Published November 10, 2010

New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson (Mary Schwalm/AP)

V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop in the United States, says the constant death threats strengthened his faith in God.

Bishop, 65, announced he will retire in 2013.

“Death is not the worst thing — not living your life, that’s the worst thing,” Robinson told NPR’s Melissa Block in an interview Wednesday. The Two-Way has a write-up:

Back in 2003, Robinson told Melissa that he hoped he would some day be known as just a good bishop, not a gay bishop. Today, he said in the seven years since then, he came to “make my peace with being ‘the gay bishop’ ” and to look at the situation as “an astounding opportunity” if he could be “the best steward I possibly can.”

Audio of the full interview will be available this evening.