Pastor Alex Williams shoots child

How is it right for a pastor to shoot a child? A 13-year-old boy has a bullet in his hit thanks to a supposed man of god who was angry because the boy broke his window with a rock. Pastor Alex Williams apparently pulled a gun and shot the boy over a broken window. What the hell?

Police say the 13 year old allegedly threw rocks at Williams' van on Saturday night in front of the Mechanicsville Church of God in Christ on McDaniel Street. They say one of the rocks broke Williams’ rear windshield, and that’s when the pastor pulled a gun and fired at the teen.

The teen, who has not been identified, was shot in the hip. He is being treated at an area hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.

Why does a pastor carry a gun anyway? Whatever happened to turning the other cheek?

Member of his church and his family are claiming pastor Williams is the victim. Yet they do not explain why he drew a gun and shot a boy. Perhaps the boy just needed killing?

 

Technorati Tags: Clergy Misconduct,Attempted Murder

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• Pastor Shoots 13-Year-Old Boy (frstephensmuts.wordpress.com)
• 'Pastor' Shoots 13-Year-Old Boy (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)

That pastor is a liar

Being branded a liar used to be the end of ones credibility in civil society. But it is not so these days. You can lie for years and then ask god for forgiveness and go right back to leading a church as if nothing happened. That’s what pastor Jim Moats did. He lied for years by claiming he was a Navy SEAL. His big mouth (or ego) finally caught up to him when a reporter interviewed him after Osama Bin Laden’s death and readers quickly discovered the fraud.

The follow-up post in the paper was pathetic.

After Osama bin Laden was killed, The Patriot-News reached out to find former Navy SEALs living in the midstate to tell our readers about life in that elite fighting force. Reporter Dan Miller, an Army veteran himself, was told the Rev. Jim Moats was a former SEAL, interviewed him and wrote the story for Saturday’s paper. It didn’t take long for some readers to label Moats a fraud.

Moats was no SEAL, he just claimed to be one so that his congregation would look up to him.

I love stories like this. Nobody gets hurt here. There are no victims and no trials. I don’t even have to follow the case. Pastor Moats is a liar. He’s admitted it. It is what happens next that will determine if Pastor Jim Moats is a man of honor or, as I suspect, not. If Pastor Moats is a “True Christian” he will do the right thing and resign from the Christian Bible Fellowship Church in Newville, Pa (Cache).

Why am I asking for his resignation? It’s simple really. I believe in holding pastors to the biblical standard for leadership as specified in 1 Timothy 3.

3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Pastors and bible believing Christians throw the bible around as if it were the literal word of god, yet when they fall, they tend to forget the parts of the bible that hold church leadership accountable. Jim Moats has brought shame to himself, his church, and his god. The Bible says he is no longer qualified to lead. What’s taking so long?

This is no simple lie. The article that started off the whole escapade goes into detail about how becoming a SEAL shaped his life.

“I had almost no discipline. I was as wild as they came. That was my nemesis,” Moats said. “They weren’t looking for a guy who brags to everyone he is a SEAL. They wanted somebody who was ready but had an inner confidence and didn’t have a braggadocio attitude.”

It was lies built on lies. He claimed all this happened during the Vietnam War, only he never saw action in the war, not one little bit. And his whole decision to become a pastor instead of staying in to serve his country as a SEAL, that was a lie too. It’s all lies. How is that what a pastor should be? How is a man like this leading a church? He has no honor.

Pastor Jim Moats – I hereby call on you to resign as a pastor. What say you?

Technorati Tags: Hypocrisy,SEALs,Liars

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• 'It's Amazing How Many of the Clergy Are Involved in Those Lies' (friendlyatheist.com)
• Pastor Steven Seagal (scotteriology.wordpress.com)
• Pastor Steven Seagal (via Scotteriology) (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
• Seal Not Found in Moats: Minister Admits Lying About Military Service (jonathanturley.org)

Photo – stuck inside

Over the weekend, I was briefly trapped in a Los Angeles building so I shot a few photos. This was the best. It was completely quiet inside while outside was the chaos of LA’s garment district.

Technorati Tags: Photography,Los Angeles

Photography - Welcome to Pyongyang

Photographer Charlie Crane visited North Korea and produced and astounding series of photos called Welcome to Pyongyan which captures the essence of the living nightmare that is North Korea.

It took over a year for Charlie to get permission to go in with his camera: he was not allowed to take his mobile phone past customs and was met by two guides who were to accompany him at all times throughout his trip. At first they appeared robotic in conversation as if reading from a script, telling of their countrys great achievements. After a few days and many polaroids the guides became more relaxed and personable.

The lifeless face of the woman holding the rifle gave me chills. So did the woman pumping gas. What kind of a hell are they living in?

 

Technorati Tags: Photography,North Korea

Pastor Tim Dampier arrested

And it all comes crashing down…. I hope that they start a suicide watch for this one.

Baptist pastor Timothy L. Dampier was arrested for child molestation and rape. His alleged victims were little boys who were in his care as foster children or in his care though his various children oriented volunteer work. Dampier also fancied himself a musician.

 

The Man…The Music…The Ministry –

Tim Dampier’s love for music emerged the age of 2 in the living room of his family’s house. His father, the Late Rev Ellis Wortham Sr. was a musician whose music was heard from the house of Blues, to Baptist churches across St. Louis to Mississippi. Tim grew up watching and listening to his father play the piano and organ as he sang and preached the word of God. At the age of 12, Tim began writing and playing his own songs. Tim has played a vital role in forming groups such as The Sanctified Tribe, later known as The Sanctified Tribe Choral, and One Accord, a group he founded with friend and brother Calvin “Joonie” Gary. Tim has also written, recorded and performed with local artists such as, The Imani Fellowship Choir and The R. L. Choral Ensemble. He has also shared the stage with recording artists’ such as Beverly Crawford and Dorinda Clark-Cole. Tim has continued to pursue his dream and career in the gospel music industry and intends to continue to shoot for the stars. To God be the Glory.

He used his music to preach the word of god – or maybe not.

“Over the years, the defendant has associated and ingratiated himself with a number of programs that specifically cater to youths and organizations that have youth programs,” Johnson continued. Through those organizations, she told the court, Dampier gained access to “the vulnerable populations that the defendant appears to target.

Read More: Police: Seattle minister, youth worker admits to molesting boys

He’s been charged with three counts of child molestation and one count of child rape. And get this – he’s been investigated four other times only to have the charges dropped when the victims would not cooperate with the investigation.

Here is the list of places Dampier has worked.

Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church; New Hope Baptist Church; Samuel House; Ruth Dykeman Children’s Center; Ryther Child Center; Union Gospel Mission; Seattle Parks and Recreation; and the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club.

I would imagine that a lot of parents and guardians are having very difficult conversations with their children right about now.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Baptists,Pedophiles,Rape

Youth Pastor Andrew Thomas sentenced

Former youth pastor Andrew Thomas was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a convicting for criminal sexual assault. Thomas preyed on young boys via the internet.

Those charges alleged he utilized a scheme in which he identified himself on Internet social networking sites and in text messages or e-mails as a female and used the personas to entice local minor-age boys, sending them pornographic female images and in return soliciting pornographic images of the young boys.

Thomas was a special case. I think he was capable of much worse. I’m happy he was caught and put behind bars.

Pastor Thomas worked at the Rossville Church of Christ. Don’t bother checking the website. There is not a word on it about the case.

Related Posts:

• Youth Pastor Andrew Thomas arrested (March, 2010)
• Youth pastor pleads not guilty (September, 2010)
• Youth Pastor Andrew Thomas faces more charges (September, 2010)
• The Andrew Thomas saga continues (March, 2011)
• Youth pastor Andrew Thomas Convicted (April, 2011)

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Youth Pastors

Pastor Joseph Spencer accused

A Temecula area assistant pastor named Joseph Jermaine Spencer stands accused of rape, oral copulation, and penetration with a foreign object. There victim is a 16-year-old girl. Spencer directed the choir at Mountain View Community Church. The is no mention of Spencer or the abuse charge on the church’s website.
Spencer allegedly picked the victim up from her school and took her back to his apartment were the sexual assault occurred.

The two were lying on a bed watching television when Spencer started kissing the girl’s neck. He then started to undress her and kiss her body. She asked him to stop, but he continued, according to Haddad.

The man performed several sex acts on her as she told him to stop. He finally complied when she told him he was hurting her, Haddad wrote. “The victim was crying,” Haddad wrote in the declaration. “She told Spencer she wanted to leave.”

How is Spencer better than any other predator? If these charges are true, he knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew that it violated everything he believed in and cast his church and his religion in a bad light, yet he did it anyway. When does the magic morality of the bible kick in? After the crime maybe?

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Rape

Photo - my first Banksy

My wife spotted this in a downtown Los Angeles parking lot at Broadway and 9th. It's my first Bansky. I think it’s called Parking.

Technorati Tags: Photography,Banksy,Los Angeles

Youth pastor Chris Furey sentenced

Youth pastor and convicted child molester Christ Furey will serve ten years in prison for the molestation of his 14-year-old female victim. Another pedopastor bites the dust!

Furey was the youth pastor at Emmanuel Fellowship Church in Cottonwood

• Youth Pastor Chris Furey arrested (September, 2010)
• Youth Pastor Chris Furey convicted (January, 2011)

I had a disgusting comment on the original post by “Polar”:

Reading the accounts, it doesn't sound like there was a victim. Illegal or not, it sounded like they were essentially dating. If that's the case, terrible to think that both of their lives are ruined when no one was hurt.

I get this kind of rationalization all the time. A 14-year-old girl was separated from her family and friends by a trusted youth pastor and then repeatedly molested and raped. Does this sound like dating?

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Child Molestation

Father Juán Ramón O'Farrill accused

It’s been a long wee for me. My guess is that I put in twelve hours of high stress work plus four hours on the freeway each day. You can see the results in my blog posts, which were zero. On the upside, I was asked if I would be interesting in interviewing in for two positions at work and I was called by a very flattering recruiter who was did his best to get me to fly out to Ohio for an interview. Subsequently, I paid no attention to pedopastors and the various other religious misfits who populate my blog. I have at least 10 stories to post. Yikes.

Let’s start with Catholic priest Juán Ramón O'Farrill, a popular Anti-Castro priest in Florida. He’s so popular that a street is named after him. Yet O’Farrill has his detractors – like Alejandro Mora, who claims O’Farrill drugged and then sexually assaulted him back in the 80s. Mora was 16 at the time.

Unfortunately, O’Farrill is dead, so no matter what happens, he will never get a chance to tell his side of the story. We can only look at his life and ask if the abuse charge plausible? O’Farill has a record…

This isn't the first controversy surrounding O'Farrill, however. He was arrested in 1993 shortly after giving a sermon and charged with lying under oath to protect a robber who promised sex in exchange for an alibi.

I think the answer to plausible is yes. Sex in exchange for an alibi? That’s new.

Now – it’s off for a round of disc golf.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Catholics

Introducing Ratio Primoris

Please join me in welcoming one of the newest members of the Atheist Blogroll, Ratio Primoris (Reason Foremost).

I was a "cradle Catholic" until middle age but was a skeptic in all areas except religion since college.  Finally, I developed a consistent worldview using the tools of skepticism, science and reason. This has led to a rejection of pseudoscience, alternative medicine, paranormal activity and other irrational ideas, to include religion. Thus, my theological position of atheism is the result of the consistent use of my tools to best determine reality.

In light of my present worldview, Ratio Primoris is established to respectfully discuss the role of reason in virtually every area of the human experience.  I invite you to peruse my blog, beginning with the Introduction.

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll resource blog for more information.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll

Introducing Honest to Godless

Please join me in welcoming one of the newest members of the Atheist Blogroll, Honest to Godless.

My name is Matt Foss, and I am an atheist.  I used to fear the flak I'd get for uttering such a statement.  Now I know that as more of us that stand up and speak out, our religious cohabitants on this mote of dust we call Earth will be less likely to distrust and despise us.

I'm honest with myself about my disbelief in religious nonsense, and I'm going to be honest with the rest of the world about it too.  I started Honest to Godless to voice my ideas and opinions about life as a Godless American, and possibly share my thoughts with people I'd never have met otherwise.  My posts may include anything from philosophical musings to political rants* and everything in between.  Sometimes I just blog about the sort of nerdy miscellany that I find interesting.

*Warning: I'm a staunch centrist and am known to have heated arguments with liberals and conservatives alike.  I think political ideologies are a lot like religions: nuggets of truth mired in fallacy, falsehood, and irrational idol-worship.  I welcome healthy debate, but don't resort to personal insults if you can't articulate your point.

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll resource blog for more information.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll

Ziggy Marley says it all

Ziggy Marley – In the name of God. Hell yes.

Technorati Tags: Music,Religion,Marley

Case against pastor Alberto Rodriquez moves forward

Five girls have a accused youth pastor Alberto Rodriquez of molestation. Three of the girls are his foster daughters. a judge found sufficient evidence to take pastor Rodriquez to trial.The abuse allegedly happened at home and at the Valley West Christian Center. A sixth victim has also been identified.

In each of the cases, the girls described trusting Rodriguez like a father and being assaulted while doing innocent things like watching cartoons or playing video games.

Rodriquez has a criminal record. He was convicted of a felony in 1985. Yet he was still allowed to participate as a foster parent and allowed to act as a youth pastor. The thing about background checks is that you must actually do a background check in order for it to be effective. I’ve noticed a trend in these cases where a pastor will say something similar sounding yet deniable. In this case, they “fingerprinted” Rodriquez. Is fingerprinting doing a background check? Reporters drive me crazy – ask the question. Was a background check performed? What service did you use? What were the results? Can you release them to the public?

Pastor Roger Leach says, "Before we hire any type of staff person they have to go through fingerprinting. And we always check references. So he did go through fingerprinting and he passed."

Maybe everyone hoped for the good in Alberto Rodriguez.

Pastor Lance Leach says, "As far as Christians go, and you look at the deeds that people do, what he's been accused of is not what we would desire a Christian be known as."

So reading through the doublespeak we know this – nothing.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Child Molestation

Introducing Blond Nonbeliever

Please join me in welcoming one of the newest members of the Atheist Blogroll, The Blond Nonbeliever.

Hi, I’m Kasha. I have just launched the Blonde Nonbeliever blog. I’m a blonde girl living at the beach in the deep American South, which alone should explain why I felt like I feverishly needed to write about what I encounter down here in the last notch in the bible belt. I’ve always lived in the South and have been a life-long nonbeliever. I have stories to share dating back to my childhood when I was a young closet atheist hiding among church-going friends and family. Please swing by as I continue to blog. It’s brand spanking new! http://blondenonbeliever.blogspot.com/

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll resource blog for more information.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll