One pastor, two wives

Sometimes people are just lazy. They get in trouble for not paying  taxes or child support when all they need do is sign a check. Tasks that require planning and follow through take too much effort, so they don’t make the effort. They eventually pay, but the penalties are much steeper.

Sometimes people are lazy and dumb. Like the pastor who married a second woman without divorcing his first wife. I give you Pastor Melvin Lynn Silas of the Church of the Great I Am in Bellowflower, California. He was arrested for bigamy this week. At least he did not kill his first wife.

Melvin Lynn Silas is the 55-year-old pastor of Church of the Great I Am in Bellflower. He told investigators he believed he was divorced before he married again on April 26, 2008. But his estranged wife says Silas begged her not to divorce him and she never filed court documents.

His estranged wife notified authorities after she found records on the Internet of her husband's new marriage.

Why would a pastor do something so dumb? Could it be his prison record?

Minister Melvin Silas spent a great deal of his life on the run from God, which caused him to spend a lot of years within prison going in and out of jail for many different crimes. One cold snowy night, in the state of Ohio. While sitting in a cell facing two separate sentences which held more than 30 years each. Minister Silas accepted the call of God. For the next several years while still in prison he commenced studying the Word of God to know more about the God that had saved him while sitting in that cell.

Ok – I get the picture. He was in prison. Learned about the Christian prosperity scam. Formed a business (his church) and started to make money by telling people God wants them have it all. Too bad his wife sold him out. Prison is a bitch.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Misconduct,Bigamy

Damn crow

An odd thing happened to me yesterday. I was attacked by a large crow. I was sitting in my truck with the driver’s window open in the parking lot of a supermarket. I was putting together a salad from a fast food restaurant. I’m on a diet so salads are on the menu again. I hate them, but the calories are half that of a hamburger. What’s a fat guy to do?

I had just finished putting the salad dressing on when I turned towards the passenger seat to dispose of the salad dressings’ container. Something hit my left arm hard, and then jumped on to the salad plate which was sitting on my lap. All I saw was a black blur. An enormous crow grabbed a piece of chicken from the salad and tried to fly out the passenger window. Unfortunately, it was closed. The crow bounced off and then went crazy. It pecked me a few times on the shoulder. I dove out of the truck. Salad flew in all direction. I dimly remember hearing a little girl screaming…

Um… the screams were coming from me. As I picked myself off the pavement, people came running. Most were laughing to hard to help. The next few minutes were like watching an episode of Benny Hill as several people ran around waving their arms while trying to shoo a pissed-off crow out of my truck. It pooped on everything. Salad was in every corner of the cap. after a few minutes, the crow finally flew away.

I was still hungry, but passed on buying another lunch. Damn crow.

Technorati Tags: Humor,Birds,Crows

Pastor Anthony Hopkins convicted

If you murder your wife and stash her body in a freezer, there is no doubt about it, you are a scumbag.  If you murder your wife, stick her body in a freezer, and then rape your children while earning a living an evangelist, you defy description. Anthony Hopkins was a pastor. Now he’s a convicted murder.

After deliberating for 1 1/2 hours, a jury in Mobile also found 39-year-old Anthony Hopkins guilty of rape, sodomy, incest and sexual abuse of a child between the ages of 12 and 16.

Hopkins was arrested in 2008 while preaching at a rural revival in Clarke County on charges that he killed 36-year-old Arletha Hopkins, a mother of eight.

If you doubt he was scum…

in closing arguments Friday, Assistant District Attorney Jill Phillips said Hopkins terrorized his wife and young children, isolated them and used the Bible to manipulate them.

Hopkins earned a living as a traveling preacher. Dimwits thought him a prophet who could see the future.

I wrote about his arrest. I consider him the worst of the worst.

Technorati Tags: Anthony Hopkins,rape,murder,sexual abuse,incest,hypocrisy,Clergy Sexual Abuse

Youth Pastor Cecil Seay arrested

Sexting seems to be irresistible to youth pastors with impulse control problems. Youth Pastor Cecil Wayne Seay of Baypoint church in Holiday, Florida, stands accused of sending sexually orientated text messages to a 14-year-old girl.

He allegedly typed:

I touch myself thinking of you like I never should.

If you were here, would you kiss me like that?

Heck, I don’t know what else to say besides dumbass. By now, every youth pastor in the country should know that sexting will end your career and could even land you in jail.

There is one bit of news I don’t get. The girl’s school principal notified the senior pastor, Brian Brown, instead of the police. Brown did the right thing.

"This allegation is troubling and regrettable," Brown wrote. "Our focus is on the welfare of the victim, the family involved, and all concerned. It is now in the hands of the judicial system, where it should rightly be."

The principal… should be fired did the right thing.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Misconduct,Texting,Youth Pastors

Tolerance. Pass it on.

Catholics never cease to amaze me. They do the dumbest things. Like letting the love of Christ show through their actions towards the Gay community… or not. 

A church support group for parents of gays and lesbians was asked to abandon its regular meeting place when church officials discovered the group scheduled a gay man to speak at an upcoming meeting about life with his partner.

What was the problem?

“We were told we could not have it there because of the mention of Chuck being Bill’s partner, and that it promoted and condoned same-sex marriage,” …

So the mere presence of a gay man at a church is enough to shut the whole dialog down and exile those participating? How screwed up is that?

Religion poisons everything.

Technorati Tags: Religion,Gay Rights,Catholics

Pastor David Heckman guilty

Another pastor falls. This time for stealing from Habitat for Humanity. He pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny and faces seven years in prison. But why did he do it? Oh wait, he had a record.

Heckman, who lived in Binghamton at the time of his arrest, was not a stranger to the law before his current legal troubles. According to court documents, he was convicted in 2003 of one felony count of third-degree grand larceny in Broome County Court. He was sentenced to five years of probation in that case.

I guess he must of prayed for forgiveness. What other reason would Newark Valley church have for hiring a pastor with a record? And not to mention Habitat for Humanity allowing him to sit on the Board of Directors for the Tioga Chapter.

Discernment… what does the bible say about that again? Never mind, the message is simple, don’t trust a convict to lead a church.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Misconduct,Theft

Where is the outrage Islam?

A 13-year-old child bride bled to death after her forced marriage was consummated. Her name was Ilham Mahdi al Assi. Her husband was is his 20s. The wounds were horrific…

A medical report by the hospital where she was treated said she had suffered a tear to her genitals and severe bleeding after intercourse, the group said.

Yemen recently tried to pass a law forbidding child brides. Some women even marched in supported of it. Yet Islamic parties mobilized enough of an effort to convince politicians to hold up its implementation.

On Monday a group of Islamic clerics issued a decree condemning the law, and said its supporters were apostates.

Some of the signatories of the decree were lawmakers sitting on the committee charged with amending the law, it was reported.

The speaker of parliament, Yehya al-Raei, said it was possible that the law would be changed to maintain the age limit, but punishments for breaking the law including prison sentences and fines would be cancelled.

In many civilized countries murdering a 13-year-old girl with your penis is a crime punishable by a long prison sentence. Not so in Yemen where followers of Mohammed see nothing wrong with forced child marriage. They point to Mohammed as justification. The Prophet had a child bride named Aisha who was just 6-years-old at the time of her marriage. Mohamed waited until she was nine to consummate the marriage.

Is this right? Should we cut Yemen a break because their brand of pedophilia is tied to a religion? Or should we call this cowardly act what it is, child rape in the name of religion? I vote for the latter.

Technorati Tags: Yemen,Child Rape,Forced Marriage,Islam

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Integrity is all about what you do

The outstanding atheist blog No 2 Religion has an interesting post up which highlights my problem with Christian pastors who live by a personal code that lacks anything like integrity. Let’s examine the facts. The subject is Dean Smith, San Miguel’s superintendent of schools. 

• Smith is a former Baptist pastor turned school administrator.
• Smith left his wife of 30 years for an 18-year-old former student.
• Smith used his position as an administrator to gain access to a child. He exploited his access to develop a romantic relationship.
• Smith mentored the girl in the seventh grade and continued a relationship with her until she graduated.
• Smith denied being romantically involved with the girl despite having an affair with her.
• Smith touched, kissed and drank alcohol with the girl before she turned 18.
• Smith exchanged intimate emails and text messages with the girl before she turned 18.
• Smith knew of the girl’s alleged sexual abuse. No mention is made if he reported the abuse under California’s mandatory reporter law.
• Smith had a collection of nude and partially nude photos of young models on his work computer. The photos include clips of a partially nude 12-year-old Brooke Shields in the film “Pretty Baby.” (see a safe clip here)
• Smith was frequently absent from his job duties while spending time with his 18-year-old girlfriend.
• The investigation into Smith was managed by a police officer who had a personal relationship with Smith.

What if anything do the actions of this man have to do with the moral teaching of Jesus? Where does it say you can use your position of authority over a child to satisfy your libido while engaging in a hedonistic male midlife fantasy? Smith may not have technically broken the law, but he violated the spirit of the law just the same, not to mention sprit of his Christian faith. What a stain. What a poor example of man. What a hypocrite.  Go ahead, defend him. I dare you.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Misconduct,Bad Pastors

Introducing The Rational Ape

Please join me in welcoming our newest Atheist Blogroll member, The Rational Ape.

The Rational Ape aims to be a place for discussion not only of science, politics, and atheism, but of philosophy and culture as well.  If you've something interesting to say, you're welcome to say it here.  The Rational Ape is quickly building a top-of-the-line aggregation of media to please and challenge the inquiring mind.  Visitors can enjoy a masterful execution of a Bach concerto, science articles, video art installations, and numerous polemics concerning irrational beliefs - in other words, we wish to provide a rich and varied experience.

We hope to create an atmosphere of intelligent inquiry with The Rational Ape.  While neither I, nor anyone affiliated with this blog, will act as thought police, please keep the discourse mature.  This, of course, is not a request that you "respect" other people's beliefs; by all means, treat any belief with as much vehement disrespect as you like - they deserve no deferential protection here, or anywhere for that matter.

Please contribute/comment as much, or as little, as you please.  Funny videos, irrational articles, and various other culture tidbits are much appreciated. Suggestions for topics can be emailed to therationalapeATgmail.com, and we will make an honest effort to read them all.  Have fun, and enjoy yourselves!

Technorati Tags: The Atheist Blogroll,Atheism

Sometimes it’s about addiction

Pastor Bertha Wright allegedly tired to buy prescription drugs with a fake prescription. She was buying methadone, hydrocodone, and Carisoprodol along with another drugs. Pastor Wright appears to have a large monkey on her back. Apparently, being a pastor or pastor’s wife, does not prevent one from succumbing to the lure of drugs. Her church is pissed.

This is our pastor’s wife and it’s had destroyed the hearts of the church members,” said Michael Williams, a lifelong AOH Church of God member. “This is really breaking and sad news to our entire church, because we didn’t know anything about it.”

Pastor Wright did not tell her church of her arrest on March 5th, nor did her husband, Pastor Levon Wright. They kept it a secret until the story broke in the press. I wonder if they thought it might impact their income? They are such hypocrites.

"They're preaching and praying, but they're not talking and telling the truth," Williams said. "And that's wrong. Don't preach and tell us to live right, and you ain't living right."

The Wrights preach at AOH Church of God in Mount Vernon, Georgia. I hear their show closes soon.

Drug addicts, once an addict, always an addict. They need honest help and lots of love, but trust should be in short supply unless earned.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Misconduct,Drug Abuse,AOH COG

Introducing The Blessed Atheist Bible Study

Please join me in welcoming our newest Atheist Blogroll member, The Blessed Atheist Bible Study.

This is KKBundy of The Blessed Atheist Bible Study.

For years whenever I would gain the upper hand in discussions of religion or politics with my born-again mother she would pull out her trump card and tell me to read my Bible as if that was the final authority on all matters.  While I tried to tell her that this was illogical, she could never understand how someone who professed no belief in God also held the bible in no higher reverence as a moral guide than Homer or the Koran or Archie Comics.

In addition, I watch the world with growing alarm as the champions of superstition continue to take the reins of science in hand for their own purposes.  The biblical literalists and young Earth creationists are a danger to our world by their minimizing science and using THEIR faith to guide all of US in areas where knowledge would be a far better light.  I fully believe these people represent a danger to our world.  With Climate change and overpopulation, to name just two, we need science now more than ever.  In their hands we are doomed!

After years of reading some scripture here and there and seeing how it's vast contradictions and discrepancies could be used against it, I finally decided to take Mom's advice. Though It's not quite as she intended.  So I have Started the Blessed Atheist Bible Study to look deeply into the matters biblical.  In it I take the literal view of the Bible and try to humorously and irreverently poke holes in the absurdities,while at the same time, giving my best at serious commentary.   Oh, the things I've found!  This bronze age work of fiction is a hoot, and I have rarely be so entertained. I chuckle constantly, evilly my wife tells me, on finding some new silliness.  But I believe that these are the arguments we can use against people who seem impervious to logic or reason.  This is my way to fight superstition and promote science.

Come and see for yourselves. Have some fun and join in the fight.

Technorati Tags: The Atheist Blogroll,Atheism

Oh Texas

Seriously… They charged singer Erykah Badu with Disorderly conduct for stripping naked during a video shoot.

Sergeant Warren Mitchell said Badu was charged after a witness offered a sworn statement to police on Thursday.

Badu's spokeswoman had no immediate comment on Friday.

The singer, who was born in Dallas, performed a walking striptease in front of tourists and pedestrians during the shoot in Dealey Plaza on 13 March for her video for the song Window Seat.

I’m sure Sergeant Warren is proud of his gallant effort to protect the innocent eyes of our children. Check out the video. Of course, her video will be on MTV for the next 10 years so I’m not sure what good fining her does.

Technorati Tags: Texas,Culture,Music,Erykah Badu

I miss a few

There are other people watching pedophile pastors. Some do a better job of catching the worst of the worst. Christa Brown at  Stop Baptist Predators is a good example. She’s been on a mission for a  long time. I read her blog to keep up with her fight to bring accountability to the Southern Baptist power structure. She’s got a story about an Indiana pastor named Daniel Moore who pleaded guilty to child sex crimes yet is protected by his former and current churches. It’s disquieting. You cannot trust Southern Baptists. They care more about their pastors than their children.

Daniel Moore, shown in the photo, was the pastor of New Whiteland Baptist Church in Franklin, Indiana. He was arrested about a year ago, but to this day, the church website still lists him as “pastor.”

The Catholics are fighting a public battle over their unbelievable crass handling of clergy sex abuse cases. Baptist fight in silence. Christa holds them accountable.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Baptists

Youth Pastor Matthew Overstreet arrested

In the interest of accuracy Matthew Jonas Overstreet is a former youth pastor. However, he allegedly started the abuse of his 13-year-old victim while he was a youth pastor at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas. Overstreet stands accused of sexual assault.

Police said over the next few years 25-year-old Matthew Jonas Overstreet continued sending her sexual messages. He allegedly sexually assaulted her in December.

I recently conducted a lengthy e-mail exchange with a member of the faithful who pressed me to stop reporting these crimes because they “hurt the church.” One of her arguments centered on the Christian theme of divine judgment. She kept insisting that God will judge these men harshly. I asked about redemption by faith and the whole free ticket out of punishment that prayer offers. I mean, the only unpardonable sin is supposed to be rejecting the divinity of God. All this other stuff is pardonable.  So what if God judges them harshly? Exactly what punishment are we talking here? She had no meaningful answers.

I feel better knowing that these people are treated to a few years of real justice while alive here on earth.

Texas has issues.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Youth Pastors,Pedophiles,Texas

The real meaning of Good Friday

I played a round of disc golf this morning. I recorded a few of my shots and thoughts about the game and holiday as I played. I don’t understand the reason the company I work for gives me this day off as a holiday. It’s seems arbitrary. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the time off.  I need a holiday just like the Christians, but my holiday is different. Nobody must be crucified for my enjoyment. Nope, I just want to play a round of disc golf in peace.

If you are interested in the sport, give the video a watch. The only thing missing is my cigar.

Technorati Tags: Disc Golf,Good Friday