Pastor Samuel Vidal arrested

Pastor Samuel Vidal, formerly of the Restoration Christian School in Palm Bay and now of Overcomers Academy, was arrested for allegedly molesting a 15-year-old girl.

I’ve love this style of Christianity. It’s called the start-a-church or school for fun and profit scam. It’s easy to start one. Grab a bible, hang out a shingle, and the rubes bring you their daughters and money too. It works best in our southern states, with Florida and Texas representing the best markets and the most forgiving clientele.

Father Obwaka arrested for sexual assault

This is an odd case. Father Sylvestre Ochieng Obwaka, a pastor from St. Ignatius of Loyola Roman Catholic Church in Gayord, was arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a sleeping man. Yes, you read that right, a priest allegedly tried to bugger a sleeping man. That’s a new one for the long list of Catholic sex crimes.

The Diocese of Gaylord suspended Obwaka.

“We must respond with compassion when anyone is harmed. We must also remember in our system of justice, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We are focused on providing pastoral care to those affected in this very sad situation,”

Milo Yiannopoulos defends pedophilia and pedophiles

Holy fuck... Milo Yiannopoulos paints the abuse highlighted on this blog in a favorable light. What an ass.

Refugees Welcome. Yep.

Source: Tavel ban protesters attach ‘Refugee Welcome’ banner to the Statue of Liberty.

CAIR offers reward for Jewish Community Center bomb threats

CAIR offered a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who threatened to bomb at least 10 Jewish Community Centers around the nation on President’s Day holiday.

I’m an incrementalist. A small step in the right direction should be acknowledged, no matter who or what takes the step. Now, how about evangelicals putting up a reward?

Baptist pastor Christopher Beam sentenced

Another baptist pastor bites the dust…

Christopher Beam, the former pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church in Shubuta, Mississippi, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Beam was a pastor, a school bus driver and substitute teacher. He was originally arrested in January, 2016 and charged with five counts of touching a child and five counts of enticing a child under 18 years of age with an electronic device for sexual purposes.

Bishop William Marshall arrested

Bishop William Marshall of City of Life Worship and Deliverance Center in Connecticut was arrested earlier this month on charges that he stole electricity. It seems petty, but then, so does his life. He calls himself a bishop instead of a pastor. He runs a barber shop and tattoo parlor, plus a church. He preaches on things but sounds religious, but he allegedly steals electricity. What the actual fuck? He might as well tattoo hypocrite across his forehead.

When a pastor’s ethics are fluid on the small things, one is lead to question the big things. How can he break the law and preach the law? It feels like a scam. He feels like a scammer. At least he did not molest a kid or cheat on his wife.

He’s big on ownership…pfft.

Clinton in 2020? Please no.

I once read a book about Hillary Clinton’s run against Barack Obama in 2008 that forever changed by opinion of Democrats and the Clintons. I can’t remember the book now (It may have been more than one), but I can remember the theme. She was disconnected from reality and used whatever means she had at her disposal to push her what she thought was her advantage. She also underestimated her opponent. When the 2016 elections started to take shape, I knew she was in trouble. She had no answer for Bernie Sanders and failed to see the appeal of his position. She also pressed her advantage in a way that undermined her integrity. Of course, like may other people, I figured she could not lose to Donald Trump. I still can’t wrap my mind around Trump’s victory. With all the distractions since his election, we’ve lost focus on how he got there.

There is talk of a Clinton run in 2020. Please no. She cannot win. Whatever is running through her mind, whatever reasoning is pushing her in this direction, we need to tell her no. She can’t win because she is still disconnected from reality. Until we find somebody who understands how Trump won, and I mean actually understands how he won and not just intellectual weak excuses for Clinton’s loss, whoever runs in 2020 is doomed.

We need a leader and a Democratic Party that is up to the task.

Pastor David Michael Akin Arrested

Don’t do it. Don’t type the words “Pastor Arrested” into Google. Don’t check to see if pedophile pastors have claimed another victim. (It’s always yes) Don’t read the story. Don’t fill your head with images of depravity. Nobody will care when you say that you’ve read about a thousand cases of clergy sexual abuse. That these cases haunt your dreams. That in the end, ten-years worth of tracking and writing about clergy sexual abuse had no impact. Parent still trust pastors for some reason that I’ll never understand.

David Michael Akin, an Arkansas pastor and fire captain, allegedly molested a five-year-old girl, giving her gonorrhea in the process. Excuse me while I go vomit.

Akin has been staff at the First United Methodist Church, in Texarkana, Texas. His profile has since been removed from the church’s website. Akin had run a home church as a youth pastor before receiving the call to be a pastor. Nothing fishy there…

Here is a tip for all of you. Never let the pastor babysit your children.

When bad people die - Omar Abdel-Rahman

I must be getting old. I can remember when there was more compassion in my heart. Lately, when I hear that a religious nutball or terrorist has died, I feel nothing. Omar Abdel-Rahman died in prison. I smiled when I read the real news CCN headline. He cause the deaths of six people and injured a thousand other people. Now he passes from history as a pathetic figure who died in prison. I feel nothing. Should I?

you look at what's happening last night in Sweden

President Trump… It’s harder to say that with each passing day. Yesterday, he held a campaign rally for the 2020 election even though most of us think he won’t make it another six months. He said a lot of weird things, but this stood out as just nuts, given he is the leader of the free world.

…you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden… Sweden, who would believe this. Sweden. They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible. - Source: The Independent.

Nothing happened last night in Sweden. Nothing, he made it up. He may have thought something happened because of a non-news segment he say on Fox News. That is a scary thought. He saw it on the “News” so he repeated it as fact. We are so screwed.

Tracking hate against Asians

Welcome to the new American reality. We apparently hate Asians now. Fuck.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice tracks hate.

I was walking down Valencia in San Francisco around 7pm and this older White gentleman pretended to hit my head with the book in his hand. As he walked by- he yelled really loudly- "I hate your fucking race. We're in charge of this country now." He was not intoxicated.

According to an article produced by NPR, a report from the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relation found that crimes targeting Asian-Americans in that county tripled between 2014 and 2015.

I don’t like where we are heading. I don’t like it at all.

A story from my day - North Long Beach

A story from my day - Thursday, February 16th. North Long Beach.

I'm recovering from a back and hip injury these days and driving is a literal pain in the ass. I'm good for 20 minutes behind the wheel before I need to stand up and stretch. I can push it to 30, but I look like I'm dancing in my seat and I pay for it later. Yesterday, after the first half hour of my drive home, I had to stop. I pull off the freeway and into a gas station. I stepped out of my car. It was not pretty, and limped in obvious pain toward the station's convenience store.

As I neared the door, a man stepped from the side of the building and spoke to me.

"You look like you need prayer."

I responded with, "What makes you think that?"

"You are in pain. I can see that. I can't help any other way. So I'm going to pray for you."

I thanked him and continued limping into the store. He was homeless and dirty, yet he did not ask for anything. Instead he tried to express sympathy for my condition. He tried to connect.

I bought myself some water so that I could take a Tylenol. Then, I picked up a tall cup of coffee and a few doughnuts. I limped back outside and gave they guy the coffee and doughnuts. We talked for five minutes. I told him about my life and he told me about his. We connected, but had little in common. His name was James.

Near the end, he asked that I pray with him. I told him I don't pray. He asked me how I show love. I told him I buy coffee and doughnuts and talk to people. He gave me a hug.

I cried on the drive home.

I do not mourn for Frank Ancona

Imperial Wizard of the Traditionalist American Knights of KKK, Frank Ancona, was found dead in Belgrade, Missouri. He had been missing for a few days. The only emotion I could must was… nothing. I feel nothing. Ancona was a Christian hypocrite and promoter of hate. He death moves the needle away from evil and darkness The world is a better place. Good riddance.

Small hands and even smaller crowds

Kellyanne Conway used the term "Alternative Facts" to explain the lies Sean Spicer told during Trumps first official press conference. To quote one of Spicer's lies, "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration -- period -- both in person and around the globe."

As a patriotic American, I was insulted by Spicer and his lies. I saw with my own eyes the small crowds on the parade route and during the inauguration. I remember thinking, why are the crowds so small? I was looking for a reason other than the obvious, but then it became plain that people did not show up. I want truth. We want truth.

Lying about the little things is a bad sign. It points towards dishonesty in all communication. Lying about verifiable facts is an insane act when what Trump seeks is legitimacy. Lies discredit everything. How is this good strategy?

Kellyanne Conway furthered the damage while appearing on Meet the Press. She repositioned lying as an honorable act. Spicer was fighting the media's alleged biased reporting with alternative facts. Any reasonable person knows alternative facts in this context means falsehoods.

"Don't be so overly dramatic about tit Chuck. You'er saying it's a falsehood. .. Our press secretary, Sean Spicer, gave alternative facts to that."

Trump and his minions are dishonest. His first press conference fixated on trivial issues and spread deliberate falsehoods. The size of the crowd is unimportant and not an urgent issue. Crowd size does not need correction. Crowd size does not need a press conference nor does it mention in Trump’s speech to the CIA.

"I get up this morning, I turn on one of the networks, and they show an empty field. I'm like, wait a minute. I made a speech. I looked out, the field was, it looked like a million, million and a half people. They showed a field where practically no one was standing there and said ‘Donald Trump did not draw...'... Honestly it looked like a million and a half people. Whatever it was it was. It went all the way back to the Washington Monument." He added even 250,000 people would be “not bad ... but it’s a lie”.

I fear for our democracy. I fear for our country.