$10.5 Million JW sex abuse lawsuit

Clergy sexual abuse in the Jehovah’s Witness church rarely make it to the press, in my opinion it is because of the insular nature of the religion. The organization is closed to outsiders, operates in secret, and pressures members to remain silent. A new lawsuit hopes to pull back the curtain on secrecy and expose the hypocrites. The Oregonian reports that a $10.5 Million against Jehovah’s Witnesses Organizations claim that leadership hid decades of child sexual abuse. 

Two people who say that as children they were sexually abused by a leader in a Hillsboro Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation filed a $10.5 million lawsuit Monday – among the first in Oregon to accuse the religious organization of hiding decades of sexual abuse.

Attorneys for Velicia Alston, 39, and an unnamed man said the Jehovah’s Witnesses leadership continues to cover up sexual abuse against children by leaders. They say it is more than a decade behind other organizations, such as the Catholic Church, that have been forced to address their problems through many years of civil litigation.

Source: Jehovah’s Witnesses under fire from former congregants who say child sex abuse was hushed, by Aimee Green. 

I look for failure modes in stories like this. Secrecy is one of the primary failure modes in this story. When leaders act for the “good of the church” and hide the stories and the abusers, it allows abuse to flourish. Transparency, as disruptive and damaging as it can be, allows people and organizations to start healing and also builds awareness of the problem. JW’s of the world should demand transparency. 

NPR's take on faith and David Peters

I listened to NPR’s Story of the Day podcast this morning on my drive to work. It described an former Army Chaplain David Peters test of faith. It was a fascinating story, and one I’ve heard many times before. I’d like to sit down and talk to him one day.

"The church was asking me to confess my sins, when I felt like God had done far worse things than I've ever done," he says. Like "standing by and not really doing much for the world that's full of war and conflict and despair, loss. 

"I looked at my own life and I felt that way. I'd just gotten divorced. I was just really angry at God for disappearing on me when I needed him most."

This is a common story I hear from former Christians who have lost their faith. Where is God? Why is he hiding? It resonated with me. Where is God in this mess of a world? Anyone?

What bothers me is that his original church, a fundamentalist Bible Fellowship Church, would not allow for a divorced pastor. Peters had to leave the church. They had endorsed him for service as a Army chaplain, but when he returned damaged by the experience and in need of love, his religion, in the form of his church, abandoned him. That’s when you know faith is screwed up. Believers acting in accord with doctrine, it damages so many people.

David Peters wrote a book: Death Letter. I plan to read it.

Salman Rushdie: ‘I Stand With Charlie Hebdo, as We All Must’

Salman Rushdie, a personal hero, expressed my thoughts at the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo today when he said,”I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as We All Must…” His full statement is shown below:

“Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.” –Salman Rushdie

I fear no religion. Fuck you Islam. Pictures tell a more powerful story than my simple words:

Via Reddit

From Paris, via Reddit.

Via Cyprien on Twitter

Via J.K. Rowling on Twitter.

Via Banksy on Instagram - this gives me hope.

Two pastors, two arrests

While reading the headlines today, I noticed two new names pop up under the category “Pastor Arrested” in my Google news filter.
Pastor James Worley of Powell Valley Church in Oregon, was arrested on 37 sex crime charges.

…including two counts of rape, 20 counts of sexual abuse, 11 counts of sodomy, one count of attempted sodomy and three counts of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct.

Pastor Thomas Wilson of Smithville Baptist Church in New York, was arrested on a charge of sexually assaulting a young girl.

Wilson is accused of having sexual contact with a nine year old girl in the village of Sackets Harbor during the spring or summer of 2008…” 

I only opened one email. I am afraid to read any more.

Pastor Richard Yeamans arrested

 Pastor Richard Yearns of  Spotsylvania, VA, was arrested for sexually abusing 2 boys ages 11 and 12. The abuse allegedly occurred while Yeamans was the youth pastor at Riverclub Church off Tidewater Trail.

See this face? Does it look like somebody who can abuse children? No? That’s because anybody is capable of this type of abuse. A pastor is just a man (or woman). There is nothing special about being a pastor. Anybody can be one. Anyone…

How well do you know your pastor or your youth pastor? Why give another person unsupervised access to your child? Why take the risk that the nice man telling bible stories to your children is not only taking advantage of young minds but young bodies as well?

Hypocrisy. Deal with it.

Discovering a new atheist

I enjoy discovering people who doing something interesting and are also Atheists. Someone who writes fiction and is also an atheist, or an accomplished athlete who is also atheist. I think it helps the cause and frankly, I’m tired of people who are atheists for atheist sake.

I found a new (to me anyway) person today. While listening to Brett Mckay’s The Art of Manliness podcast #95 on my drive home. Brett interviewed Brian Koppleman who wrote, among others, the screenplays for Rounders, Knockabout Guys, and Ocean’s Thirteen. While discussing a writing technique called morning pages, Brian tries to write three longhand pages each morning. His disclosure came out naturally and suddenly. Referring July Cameron’s the Artists Way, he said, "The book has a lot to do with spiritually. I’m an atheist.”  (37:20)

His Wikipedia page also shows that he is an atheist.

Brian Kopplemen has a podcast called The Moment on Grantland.com

Um... what Jena Malone?

I follow photography. It's my thing. It's a lifelong hobby that brings me joy and happiness. I also follow religion and belief too. It brings me less joy and happiness, but it tends to make me think and that is okay. Sometimes photography and religion mix. Like this story about actress Jena Malone.

On Friday, Jena Malone turned 30, debuted her first solo photography show and celebrated the release of her latest film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1), which went on to have the biggest opening weekend of any movie this year (though she only appears for a few seconds). All three pivotal events make up what she calls a "crazy triangle" influenced by Saturn Return, or the life-changing astrological transition that she says she's been in the thick of for the past two years.

(via LAWeekly)

"crazy triangle" influenced by Saturn Return, or the life-changing astrological transition... Wait, what? Everything was moving along well until we took a turn towards astrology, and then the story went south.

I was originally attracted to the story because of the images. I was curious. What would the young photographer Jena Malone produce? I hoped for interesting and got what looks like photos that my mom would take while on vacation. Her show is a vanity showcase of little substance, but her life looks worse. Astrology, triangls seeds… It all feeds my thinking that successful actors are just people with access to more of everything than the rest of us. They are people with all the same kookie hangups, shallow thinking and limitations as the rest of us. Why do we treat them special? Why do we idolize them? Why do we treat a woman whose experience in photography is limited to studying photography at a Jr. college as if her snapshots of Burma are special?

My gospel is like chemotherapy

I find myself asking a lot of questions these day. One that comes to mind often is, what is the real role of a pastor? With all the negative media coverage  these days, I have ample evidence of what a pastor’s role should not be. I have precious little exposure to what a pastor's role should be. I need to fix that. If I am to highlight problems in religion, I think balance is required.

I can find nothing redeeming in the words of Pastor Earl Carter.

“I don’t hate gays, I’m just like the doctor who hates disease, I fight the disease,” Carter added. “My gospel is like chemotherapy. We try to get to the disease. And the police fighting crime, what are we fighting? Or are we making concessions for these sins?”

(via RawStory)

The words, “My gospel is like Chemotherapy” stand out. Chemotherapy is a horrible analogy and brings to mind suffering and pain. Pastor Earl Carter is saying that it is his job to bring suffering and pain to LGBT people. Does that sound anything like the message of Jesus? 

The silly notion that god does stuff for us

I read and despair… I know lots of people who think like this. 

“Even if I’m going to drop my kids off, or I need to park somewhere, I’m like, ‘OK God, you know I’m in this parking lot, you know any place you can open up for me would be great!’ I just have this relationship- I’m not dumbing down prayer. What I’m doing- it’s just part of my life.”

Victoria Osteen

The Christian notion that god listens to our silly prayers and then intervenes in the lives of people to make our desires come true makes no sense at all when one considers the concept of free will. Why do people think this way? In Victoria Osteen’s scenario, god would stop running the universe to make Mr. Nobody stop his shopping and open a place close to mall for the princess of Christian bullshit to park. I mean, wtf?

(Via Progressive Secular Humanist.)

A Poem about Bums by Hollie Mcnish

I woke up feeling stressed out this morning. My wife tells me to read a poem. I do. It helps.

Bums

People talking every day about
The topic of the year
Is it fun to shake about or just a thing for us to jeer at
Have I seen the videos?
Do I think that they’re ok?
People asking me about bums Everyday"

A Poem about Bums by Hollie Mcnish at Hollie Poetry:

I read a poem this morning. I feel better for it. Thanks Hollie. 

ANONYMOUS #OpKKK

Outing the KKK is something I can get behind.

Poetry - Rented Room by Xu Lizhi

The haunting poetry of a Chinese factory worker who committed suicide:

Every time I open the window or the wicker gate

I seem like a dead man

Slowly pushing open the lid of a coffin.

Damn.

Christian radio host admits abuse

The freak show continues with Christians in positions of authority abuse kids. It’s a disease. 

Christian radio host admits to sexually abusing 11-year-old boy while another man watched:

"t least 25 years in prison for the rape of an 11-year-old boy.

According to the Battle Creek Enquirer, 35-year-old John Balyo plead guilty to the sexual assault, which Balyo arranged with the help of another man, Ronald L. Moser, 42, of Battle Creek, who has admitted to procuring boys for Balyo to have sex with."

The story is horrifying. Balyo is completely corrupt. 

Robert Reich (The Choice of the Century)

Robert Reich thinks he knows why Democrats lost the 2014 midterm elections. 

Robert Reich (The Choice of the Century):

"The President blames himself for the Democrat’s big losses Election Day. ‘We have not been successful in going out there and letting people know what it is that we’re trying to do and why this is the right direction,’ he said Sunday.

In other words, he didn’t sufficiently tout the Administration’s accomplishments.

I respectfully disagree.

If you want a single reason for why Democrats lost big on Election Day 2014 it’s this: Median household income continues to drop. This is the first “recovery” in memory when this has happened.

It’s worth a read. 

Somebody's lying

Rep. Charlie Rangel - I Thought Cracker Was A 'Term Of Endearment':

“Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has no problem using dramatic language to make a point. In fact, the congressman, who received some heat for comparing Tea Party members to the segregationist, ‘white crackers’ of the Jim Crow era, is surprised that his word choice caused any controversy at all."

Seriously now… does anybody think he thought it was a term of endearment?