Thursday, November 29, 2007

Gillian Gibbons is spared the lash

Gibbons was found guilty. She was spared the lash after apologizing to the court for any offence she had caused. She will spend the next 15 days in a Sudanese prison. Her friends will need to bring her food and water, because in a Muslim culture like Sudan, western standards of human decency do not exist.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said he was “extremely disappointed” with the sentence and summoned Omer Siddig, the Sudanese Ambassador, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to explain the decision. Mr Miliband said: “We are extremely disappointed that the charges against Gillian Gibbons were not dismissed. Our clear view is that this is an innocent misunderstanding by a dedicated teacher. Our priority now is to ensure Ms Gibbons’s welfare.” He said he wanted to discuss “the next steps” with his Sudanese counterpart.

Source: Mohamed teddy bear teacher, Gillian Gibbons, is spared lash but gets 15 days in jail - Times Online

You know, I'm pissed about this case too. I don't have the power of the British government behind me, but I can take action. I shall protest in a useless manner. I propose naming something entirely inappropriate after Mohamed. In my case, a part my anatomy that I refer to as "George W." will be renamed  "Mohamed".  It's fitting.

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Leonard Smith goes to prison

50 people showed up to support pastor Smith at his sentencing. It was better that he deserved. Of course it was 50 completely deluded hypocrites....

The Rev. Charles Mosley said he still sees Smith as a Christian man who has done good things in the church and the community.

“He is still needed in the church,” Mosley said. “He is still needed with the young people. He is still needed with the senior adults.”

Source: CITIZEN-TIMES.com: Church leader goes to prison. By Leslie Boyd

Smith molested 6 boys. What the hell is wrong with these people? Why do other pastors feel the need to tell the court that an admitted pedophile is "still needed with the young people...".

The pastors preach forgives, but what they are really saying is that they exist as a class above those they serve and are therefor no subject to the same laws (and penalties).

Another Baptist Pastor arrested

This time for rape and sodomy of a 15 year old girl.

The pastor of a small Washington County Baptist Church was arrested and charged with second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy in connection with a nearly 10-year-old incident involving a 15-year-old girl, authorities said.

The Rev. Leonard Frazier, 55, of Stonewall Baptist Church near Chatom, was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail on Tuesday on the basis of a grand jury indictment. He was released on bail totaling $15,000, according to jail records.

Source: Pastor of Washington County church charged with sex crimes. By Susan Dakar and Ron Colquitt. 

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

A teddy bear named 'Mohamed'

Is it possible to classify a whole country as nutballs? After reading this article, Sudan now officially qualifies for nutball status.

A British teacher jailed in Sudan for letting her class of seven-year-olds name a teddy bear Mohamed, has been charged with insulting religion and inciting hatred.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, was also charged with showing contempt for religious beliefs and could face up to 40 lashes and six months imprisonment under Sudan's sharia law.

Source: Sudan charges Briton with inciting hatred over 'Mohamed' teddy bear. By Amol Rajan

Gillian Gibbons is going to have the snot beat out of her because she taught Muslim children how to think. In the process of thinking, they named a teddy bear Mohamed. What the hell? Religion blows. Islam blows, sharia blows, the Sudan blows, it all blows.

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From pastor to pedophile

This one comes from the U.K. The son of a vicar found his father's stash of nasty child porn. His son turned the movies over to the local police. Now Paul Battersby is a disgraced former pastor. How does one go from a pastor to a pedophile? How does one do both at the same time?

A Lancashire vicar's facing jail after admitting watching an Internet clip of a schoolgirl being tied up and raped by a pedophile.

Reverend Paul Battersby, who worked at St Ambrose Church in Leyland was arrested in April - and had his computer seized.. after his son spotted the shocking images.

There were pictures of a 12 year old girl naked - the worst though - a 10 year old being tied up and attacked. That's classed as level five -the most serious of child porn offences.

Source: Rock FM: Vicar admits child porn offences

Battersby faces some serious jail time. He will have to wait until January to find out how long.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Priest arrested for sex abuse returns to preach

It is one of those things that makes me pull my graying beard and ask, how stupid are these people? Take Elizabeth Culverson, she attended the Thanksgiving morning service conducted by pastor Dale Fushek for what seem like a compelling reason. She thinks he is innocent.

More than 500 of his followers attended. One of them was Elizabeth Culverson.

She believes Fushek was falsely accused and continues to support him.

She said he is a Godly man in a profession he was called to.

Source: ABC15.com. Priest arrested for sex abuse returns to preach. By Christina Boomer.

She believes Fushek was falsely accused. Why? Fushek has been accused of heinous crimes against children. Her logic is faulty. We do not know if he committed the crimes. I trial will clear the issue up. However, she does not know he is innocent either. Her position is illogical.

More importantly, why is Fushek preaching. And why did 500 people attend his service? Ego is my guess.

A tale of monkey meat

Mamie Manneh, currently in prison for attempting to run down a woman she suspected of sleeping with her husband, claims that eating monkey meat is a key part of her Christian rituals. She claims it is a sacrament, unfortunately, we all know she eats it because she did not have butterball turkeys in Africa.

The U.S Customs department found a desiccated monkey arm in her garage after finding bush meat in an international shipment of dried fish from Africa. Besides the obvious creep factor here, there are heath concerns.

A criminal complaint cited evidence that the illegal importation of bushmeat encourages the slaughter of protected wild animals.

More ominously, the complaint warned of "the potential health risks to humans linking bushmeat to diseases like Lassa fever, Ebola, HIV, SARS and monkeypox."

Source: Monkey Meat at Center of NYC Court Case

I eat just about anything (except for lima beans!), I would even eat monkey meat if I needed it to live; But I do not need it to live, nor does Mamie Manneh. She lives in America now, monkey meat, even if is to celibate a religious ritual, is no longer a necessity.

Baptisms, Easter, Christmas, weddings, football game— all are occasions for eating monkey, Manneh's supporters said in a sworn statement filed with the court

OK, I added football games... If we take Dawkins views into account here, her practice of religion endangers society by subjecting society to Ebola. It is criminally irresponsible for anyone, let along a Christian, to subject the public to this level of risk, all so she can enjoy monkey butt stew to celibate the marriage of her one of her nine children. Lets keep this religious nutball in jail, she might import white rhino horn as a treatment for her bunions if we let her off.

Blogroll Update: #500 - Trifling Ideas

Well... our little Atheist blogroll is all grown up now. We hit the 500 blog milestone when I added Trifling Ideas a few minutes ago. Please stop by and welcome her to the atheist blogging community.

Splendid Elles (#497)

The Psycho Atheist (#498)

Polypyloctomy (#499)

Woo Hoo! Trifling Ideas (#500) Woo Hoo!

A Division by Zero (#501)

The Mutt's Nuts (#502)

Yet Another Atheist Blog (#503)

Excursions into the mundane and the revealing (#504)

Kellym78's Blog (#505)

State of Protest (#506)

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Pastor Arrested for Making Terroristic Threat

Via Onanite onlne: Pastor Arrested for Making Terroristic Threat

Birmingham Police Sgt. Cory Hardiman said Wanda Radford was arrested November 9th for making a terroristic threat against a person in public administration. Another police officer told FOX6 News the public official was a circuit court judge

A friend tells me the best way to spot a drunk is the clean and sober bumper sticker they sport on their car. Perhaps this rules applies to pastors too?

Friday, November 23, 2007

Who was Peter Barton?

Peter Barton was the pastor of the New LIfe Christian Fellowship Church in Concord. Now he is a disgraced convicted child molester. His story is sad but typical. Barton was molesting an 8-year-old girl when his wife walked in on him. He had molested the girl for months.

Barton pled guilty earlier this months. The rest of his life will be spent in prison. His assets... well now the victim has a chance for compensation. The girls family is suing.

With the criminal case against Barton resolved, the civil lawsuit brought by the parents of his victim, who his now 9, will move forward.

In that case, the parents have accused Barton of assault and battery, sexual abuse, infliction of emotional abuse, false imprisonment and invasion of privacy against their daughter. They have asked the court to award them and the girl the maximum damages allowed.

Source: Concord Monitor - Parents of sex abuse victim sue. By Annmarie Timmings.

The damage these pastors cause never really goes away.

Leaving the Catholic Church

I posted on my disgust at the Catholic Church's decision to promote a priest who was arrested for lewd behavior in a public park. Rev. Padraig Green is set to become the Pastor at St. Augustine in Pleasanton. I received a few emails suggesting I should mind my own business because "god has a plan". If god had a plan, it is a bad one - because long time Catholics like the Aimar family are leaving the church as a result of this idiotic decision.

This is what got the Catholic Church in trouble,'' Piscitelli said. ``This attitude that a man who has committed a sexual offense is fine to go back and oversee a ministry.

-

If my mother had had a flier like this one, she may have not let the pastor pull my brother out of his faith formation class to see how well he knew his Rosary

 Source: Inside Bay Area - Family leaves Catholic faith after news of reverend's former arrest for lewd act

The Aimar family would be well advised to stay away from the local Baptist churches, because we all know how well the Baptist church protects its own.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Pastor Peter Kim arrested again

Fresh off of his mistrial for sexual assault,  Youth pastor Peter Kim has been arrested again for violating the terms of a court order baring him from being around children.

Police on Saturday arrested a former Longmont church official on suspicion of violating bond conditions that prohibit him from contact with children.

That marked Peter Kim’s fourth arrest related to a bond violation.

It came less than one week after his trial on child sex assault charges ended in a mistrial in Boulder District Court.

Kim’s bond conditions forbid him from having contact with anyone younger than 18, except for his own children.

Lafayette Police Sgt. Fred Palmer said Kim was at Flatirons Community Church on Saturday when another person in the church noticed he was sitting with an acquaintance and her children.

The witness called an attorney, who called police, Palmer said.

A Lafayette police officer stopped Kim as he drove away from the church. His children were with him in the car, Palmer said. The acquaintance and her children stopped behind the officer, who arrested Kim on suspicion of violating the terms of his bail bond.

Source: Ex-church leader is arrested a 4th time - The Longmont Daily Times-Call. By Pierrette J. Shields.

I am counting the days until this man in behind bars.

Other posts on Pastor Kim can be found here.

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Disc Golf, the FBI, and Soccer

I started this Thanksgiving with a round of early morning disc golf. I played with a few friends. As we started the game, 20 cars pulled into the empty part parking lot adjacent to the course. It was a loud spectacle, complete with mariachi music, thumping bases, and coolers of beer.  A group of Latinos had arrived for a thanksgiving day match.

I smiled and waved, eventually greeting them in both English and Spanish. Everyone seemed happy.

One of our golfers threw a disc poorly. It hit the door of one of newly arrived cars. After he picked up his disc, the entire parking lot full of soccer players mobilized at once. They scrambled into cars and out of the parking lot. The scene was like something out of a well choreographed movie. One person stood up and whistled, moving his index finger in the global recognized circular motion interpreted as "lets get the hell out of here". Another pointed towards his care with a white soccer ball while loudly saying F.B.I. to a small knot of his friends. Within a minute, the parking lot was clear and we were alone again.

I looked around for a clue to their actions. The park was empty besides my group of six golfers. I realized that my friend who had hit one of the cars with his disc was wearing an FBI hat and matching sweatshirt. The soccer team had interpreted his attire as a threat and fled. He is a police officer, or more accurately, will be a police officer when he finishes his training. Today, he was just a disc golfer.

Shotgun wielding pastor agrees to counseling

Why is this guy leading a church?

The Alpharetta pastor arrested last week on assault charges has agreed to counseling as part of a court agreement.

Jeff Witcher, pastor of Alpharetta's First Baptist Church, appeared in court Tuesday morning alongside his wife.

As part of the agreement, Witcher has agreed to 24 weeks of domestic violence counseling. He will also attend pre-trial diversion. Witcher also agreed to remove all weapons from his home and have no further violent contact with his wife.

On Nov. 12, Witcher's wife called police, claiming Witcher pulled her hair and pulled out a shotgun.

Source: Alpharetta Pastor Agrees To Counseling - WGCL Atlanta

Because people choose to become a pastor as a vocation. Where else can somebody earn a living with virtually no oversight... the local sandwich shop maybe?

Blogroll Update: Getting closer to 500

Well... four more and we at 100. It should be within just a few more days.

On the street and in my head (#492)

I am an Atheist (#493)

The Stubborn Curmudgeon (#494)

The Rambling Idiot (#495)

Just a whisper in the wind (#496)

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A pastor and a rapist

An alleged serial rapist was arrested in Fresno, he was a pastor at International Crossroads Community Church. He liked to hold butcher knifes to the throats of his victims while raping them. Did I mention he was already a registered sex offender?

Fresno police say Anthony Ireland was repeatedly targeting random women along Highway 99 near Olive Avenue, a well known place to pick up prostitutes.

Lt. Don Gross, Fresno Police Department, says "He identified women who were walking along the sidewalk, picked them up, and took them to a secluded location where he sexually assaulted them."

Monday Ireland was charged with 4 felony counts of forcible rape with special circumstances. He could face additional punishment since there are multiple victims and he used a dangerous weapon.

Source: ABC30.com: A Fresno Minister Is Under Arrest

Whatever happened to background checks?

Monday, November 19, 2007

The heart of corruption

One need look no further than 80-year-old pastor Earl Paulk, leader of the Atlanta based Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. He screwed his brothers wife and fathered a son who was raised as his nephew. 34 years later, Earl Paulk was forced to participate in a paternity test. He lied under oath about being the father of D.E Paulk. the paternity test proved Earl Paulk was a liar.

I can't make this shit up.

A judge ordered the test at the request of the Cobb County district attorney's office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which are investigating Earl Paulk for possible perjury and false-swearing charges stemming from a lawsuit.

The archbishop, his brother and the church are being sued by former church employee Mona Brewer, who says Earl Paulk manipulated her into an affair from 1989 to 2003 by telling her it was her only path to salvation. Earl Paulk admitted to the affair in front of the church last January.

Source: The Associated Press: Sex Scandal Hits Atlanta-Area Megachurch

Paulk and his church has been involved in at least two other sex scandals. Yet he continues to participate in the leadership on his church. It's a joke.

There has been some good to come from this travesty, ExChristian.net was formed as a direct result of this cult's misdeeds.

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New molestation charge for McDowell

Remember the youth pastor who is alleged to have molested all the young girls? Oh wait, there are so many alleged pedophile pastors that perhaps I should provide more information.

Mark McDowell, who I posted on here, already faces charges stemming from an alleged sexual assault of two young girls ages 13 and 14. Since the investigation is ongoing, it comes as no surprise that new charges were filed.

Prosecutor Gilbert Romero said in an interview McDowell's new charge is genital penetration by a foreign object against a female under 18 years old. He declined to elaborate on the charge.

Source: New molestation charge filed against former youth minister. by Raul Hernandez.

No surprise - but still disgusting.

Pedophile Jesuit fights explusion

I have no sympathy for disgraced catholic priest Donald McGuire. He is fighting to stay in the Jesuit order after his child molestation conviction.

CHICAGO (AP) - A priest convicted of molesting two boys says he's fighting efforts by the Jesuits to expel him from the religious order.

Last year, a Wisconsin jury convicted the Reverend Donald McGuire of molesting two boys from Loyola Academy in Wilmette in the 1960s.

McGuire now faces lawsuits on a string of new child molestation accusations as well as a federal indictment that alleges he traveled overseas with a minor with an intent of having sex with him.

As a result of the conviction and other allegations against him, the Chicago Jesuits have presented McGuire with a dismissal decree from the order. McGuire tells the Chicago Sun-Times he has appealed to the Vatican not to allow the dismissal.

The Jesuits haven't said whether they're also seeking McGuire's removal from the priesthood.

Source: WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News: Convicted molester fights Jesuits' efforts to expel him

There should be no question about what to do, expel him from the order and remove him from the priesthood.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Nutball Alert: Ken Hutcherson

It has been a while since I posted a nutball alert. I think it time to crank out a few more. Our newest nutball is anti-gay Reverend Ken Hutcherson. He made the nutball list by threatening to take over Microsoft in a shareholders meeting last week.

An advocate of a "biblical stance" against divorce and homosexuality, Mr Hutcherson, 55, is asking millions of evangelical activists, as well as Orthodox Jewish and other allies, to buy up Microsoft shares and demand a return to traditional values.

Source: Pastor in Microsoft 'gay rights' share bid - Telegraph

Hutcherson believes Microsoft's shift awayfrom its neutral stance on Gay rights is cause enough to marshal the armies of god to bring down goliath. I think he's smoking crack - it would have to be a big army, with lots and lots of money. Hurcherson is another hate filled fundie who views America as a land of sin. Divorce and gay rights are at the top of his agenda. I don't understand these people.

Some of you might remember Ken Hutcherson from his 2004 visit to Latvia. He claimed to be an official representative of the US government. His mission was to confront the gay agenda in the EU. It turns out Hutcherson was not an official representative. Go figure.

Gideons losing influence

I have spent countless night in hotels rooms. Business sometimes keeps me away from home for weeks at a time. I am too picky when it comes to accommodations. Give me a quite room, air conditioning, and reliable Internet connectivity and I'm good. I don't need a bible, or a book of Mormon to make it through the night. In fact, when I find one it often pisses me off.

Newsweek is reporting that Gideons is losing its grip on American hotel room.

What might be surprising to many Americans is that the Bible-free room isn't a development just in hip New York City hotels. Across the country upscale accommodations are doing away with the Bible as a standard room amenity. And in its stead have arrived a slew of "lifestyle" products that cater to a younger, hipper (and presumably less religious) clientele. Since 2001 the number of luxury hotels with religious materials in the rooms has dropped by 18 percent, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The Nashville-based Gideons International, which has distributed copies of the Christian scripture to hotels since 1908, declined to comment on this trend.

Source: Newseeek.com. So Long, Gideons. By Roya Wolverson.

Unfortunately, this trend is not a reflection of the crowing influence or market reach of Atheism. It is simply a reflection of hotels marketing their rooms as a good place to get laid. Sex is all good, except that I am usually in a hotel room alone. I'm no more likely to read a bible than I am to use the condom in the mini bar.

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Why give this priest a second chance?

Catholic priest Padraig Greene is up for the position of authority over two Pleasnaton parishes, St. Augustine Church and Elizabeth Seton. Only, Greene has a troubling past. He was arrested in 1999 for masturbating in front of a police officer at a park frequented by children. Why would any reasonable person give this man a second chance?

Father Mark Wiesner, spokesman for the Diocese of Oakland, said Bishop Allen Vigneron and the diocese are standing behind Greene because they think his 1999 arrest was "a single isolated incident" and he underwent six months of "therapy and spiritual renewal" at a center for troubled priests in St. Louis, Mo.

Wiesner said, "We were well aware of his past and believe he is doing well now."

Wiesner said no minors were present when Greene was arrested for lewd conduct at the North Oakland Regional Sports Center on Broadway in Oakland in March 1999 and the charges against him were dismissed after he agreed to undergo therapy.

Source: cbs5.com - Old Lewdness Arrest Haunts New Pleasanton Pastor

I get it. Greene is cured. This does not change things. Green should be denied the job. One does not give a bank robber a job as a bank teller, why would one give a sex addict a job as with access to kids?

Ayaan Hirsi Ali - a worthy cause

Sam Harris sent an email asking for help protecting Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I think it is a worthy cause. I have re-posted the email below:

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the most prominent advocate of free speech and women's rights in the Muslim world, and for this she must live under perpetual armed guard, even in the West. Unfortunately, on October 1st of this year, the Dutch government officially rescinded its promise to protect her. Now, Ayaan Hirsi Ali's friends, colleagues and admirers must come to her aid.

I have created a page on my website that links directly to the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Security Trust. The money raised by this trust will pay Ayaan Hirsi Ali's security expenses. In the event that money remains after these costs have been met, it will be used to encourage and protect other dissidents in the Muslim world.

The ongoing protection of Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a moral obligation. It is also a strategic one: for here is a woman doing work that most of us cannot do--indeed, would be terrified to do if given the chance--and yet this work is essential for preserving the freedoms we take for granted in the West.

If every reader of this email simply pledged ten dollars a month to protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the costs of her security would be covered for as long as the threat to her life remains.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Sam Harris

I plan to contribute. The world would be that much worse without Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

 

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Thursday, November 15, 2007

Blogroll Update: growing again

Our latest batch off noobs: 

Skeptic's Play (#485)

Fleeing Nergal, Seeking Stars (#486)

Science: The Gap Filler (#487)

Greg Laden's Blog (#488)

Ecstathy (#489)

Did a guy named Phil Start Philosophy? (#490)

The Thinkers' Podium (#491)

The Freethought Cafe (#492)

Eight more to go...

Mistrial declared in Kim molestation case

Youth pastor Peter Kim, who I posted on here, had his sexual assault  case declared a mistrial on Tuesday.  Kim is the pastor who viewed his relationship with an underage girl as a "bad dating decision".

A Boulder district judge declared a mistrial this afternoon in the sexual assault trial of a former youth pastor suspected of having a physical relationship with a minor who was attending his Longmont church.

Judge D.D. Mallard said the jury was deadlocked 8-4 after deliberating the fate of Peter Kim, 40, all day today.

A juror told the Camera that the eight votes were in favor of conviction.

Source: Mistrial declared in ex-youth pastor's sex assault case. By Heath Urie.

The good news here is that Kim will face trail again. If convicted he faces life in Prison.

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Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Woot! 200K hits

I like to mark the little milestones I reach with Deep Thoughts. Today I reached 200K hits. It seems like it took forever.

The search that brought my two hundred thousandth visitor was for the phrase Gayle Haggard, which returned the Dobson quits as Haggard counselor.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

A severed head in Africa

I read the news from Africa and despair. Beyond the droughts, famine, and genocide there exists a low level persistent disease - religion. Be it forced Muslim conversion, Christian evangelical proselytizing, or indigenous pagan rituals,  religion permeates the continent. Most of the news I read is troubling. On occasion, I read of some atrocity which stands apart from the rest. Like severing a child's head for the equivalent of a $1.60 to service the needs of a Yaro spiritualist who needed it for a ritual.

Africa is the place were we export our worst behaviors, superstitions, and institutions. I want to be optimistic about its future, but it is hard.

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Monday, November 12, 2007

Blogroll Update: 4-1=484

We added another 4 blogs today, one departed. 500 Atheist themed blogs are within reach. Please keep spreading the word.

Rational Expression (#481)

Atheistkiwi's weblog (#482)

Dikkii's Diatribe (#483)

This page is an outlet for my own hate-filled vitriol and spiteful opinions. Uneducated as I am in the ways of the world, it's still necessary to vent my spleen at the media, the music industry, the AFL and anyone else who could have offended my sensibilities. I plan for this to be updated occasionally, depending on my state of mind. So you can either look forward to, or avoid my one-sided, uninformed and dangerously unbalanced opinions on the state of the world and everyone in it.

Australian Atheist (#484)

Deviant pastors on parade

I am behind on my posting. There are so many abusive pastors in my writing queue that I have decided to produce a digest version of Hypocrisy Watch.  

We start with news from the U.K. where the Bishop of Whitby will make a public apology for the actions of pedophile priest (vicar in this case)Trevor Ward. The crimes were committed 20 years ago.

“I want to offer a deep apology to the individuals who were so badly hurt and the community whose trust was abused by Trevor Ward while he ministered in Easterside, where he did so much harm over six years.

“I hope that many of those in Easterside whose lives were touched or damaged in any way by these dreadful events will join us on November 17 to offer our sorrow and pain from the past to God, and to commit ourselves to a future where the Church deserves the trust people want to place in it.”

Apologizes are nice, especially 20 years after that fact. I sure hope the now 25-year-old (or older)  men will find it in their hearts to forgive Trevor Ward.

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In Florida, a Baptist pastor died while awaiting trial on six count of capital battery. Pastor Robert Gray is alleged to have like to force himself on young girls.

Gray was arrested in May 2006 and again two months later when more charges surfaced. More than 20 women have come forward with accusations against Gray...

Gray's attorney released a statement saying the pastor's family prays that everyone involved in the court cases can find peace.

Somehow I do not think Gray's alleged victims will find peace in his death. There is something about the sweet sound of "Guilty" which brings a measure of peace. Death simply cheats the victims.

 I was not tracking this case. It is a shame too. Gray seem like a perfect candidate for Hypocrisy Watch.

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Conan O'Brien has a Catholic priest as a stalker. I know it sounds odd, but I don't make this stuff up.

Reverend David Ajemian, a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, Mass., has been accused of writing O'Brien threatening notes on parish letterheads, contacting his parents and showing up at his studio.

Ajemian was arrested last week while trying to enter a taping session of NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in New York, a Manhattan prosecutor confirmed on Wednesday.

I don't know how to classify Ajemian. My best guess is that he qualifies for a nutball alert. I guess mental illness affects Gods chosen clergy too.

----

In local news - a Stanton pastor who is awaiting trail for having unlawful sex with a 16-year-old girl was rearrested. Ronald Hernandez Tova is scheduled to face his accuser on faces his accuser in court this December on Christmas Eve.

In July, Haughton said, a friend of the victim's mother saw Tova, who is married, and the girl at a bus stop. She told police, who put him under surveillance. On Tuesday, authorities said, officers followed Tova to a church parking lot in Montclair, where he allegedly met the girl and drove her home.

There is no evidence he had additional sexual contact with his alleged victim. No, I guess he just wanted to work the whole intimidation angle.

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From Australia - convicted pedophile Robert Sharwood served time in jail for sexually assaulting a teenage boy. No he is out and waiting to find out if he can return to  his regular duties.

Sixty-three-year-old Robert Sharwood, who remains an ordained minister, was released from prison today after serving 12 months in jail for sexually assaulting a teenage boy while at St Matthew's Anglican Church in the suburb of Sherwood.

The church's Professional Standards Board is expected to meet before Christmas to determine if Reverend Sharwood is a fit and proper person to hold holy orders.

Odd - but the phrase "hell no" keeps echoing in my head. I did not realize a year as a prison bitch cured one of pedophilia. What is to review here?

Sharewood's victims think the Anglican Church still doesn't comprehend the real impact of sexual abuse. I agree.

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In Florida - Hugh King is a Pensacola pastor accused of possession of a small about of cocaine. I've reported on him before.  The latest twist in his case is bizarre. He signed an intervention plea agreement with a few simple rules. Admit guilt to the court and to the public, seek counseling, and submit to random drug tests. After a year his record is erased. Sounds simple right? Guess what pastor King did?

The Rev. Hugh King today said he’s not guilty of cocaine possession, and that he never agreed to the terms of a year-long pretrial intervention program.

King called a press conference this morning at Greater Union Baptist Church — where he is pastor — to say he was not aware that his attorneys agreed last week to pretrial intervention stipulations for him until it came out in the Pensacola News Journal.

“We stood before this church and said we are not guilty. That has not changed, and it will not change,” King said.
When asked directly whether he was ever in possession of cocaine, he said, “No.”

King and his supporters like to float the theory that he has been setup by "the man". The evidence suggests otherwise. There will be more to follow from this morally challenged Christian leader.

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In Washington - Pastor Robbin Leroy Harper faces molestation charges for allegedly molesting young girls from his church.

Harper ministered to a congregation of about 60 in South Kitsap County, across Puget Sound from Seattle. His congregation was known simply as The Church. He lived with his wife and children in a mobile home on the grounds.

The women and young girls who say he molested them, one a girl of only 10, describe a pattern of abuse that began when they were 7 or 8 with hugs that were too long and intense. As they grew older, they said, he would grope them and finally would introduce them to sexual intercourse when they were in their mid-teens, telling them he was preparing them for marriage.

Hi! my name is pastor Harper. My job is to prepare you young girls for marriage...  sick.

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From Uganda, where religion runs rampant, we find a pastor arrested for the mysterious death of his 14-year-old house cleaner.

Pastor Fred Wantate was picked up from his office at the church by detectives from Old Kampala police station after relatives of Rose Nakazzi lodged a complaint over her death... Nsubuga said the Police were investigating the pastor’s motive of abandoning the girl at a strange place when she was seriously sick.

What is the pastoral equivalent for puppy lake?

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In Chicago - a Jesuit priest was arrested on molestation charges. Reverend Donald MacGuire is alleged to have molested two boys but some allegations go back as far as the 1960s.

The new charges, unsealed by the U.S. Attorney's office on Friday, allege Father MacGuire traveled to Switzerland and Austria in 2000 to engage in sexual misconduct with a minor who is now 21.  In a complaint filed against the priest on Thursday, an accuser identified as Victim A claims that Father MacGuire sexually abused him between 1999 to 2003 in 12 states and six countries.  Victim A was living with the priest in Evanston, Illinois, where Father MacGuire had reportedly become a spiritual mentor to Victim A's family.

Just when we thought it was safe for your son to spend time alone with a priest in a hotel room on the other side of the planet...

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In Indiana - a Baptist pastor resigns over his son-in-laws sex scandal. The sex scandal is question is one where youth pastor Nasthan St. Pierre stands accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl.

Pastor Mike Bebout says he's leaving Washington Avenue Baptist Church due to complications stemming from the arrest of his son-in-law, Nathan St. Pierre.

of course - pastor Mike holds no ill feelings for his flock:

"I made one simple statement and that was my ministry at this church is through and as far as I'm concerned this church is too."

I'm taking my bible and going home.

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Again in local news - Glendale police arrested Donald Allen on Charges he molested three children a decade ago. Allen teaches Catechism.

"They come forward years later, after the fact," said Glendale Police Dept. Spokesman John Balian. "But by going public with this, his arrest, hoping there are no victims, but if there are, we can give them some kind of closure."

An anonymous tip led investigators to Donald Allen, a man who has volunteered at Holy Family Church in Glendale, and Saint Dominics Church in Eagle Rock for the past 12 years.

What is that old saying? Where there are three victims of abuse there are surly 30 more. He taught classes for 12 years, 30 might be too small a number.  

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From Van Wert Ohio - I know people from Van Wert! Pastor William W. Jeffress formerly of the First Church of God, was arraigned on charges of sexual battery.

According to the indictment on Sept. 1, Jeffress allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with a person of whom he served as guardian or custodian. Jeffress was released on $5,000 bond and was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.

Something about this case smells fishy. Sex with a person of whom he served as guardian. The images are disturbing. I better change channels.

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Well... that's it for now. My goal was to clear one page of unread emails from gmail. I could keep going. My email is full of these atrocious displays of Christian morality. I'll stop for now and move on to adding new members to our ever growing atheist blogroll.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Shopping for...

Christmas, or the Winter Solstice, or whatever it is you want to call the pending national consumer holiday? Artist Marek Eby might have the answer for you. Marek owns a Cafepress store called Trilobite Clothing which caters to people who actually believe in the fossil record. He sells evolution and paleontology based designs. My favorite is Viva La Evolution!

I think I will wear this to the next school board meeting instead of the big red A.

I'm always in the market for gift ideas. This fits the bill. So, for my two real "atheist" friends and one Christian friend (who supports evolution) - I think you can guess what Santa is leaving in your stocking.

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Blogroll Update: Noobs

The Atheist Blogroll is nearly 500 members. I figure we will hit the 500 mark by New Years Day. Our newest members are:

The Inoculated Mind (#478)

Atheist Rule (#479)

Personal Evolution (#480)

Carnival of the Godless 79 -- Pie Now on Earth

That's right. It's time for another round of  Carnival of the Godless.  This issue is hosted by one of my favorite blogs, Aardvarchaeology.

Read and enjoy!

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toomanytribbles: free your mind

Toomanytribbles produced free your mind - an outstanding and inspirational look at the atheist/agnostic blogsphere. Enjoy!

Book Review: Ellery's Protest

I only know the story of Ellery Schempp from the perspective of a Christian. He was the boy responsible for removing prayer from pubic schools. I learned of Ellery’s lawsuit in Sunday school as an adolescent. Un-American was the most common phrase used to describe him, that along with pure evil, and.... Atheist!

My marginally qualified instructors did not stop to explain the nuances of the lawsuit; they instead used the blunt hammer of Satan’s minions working to bring down America as reason enough to vilify anyone associated with the case. It worked too. Until recently, I viewed the whole school prayer thing through a filter of negative imagery. Then I read a book that changed my perspective. I have a new hero now - Ellery Schempp.

Mary Bisbee-Beek of the University of Michigan Press asked me to review Ellery’ Protest. It sounded interesting, but a little outside the scope of my normal reading. I read the book slowly. I found myself drawn into a story I knew very little about. A story that, thanks to my Christian youth, I had all wrong.

Great legal decisions often result from the heroic actions of average citizens. Ellery's Protest is the story of how one student's objection to mandatory school prayer and Bible reading led to one of the most controversial court cases of the twentieth century---and a decision that still reverberates in the battle over the role of religion in public life.

More...

Written by Stephen D. Solomon, Associate Professor at New York University where he teaches First Amendment law, Ellery's Protest now occupies an honored spot on my Atheist themed bookshelf. The book is not written from the perspective of the Atheist - Ellery was a Unitarian. It is instead an analysis, no - a brilliant analysis, of an historically important and precedent setting legal decision. The book tells the story of our country adopting tolerance of sectarianism. Secularism was that catalyst. but was far from the only ingredient in this complex case.

I have a few friends who will appreciate this book. They are not casual readers. Which is good because this is not a casual book. I read it slowly, taking notes as I moved through its pages. There is deep meaning and insight in pages of this book. I recommend Ellery's Protest to anyone who seeks knowledge and illumination. I certainly benefited from reading it. I am not exaggerating by stating that page-after-page provided an education on some aspect of America's secular roots which were unknown to me.

Midway through Ellery's Protest is a chapter titled "Do you believe in the divinity of Christ". It is the first chapter cover the lower court trail proceeding. 18-year-old Ellery answered the question with a firm "I do not". The next 40 pages are my favorite of the book. The author explores the sectarian nature of the bible. A high level summary says that Bibles are sectarian in nature and that daily reading promotes instruction in one sect's theology. Catholics, Jews, Hindu's, and Muslims do not even recognize the King James version of the bible as divine. How can using it as the standard be fair? This question seems simple 50 years later, it also sound familiar given the ongoing battle with the Intelligent Design movements.

The story of the Good Samaritan, told as part of the chapter exploring the sectarian nature of the Bible, was another eye opener. When viewed from the perspective of expert witness Solomon Grayzel, shows that any moral value is obliterated by the backhanded slap at Jewish culture. I will not tell the whole story here, but the book is worth the purchase price just to examine this single argument.

...now you tell this story in a school to a Jewish child or in the presence of a Jewish child and a Christian child an the Christian child has every right to say "See, you come of a people that is cruel, that doesn't understand the decencies of life."...

Just substitute the words "Jewish child" with "Atheist child" or "Hindu child" and one can see the power of the arguments used to support secularism. The only way to prevent a repeat of Europe's bloody sectarian past is to ensure it does not gain prominence in America. Ellery's Protest hammers this issue home in chapter after chapter.

What is the value of a book like Ellery's Protest? I can only answer by saying my bookshelves are full of book like this one. Knowledge reinforces one's ability to discern truth from fiction. Knowledge helps one become a critical thinker, helps one reject the irrational, to recognize the con man, and protect our liberties. Book like Ellery's Protest push back the darkness. We need that, because the forces of theocracy are always active.

I took my time with this book. I read it two times since I received it in August. I've written this review twice too. The first time did not do it justice. I hope I did a better job this time. I recommend Ellery's Protest to all my Atheist readers and fellow bloggers, as-well-as my academically minded friends. You will not regret the time spent reading this outstanding work. The book is not about Atheism, however, it is about the rights and liberties inherent in our constitution which allow us to live freely and believe (or not) as we choose.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Prosperity Theology

I've come across this concept of the prosperity theology a few times recently. I do not understand why people fall under its spell.

Prosperity Theology is doctrine that prosperity, particularly financial prosperity, and success in business or personal life is external evidence of God's favor. This favor may be preordained, or granted in return for efficacious prayer or merit-making.

Televangelists preach a message telling participants that the more they give, the more God will reward them with riches. Benny Hinn is the worst of the lot, but there are many others. They tend to live a lavish lifestyle with expensive cars, homes, and other pleasures of the flesh. Their lifestyles tend to reflect that of a rock or movie star. Something smells fishy.

Congress is looking into these organizations. They think their non-profit status is questionable.

Congress is looking into the collection boxes of some of the nation's best-known televangelists.

Their tax-exempt ministries take in millions and now Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is asking whether these churches really are non-profits.

Georgia megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar is one of the televangelists who was asked to provide financial information.

Source: Televangelist Defends Spending, Pastor Creflo Dollar Responds To Questions About Possible Financial Misconduct - CBS News

Watch the video linked the source article. In it you will see Pastor Creflo Dollar describe that he only has one Rolls-Royce, not two. Where is Christ in this lunacy? These people are clearly milking a system to their benefit. They are con men.

The fact that Republican Sen. Charles Grassley is leading the charge to clean-up these religious charlatans puzzles me. I am not used to a Republican doing anything that even remotely smells of challenging religion. I cannot see this going very far. People like James Dobson will object, and that will be the end of that.

Creflo Dollar has a private jet. He flies from Atlanta to New York each Saturday to preach at Madison Square Garden. He claims he needs the jet because no airline has a scheduled flight that meets his needs. The last time I checked, Atlanta was a hub city with departures for New Your every 20 minutes.

Creflo Dollar has a 2.5 million dollar apartment in New York so that he has a place to sleep each Saturday night. I guess he never heard of hotels. The millions of dollars he spends to support his lifestyle is unconscionable. Feed to poor, heal the sick, help addicts - do anything other that accumulate vast wealth on the backs of gullible believers.  

I do not believe in God. People like Dollar simply reinforce some of my reasons. I know Christians who are good people. They dedicated their lives to helping others. I know Atheists who do the same thing; they feed the hungry, they cloth the poor, they care for the less fortunate. People like Dollar dishonor  us all.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Blogroll Update: Greta Christina's Blog

Greta Christina's blog (#477) is our newest Atheist Blogroll member. I liked the look of Greta's blog, so I asked her to write an introduction.

Hi. Greta Christina here, introducing you to the very cleverly-named "Greta Christina's Blog."

I've been a professional freelance writer since 1989. I blog about atheism more than half the time, but I write about other subjects as well. My

blog's tagline is "Sex, atheism, politics, dreams, and whatever. Thinking out loud since 2005." I write clearly, conversationally, and (I hope) entertainingly about complicated and delicate philosophical/ political/ ethical issues. I try to keep a civil and respectful tone while at the same time not walking on eggshells around people I disagree with -- and I try to promote the same in my comments.

My biggest claim to atheist fame so far is probably "Atheists and Anger," an attempt to answer the question, "Why are you atheists so angry?" that went Kaflooey all over the Net and has picked up over 800 comments so far.

But while that's easily my most popular post so far, it's not actually very representative of my blog. I'm usually not that ranty, and I typically write well-reasoned arguments rather than simple litanies. A better recent example would be "The Meaning of Death: Part One of Many":

And a good one from the archives is "The Unexplained, the Unproven, and the Unlikely":

FYI, I talk about sex in my blog a fair amount, and I sometimes do so explicitly. I don't like the term NSFW; but if you don't want to read about sex at work, read my blog at home, and if you don't want to read about sex at all, don't read my blog. Thanks!

Drop in and welcome her to the team.

The Atheist Blogroll, Atheism, Writing, Blogging

Abstinence only doesn't work!!!

Atheist blogroll member The Information Paradox posted on another study showing abstinence only sex education does not work.

How many more studies and reports are going to come out before our President (and the religious right) wipe the dust from their eyes and see that their little abstinence only sex education is NOT WORKING?!!!

Source: The Information Paradox: Abstinence only doesn't work!!!

Bush continues to waste our tax dollars on this useless religious program. We must do what we can to fight ignorance and government sponsored pseudo-science. Spread the word.

Proponents of abstinence only education spread inaccurate information and use it to justify the programs. The study refutes these claims.

The study, conducted by Douglas Kirby, a senior research scientist at ETR Associates, also sought to debunk what the report called "myths propagated by abstinence-only advocates" including: that comprehensive sex education promotes promiscuity, hastens the initiative of sex or increases its frequency, and sends a confusing message to adolescents.

The message will be lost on those fundies pushing a religious agenda. They don't care about facts. They only care about their manufactured version of truth and their ideological goals. This is what makes them dangerous.

Falafels are delicious

I love falafels. They are right up there with tacos in my list of favorite foods. Does eating falafels make me a terrorist? I don't think so. Apparently some FBI types think there is a link between falafel consumption and terrorism. What nonsense.

We pay these guys to protect us. I feel safe. Do you?

Like Hansel and Gretel hoping to follow their bread crumbs out of the forest, the FBI sifted through customer data collected by San Francisco-area grocery stores in 2005 and 2006, hoping that sales records of Middle Eastern food would lead to Iranian terrorists.

The idea was that a spike in, say, falafel sales, combined with other data, would lead to Iranian secret agents in the south San Francisco-San Jose area.

The brainchild of top FBI counterterrorism officials Phil Mudd and Willie T. Hulon, according to well-informed sources, the project didnt last long. It was torpedoed by the head of the FBIs criminal investigations division, Michael A. Mason, who argued that putting somebody on a terrorist list for what they ate was ridiculous and possibly illegal.

A check of federal court records in California did not reveal any prosecutions developed from falafel trails.

Source: CQ Politics | FBI Hoped to Follow Falafel Trail to Iranian Terrorists Here. By Jeff Stein.

I smoke a hookah too. That must qualify me for the most wanted list. Oh wait a minute, I smoke cigars too, that must make me a Cuban terrorist.

Hat Tip: nazqulnarsil of digg for the story FBI hunted terrorist by checking falafel sales in San Francisco. His tag line is great.

further plans to stop illegal immigration through sales records at taco shops along the border were also abandoned

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Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Saving face in the eyes of the church

Youth Pastor Peter Kim wants to save face. After all, having one's underage sexual congests paraded in front on 12 fellow citizens is embarrassing. What possible reason could Kim have to save face? He groomed a 15-year-old girl to be his personal sexual servant. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear

Kim, 40, is charged with child sexual assault by a person in a position of trust and a pattern of child sexual assault, which could mean a life sentence if he's convicted.

Source: Case laid out is sex assault trial

Did I mention Kim had a previous conviction for having a relationship with teen? No? How about a wife? Did I mention Kim was 40? That he had exclusive access to children. That he used his access to force himself on a young girl. Fucking bastard.

His defense strategy: Kim made a bad dating decision. I mean what the hell? A bad dating decision?

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Blogroll Update: Order of St. Nick

I'm going to give a shameless plug to our newest Atheist blogroll member, Order of St. Nick (#475).

Order of St. Nick is the holiday alternative for Winter Solstice cards, atheist holiday cards, goth Christmas cards, and Anti-Valentine's Day cards.

His Cafepress site is chockfull of atheist themed Winter Solstice cards. I plan on buying a set... that is providing my wife does not object.

Blogroll Update: Choosing Atheism

A new wordpress blog has joined the Atheist Blogroll. An intro to Choosing Atheism is provided below:

I'm Marymc and have just hatched a brand new atheist blog.

"Having been raised as a devout Catholic in Ireland, I have recently realized that I no longer have any need for the God hypothesis.

Here I describe how I came to choose atheism."

Though it would be more accurate to say that I am describing how I choose to identify as atheist.

I've written about my path from devout Catholic to atheist, and will probably whitter on about that some more. I've also written about my decision to eschew religion in raising my children and will probably share my thoughts on home-education (which I do) and whatever else takes my fancy.

This is the kind of thing I write;
"My children were all baptized, and started their lives going to church each week. My eldest was about 5 when we stopped this habit, though she has been with me a few times since then. We have all been present at a few religious ceremonies linked to family occasions as well. My husband and I have decided that we can live very well without any church or religion, and that our children do not need it.

None of our children have made their first communion or been to confession. We thought for a long time about whether or not we should have a tentative link to religion, letting the children go through with these ceremonies just to be part of a community or to follow family traditions. But to do that, I'd have to bring them to religious instruction at the church for a series of one hour lessons. And I knew, there was no way I was going to have some priest fill their heads with nonsense. These sacraments are not just about a nice day out, they are about propagating the faith, sucking the children in to the 'fold'.

Not my children."

Choosing Atheism was kind enough to post the entire blogroll when he joined. Please stop by and welcome her to the team.

Pastor beats stepson...

...and is arrested for second degree attempted murder.  

A Shreveport pastor is in jail accused of second degree attempted murder after his step son escaped from his home on the 42-hundred block of Lamar. 33-year-old Melesa Samuel the boy's mother was arrested by Shreveport police last night along with her husband 43-year-old Reginald Samuel. The woman whose door the child knocked on says the boy had been savagely beaten by his step-father. She did not want us to release her identity but says the 15-year-old told her he had jumped out of the bathroom window to get help because 'he was tired of it'. That since Saturday he'd had been beaten and at times, he would be locked in a storage shed and whipped in the groin area. The woman says the child had welts all over his body, his ear was bloodied, lips bruised, feet swollen, and he walked with a limp.

Source: Shreveport Pastor Accused of Savagely Beating Step Son

Reginald Samuel is the pastor of the Present Day Ministry on Grimmett Drive. There are allegations that he beat his other children and wife. Sounds like a peach.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Everyone makes mistakes

What is the difference between making a mistake and deliberately planning and executing an action that is contrary to everything one stands for? I make mistakes all the time. I misspell words, I sometimes forget to follow procedure... the list goes on. But the big ticket items, well I have enough impulse control to make sure they never happen. Pastor Ronald McCaskill has no impulse control. Hell, I would go as far as saying he has no conscious either.

Why would pastor Ron preach love and fidelity on Sunday and then hit a hooker for loveless sex on Friday night. And don't give me that "he's only human" crap. He is supposed to set an example, not make the press with his lack of wisdom.

West Palm Beach Police said one of their police officers was posing as a prostitute on South Dixie near the Economy Inn on Friday.  During the sting they arrested 13 people.  One of them is a pastor of a church. 

Ronald McCaskill, known as "Pastor Ron" by his congregation, is one of 13 men police arrested during a prostitution solicitation sting on Friday.   McCaskill was arrested at about 2:00 in the afternoon.  By 11:00 P.M. he'd posted $250 dollar bond and been released.

Source: Pastor charged with soliciting sex - WPTV NewsChannel 5

What really pisses me off is what his congregation had to say.

“With a man that's so compassionate and pours out his heart like that, it's hard to believe that a small situation like this would be used against him,” Gablus said, “It's not going to break us.  All this is going to do is make us stronger and make us realize that the devil is out there to try to destroy us.”

Devil my ass. Ever hear about free will? Big Ron needs to control little Ron. These asshats disgust me.

Monday, November 05, 2007

five and dime

Another pastor goes down.

A former Dallas pastor has received a 5-year prison term for molesting a 10-year-old boy whose family he'd known for more than 50 years. Larry Joe Crocker also was sentenced to 10 years of probation yesterday, to be served after his release from prison. The 59-year-old pastor of the now-defunct Lakeview Christian Church was convicted on two counts of indecency with a child.

Source: KTRE-TV - Lufkin/Nacogdoches, TX - Former Dallas pastor sentenced to five years for molesting boy

I lose track of their crimes. There are so many children damaged by men hiding behind god - it is sickening.

Blogroll Update: The Proud Atheist

That's right... The Proud Atheist (#468):

My name is Eric Ross and I am the author of the new Proud Atheist blog (http://proudatheist.blogspot.com). I have been an atheist for years but have only recently “come out”, inspired by authors like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, with whom most of us are familiar. I am appalled by the grip religion has over the minds of humanity, and by the impact religion has on world affairs, and have started my blog out of a sense of obligation to do something to address this disconcerting situation. I know that I cannot bring religion to its knees, but I draw upon a favorite quote from Edmund Burke: "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." My stated goals are to expose the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of religion (with a focus on Christianity), to bring other atheists out of the closet, and to push moderate and casual believers to critically examine their religion.  While many of my arguments will likely be familiar to you, I believe I have some unique ideas and perspectives to contribute. I have 6 entries so far, and I sincerely believe that you will find them to be a worthwhile read.  If you are interested, I suggest starting with my Introduction.