It’s hard to completely disconnect from blogging. It was such an important part of my life for over a decade. As I read the news, I feel compelled to comment on the issues the piss me off. My interests have not changed. I loath hypocrisy, but I’ve noticed that politics is starting to become rival religion. A lot of this has to do with President Trump, but also think that the hypocrisy of our political reality is in the front of my mind as well.
I’ve noticed a lot of pastors making the news. I see that the clergy sexual abuse continues unabated. I used to think that perhaps I was making some small difference, but I see now that this was not case. The cases keep hitting the news.
Baptist pastor and high school teacher Joseph “Joey” Smith was arrested for statutory rape. The orginal newspaper article listed Smith as a pastor, a subsequent edit removed that from the article. I’m guessing that Valley View Baptist Church in Whitwell, TN might have concerns about tainting it’s reputation?
Pastor Gerardo “Jerry” Martinez of Miricle Christian Church in New Port Richey was arrested for sexual battery against a 17-year-old parishioner. He convinced her parents to let her stay after a servcie so he could pray over her. The parent heard “pray over her.” I’m thinking the pastor said “prey on her.” Why else would parents turn their daughter over to a pastor without supervision and why would they allow it continue over several months? The parents were not arrested for neglect, but they get to deal with knowledge that they failed as parents.
Martinez is an excon truned pastor who teaches spiritual healing. He was trying to cure the victim of demon possession. Becuase, that’s a thing.
The Church of England has another scandal with the Rev Stennett Kirby, who was caught on video using cocaine and watching porn. Oops. Rev. Stennett is on sick leave while the church investigates. Nobody was hurt, let the dumb bastard watch porn in peace.
Rev. Brian Sean Dicken was arrested for taking indecent liberties with an underage girl. Dicken was the pastor at Church of Christ at Mountain View, where the alleged abuse took place. Any mention of Dicken or his arrest was removed from the church website (I looked). They don’t even list anyone working at the church, just this message, “Our team consists of Elders and Ministers as well as other select members who work in harmony with each other to lead the ministries of CCMV.”
The article about the arrest is behind a paywall, so I don’t have much more. I’m not going to subscribe to Winchester Star for one damn article.
These four were just a few of the pastors clogging my feed. If you want an eye-opening experience, read the Pastor Arrested subreddit on Reddit. Check this out…
- Priest accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old
- Pastor arrested, accused of raping teenage boy, breaks silence
- Arrested pastor please guilty to sexually assaulting 5 juveniles
- Ex-pastor pleads guilty to hidden juvenile bathroom camera case
- Ex-priest who fled to Philippines pleads not guilty to sexually abusing kids
- Former youth pastor charged with Child exploitation, possessing child porn
The arrests just keep coming. This will never end.
