Apostle Stephen Stubbs arrested

"Apostle" - I laugh every time I hear that self-aggrandizing title. Apostle Stephen Stubbs of Restoration Life Ministries in West Palm Beach, Florida, was arrested for having sex with an underage girl.

Stubbs, according to his arrest report, hired a teen church member to become his personal assistant and the babysitter of his children.

Investigators said that in the summer of 2009 the alleged victim spent the night at the Stubbs' home. The victim was awakened in the middle of the night by Stubbs and sexually assaulted, according to an arrest report.

Source: Stephens Stubbs: Restoration of Life Ministries pastor arrested on allegations of sex with a minor

Let's see. Young girl stays overnight at pastor's house unsupervised and is allegedly raped by her pastor/employer. This happens because of predatory christian pastors and closely stupid parents. My message is simple; never trust your child with a pastor unsupervised. You might as well be making an offering and you own the results. 

Pastor murdered while preaching

A deacon murdered his pastor in Lake Charles, Louisiana

Witnesses attending the Tabernacle of Praise Worship Center claimed Karey had stormed into the building, around 8:20 p.m. on Friday night, and fired two shots into Pastor Ronald Harris.

According to sheriff’s spokesperson Kim Myers, Karey, who was a church deacon, telephoned the police and confessed to shooting the pastor. Karey then elected to flee the scene of the crime on foot. For reasons unknown, he then called the sheriff’s office and offered his unconditional surrender.

Source:Pastor Murdered Whilst Preaching: Suspect Arrested

The motive has yet to be established. I'm betting it has nothing to do with the message of Christ. 

Pastor Jorge Juan Castro arrested

I know I am way behind on posting stories of clergy hypocrisy. I have over 30 stories queued up to post. I hope to post them all over the next few days.

Pastor Jorge Juan Castro was arrested in September of 2013 on suspicion of sexually assaulting more than 20 women. He used "healing hands".

Jorge Juan Castro, 53, was arrested last Friday on allegations that during his eight years as associate pastor at Las Buenas Nuevas Church in Norwalk, he repeatedly sexually assaulted at least 20 parishioners. He told the alleged victims who questioned the sex acts that they were part of the faith-healing process, said L.A. County Sheriff's Capt. Robert Esson.

Source: Norwalk pastor violated 20-plus women using 'healing hands,' cops say by Richard Winton and Ruben Vives

It is hard to believe that 20 women would fall for this scam. The pastor throated his victims with deportation if they talked. This is further proof that religion gives pastors special access to victims.

Las Buenas Nuevas Church is near my house. I drove by on a whim. It looks like every other church in the area. 

This is so stupid it hurts

Colorado lawmaker: Democrats using ‘mind control’ to make people accept ‘homosexual marriage’ (via Raw Story )

A Republican Colorado lawmaker on Tuesday asserted that the state’s law permitting civil unions between people of the same sex was a “mind-control experiment” by Democrats to force voters “to believe in homosexual marriage.” In an interview…

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Poet Kofi Awoonor murdered in Kenyan Terror Attack

Fuck terrorism. What say you Islam? Is this just your bad actors? Is Islam really a religion of peace? I judge based on what Muslims do, not on what that say. I judge Islam to be a religion of death and hatred. I think I'm being fair too. 

Poet Kofi Awoonor (1935-2013) wrote beautiful poetry. I've read a dozen or so of him poems and I am looking forward to buying his latest collection when published. A bullet from a Muslim zealot ended his life. It is so horribly unjust.

One of his final works is posted below. It's titled Across A New Dawn.

Sometimes, we read the

lines in the green leaf

run our fingers over the

smooth of the precious wood

from our ancient trees;

Read the rest: Read One of the Final Poems of a Victim of the Kenyan Terror Attack

I cannot process the deaths or the horror of this event. It hurts my heart. 

Still life of starfish with boats

Still life of starfish with boats, originally uploaded by mojoey.

My favorite shot from a recent trip to Monterey.

Prancing Pony and my grandson

My grandson likes to pull my magnets down and hand them to me. He will count as he does so. One, two… one, two… for as long as it takes.

Did I mention I collect magnets? I've got lots of them. My favorite is the Prancing Pony.

A story that mixes stupid and photography

In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I have no respect for Sarah Palin. That said, this story is typical. SarahPAC is being sued for using an iconic photo without permission.

The PAC of Sarah Palin, bless her wolf-blastin’, helicopter-swervin’, cable news-declaimin’ heart, has run afoul of a New Jersey-based newspaper for appropriating some patriotic, September 11 imagery.

A lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan federal court by North Jersey Media Group Inc. claims that Palin’s SarahPAC — which, let’s be honest, sounds like the name of a wolf-themed Girl Scout troop — posted a copy of an iconic September 11 photo on its website and Facebook page without NJMG’s permission (the photo shows three New York firemen hoisting the American flag in the World Trade Center rubble after the 9/11 attacks).

It's so easy to steal these days, but still, we all know better.

Convictions in the Hana Williams case

I was tempted to use the title "Justice in the Hana Williams case", but a conviction for first-degree manslaughter is not justice. No, in this case, nothing less than dragging the lifeless bodies of Larry and Carri Williams to an unmarked grave is justice. These Christians are scum and deserve the same sadistic death they gave their adoptive daughter.

Adoptive parents of Ethiopian girl who died of hypothermia and starvation in their backyard found GUILTY of manslaughter

A Washington state couple were convicted of manslaughter Monday in the gruesome starvation and hypothermia death of a teenage girl they adopted from Ethiopia.

A jury found Larry Williams, of Sedro-Woolley, guilty of first-degree manslaughter, while his wife, Carri Williams, was found guilty of homicide by abuse as well as manslaughter. The jury also convicted them both of assault and each faces a possible life sentence.

Hana Williams died in May 2011 in the backyard of the couple's home, where she was forced to stay as part of a strict system of child-rearing outlined in a Christian parenting book.

Read more

Sometimes I forget why I write this blog. It's cases like this one that remind me that there are so many bad actors out in the big world. So many in fact, that dealing with the nastiness can be overwhelming. After 10-years of a non-stop stream of Christian hate, I find it painful to continue. But then, I read of a child dying face-down in the mud because some deluded Christian do-gooders think they are doing God's work by rescuing a starving Ethiopian child and then murdering her. It then that I realize that if there were a God, I'd be doing his work by reporting on these crimes. 

There is no justice for Hana Williams. She is dead and nothing we do can ever bring her justice. She is behind justice. Punishment on the other hand… we can mete out punishment. In this case it should come with whips, chains, hooks, belts, pain and misery. If only… 

I dream of Sandy Hook

I had a reoccurring dream about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last night. I've had the dream perhaps 40 or 50 times since that horrible day. In the dream, I watch what I visualize as the shooting take place while I am a shade floating around the school. I try to warn people. I try save kids. I try to stop the shooter, who in my dream is a giant with a huge gun. All my efforts fail. Everybody dies. I grow frustrated and feel helpless.

I woke up from the dream at 3:00 am. My trusty dog Rufio was licking my face. I'm was hot and angry. I walked out to my back yard and spent 20 minutes looking up at the night sky before I could return to bed. I've done this so many times that it has become routine. Sandy Hook made an impression on me. The dream will be with me for a long time to come.

I am a responsible gun owner. I believe it is our right to own a gun, but I am not a member of the NRA, nor will I ever be. In fact, I do know how long I will continue to own a gun. I've come to the conclusion because of my dreams, that I am part of the problem. It is not because I own a gun, but because I don't do anything to confront the issue. I just carry one and let others fight the good fight. I think that I do this because the people who would fix the problem, scare me as much as the NRA. Why are we so polarized? 

I don't know how to fix this. Sandy Hook should not have happened. Teaching kids to duck and cover when there is an active shooter on campus or arming teachers, is focused on the wrong end of the problem. People like Adam Lanza should not own guns. Some types of guns should not be sold. Gun buy back programs, background checks, better registration systems… all of these things should be on the table. Yet the NRA fights them all and our political leaders cave to pressure. Instead of fixing the root of the problem, we instead teach children to hide from shooters. How does this solve the problem? During the next attack will fewer kids will be slaughtered?  I don't get it. Fuck the NRA.

This made me laugh - Cimate Name Change

So this Christian youth counselor touched a boy with his penis

A Christian youth counselor allegedly sexually assaulted a young boy at church summer camp by rubbing his penis on a young boys crotch in what sounds like simulated gay sex. His father, the church's pastor, calls it horseplay gone wrong. The alleged perpetrator is Zachary Anderle of the Vineyard Community Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported on Thursday that Vineyard Community Church in Chattanooga had taken the action after court documents emerged detailing Zachary Anderle’s arrest last month for two counts of third-degree cruelty to children and sexual assault while he was serving as counselor at the church’s camp in Carroll County, Ga.

The affidavits alleged that “Anderle climbed on top of a 13-year-old camper and placed his penis on top of the boy’s crotch while other boys were watching,” the Times Free Press noted. “Anderle also slapped the child’s face, the report states.”

Source: Tennessee church says camp counselor putting penis on boy is ‘horseplay gone wrong’

The failure mode in this story should be obvious by now. An adult male was allowed to bunk with adolescent boys without another adult present. This is a huge violation of what should be common sense. The Vineyard should know better and so should its church camp.  The Vineyard must have no real policy which protects its children. When you add that the church thinks the whole thing is just horseplay, it is clear that the church does not view issue in the proper context. Why was an adult male allowed to be nude in the presence of young boys at a secluded church camp without supervision? Hello civil lawsuit.

Plus, the Vineyard is a large Christian cult anyway…  so what can one expect?

He's a good priest and a holy priest...

He's a good priest and a holy priest who happens to have be arrested and charged with child molestation and victim tampering. We support Rev. Joseph Liang… or so suggests congregants from Catherdral Basilica of St. Louis as they tried to organize an official event showing their support for the alleged pedophile Catholic priest. SNAP put an end to it.

Earlier this week, local victims' rights advocates were outraged when they saw an invitation to a meet-up at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis to pray for the "defense and exoneration" of Father Xiu Hui "Joseph" Jiang, a priest accused of repeatedly molesting a teenage girl. Representatives of the Archdiocese of St. Louis said they were not aware of the event until Daily RFT reached out. They ultimately canceled it and had the meetup.com listing removed.
Source: Chruchgoers Defend St. Louis Priest Accused of Sex Abuse, Pray in Private Meetup Group by Sam Levin

Oh you foolish people! Why would you support this man? Is it because he is a man of God? I think by now we all understand that priest are men who have the same weaknesses as other men, but much more access to power and children, which makes them more susceptible to abuse. Jiang will go to prison over these allegations. In fact, I predict a 30 year sentence. The evidence is damning. And now, Archbishop Robert Carlson has been Subpoenaed in the case. I smell a cover up!

"Child-molesting clerics may perform the actual assault alone, but almost always there are coverups involving other church officials, usually supervisors," David Clohessy, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, tells Daily RFT. "We can't predict what Carlson will be asked or answer under oath. But simply the fact that he has to face tough questions under oath in a pending criminal case is encouraging to us."
Source: Fr. Xiu Hui "Joseph" Jiang: Archbishop Robert Carlson Subpoenaed in Priest Sex Abuse Case by Sam Levin

Archbishop Robert Carlson denied the allegation. I cannot wait to see Carlson testify, so I hope the court rules in the victim's favor. The question I want Carlson to answer, why did he bail out Rev. Joseph Liang?

I am a huge fan of SNAP. They fight the good fight and do a good job of holding the church and priests accountable. What I like most is the help they provide the victims. I would also like to thank Sam Levin of the Riverfront Times for his outstanding reporting.

Update 7/1/2015 - I looks like the charges were dropped. See this article for more information.

What is a church anyway?

Linda Cooper found out about her church recently. She was kicked out after six decades of membership for failing to publicly denounce her daughter's lifestyle. Linda's daughter is lesbian.

“My mother was up here and she sat beside me. That's it,” Kat Cooper said, acccording to The Daily Mail. “Literally, they're exiling members for unconditionally loving their children - and even extended family members.”

The Coopers have attended the church for decades, reports the New York Daily News. Linda Cooper was raised in the church, and her father’s plaque hangs on the walls of the church.

“This is not just some casual church they dropped in on," said Hunt Cooper, the father of Kat and husband of Linda.

Source: Ridgedale Church Of Christ Exiles Member Linda Cooper For Supporting Lesbian Daughter

The hate in this story is self evident. I do not need to explore the obvious. Instead, I want to comment on what a I think a church really is.  I've been thinking about this for a long time. A church is social construct whose primary focus is on establishing a moral norm and then enforcing compliant behavior on its members through a variety of techniques; including the heavy-handed method used in this story. Further, since each independent church has its own leader, morality is defined within the pastor social and political mindset. There is a vast difference between a liberal and conservative. What most of these conservative churches have in common is a break away from the word of Jesus toward the rules and laws of the Old Testament, which gives structure as apposed to the Golden Rule, which gives direction. If one interprets that actions of Linda and Kat Cooper through the words of Jesus, does one really kick an old lady to the curb? I don't think so, but then again, I am an atheist and my expectations are not skewed by a pastor with a political agenda. 

I am most disappointed with the other members of Linda Cooper's former church. Members of the Ridgedale Church of Christ should support Linda Cooper. They should walk out of the church along side their longtime friend instead of pointing the finger of shame at her. They do not know what it means to be a friend. They do not understand that the bonds we share with people are more important than the political rantings of a pastor focused on enforcing moral purity. Pastor Ken Willis is a putz. His congregation should abandon him. 

Baptist pedophile Ernest Willis to stay in prison

Ernest Willis, profiled here, raped a 15-year-old girl, impregnated her, and then worked with his pastor to have his victim apologize for her own rape and have her child adopted. He and his pastor, Charles Phelps, are the worst sort of Christians. The pair is the answer to the question of why do I do this. My answer is Willis and Phelps.

Willis had appealed his conviction. It did not go well him.

The state Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the rape and sexual assault convictions against Ernest Willis who is serving a 15-to-30 year prison sentence for forcibly raping his teenage babysitter, whom he knew through Trinity Baptist Church in Concord, twice in 1997.

The girl, who became pregnant, was later made to stand before their congregation apologize by then-pastor Chuck Phelps. A Merrimack County jury convicted Ellis of three counts of rape and one count of felonious sexual assault in 2011.

Source: N.H. Supreme Court upholds Ernest Willis’s rape convictions by Annmarie Timmins

Willis will continue to serve his 15 to 30 year sentence. I hope his victim, Tina Anderson, can feel safe.

One part of the case has always bothered me. The police were investigating and then they stopped. 

The Concord police investigation into Willis’s conduct was closed when the department lost touch with Anderson. The case was reopened in 2010, leading to a trial the following year where Willis was convicted of multiple rape counts. After that trial, Willis’s attorneys appealed his convictions on several grounds, including the admission of testimony from Phelps.

Source:  Supreme Court upholds rape conviction, rejects religious privilege argument by Tricia L. Nadolny (2013)

They stopped investigating because Pastor Charles Phelps moved Tina Anderson out of state. Pastor Phelps should be in prison too. 

Other posts and links on this case:

• A sickness that eats the mind (2010)
• The N.H. Supreme Court decision (2013)
• Convicted Rapist won't get new trial by Tony Schinella (2013)