Holy Crap!!!!!!!

[excelguru]

Here's a link to the story: http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6114375

That guy is the pastor at my church!!! I'm not kidding. My wife and I are completely blown away.

Cliff Notes (although it's a very short write-up):
Pastor is arrested for attempting to solicit SEX on-line from an undercover cop whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Wow. WOW!

Y'all gotta understand... I KNOW this guy!!! I shook hands with this guy two days ago at church!!! Geez. I just don't know what to say right now. Total shock.

[TurnpikeBoy]

Y'all gotta understand... I KNOW this guy!!! I shook hands with this guy two days ago at church!!! Geez. I just don't know what to say right now. Total shock.

Can't say nuthin. Read a report -today - of a priest in the next town across the river (Lambertville) who got caught stealing over $10K from the collection plates. This is a town of about 2000 people.

It's everywhere, amigo. Just be sure and wash your hands with a little more soap tonight.

-Roger

[JeepSnake]

It is everywhere, in every denomination of every religion. And in every civic club, governmental organization, school, college, you name it.

It just hurts particularly bad when it's around the churchhouse. First, because we hold our religious leaders to a higher standard. Also, because not only do we have the pure anger at the guilty individual, but we also tend to feel anger, guilt, and embarrassment for "letting" ourselves be deceived. (It's the exact same feelings that keep victims of con men from reporting the crime.) When we are fooled by someone, we generally beat ourselves up terribly bad for not seeing what was going on. But, the truth is that a lot of these guys are real pros when it comes to living their lies, and they could put their scams over on anybody.

In my pretty brief 32 years, I've seen hidden affairs, a murderer hiding behind religion, a sexual-predator high school coach, embezzlement in charity organizations, and the list goes on. (I believe that soap operas don't even begin to approach the strange dramas of real life!)

So, yep, it is everywhere. But, the flip side is that the bad apples are far outnumbered by the good people in our churches, civic groups, etc. For every one scumbag I've encounted, there have been 100 good, decent people just trying their best to live the way God wants them to. More than anything, that's what your church and community are going to need right now - people who simply say, "This wasn't 'his' church. It's OUR church, and we're not going to let this guy destroy the good we're doing."

Hang in there, and we'll keep you all in our prayers.


Hmmm... speaking of religion on a Cobra forum... Is driving Cobras considered to be "taking up serpents?" :)

[ralphscott]

Zach I like what 1 Timothy 6:17 says we are told to trust in the living God "who gives us richly all things to enjoy" God gives us things to enjoy, he wants us to enjoy the things he gives us. He wants us to enjoy abundance (John 10:10) So have no trepidations about enjoying your car.

Ralph

[RJacobsen]

Zach, When Paul was bit by the serpent it had no ill effects on him. (Not sure how that applies but thats what came to mind.) and Keith, I second what Zach said, hang in there and thank God that this false teacher was removed from your church. You are all now better equiped to find a new one. Oh, and make sure you wash that hand.

[excelguru]

LOL... yeah, I certainly washed that hand. Twice! Gave my kids a big hug, too. Especially Chloe.

What really upsets me is that he has two sons, 10-ish and 13-ish. They are quite possibly the best-mannered young men I've ever ever meet. The phsychological impact of this event on those boys is staggering and virtually irrepairable. Not cool. Not cool at all. They have LOTS of potential because they've been raised right and it shows. I just hope this turn of events doesn't undo all of that.

Updated news is that the "conversations" with the undercover officer have apparently been taking place over the past three months (!!!). The computers at the church have also been seized as he may have used them also (!!!). [shaking head]

With that, I'll probably drop this topic altogether since it's really only a local thing here in my area and has absolutely nothing to do with cars. I just needed to vent so I picked you guys to dump it on. Keep the shiny side up, guys!

[will butterworth]

Been there done that---seen it all around the church-house. Been a deacon and sunday school teacher for 35 or so years now, been in church all my life, had minister commit suicide in parsonage, fellow had phones in church bugged, propositioned every lady in town, wife beater--all too much one day when it all came to light shacking with another deacons wife.What a webb folks can weave, had fellow drug wife -three daughters, set house on fire and arrested for it, he was a deacon, his father-in-law chairman, wow. It goes on, best advice I know--keep our eyes on Jesus, positive attitude-help others where we can, cause we all fail along the way at some time.It is hard to cast the first stone,but we must hold to some civilized standard, and of course that eminates from God.Hang in friend, this too shall pass and hopefully we will have learned something positive from the experience that will help us all in life. And you can vent here on us any time you desire, you need to, we understand. Now about that serpent business afore mentioned? Will-alabama

[ralphscott]

Keith, to mirror Will, These folk you hear about are humans not saints. Sometimes being a leader of a church creates power issues that lead to these terrible acts of behavior and lapses of judgement. We had a fellow here who's preaching was kind and soothing who was asked to leave the church for "check kiting". We were all disappointed.
For the few who do these dispicable things many suffer and many are turned away from the Lord upon hearing these acts by a pastor. I guess what you could say to your children is that Lord has a personal relationship with each of us, like a parent does a child. As we grow up we make mistakes and we learn, hopefully from these mistakes. Some people do and some don't. It doesn't mean that the Lord does not continue love and protect you if you walk in His path.

Ralph

[Slither]

Keep in mind that the more visibility and the higher the responsibility level a person has in a religious setting (or many other settings for that matter) the GREATER the attacks from the dark side that they will suffer. This seems almost obvious in Will's post. The consequences are that much more devastating when a leader falls.

What could be more rewarding to Satan than to bring down a Christian minister, with all its repercussions? Pray for him and all the others. We all need it, but them especially. Unfortunately, concupiscence is alive and well. We are all humans and suffer, thus.