Huge Southern Baptist Church rocked by sexual abuse charges

[PageOneQ]

http://pageoneq.com/news/2006/sbc122006.html

A church whose former pastor was president of the Southern Baptist Convention has been rocked by allegations of child abuse, PageOneQ has learned.

Pastor Paul Williams, who directs prayer programs and special projects at the Bellevue Baptist Church outside of Memphis, has been forced to take a leave while a church committee investigates charges that Williams sexually molested a family member 17 years ago. Williams has been at Bellevue for 34 years, reports Agape Press, a news service run by the American Family Association.

http://pageoneq.com/news/2006/sbc122006.html

[itsmesgd]

1. another one bites the dust

[saigon68]

11. Played "Hide the Kielbasa" with a child

[krispos42]

38. Well, maybe a breakfast link n/t

[LetsGoMurphys]

45. lol ya must be said in a WASPier fashion

kielbasa is clearly too ethnic.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. What is it

with these so called holy rollers?

They go around telling everyone else how to live, while they break all the commandments as often as possible.

[Mist]

Isn't being a sexual predator all about the power? nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. True

It should be no surprise when the two go hand in hand I suppose.

[Maraya1969]

34. I think the whole idea of being "saved" by proclaiming Jesus as your Savior attracts these people

The words are always, "Jesus died for your sins" so it seems like an easy way to handle a scary or bad situation. I heard one man say that the child molesters in prison are the ones that become Holy Rollers.

[IndianaGreen]

23. The whole business of religion is about the power

These preachers get their jollies by controlling the faithful, so it should not be surprising that some of them are sexual predators to boot.

A religion that has a male deity, and that does not permit female clergy, will always be authoritarian by nature.

[Cha]

49. Power and Greed and

more Power under the guise of the teachings of the Bible.

I hear the Old Testement is the best.."And eye for an eye".

[TroglodyteScholar]

15. Because they have no SELF-control...

...they find it necessary to try controlling EVERYONE else.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Another trait is fear

They are afraid of everyone and everything that is not like them.

[TahitiNut]

24. It happens when 'sex' is associated with 'dirty,' 'taboo,' 'wrong,' and 'shameful.'

To some degree, most of us can remember an adolescence where our sexual awakening and curiosity confronted some degree of suppression or repression based on "naughty" or "dirty" associations. It was something hidden and secretive and 'wrong' to speak about in 'polite' company. When the libido gets cross-wired to the 'forbidden' character of the activity rather than the healthy, loving, and intimate associations that lead to a satisfying sex life, the degree of arousal declines as experiences become banal and normal. Thus, ever-increasing degrees of 'forbidden' or 'taboo' are sought. I think of it as the "excitement conundrum" - how to keep it exciting.

Clearly, there are also some connections with personality disorders and more complex underlying neuroses/psychoses, but I think a lot can also be attributable to the "sex = dirty" equivalence relationship. I think of Muslims living in repressive societies traveling to countries without the 'modesty' requirements ... and becoming "sailors on leave." I think of Victorian England ... which was actually quite extensively bawdy and ribald behind closed doors. "Forbidden fruit" is always more attractive to emotionally immature people.

I can clearly recall when I noticed such associations in my own youthful outlook and, seeing the pitfalls, worked to adopt a more positively erotic outlook. I consciously focused on developing positive associations as a part of my personal maturation. I'm glad I did - it was far more fulfilling.

[VegasWolf]

3. Nothing new here. Some new pastor will come in and collect the sheep and their

tithe money.

[tularetom]

5. Makes me want to go out and get my hair styled

into a big giant pompadour, then go buy a shiny suit, rent a big ass building put a jeebus sign on it and start rakin in the cash from the hicks, while I harass a few babes in the congregation.

[VegasWolf]

6. Pastor statistics show that dyed jet black hair generates the most tithes. nt

[Mist]

7. Wow, can I join the show as a "recovered feminist who found Christ and just wants to

bake bread" ? My cousins and I thought of something similar back in the Ray-gun era, but hey, jobs are tight right now, so let's keep it in mind...

[SemperEadem]

12. It seems that in the South

Religion is the industry--instead of there being functioning and prosperous manufacturing and businesses, churches spring up faster the McDonald's franchises. It's no wonder there are nefarious characters hoodwinking gullable people.

[brentspeak]

14. Plenty of nefarious characters hoodwinking gullible people here in the North,too

[Judi Lynn]

13. You can have poodles dyed in your favorite color, like Robert Tilton!

Reprinted from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 5, 2005

Robert Tilton returns, and his hand is out again

By Jim Jones

Special to the Star-Telegram
Saturday February 5, 2005

http://www.trinityfi.org/press/tilton2.html

[musette_sf]

4. just more proof

that the more uptight and fundie they are in public, the freakier they are behind closed doors.

i personally can't wait for James Dobson's personal sh!t to hit the fan. Pastor Ted's problems will be as nothing compared to Jimmy's junk.

[jgraz]

8. How much of this is a result of the sexual repression

preached by their religion? I'm guessing quite a bit. And if that's true, what does this mean for girls (and boys) in Muslim societies?

[olddad56]

25. often deeper than that....

a very high percentage of child molesters were victims of sexual abuse as children. Perhaps the turn toward the ministries in an unconscious attempt to 'cleanse their past'. In these cases, it is sad, because had they come forward as kids, they could have gotten help instead of perpetuating the dis-ease. Certainly is a high percentage of 'holier-than-thous' getting exposed for this. At least they are being exposed (no pun intended).

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. "Cleansing" one's past is particularly appealing

to the "born again" types...Just think, you can be born again and again. Jimmy Swaggart managed to come back to sell his brand of snake oil.

And they love to hate psychology, unless it's employed by a "christian" therapist. I remember when my mom suffered a deep depression, and she went into a hospital briefly. My grandfather, a born-again follower had no remorse for her at all. He told me, "If she'd put her faith in Jesus Christ instead of those psychiatrists, she'd be just fine." :grr:

[Ian David]

10. The only thing wrong with anti-gay Baptists like this guy...

is that they don't hold them under the water long enough.

I guess it must have been the tofu and other soy products?

That's what I remember about the time I spent traveling through The South-- all those billboards advertising "Down-Home Southern Tofu" and "South Carolina Style Barbecued Bean-curd."

You can't get off an exit without seeing signs saying things like, "Gas - Beer - Fireworks - Tofu - Cigarettes at State Minimum."

[varun]

20. you forgot the ubiquitous

"We Bare All" signs on the highways...

:eyes:

[Ezlivin]

16. OMG! That's the church I got "saved" at!

Back in 1981 my wife and I went to Bellevue Baptist Church because it was between the VA Hospital (where I was in rehab for a spinal cord injury/paralysis) and our apartment. I "walked" the aisle and got "saved" in May of that year and we joined the church. At the time it was the 10th largest church in the US and the third wealthiest. Three years later they decided to move from their downtown location to a 300+ acre spread near Germantown (where the new, wealthier members lived). They raised over $20,000,000 to build a new church (sanctuary) on the property.

Bellevue's pastor, Dr. Adrian Rogers was elected as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He was at the vanguard of "turning" the convention back toward fundamentalism. With the help of others he was able to move the SBC to the hard right and create the organization we see today. The members of Bellevue that I know are very much Republican SUV-driving Bush supporters. It is a very, very wealthy church.

Now that I'm an atheist/humanist/free thinker/bright I realize what a fucking cult it was. I got "saved" in 1981, graduated seminary in 1993, left my staff position at church in 1995 and have never gone back. It's so good to have back my mind!

[CatFelyne]

35. This is my Dad's church...

Oh man, this is my Dad's church. My father converted to Baptist some years ago, and he and my stepmother LOVE it.

The one and only time I went to this place, I was turned off by the whole thing and their people. And it has very little to do with that I'm a Pagan. This place is a big as college campus, everything seems to be done there to excess. And it's definitely got that cult vibe to it.

Scary stuff, I was privy to one conversation there where one member was thanking God for Bush, him being a born again God-fearing man and all. Goes on next to ask the other people with them, "Do you think we should pray for the liberals." And this wasn't jokingly, this woman was dead serious when discussing it.

Yeah, Dad real nice people you got involved with there. Bunch of fricken hypocrites.

[Ezlivin]

36. Big Box Churches - The Wal-Martization of Religion

Yeah, BBC is a damned big place. Ironically a shortage of funds prohibited them from building an even larger sanctuary.

When I was attending BBC there was a slavish, almost cult-like following for Adrian Rodgers. In fact, attendance would drop every time he was away. We called these people "Adrianites".

I started attending soon after I broke my back. Young, naive and looking for answers, I was everything BBC was looking for. Soon I was giving a significant amount of my disability pension to the church (tithes). My wife and I were so "faithful" that when they started the push for funding the new location, we were part of a "select" group that got to meet face-to-face with Adrian and Joyce Rodgers. I'll never forget going to the expensive home where we and the other "selected" were to meet the Rodgers. They only met with 10 groups and we all were given our marching orders to encourage others to give sacrificially to the building fund. One night at the church they had jewelers and appraisers down front and encouraged people to give up family heirlooms, inheritances and other items of value to help BBC reach its goal (three goals actually: Amen, Glory and Hallelujah, the latter worth $20 million).

The one thing that most church members don't realize or don't think about is the amount of money it takes to run such a large church. Most of the money brought in is used just to keep all of the property maintained. Percentage-wise, very little makes out to "charity". When you have 10 softball fields, a gymnasium, a bowling alley, several bookstores, a senior community, a wedding chapel (seats over 1,000) and various other goodies, you're looking at some serious money.

[Blue Gardener]

17. And how many others?

If one family member is reporting it, I'd bet my last dollar there are others. Let's hope they now have the courage to speak out.

[DeSwiss]

18. A study by......

....the Institute of Religious Reprobates (IRR), has shown that by the year 2018 there will only be 13 ministers and priests left in America. Only two of which who will have no arrest record.....

[reprobate]

26. HEY! Let's go easy on the Reprobates, huh? Some of us have a brain or two

[DeSwiss]

30. Whoops....

....sorry reprobate...um... ma'am -- sir.

Dang it, there are all kinds of groups out there, aren't there? So do you guys like have reunions and stuff? Can I join? Is there any hazing? I've got to have hazing.....

:rofl:

[reprobate]

37. Hazing? Sure. Any member is free to haze him/herself at any time they want

[VaYallaDawg]

43. Didn't your momma tell you about hazing yourself? You'll go blind!!

[reprobate]

53. So I'll only haze myself until I need glasses.

[xchrom]

21. conservative religion and child molestors go hand in hand.

sorry about the imagery.

[Tight_rope]

46. You can say that again.

[Miss Chybil]

22. Don't look, lest you turn into a pillar of salt! nt

[Qutzupalotl]

27. See, it all comes down to how you pronounce "Agape".

:spank:

:wow:

[KansDem]

29. So when do the authorities arrest the perp?

In a statement issued by the church and obtained by PageOneQ, the church's personnel committee says that Williams has taken a paid leave of absence in the wake of "a past, but highly concerning moral failure."

Dr. Steven Gaines (pictured), pastor of the church, has been attacked for not taking action earlier. Gaines acknowledged learning of the allegations in June of this year. While explaining that he thought the issue had been resolved, Gaines said he kept the information private because "the event occurred many years ago."

If my neighbor calls the police and says I've been molesting children, I believe my ass would be thrown in jail! Yet right-wing figures such as Mark Foley are whisked off to a spa for "rehab." When is justice served?

[northzax]

39. 17 years is almost certainly

past the statute of limitations for molestation in Tennessee. Hence, he cannot be tried for the crime.

[KansDem]

40. I'm not a lawyer but doesn't the SOL kick in when a crime is discovered...

and not when it actually happened?

Statutes of limitation generally start running from the time a crime is discovered, and they generally stop running when the government says it is ready to go to trial. (Being ready for trial is often signaled by securing an indictment.) Criminals do not get the benefit of covering their tracks: if they commit a crime in secret, the statute only starts running from when the crime was or could have been discovered.

So, for example, if a thief steals Winged Victory from the foyer of the Louvre, and replaces it with a convincing styrofoam reproduction, the statute would not start running until a loutish tourist leaned on the statute to have his picture taken, knocking it over and thereby revealing the crime.

Find Law

So when charges are made, does this not denote the discovery of a crime?

Pastor Paul Williams, who directs prayer programs and special projects at the Bellevue Baptist Church outside of Memphis, has been forced to take a leave while a church committee investigates charges that Williams sexually molested a family member 17 years ago. Williams has been at Bellevue for 34 years, reports Agape Press, a news service run by the American Family Association.

:shrug:

[northzax]

41. I am not a lawyer either

but for sex abuse of minors, which is what is implied here, the clock usually starts ticking when the victim reaches 18. The crime is discovered by the victim, since he or she was there, and once they turn 18 are considered adults and responsible for reporting crime they know of. stupid, but that's the rule. if he molested, say, a 10 year old, and the statute of limitations is 5 years, it expired 5 years ago.

discovery of a crime involves a party who is not the actor having reasonable knowledge of the crime and ability to report it. in sex abuse cases, this means an adult has knowledge of the crime, especially the victim.

for instance, the statute of limitations on a rape starts when the crime happens, not when it is reported to police.

[progressoid]

31. Is that #3?

Of course that's just counting the reported incidents from the ubber-churches within the last two months.

[longship]

32. First Catholic priests. Next fundementalists...

When will the Unitarians start falling to sex scandals?
:evilgrin:

[Porcupine]

33. Then Mormons, Witnesses and Adventists

way, way down the list are Unitarians and Buddhists. There was a sex scandal at the San Francisco Zen Center years back but it was all sex between consenting adults.

I've heard some stories of sexual abuse in Jehovah's witness and Seventh Day Adventist circles that would curl your teeth. They control so much of the lives of their people that to "come out" against an elder is to lose contact with everyone you know. Family, friends, everybody.

We have lots of scandal to open up yet.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

50. Finally, there will be the people like me...

Who were ordained through filling out a form in Rolling Stone.

It's not that we're any holier than the next guy, it's just that people expect us to be perverts.

[Rambis]

42. It won't matter! They will just prey for him

that is what drives me insane about these religious fundie weirdo freaks!

[Zhade]

44. And Ratzinger breathes a sigh of relief, thankful for the brief respite.

NT!

[VegasWolf]

47. The 11th Commandment: Thou shall not bugger thy congreation in the anal orifice. nt

[enki23]

48. agape.

–adverb, adjective.
1. with the mouth wide open, as in wonder, surprise, or eagerness: We stood there agape at the splendor.
2. wide open: his mouth agape.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

agape press. seems pretty damned sinister to me.

(yes, i know what agape is supposed to mean in greek. but i assume these fine folks could hardly fault me for reading it in english)

[Occulus]

51. Once again: I am Joe's complete lack of surprise. n/t

[Lilith Velkor]

52. More Christian ritual abuse

So not shocking.

[JoFerret]

54. Christianity has an obsession with sex

The religion starts with the a spiritual/ virtual/ actual rape of the ill-informed Mary. Then the business of the "virgin" mother means that every parent has to answer the child's question: "Mommy what's a virgin?". And that's just to easy nativity everybody-knows-this bit without getting into the complex and OT (and OTT) sexual obsessions stuff.