Foul-Mouthed Pastor: Women Are 'Penis Homes'

Mark Driscoll routinely curses and makes biblical references to oral sex during his sermons at his Mars Hill megachurch—but the Seattle pastor’s controversial words may have finally done him in. A female blogger at Patheos dug up comments Driscoll made under a pseudonym on a church message board in 2001 that are, well, interesting. To wit: "The first thing to know about your penis is … it is not your penis. God created you, and it is his penis." The bizarre message then notes that penises are borrowed and need a home, and that a man's wife "makes a very nice home." Other nuggets: a warning against breaking into another man's home (ie, sleeping with another man's wife) and a call for a wife to “rejoice at seeing [her husband's] penis rise to greet her.” (Read more of his comments here.)

Driscoll hasn't been having a good year. In addition to complaints about his contemporary fire-and-brimstone methods, he's been called a plagiarist, questioned about missing church funds, and accused of "spiritual abuse" by former fans, the New York Times reports. After the 13-year-old "penis home" comments popped up, Driscoll posted an apology on the church website and said he was going to take a six-week break. But because of the church's financial issues, management has now announced it will be cutting up to 40% of its staff and closing locations, the Seattle Times reports. A former Mars Hill pastor notes, "There are thousands of other pastors who used to look up to Mark Driscoll. They're all watching with raised eyebrows and saying, 'What is going on here, and where is this headed?'" (More Mark Driscoll stories.)