Tag Archives: child abuse

Abuse Victims of Nuns Seek Justice

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We pay so much attention to all the catholic priests that abuse young children that we often forget that they aren’t the only creepy group of religious weirdos. More and more, stories of abuse at the hands of nuns are coming out, encouraged by all of the outpouring of support that others had received due to the #MeToo movement.

For a long time, even the support group that had sprung up to support victims, SNAP, which stood for “Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests, only mentions the male abusers. Women often being considered caregivers, and of their  stature in society is a perfect double act for those wishing to escape scrutiny.

Stories of abuse by priests are gruesome, but there is something particularly twisted about the way female abusers try to create “love” narratives that I have not heard before. It adds a whole other dimension. Not only are these victims sexual lives ruined, but that foundational element of loving a partner is also tainted.

“It was abuse. I interpreted it as love,” she said of the sexual relationship she had as a student with a Catholic school teacher, who later joined a religious order.
As a teenager, she spent much of her free time with her teacher. Their bond was so noticeable that a yearbook entry from a friend called her the woman’s “companion.”
“The nun brainwashed me into thinking we were head over heels in love,” she said. “God’s love, that’s why no one else could know about it — it was so special.”

Now I’d like to tell you that the perpetrators have all been punished and that the victims were financially compensated. Well, I’d like to, but I can’t. I’m sure by now you’re familiar with how this kind of thing goes. The statues of limitation had all experienced, thanks to the tireless work of religious organizations that pushed for these laws in the first place.

The only good news in all of this is that the public has begun to recognize female perpetrators of sexual abuse, and given enough time, enough awareness could be raised that it won’t only be priests that have a sullied name. Let’s just take the time to acknowledge that regardless of gender, when anyone works for a religious organization, leaving your kids with them is like asking Hannibal Lecter to babysit your kids.

Christian Boarding School accused of Kidnapping

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It’s always in those often ignored corners of America that some of the worst behavior imaginable is tolerated. Civilization is slow to reach some parts, and in these places, religion is still calling all the shots. Generally speaking, city folks think that the rest of the world has the same attitude about how to properly raise children. The notion of nurturing creativity, self expression and above all, their physical wellbeing, is a foreign concept to the harsh taskmasters of religion. Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child has been the attitude of many a Christian, and it’s not very surprising when the news identifies yet another story of abuse at their hands.

Religious schools benefit from little oversight. In the case of Lighthouse Christian Academy in Missouri,

ABM Ministries owners Larry Musgraves Jr., 57, and his wife, Carmen Musgraves, 64, were charged over the weekend with first-degree kidnapping for allegedly locking a student in a small room. The allegations are the latest against people associated with Christian boarding schools in Missouri.

The 15 year old boy was allegedly punch multiple times in the face, breaking his nose, as a supposed “preparation” for an upcoming boxing match. He was also apparently locked in a small room as punishment. The kid claims that it was because of comments he had made previously about one of the school administrators wife.

The school used to accept female students, until a lawsuit in 2009 that claimed a former principle had sexually abused a female students, and the Musgraves had been aware of the abuse and had done nothing. They settled for almost 1 million dollars. The offender walked away scot-free, and simply headed to another religiously run school called Agape Boarding School to cause more pain and hurt:

A former student at Agape said he was constantly raped and called “seizure boy” because of epilepsy from which he suffered, while other students have said they suffered permanent injuries after facing disciplinary action or being forced to work long hours of manual labour, it was reported.

There was also another nearby religious school, called Circle of Hope Girl’s Ranch, that had at least 5 employees charged with abuse, with their doctor, David Smock, being accused of over 100 separate counts of child abuse.

It’s beginning to be difficult keeping track of all these abusers. They all have one thing in common: because of Missouri’s lax laws when it comes to oversights, religious organizations are free to do pretty much anything that comes to mind, which tends to be some pretty unsavory shit.

 

Chicago’s Catholics Church is protecting child abusers

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These kinds of headlines have long ago lost their shock value, haven’t they? Of course we know that Catholic organizations have been openly impeding investigations into child abuse. We’re so numb to the fact that one of the richest organizations in the world is routinely aiding and abetting known rapists that when someone calls them out for it, it no longer phases us. We must not forget that each victim deserves the same attention, and that we must not allow ourselves to become complacent.

In Chicago, a Catholic order known as the Order of Friar Servants of Mary, or “Servites” as they often call themselves, operate under a powerful cloak of secrecy. They own and operated several educational institutions, one of which is the center of a lawsuit. One of their employees, Rev. Kevin Fitzpatrick, has been accused by 9 people of molestation, and they are suing the order for failing to report him to the police. Fitzpatrick was allowed to operate for over a decade, and so it’s not difficult to imagine that this group is only a small sample of the harm him, and others in his organization have caused. Here’s what part of the lawsuit states:

“Defendants knew or had reason to know, or were otherwise on notice, that perpetrator had engaged in unlawful sexual-related conduct with minors in the past, and/or was continuing to engage in such conduct with plaintiff and failed to take reasonable steps and to implement reasonable safeguards to avoid acts of unlawful sexual conduct in the future by perpetrator.”

The Servite order is ancient; it traces its roots back to the 13th century, and like all sinister and secretive cults, it isn’t in the habits of divulging anything to the outside world. Their edicts are the familiar repressive themes that seem to create, or perhaps attract, perverse humans who like to prey on the innocent: chastity, obedience, and poverty. The only one this order seems to value is obedience. As the pressure of the lawsuit mounts, the order is considering bankruptcy protection. If they do, it would echo the same responses from churches all over the US who have used bankruptcy laws intended for corporations to great benefit. It allows them to avoid any form of legal discovery, and forces victims to settle for a pittance of what they wanted.

Is it too much to expect some form of retribution? Why should any organization be allowed to exist when it knowingly shielded child abusers from the law? Would any non-religious order be allowed to operate if they had records of abuse but had failed to share them? These people should all be in jail, their organization dissolved, and the money distributed to the victims. It’s that easy.

Rome Protects Clergyman Accused of Raping Inuit Kids

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Do you have a dark and insatiable desire to abuse innocent young children, but fear the possibility of retribution? Have you considered the Catholic Church? The Vatican is running out of members, which means that when one of them is credibly accused of rape, they will benefit from the protection of a trillion dollar organization run by weird and sinister men.

When the Catholic Church isn’t too busy making sure that people are not wearing protection in countries ravaged by the AIDS virus, they are busy refusing to punish their monsters that have hidden in their evil lair to avoid prosecution. Look no further than the case of Rev. Johannes Rivoire for proof. He’s been charged with sexual crimes in Canada, but because he’s living in France, the quest for justice is essentially stalled. This seems to suit the Catholic Church just fine, and they’ve decided that the best way to proceed is to ensure the guy is still on the payroll.

A French clergyman dubbed the “devil priest” who stands accused of sexually abusing Inuit children in Canada’s north will not be dismissed from his congregation after senior church officials in Rome declined to act, citing the nonagenarian’s declining health.

Any excuse to avoid the embarrassment of having one of your own exposed as a pedophile is a good one, it seems. The reason this individual is called “The Devil Priest” is because he operated unfettered for over 30 years with the most vulnerable members of society. The police had evidence for years, but even when people approached them with credible evidence, they did nothing, allowing Rivoire to move back to his home country to avoid prosecution. He’s a part of Canada’s shameful past, where Inuit children were forced to attend “residential schools”, which were more like gulags than schools. Unfortunately, thanks to the Church and the government of France, this monster will be allowed to get away with his disgusting crime.

Will the day come when the institutions who protect these people will be held to account? For all our sakes, I hope so.

Minnesota Youth Pastor Arrested for Multiple Assaults

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You have to marvel at Christian hypocrisy. This is a faith that pertains to have “family values”, and yet every day, one of their leaders gets arrested on sexual abuse scandal. TGA’s been seriously considering making a Bingo style game to keep track of it all, since simply writing about it seems to be redundant at this point.

In Minnesota, a former youth pastor named Luverne Zacharias was arrested when it came to light that he had molested a number of students at a Christian High school in the mid 2000’s.

According to the criminal complaint obtained by the outlet, the alleged abuse took place between 2006 and 2009, when the victim was a student at El Shaddai Christian School in Owatonna. It was affiliated with and overseen by Christian Family Church, where Zacharias served as a youth pastor.

The woman told police that Zacharias would meet her in the basement of the school when she was sent to get milk for her classmates at lunchtime and during breaks. He allegedly touched her breasts and genitals over her clothing at first, doing it at least once every day, the woman said.

So this guy had a daily thirst for this kind of behavior. To call him an abuser would be an understatement. The guy was a straight up predator. Imagine the terror and humiliation visited upon them on a daily basis. Who knows if they will ever be able to enjoy intimacy with their partner thanks to this man’s traumatic behavior.

What do “family values” mean to Christians anyways? I keep waiting to see what the hell they are talking about whenever one claims this vaunted virtue. Does it mean disowning your child because they have a sexual preference you dislike? Does it mean beating, or abandoning your kids for questioning the teachings of a Bronze Age book? The lack of empathy and love displayed by the faithful can often be quite disturbing. Their claim to be the example to follow when it comes to family cohesion is a joke with no punchline.

I have personally witnessed a religious family being torn apart because of a disagreement about their own internal doctrines. If you’re looking for something to ensure family cohesion, Christianity certainly isn’t something an objective person would prescribe.

Aspiring Priest Caught with Disturbing Child Porn

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When atheists say that the Catholic Church attracts pedophiles, we aren’t just making a crass joke. The way the Church has shielded it’s members from prosecution, the effort its put into lobbying governments to lower the statues of limitation on sexual crime, and the amount of money they have given away to keep mouths shut sends a clear message that if you are attracted to innocent children, you should join their ranks.

It seems as though Broderick Witt got the message. He was studying to become a priest, until he was eventually arrested after the police were tipped off that he possessed a bunch of really disturbing child pornography, including images with victims as young as 6 years old.

The Archdioses of Cincinnati released this rather amusing statement:

“The seminary and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have strict policies against, and take significant precautions to prevent, anyone from possessing or accessing material of this type, regardless of whether they are a student, faculty, or staff. Discovery of such material will result in immediate termination or dismissal and notification of law enforcement,” Rev. Anthony R. Brausch, Rector said in a letter to the seminary community.

They’re finally notifying law enforcement now? That’s a pretty big departure from their regular mode of operation. You may recall that former Pope Benedict XVI had issued a memo during his tenure as the head of the Inquisition (renamed “Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith” as it seems the centuries of bloodshed had somewhat tainted the name). It specified that Church leaders were to keep any information of abuse secret, and authorities were not to be contacted without approval from the higher ups (which they never would). I guess when you haven’t yet joined the club, they take a bit of a different approach to dealing with child predators. That means we just have to catch them before they can benefit from the protection of a trillion dollar organization. Good to know.

Kenyan Pastor Pleads Not Guilty for Death of 400 People

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Africa has become the wild west of religion. Every other day, there’s a tragedy happening on the Continent, all because of a toxic mixture of traditional beliefs and Abrahamic faiths.

When Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 29 of his other accomplices were arrested in connection with the death of over 400 of his followers, 191 of them being children, they seemed unusually calm and cool, all things considered. His ministry, Good News International, had told their followers that the End Times were just around the corner, and that only through starvation could they meet the bearded hippie. When these followers inevitably died from a lack of food, they were buried in mass graves and simply forgotten about.

Mackenzie was a taxi driver before becoming a preacher. He quickly gained a following with his fiery sermons, and with his uncanny ability to predict events before they would happen (no doubt a result of simply reading the newspaper). His brainwashed followers were so convinced that he had special powers that when he told them to stop eating, they refused to do so even when they were dying at the hospital:

Several emaciated children escaped from the forest and locals alerted the authorities. Police found many followers close to death and took those still alive to nearby hospitals, where medical staff tried to feed the group. Many refused food, however, and as the situation grew more dire, the director of public prosecutions charged almost 65 people with attempted suicide for refusing to eat.

That’s the level of control that someone can have over others, thanks to the submissive nature of believers. Now the survivors of this cult have the difficult task of being deprogrammed. There’s bound to be more tragedy before this thing is all over.

No Justice for Young Woman Stabbed by Father

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If I were to tell you that a young woman was stabbed for dating someone outside of their religion, do I even need to specify what faith it was? We all know that Islam has a severe violence problem, and it’s only getting worse. In the UK, honor killings have increased by a staggering 81%, but even this figure is estimated to be a gross underestimation, as victims are either unlikely to come forward, or they simply “disappear”.

Australia is now reporting that it too is seeing the practice on its home soil. In November of last year, a young woman in Adelaide was attacked by her own family. She had begun dating a young Christian man, and this outraged her pea brained father. It wasn’t just him that was angry. Her entire family participated in the barbaric ritual:

During Thursday’s sentencing submissions, prosecutors told the court that family members worked together to track down the woman, 21, and help hold her down as her father stabbed her with a large kitchen knife at Sefton Plaza Shopping Centre in November 2021… The woman suffered a perforated kidney, lacerated liver and significant internal bleeding and was “bundled into the back” of a car after the attack occurred.

The whole thing played out like a scene from Scarface, leaving the young woman on the brink of death. Her family had originally been charged with attempted murder, but for whatever reason, the prosecutors decided to lower the charges to aggravated charge of causing serious harm, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. Her mother, who held her down while she bled in the shower, was given the lesser charge of on-aggravated charge of causing harm with intent, which has a maximum sentence of 7 years. And while I know it’s always important for any criminal to get a good defense, I can’t help but shake my head in disbelief at his lawyer’s defense strategy:

“His daughter was with a man … a man who he did not know and he also had concerns that the man might of not had his daughter’s best interests in mind,” Mr Weir said. “It was his intention to remove her from that situation and bring her home.”

In what, a body bag? The father was essentially given a slap on the wrist all things considered. What kind of message are we sending to other fundies who think that they are above the law? Honor killings are on the rise, and why wouldn’t they be when the perpetrators face such pathetic sentences. This girl will be physically and mentally traumatized for the rest of her life, all because these people put their faith above their families. It’s distasteful, disgusting, and a bunch of other D words I don’t want to repeat right now.

Belgian Church seems mass exodus over Abuse

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A television series in Belgium has recently exposed the Catholic Church and their history of abuse in the country, and this has left many Catholics upset, so much so that many have requested that they be “debaptised”.

The documentary series called “Forgotten by God” is what we’ve come to expect: it’s a exposé about the church’s coordinated attempts to cover up child sexual abuse. It centered around a man named Roger Vangheluwe, who had been abusing his nephews since 2010. The church was aware of what was going on, and because the statues of limitation has expired on the crimes, Vangheluwe was free, and had even retained his job as an ordained bishiop. The people were not pleased.

The Belgian Church, facing rising protests after a television film on sexual abuse and cover-ups in its ranks, has appealed against a government data protection agency ruling that the Diocese of Ghent must let a person be “debaptised”.
The Church considers baptism a permanent act that cannot be done away with, but the agency ruled in December that the plaintiff’s personal data record overrides the Church’s interest in preserving its records.

The reason that the church is appealing the decision is that they never like the idea of ever removing someone from their little registry. It’s how churches around the world operate: once you’re in their little cult, they never want you to leave. Plus, it help them to pretend that there are way more active Catholics than there really are.

Local Rabbi is Infecting Babies with Herpes

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The ritualistic mutilation of young boys is a practice that will forever baffle me. Originally it was an Egyptian tradition, reserved only for the royal family. Like all fads, it was eventually abandoned by most of its practitioners, save one: the Jews, who believe that the act of cutting off the foreskin of the penis is part of their covenant with God, who does not seem to be a fan of this particular piece of flesh.

In America, plenty of Gentiles are also circumcised. It’s estimate that about half of American males have been mutilated. It doesn’t hurt that this practice is a cash cow for doctors, who often cite poorly conducted studies on its supposed health benefits. Little is discussed of the physical trauma of cutting off one of the most sensitive areas of a young child without any anesthesia. After watching a few of these procedures, where the children often go into a kind of shock, you’d have a hard time keeping your lunch down.

The pain of this procedure is not the only dangers that these vulnerable children face. In Orthodox Judaism, the mohel who cuts the foreskin will also use his mouth to suck on the penis of the baby, supposedly in an effort to “disinfect” the wound. Instead, these disgusting individuals often carry sexually transmitted diseases, which are then passed on to the child. Naturally, this religious minority is extremely secretive, which means that this kind of abuse goes completely under the radar. Even when it comes to light, authorities will usually trip over themselves to avoid arresting or pressing charges against these mohels, for fear that they might anger the Orthodox community, which tends to have a great deal of voting power.

So, what is Rochester doing to prevent more babies from getting infected? Well, they certainly aren’t prosecuting the people involved. No, instead they are printing out brochures warning people not to allow their religious leaders to engage in their disturbing practices. “you can do it if you want, but know the facts” was one victim’s statement.

I guess giving diseases to babies is kosher, so long as there’s a religious ritual to justify it!

Muslim Imam says 4 year olds are Wife Material

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I’ve often criticized Muslims for being dishonest about their beliefs. There are many morally repugnant attributes to this religion, but the most disturbing by far is the story of Mohammad’s marriage to a 9 year old girl named Aisha. Most modern Imams will jump through hoops to try and explain their prophets disgusting pedophilia. Not this guy. During a debate with a a Christian apologetic channel called “Inspiring Philosophy”, Daniel Haqiqatjou, who goes under the moniker “MuslimSkeptic”, tried to argue that there was nothing morally repugnant about child marriage. He defended consummating an arranged marriage with a child as young as 4 years old, so long as she was already menstruating.

Daniel specializes in arguing against other faiths. His own website advertises this as a feature. He’s proud of the fact that he tries to debunk other faiths:

We pore through the texts of other religions and see if they can stand up to the same scrutiny they aim towards Islam. Already we have published over a dozen articles on Hinduism, Qadiyanism, Nation of Islam, Atheism, and Christianity.

Gee buddy, you’re almost all the way there with your skepticism. You just need to apply the same scrutiny to your ridiculous beliefs. There has to be a point where a person realizes that perhaps raping a young child isn’t the best way to honor your imaginary friend. What do I know? I’m just a filthy atheist!

Connecticut Youth Pastor Guilty of Sex Abuse of Minors

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The hits just keep on coming. Yet another youth pastor has plead guilty to cohering minors into sexual service. Jean Bernard, a 45 year old had been moving around to various cities in Connecticut, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

In one arrest warrant affidavit, he is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy at the boy’s home in Bridgeport and in the parking lot behind Madison School. The boy later told police that Bernard… would kill him, his sister and his father if [he] told anyone what Bernard had done to him, the affidavit states.

He plead guilty to other crimes, which include driving a bunch of kids to his place, and paying each of them 50 bucks to have sex with him. He would do these abominable acts around 2-3 times a week. It was, quite literally, routine for this pervert to sexually abuse children. Bernard’s new routine will involve attempting to survive the confines of an institution that tends to make quick work of such “men”.

When he was finally arrested, a number of other victims started coming forward, each story more heartbreaking than the last. I’m sure this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Considering that many of his victims were also recent immigrants, he knew that many of them would be too afraid to approach law enforcement for fear that they might be deported.

Each time I write about these stories, I’m continually baffled by the depravity of these sexual predators. The manipulation, the threats of violence, and the targeting of the most vulnerable human beings is sometimes more than I can bare. Think of the emotional scars that this vile human being has left on all those people. How many collective years of torture will they endure reliving their trauma? If there was any real justice in the world, those same tortures would be visited upon him. Tenfold.

Until we actually invent some form of empathy machine that would force these reprobates to experience the nightmares they inflict upon others, we must rely on locking them away, far from the innocents they love to torment.

Reformed Baptist Pastor Set Free After Rape Conviction

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The wheels of justice do not always turn. Sometimes, they get stuck in the mud, and there’s no getting out of it. In Wisconsin, a pastor by the name of Tom Chantry had been sexually abusing his constituents for nearly a decade before prosecutors finally attempted to bring this man down. His first trial ended in a hung jury (although the only holdout was found guilty of perjury). In the second trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years, only to later have the case thrown out on a technicality. His victims, already exhausted from both trials, declined to go through the experience again, and so the case was dismissed without prejudice (which means that they may try again at a later date).

I should stress that the church, Christ Reformed Baptist Church, had been established by his father, did everything it its power to cover up these crimes. You can read all about it more in detail on a blog called “Thou Art The Man“, which goes into detail about how much of a coverup there was:

Little did I know when I began covering this story that I was dealing with a corrupt inner corp of ARBCA men who tightly controlled the reigns of power within the Association. I had gathered enough information to believe the charges against Chantry were credible and I naively believed that Reformed Baptist pastors would all be godly, upright men who cherished the truth.

As a result, this organization has essentially collapsed, as members have left the church in droves, especially when it came to light that church elders had known that Chantry had been abusing kids for years before it all came out. Naturally, like all sinister and secretive organizations, they believed that abuse is an internal affair, and subsequently should be dealt by church authority. The public, it seems, disagrees.

What I find unsurprising and frankly disturbing is how much effort these kinds of churches put in protecting pedophiles rather than their own congregants. Sure, their membership is decimated, but there are still believers out there that support these kinds of institution. What would it take for people to stop giving money to these people? Obviously raping kids is not enough. Do they need to shoot a bunch of puppies in the face on a daily basis before people finally realize just how evil they are?

New Orleans Catholic Orphanages were sexually torturing children

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The depravity of Catholicism knows no bounds. It seems as though no institution run by this sinister cult is safe. Regardless of whether they are priests or nuns, the Church attracts the most disgusting and vile human beings known to man. How else can you explain the endless array of victims of their abuse?

Recently, a group of survivors in New Orleans have been trying to get some form of justice for the decades of abuse they sustained in catholic orphanages. In order to contravene the statue of limitation on child rape (which were the result of churches lobbying, incidentally), they are using a recent law that allows victims who are older than 28 the sue their victimizers, since the justice system deems these crimes to old to pursue. Unsurprisingly, the Church is also fighting this law as well.

The two orphanages in question are called “Madonna Manor” and “Hope Haven”. The church which ran these nightmare gulags have filed for bankruptcy protection, as over 100 abuse claims stemming from the two orphanages alone. The victims had other names for these hellholes:

“They’d bring you over to the Dark Tower – that’s what we called the church, the cathedral they had on the property. Running away from Madonna Manor you just wanted to be someplace else. You’re still going to an abusive environment, but it was the horrors of being sexually assaulted, like the devil was in the building.”

The lawsuits detail countless beatings and sexual abuses suffered at the hands of their caretakers, who treated the students as though they were sex toys instead of human beings. Sometimes it would be difficult to know who was doing the abuse, since they treated the place like it was that creepy sex cult in Eyes Wide Shut:

“Brother Harold was like the boss,” Leon continued. “Once you’re targeted they got lockdown units. They’d put a pillow over your face so you can’t hear what’s going on. Sometimes they wore masks to conceal [their] identity so you didn’t know who raped you.

Churches all over the country have been declaring bankruptcy in order to shield themselves from having to pay lawsuits to victims of abuse. For nearly 20 years, countless organizations have avoided responsibility by using a legal tool that is meant to protect businesses from going under. It also allows the church to group lawsuits together, and more importantly, avoid pesky legal entanglements like discovery, which prevents victims from finding out how much information about the abuse where known to church leaders.

Panty Sniffing Priest Splinters Family

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There is something unique about the nature of priestly abuse. For starters, in some families, “holy men” are often seen in a different light than others. The church paints itself as bridging the gap between mortals and the divine, and for some folks, this represents the most important job anyone can have. Some people are so enamored with the priestly class that they will defend them, even at the cost of their own family.

When a young girl in Miami Oklahoma accused her pastor, Fred McCoy Gammon Jr,  her sister and mother turned against her, accusing her of lying. They even testified in court that the abuse was impossible, since “his character is amazing”, as one put it. These poor brainwashed fools threw their family member under the bus rather than admit the man is a panty sniffing pervert.

There is plenty of evidence to convict Gammon, including text messages he sent the teen telling her how “hot” she was. His wife tried to downplay the whole affair, admitting that while her husband showed troubling behavior, he was repentant the whole time, which meant that everything was fine. When he confessed to her that he couldn’t get the girl out of his mind, they fasted. This, according to her, was enough to get a pedophile to stop fantasizing about a young child. It obviously had no effect.

The trial is still ongoing, but I think it’s safe to assume a few things. Firstly, this family is finished. You cannot survive something like this. Having your mother and sister take the side of the abuser is not something a person can really forgive. The father, to his credit, didn’t doubt his daughter, and when the scumbag tried to confess to him, Gammon was repeatedly beaten in retaliation. He faces no charges. How he feels about his wife is unknown.

Secondly, we can reasonably assume that once Gammon is found guilty, there will still be plenty of people who will come to his defense, even when he’s a disgraced priest. This is the power of religion. It can make you turn your back on your child and side with her rapist. There’s not a lot of ideologies that can claim such a powerful degree of control over a human being.

Lastly, I think another tragedy in this story is the fact that the girl, now a young woman, is still interested in missionary work. Somehow, getting assaulted by one of God’s representative wasn’t enough to convince her that religion is an obvious con job. One wonders what it takes to get people to jump ship from such an organization. So long as religions continue to claim that they hold the keys to the afterlife, you can bet that desperate individuals will continue to let these organizations get away with murder.