Thursday, February 23, 2012

Do standards matter?

Pastor James Davis stands accused of raping a child. Yet when we look at his past, it is clear that he should never have stood in the pulpit of a church.

  • 1999 - Manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance
  • 2000 - Parole violation
  • 2001 - Manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance

He was released from prison June of 2008, and then became a pastor of a Baptist. The truth is, he was a criminal with no education or formal training, yet he became a pastor. How does this happen? Do one simply hang out a shingle, call oneself a church, and then people will start dropping money in the collection plate? It’s insanity (and a scam). With a criminal record, a real job would be difficult for Davis to secure, but a church… it’s easy. Why? Because they have no (or low) standards.

I bet Davis is a beer goggle pastor – you know, a small desperate church looks past his fitness to lead because it’s last call. It’s a criminal pastor or nothing. Or worse, It’s a criminal pastor or you head down the road to Evening Star Baptist Church and try to adapt to a new and different culture.

We do we give special privilege to churches if there are no standards to judge them by?  Why do we grant special privileges to pastors when there are not held accountable to a standard? Let’s end the tax exemption for pastors.

Let’s put this in perspective. A man of low moral character is allowed to lead a church where he allegedly raped and impregnated a young girl. Members of Morning Star Baptist church is Cotton Plant, Arkansas, you are just as responsible as James Davis. You should have done your job and kept this man out of your church and away from your children. It’s your fault damn you. Don’t you see that?

Clergy Sexual Abuse, Rape, Baptists

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Buffy's avatar - Go to profile

Buffy 83p · 686 weeks ago

Aye, there's the rub. Religion and faith are given such a special status in our society that things like this are allowed to happen. People who profess faith are considered morally superior just by virtue of the fact that they profess faith. People calling themselves "pastor", "reverend" or some other variation of clergy are even more above reproach, supposedly. It's also considered improper to question or criticize faith/religion simply because of what it is. It's the perfect environment for all forms of exploitation.
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petpisces · 686 weeks ago

funny, my conversation with a friend who so happens to be a christian-baptist-republican... when discussing Newt Gingrich's past, she says it's okay because he has found the Lord and has turned his life around- I thought- "ARE YOU KIDDING ME YOU DUMBASS???"

Salvation seems to be a scam- and the lowly people who need help seek salvation from these scammers because it's sooo believeable!

It's a shame. sadly, you're statement is nothing but true: "With a criminal record, a real job would be difficult for Davis to secure, but a church… it’s easy. Why? Because they have no (or low) standards."
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reasonbeing 90p · 685 weeks ago

I agree. Salvation is a complete scam, but like Buffy said, as soon as you put a religious prefix in front of someones name it seems to confer a level of respect on that person. Haven't we learned from the Catholic Church's sex scandal that no clergy or religious person is immune to the same faults as the rest of humanity? That perhaps, in some ways, they are so repressed sexually because of their religion, that they might be more likely to act out in these disgusting fashions? Ugh...

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