love’s truck stop to the main highway through town, a feat of economic development that most mayors of towns the size of Smiths Station (population: 5,470) can only dream of—to hear the awe with which the people there talk about that truck stop, you’d think Bubba had brought IBM to town. When a tornado struck Smiths Station in 2019, killing twenty-three East Alabamians in the neighboring community of Beauregard, he was a twenty-four-hour one-man rescue crew—removing debris, providing supplies and reliable information to his people, and offering hugs when nothing else would do.

Three days later, on the morning of Wednesday, November 1, an online news site called 1819 News, which states as its mission the promotion of “Alabama values,” published a story about Bubba Copeland and all his secrets. Titled “The secret life of Smiths Station Mayor and Baptist pastor F. L. ‘Bubba’ Copeland as a ‘transgender curvy girl,’ ” the story was about Bubba’s hidden online life and featured pictures of him in makeup and a blond wig, wearing women’s underwear and clothes.

Carter and his father were extremely close. Over the years, each had confided in the other about their innermost struggles—in high school, Carter had come out to his father, and Bubba had shared his secrets with his son. Carter was shocked at the meanness of the story and was overcome with a visceral fear that he had never known before.

Bubba’s family, his church family, and several of his closest friends in Smiths Station had become concerned that he might harm himself. The 1819 News story was all anybody was talking about. And another story—more lurid, more humiliating, harder to explain—was on the way and would reveal the last of Bubba’s secrets to the entire world. He was in disbelief at the coverage, and the brutal anonymity of the hate pouring onto the First Baptist website and Facebook feed beggared belief.

Elizabeth White, a WRBL News 3 crime reporter based in Auburn, Alabama, who reported on Bubba in his capacity as mayor of Smiths Station, says that “Bubba was down, and they just kept kicking and kicking and kicking. It wasn’t enough for them to just expose him. They wanted to hurt him. It’s devastating to know that for all the good he did, he spent his last days and moments in unbearable anguish.”

On the afternoon of Friday, November 3, feeling all but destroyed, Bubba Copeland finished the job and killed himself.

The last story 1819 News published about Bubba Copeland came on November 11, eight days after his death. It was a short essay in support of the editorial decision to run the stories, and its conclusion was that Bubba had completed “his rejection of God’s laws” because he had “murdered himself.”

 

[Landon Caeli]

​

The last story 1819 News published about Bubba Copeland came on November 11, eight days after his death. It was a short essay in support of the editorial decision to run the stories, and its conclusion was that Bubba had completed “his rejection of God’s laws” because he had “murdered himself.”

Everybody wants to be a Westboro Baptist these days. What a shame.

 

[friend of]

The Westboro Baptist church is such an unfortunate thing.

 

[Hazelelponi]

The people in his congregation have the right to know if their pastor is engaging in unfettered sexual deviancy.

The people in his congregation should have noticed something in his teachings that indicated a person not prone to following sound doctrine.

Someone shouldn't have to be doxxed to know he's not right with God.

Just a heads up, I don't believe people should be doxxed.

If those who doxxed him had cared anything at all about him, they would have helped him... Not done this.

Such were some of you comes to mind.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Yep....he was a sinner, and if he hadn't been a sinner he might still be alive. It is strange how more of us don't kill ourselves for being sinners?

He didn't kill himself because he was a sinner.

He couldn't face his sin on public display.

So what he was afraid of was man's judgement more than God's.

Which means he never knew God at all.

It's odd him being around so many "Christians" and not one to introduce him to God.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

He didn't kill himself because he was a sinner.

He couldn't face his sin on public display.

So what he was afraid of was man's judgement more than God's.

Which means he never knew God at all.

It's odd him being around so many "Christians" and not one to introduce him to God.

Not quite as odd as a God who doesn’t introduce Himself.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Not quite as odd as a God who doesn’t introduce Himself.

The pastor supposedly sat in front of the introduction and taught from it.

What he needed was to hear it also.

 

[Estrid]

How sad. It's always tragic when someone takes their own life.

Always?

 

[RileyG]

Always?

Yes.

 

[Estrid]

Yes.

Depends what you considers tragic.

 

[RileyG]

Depends what you considers tragic.

That’s also true

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

TL;DR article from Esquire​

Right-Wing Media and the Death of an Alabama Pastor: An American Tragedy​

Bubba Copeland was the heart and soul of his community—mayor, businessman. When a website exposed his deepest secrets, his life wasn’t the only thing that was destroyed.

At the First Baptist Church of Phenix City, Alabama, the last Sunday of October 2023 was Pastor Appreciation Day. The church was festive, the service well attended. There was strawberry cake, Pastor Copeland’s favorite, and special music in his honor by two of his closest friends, who sang a program of Baptist hymns, accompanying themselves on piano. Bernard Vann, the church’s elder statesman, spoke from the pulpit on behalf of the congregation, testifying as to how blessed they all felt that Bubba Copeland had entered their lives and bestowed his gifts, bound them together as a spiritual community.

Once Vann took his seat, Bubba stepped up to the pulpit. “I am so undeserving,” he said. “I don’t come from a background of being a pastor. I come from a background of loving people. And I believe there’s a giant difference between being a Christian and being Christlike. I try my best to be Christlike. There’s a lot of Christians that hurt people. What we should strive to do is go out of our way to love people unconditionally, despite who they are, what they are—because you know why? Jesus loves me.”

In his spare time, Bubba also owned and operated the Country Market over in Salem, where he had a reputation for employing local folks who might have trouble finding work elsewhere. His social-media feed was always full of cheerful posts about the latest specials on pork butts and paper towels.

By the last Sunday of October 2023, not only were Bubba and his second wife, Angela, and his two stepdaughters the first family of First Baptist Church, but the Copelands were also the first family of nearby Smiths Station, Bubba’s hometown, where he was finishing his second term as mayor. He was renowned for bringing a Love’s truck stop to the main highway through town, a feat of economic development that most mayors of towns the size of Smiths Station (population: 5,470) can only dream of—to hear the awe with which the people there talk about that truck stop, you’d think Bubba had brought IBM to town. When a tornado struck Smiths Station in 2019, killing twenty-three East Alabamians in the neighboring community of Beauregard, he was a twenty-four-hour one-man rescue crew—removing debris, providing supplies and reliable information to his people, and offering hugs when nothing else would do.

Three days later, on the morning of Wednesday, November 1, an online news site called 1819 News, which states as its mission the promotion of “Alabama values,” published a story about Bubba Copeland and all his secrets. Titled “The secret life of Smiths Station Mayor and Baptist pastor F. L. ‘Bubba’ Copeland as a ‘transgender curvy girl,’ ” the story was about Bubba’s hidden online life and featured pictures of him in makeup and a blond wig, wearing women’s underwear and clothes.

Carter and his father were extremely close. Over the years, each had confided in the other about their innermost struggles—in high school, Carter had come out to his father, and Bubba had shared his secrets with his son. Carter was shocked at the meanness of the story and was overcome with a visceral fear that he had never known before.

Bubba’s family, his church family, and several of his closest friends in Smiths Station had become concerned that he might harm himself. The 1819 News story was all anybody was talking about. And another story—more lurid, more humiliating, harder to explain—was on the way and would reveal the last of Bubba’s secrets to the entire world. He was in disbelief at the coverage, and the brutal anonymity of the hate pouring onto the First Baptist website and Facebook feed beggared belief.

Elizabeth White, a WRBL News 3 crime reporter based in Auburn, Alabama, who reported on Bubba in his capacity as mayor of Smiths Station, says that “Bubba was down, and they just kept kicking and kicking and kicking. It wasn’t enough for them to just expose him. They wanted to hurt him. It’s devastating to know that for all the good he did, he spent his last days and moments in unbearable anguish.”

On the afternoon of Friday, November 3, feeling all but destroyed, Bubba Copeland finished the job and killed himself.

The last story 1819 News published about Bubba Copeland came on November 11, eight days after his death. It was a short essay in support of the editorial decision to run the stories, and its conclusion was that Bubba had completed “his rejection of God’s laws” because he had “murdered himself.”

The tragedy was the secret. No one did anything to this guy. He did it to himself.

Most of us were raised with some variation of "IF you wouldn't do it on the 6 o'clock news or at the altar in front of Grandma, don't do it at all." Or as scripture puts it, "Nothing is hidden that will not be known or covered that will not be revealed."

Whatever one is doing will get out eventually, especially if one is any kind of public figure. Don't do what you wouldn't put on blast, is just common sense knowledge. How many years did he do whatever he was doing before someone discovered it (did not read the stories as I really don't want the details).

No one EVER "makes" someone else kill himself. It just doesn't work that way.

 

[public hermit]

The tragedy was the secret. No one did anything to this guy. He did it to himself.

Most of us were raised with some variation of "IF you wouldn't do it on the 6 o'clock news or at the altar in front of Grandma, don't do it at all." Or as scripture puts it, "Nothing is hidden that will not be known or covered that will not be revealed."

Whatever one is doing will get out eventually, especially if one is any kind of public figure. Don't do what you wouldn't put on blast, is just common sense knowledge. How many years did he do whatever he was doing before someone discovered it (did not read the stories as I really don't want the details).

No one EVER "makes" someone else kill himself. It just doesn't work that way.

I wouldn't say no one did anything. His situation went viral. People posted horrible things about him. People actually told him he should kill himself. No one did anything?

Imagine the same scenario but it remains local "news." The people in his church loved Bubba. They weren't condemning him, they were shocked and worried. The town folks loved Bubba. And by all accounts, Bubba was tireless in the good work he did in that community. People knew Bubba loved them. If it had remained local, there's a very good possibility that it would have played out much better. The article in post #66 indicates the locals and church members would have helped Bubba work through this.

But once the whole world knew, people decided they had an opinion, and felt the need to post it no matter how ruthless, that devestated Bubba. He was a caring person, and I imagine he felt the whole world judged him and hated him. Given the same basic situation, how many of us would endure? I'm sure we all would like to imagine we could, but that's presumptuous if we haven't had the same/similar experience. Lot's of folks said horrible things about Bubba, which Bubba read, that definitely played a role in his emotional and mental state. Short story: people are heartless and words can destroy instead of build up. People definitely contributed.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

I wouldn't say no one did anything. His situation went viral. People posted horrible things about him. People actually told him he should kill himself. No one did anything?

Imagine the same scenario but it remains local "news." The people in his church loved Bubba. They weren't condemning him, they were shocked and worried. The town folks loved Bubba. And by all accounts, Bubba was tireless in the good work he did in that community. People knew Bubba loved them. If it had remained local, there's a very good possibility that it would have played out much better. The article in post #66 indicates the locals and church members would have helped Bubba work through this.

But once the whole world knew, people decided they had an opinion, and felt the need to post it no matter how ruthless, that devestated Bubba. He was a caring person, and I imagine he felt the whole world judged him and hated him. Given the same basic situation, how many of us would endure? I'm sure we all would like to imagine we could, but that's presumptuous if we haven't had the same/similar experience. Lot's of folks said horrible things about Bubba, which Bubba read, that definitely played a role in his emotional and mental state. Short story: people are heartless and words can destroy instead of build up. People definitely contributed.

Yeah, no one did anything. Strangers apparently posted things in response to some story that ...someone decided to put out. So what?

That happens to a lot of people in any sort of public positions. And there are mean-spirited people out there who feel it is their right to say nasty things about strangers. SO address or ignore them as one pleases.

No one ever makes anyone kill himself.

 

[public hermit]

Yeah, no one did anything. Strangers apparently posted things in response to some story that ...someone decided to put out. So what?

That happens to a lot of people in any sort of public positions. And there are mean-spirited people out there who feel it is their right to say nasty things about strangers. SO address or ignore them as one pleases.

No one ever makes anyone kill himself.

I guess that's the way of Christ. The strong win and the weak can be blamed for not being strong. Thanks for the clarification.