We need to have a purpose in this life. I'm pleading with you, I'm begging with you to do the right thing. And do it not for the sake of how it will impact your own lives, but only for the sake of doing the right thing. James McGreevey More Quotes by James McGreevey More Quotes From James McGreevey Throughout my life, I have grappled with my own identity, who I am. As a young child, I often felt ambivalent about myself; in fact, confused. James McGreevey confused who-i-am children Being gay is a fundamental part of my being - the core of who I've always been, and the thing that I had repressed and run from all my life. James McGreevey gay fundamentals running No relief was forthcoming from my then-Catholic faith, which said the practice of homosexuality was a 'mortal sin' subject to damnation. James McGreevey damnation catholic practice I'm on the board of a national group called Faith in America. It's designed to fight religious-based bigotry. James McGreevey fighting religious america I do not believe that God tortures any person simply for its own sake. I believe that God enables all things to work for the greater good. James McGreevey torture sake believe I am resigning because my secret leaves the governor's office vulnerable. James McGreevey vulnerable office secret Civil union is less than marriage. Marriage is a sacred and valued institution and ought to be afforded equal protection. James McGreevey protection sacred unions I'm grateful for my brokenness. I'm grateful for my humility. James McGreevey brokenness grateful humility As I climbed the electoral ladder - from state assemblyman to mayor of Woodbridge and finally to governor of New Jersey - political compromises came easy to me because I'd learned how to keep a part of myself innocent of them. James McGreevey jersey ladders political I'm enjoying prison ministry, particularly with the women in Hudson County Jail who have suffered tremendously in their lives. James McGreevey ministry jail prison For me, living in the closet corroded my ability to have an honest, open relationship with my God, my loved ones, my constituency and myself. James McGreevey closets loved-ones honest When I first ran for public office, it was with the passion and idealism of a young man who believed that government could help make our lives better, that public service was a calling and that citizenship demanded responsibilities. There was a greater good. James McGreevey good service man passion You know for many elected officials they all started in the same place. You know marriage is between a man and a woman, but they understand that they are moving inevitably, catching up to the American public. James McGreevey woman you man marriage Inauthenticity is endemic in American politics today. The political backrooms where I spent much of my career were just as benighted as my personal life, equally crowded with shadowy strangers and compromises, truths I hoped to deny. I lived not in one closet but in many. James McGreevey strangers politics today life I kept a steel wall around my moral and sexual instincts - protecting them, I thought, from the threats of the real world. This gave me a tremendous advantage in politics, if not in my soul. The true me, my spiritual core, slipped further and further from reach. James McGreevey me politics soul world I was convinced I was worth less than my straight peers. I was at best inauthentic, and the longer I went without amending that dishonesty, the more ashamed I felt. James McGreevey worth more best ashamed
