Tag Archives: christianity

Alabama Supreme Court is now the American Taliban

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If you haven’t heard of the name Tom Parker, odds are you soon will. The Chief Justice is making news after declaring that embryos are children, in a landmark case that is bound to send shockwaves through the state, if not the country.

It all began with a lawsuit. A couple that was using Invitro fertilization wanted to sue the clinic in Alabama for accidentally destroying a few of their frozen embryos. The Center for Reproductive Medicine, located in Mobile, Alabama, had an accident during the transfer of the embryos, and they were lost as a result. The couple, rather than move on with their lives, decided that they wanted to sue them for wrongful death. The case went all the way to the state Supreme Court, which ruled an overwhelming majority of 8-1 that these embryos were indeed children. The court, which sounds more like a branch of the Vatican, quoted the Bible multiple times, and the name “God” is invoked over a dozen times.

“Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God,” he wrote in a concurring opinion that invoked the Book of Genesis and the prophet Jeremiah and quoted at length from the writings of 16th- and 17th-century theologians.

“Even before birth,” he added, “all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”

Parker further claims that all governments are created by God, this despite the fact that the Constitution he swore to uphold makes it abundantly clear that government is to stay out of the business of mandating religion. He doesn’t see it this way. He’s part of a clandestine Christian movement called “The Seven Mountains”, which aims to inject their religious tyranny in all aspects of government. This plan has been in motion for decades, and because everyone around them was asleep at the wheel, they’ve effectively turned the state into their version of a theocracy, complete with religiously mandated laws.

As a consequence of this decision, fertility clinics across the state have suspended all services. This means that couples wishing to have assistance in having children are incapable of doing so until this insane mess is sorted. Considering how stacked with Christian nationalists the courts are, it’s doubtful that this will be repealed. Even Republican lawmakers seem confused about the decision. They claim to be “pro families”, but had no idea that declaring a frozen clump of cells a “human child” would have terrifying consequences for IFV clinics. Since the Supreme Court decision was literally made to allow a couple to sue over a few of their embryos being destroyed, this means that it’s doubtful that any medical organization would even dare operate in a state where they are always one mistake away from financial oblivion. This has spelled disaster for thousands of Alabamans struggling with fertility.

Again and again voters were sold a pack of lies, courtesy of religiously minded politicians that place their faith above their duty to their fellow countrymen. Many of them entered politics not with a desire to help, but with the ambition of turning their country into an unrecognizable religiously repressive place, where freedom is a thing of the past, and subjugation to their imaginary friends and his conflicting rulebook. It is time to weed out these religion elements and expose them for what they are: the American Taliban.

Christian Nationalist Think-Tank Ready to Pounce

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If you’re an American, hopefully you’ve come to the realization that your country is in serious trouble. The rise of Christian Nationalism went from a growing concern to an outright menace to free society.

If you think I’m being hyperbolic, than it means you haven’t read this: the manifesto for The Center for Renewing America, a think-tank (I use the word loosely here) lead by a man named Russell Vought. Vought had previously worked as Trump’s director of Office of Management and Budget when he was president, and he’s preparing himself and others for the return of the big orange turd by crafting a document outlining all the messed up crap he wants to implement on Trumps first day in office.

Vought sees his and his organization’s mission as “renew[ing] a consensus of America as a nation under God,” per a statement on CRA’s website, and reshaping the government’s contract with the governed. Freedom of religion would remain a protected right, but Vought and his ideological brethren would not shy from using their administration positions to promote Christian doctrine and imbue public policy with it, according to both people familiar with the matter, granted anonymity to avoid retaliation. He makes clear reference to human rights being defined by God, not man.

First, I highly doubt that freedom of religion would remain a protected right. Currently, there are Christian lawmakers that have been trying to get Satanism removed from the list of recognized religions, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. These psychos will do just about anything to make sure their religion is top dog, and it wouldn’t surprise me if other faiths were soon on the chopping block.

Second, what I find terrifying is the renewed confidence of these assholes in thinking that the rest of us will just sit back and let this happen. They live in such a bubble that they think the majority of Americans feel the way they do. It simply isn’t the case. Most Christians are not dominionists, and considering how many different denominations there are, to treat them as a one large group has never really worked. Although we may not like it, atheists have to ally themselves with those faith groups that are strongly opposed to this kind of sectarian agenda.

Lastly, atheists have to get off their asses and start making moves themselves. Christians have been infiltrating governments for decades, and this strategy is starting to bare fruit. If we sit back and let other people get involved, than we shouldn’t be surprised if we end up with targets on our backs. The stakes are high, and we can no longer bury our heads in the sand hoping that people will drop religion like a bad habit.

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.

LifeWise Academy Needs to be Stopped

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It has to be strange to be the bad guy, and not know it. When you hold onto a belief that claims that you are righteous, there’s no limit to the depraved and corrupt things you’ll do to makes sure everyone around you thinks the same way.

Some of you may remember that we covered this creepy organization in the past. Lifewise academy is a Christian Nationalist organization that seeks to indoctrinate kids into their club. In states like Ohio, Arkansas and Georgia, these busy bees have been able to operate with impunity, as US courts are increasingly becoming friendly to the notion of letting religious organizations proselytize during school hours.

The way these guys get around the obvious issue with teaching religion in schools is that they will “bus” kids out somewhere else, and teach them off campus. This is a loophole that is increasingly being exploited.

Now, some groups have pushed back .For instance, Satanist groups are now also doing the same, partly to offer an alternative to Lifewise, but also to outrage parents with the notion that they might be getting brainwashed (Satanists groups don’t engage in any religious teachings. Rather, they usually just offer extra curricular activities).

In response, lawmakers are trying to ban Satanism, and get it’s tax exempt status revoked. Typical strategy by Christians who don’t think the rules apply to them. If you want to support their effort, I encourage you to make a donation.

The part that really gets to me are the bogus claims that these extra curricular religious programs somehow help the students do better in schools. There are no studies to back this up, not that I expect religious zealots to know how to conduct such a study. These guys have never heard of sourcing anything, so if you were hoping for proof, that’s one word religious people have never fully comprehended anyways.

“He Gets Us” SuperBowl Ad is Dumb

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Seems even a lot of Christians aren’t actually that enthusiastic about the “He Gets Us” religious ads that played during the Superbowl. A few of them hate it so much, they think it’s actually “demonic”.

Part of the reason has to do with White Evangelicals deciding that their main guy is a bit of a pussy. They like a God of revenge, or smiting and casting people into the fiery pits of hell. This foot washing hippie isn’t at all like the guy they picture in their minds.

Political Huckster Matt Walsh also didn’t approve of this ad. He claimed it did more “harm than Good” because it didn’t have the “correct” messaging that he would have liked. No mention of submission, of telling people they are going to hell, or attacking whatever minority they currently dislike. No, these commercials were just a bunch of AI images of people getting their feet washed to the sound of INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” (which is an odd bit of messaging for a religion that places faith over family). At the end, the ad declares that “Jesus didn’t preach hate” (even though he most certainly did, especially to people who rejected his teaching). You want some examples? No problem.

Matthew 10:34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Luke 12:51
Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth?
No, I have come to divide people against each other!

I bet guys like Walsh would have preferred these quotes from the Bible than the patronizing tone of the commercial. Evangelicals especially seem to need a far more “muscular” Christianity, since Jesus’ messaging isn’t really resonating with today’s modern believer. Many consider him a “liberal” for some of his sermons such as “turn the other cheek”. This religious group prefers the “eye for an eye” stuff in the old testament, not this pussy love they neighbor shit.

“The ‘He Gets Us’ commercial might seem harmless to some, but it’s obviously part of a psyop to trick Christians into thinking Jesus is fine with sin & apostasy. It’s the opposite of what our world needs right now,” pastor Ryan Visconti wrote.

I think the lesson to be learned here is that there is no form of Christianity that has universal appeal. It’s why there are so many denominations. Do you hate gays? We’ve got a church for you. Love gays, he, there’s a church for that as well! Consistency? What the fuck is that?

By the Way, did anyone give a crap about the Scientology ad that also played? How an organization with fewer than 30,000 members can still be trying to recruit is just sad, isn’t it?

 

Shootout at the Olsteen Corral

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If you’re familiar with Prosperity Gospel, then you know who Joel Olsteen is. With a net worth of over 50 million, Olsteen has used religion like a piggy bank, enriching himself by promising that large donations to his church, or seeding as they like to call it, would financially bless those stupid enough to give him money.

Now, instead of being just a con artist, Olsteen has joined the ranks of churches that have experienced serious gun violence during their services. The details are still a little fuzzy, but we do know that at around 1:50pm, a middle aged woman with a 5 year old child began opening fire in the church just as the Spanish translation of their sales pitch was about to begin:

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Estimated to be between 30 and 35 years old, she was not immediately identified by authorities. Finner said that the woman had threatened she also “had a bomb,” but authorities searching her backpack and vehicle had been unable to locate any explosives.

The child was also hit with gunfire, though it’s not clear if it was the result of the shootout with police. He’s still in critical condition. Thankfully, there were only a few injured people. Had the woman showed up a little earlier, when there was a full house of over 45k worshippers, things could have been a lot worse.

All we can do at this point is speculate about what happened. Considering the predatory nature of the church, I’m willing to bet that perhaps this woman’s had a financial bone to pick with Olsteen and his church. We’ll need for the investigation to be completed. With the woman now dead, it may forever be a mystery.

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.

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.

Oklahoma Senator wants to jail you for Sexy Selfies

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Are you feeling strangled by religious conservatives? Are you tired of zealots trying to control every aspect of your life? Well, too bad if you are, because these religious nutballs are just getting warmed up.

Oklahoma Senator and all around ballbag Dusty Deevers has introduced a bill that would outlaw sexting to anyone other than your spouse. This is all part of a larger effort to try and outlaw pornography altogether.

How he plans to accomplish this reminds me of bounty posters in the Wild West. You see, a person can file a lawsuit against someone they suspect of enjoying their freedom as an American, and they can receive up to 10k for snitching. The person you accused of witchcraft, I mean sexting, would face up to 25 years in jail, and a fine of up to 25k (presumably to help fund this sick game of tattle tale).

You might be wondering how broad this ridiculous and unconstitutional law is. It’s so broad that just about anyone who participates in any remotely sexual activity would instantly become a criminal:

This bill is broad enough to include any person’s, like butt selfie for example, it includes live performances in play. So that would seem to include strip clubs definitely and maybe also burlesque and drag performances and things like that,” Nolan Brown said.

The good news is that there’s no way in hell is this thing going to pass. Even in some Christian Nationalist nightmare world, I find it hard to fathom that any prosecutor would dare go after people for living their best life. Considering that Oklahoma is considered one of the worst states to live in, it sounds like there are more important priorities to focus on, like ranking 48th in healthcare, or almost dead last in educational standards.

Apart from crazy, unpredictable weather, the study said Oklahoma has one of the nation’s highest rates of drug abuse, and the second highest rate of people without health insurance. Homelessness is another big issue.

You know, there are way more serious problems in your state than people sending themselves sexy pictures, Dusty. If you want to help improve your state, maybe don’t create ridiculous laws that create dangerous witch-hunts.

Border Trucker Convoy Cancelled due to Paranoia

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Well, that didn’t last long did it? Just a day ago, TGA reported on a convoy of truckers calling itself “God’s Army” that was supposedly headed to Texas to “defend the border”. The event was cancelled, because many of the organizers started to think that the whole thing was an FBI operation, and that they were going to get coaxed into violence so that the feds could put cases on them.

According to Vice’s report, the less-than-stellar turnout was likely due to theories circulating in right-wing circles that the convoy could be a “psyop” or “honeypot” trap laid by the federal government to coax people into committing violence.

At least these guys were aware enough to know that when you put a bunch of these clowns together, people start getting hurt, or even killed. I also have a bit of news for these weirdos: people are not “coaxed” into acts of violence when they bring weapons to a protest. That shows that they are planning on getting their hands dirty.

We’re getting to an inflection point in Q-Anon it seems, where there’s a smattering of self awareness brewing at the service. Conspiratorial thinking is like a snake eating its tail. When you base all of your thinking in the idea that you can’t trust anything, eventually it all breaks down.

Here’s hoping that the Q-Anon people take the same approach to everything else in their lives. Maybe now instead of causing disturbances, they will all just stay home, since the outside world is just a giant conspiracy against them.

American Religious Wackos Headed to Border

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American conservatives have it all backwards. When you hear about evangelicals going nuts about all the illegal immigrants that are entering the country, there’s an important variable that I think they are ignoring due to their overwhelming distaste for different skin colors: they are chasing away the last group of religiously minded folks. Allow me to explain:

In Canada, my home country, the conservative side of the isle love immigrants. That’s because in an overwhelmingly secular nation, the people who wish to make the Great White North their new home are usually quite religious, especially when compared to their counterparts. These recent immigrants tend to be anti-abortion, have a deep hatred of LGBT people and their issues, and tend to dislike liberal policies. This means that the conservative parties are always trying to solicit their support. It’s very rare that you will hear them speak ill of immigration, and they would rather attract the votes of these religiously minded people than ire.

So when conservative Christians decide that they are going to show up at the border in Texas intent on trying to take the law into their own hands, they are chasing away the only people that “mostly” support their religious agenda. One such group planning on adding to the chaos south of the border is called “Take Our Border Back”.

The group said that one of their goals is to stop illegal immigration immediately and close the border. It is not clear how the group plans to confront migrants at the border and stop them from entering the country.

My guess is that they will show up with weapons, and someone is going to get hurt, or possibly killed, all because of the fear that they have for people who literally believe in exactly the same God that they do. They do this, while also believing that they are preventing an “army of darkness” from entering their country. What they really mean is “an army of darkies”, but that would be an unsavory thing to say in this day and age. Better to just imply it and shoot your guns at people.

It’s inevitable that if religious voters want to maintain their power base, they are going to need to dip outside of the white, evangelicals base that they’ve historically counted on for votes. In fact, this group is shrinking so fast that the Republican reliance on them as their voting base is going to blow up in their faces spectacularly. The face of America is changing. Religious “Nones” now outnumber white evangelicals, and the gap is only going to increase.

Still, we cannot be complacent simply because our enemies are slowly dying. A cornered animal is at its most dangerous. Before we are free of religious interference in our lives, these wackos will try every trick in the book to force their faith down our throats.

Russian Scientist Fired for Creationist Beliefs

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Creationism is always rearing up it’s ugly head where it doesn’t belong. In America, schools are always being bombarded by creationist propaganda masquerading as science. Religious folks know how devastating evolution is to their pet theory of how life originated, which is why they will do anything to undermine it. They will lie, obfuscate the truth, and make wild claims without evidence, all to further their pathetic agenda of turning the world into their little religious playground.

In 2023, a Russian scientist by the name of Alexander Kudryavtsev, did a presentation for his colleagues that left many of them in disbelief:

Kudryavtsev, who headed the Russian Academy of Science’s Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, made a presentation at a conference in 2023 in which he said people had lived for some 900 years prior to the era of the Biblical Flood and that “original, ancestral and personal sins” caused genetic diseases that shortened lifespans.

What I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall for that conference. I can picture his colleagues squirming in discomfort as he tried to argue that the claims of the bible have scientific merit. It’s one thing to have a religious nut in the soft sciences; it’s another completely when it’s in the one profession that so clearly demonstrates that we are the product of natural selection.

This notion that death is caused by sin, or causes genetic disorders is so backwards that the Academy had no choice but to sack Kudryavtsev. This caused his beloved Orthodox Church to cry discrimination as a result. The irony of an institution that regularly blesses missiles headed to kill Ukraine children crying foul should be lost on no-one. A scientist being fired for not doing his job isn’t “discrimination”. It’s called standards, and without them, there is no discovery and progress.

Besides, it seems to me that Kudryavtsev should change his career to pastor. It sounds like making shit up and trying to make other people feel bad is in the job description, and from the look of it, that’s right up this guys’ alley.

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 348

This week, we discuss Christian Nationalists wanting to beat up gay kids, Scorsese wastes his time trying to propagandize Jesus, and a mathematician tries to prove god, and fails.

The Good Atheist
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 348
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Denver Pastor Scammed flock with Cryptocurrency

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I feel bad for today’s young people. When I was entering my adulthood, the Internet was coming into itself, which meant that there were real opportunities for people to succeed with the invention of new technology. Today, however, all that’s been invented is new ways to scam people. The creation of cryptocurrency has tanked an estimated 2 trillion dollars from the economy. That’s not counting the 3 billion that is stolen annually by hackers, which account for almost half of their own losses. This is the grifted generation, to be sure.

Imagine now what happens when you combine the scam of crypto, with the fraud of religion? Why, you get something called INDXcoin. The brainchild of Rev. Eli Regalado, an online only pastor that congregates his virtual flock on a (former) website called victoriousgracechurch.org. The site has since been taken down, as Regalado is currently in a legal battle with State regulators, for his little scam.

Regalado and his wife did what all of these crypto hucksters do when they have people’s money: they spent it. So, while easily manipulated people sent him their savings under the promise that the proceeds would be donated to “orphans and widows”, it went instead into purchasing handbag, snowmobiles, a Range rover and countless other luxuries. Almost 300k of it went to their “church”, which again was simply a way for these people to pay themselves.

Both of these bozos were also not very experienced coders which meant that their crypto and virtual exchange were sloppy messes that was given a “zero out of 10” grade by a company that specializes in evaluating crypto security. It mattered little, as all of the transactions were done via Regalado’s Venmo account, or by direct money transfers. Since they were both spending the money so quickly, they routinely had to close their exchange to avoid running out of money. They were essentially operating as a bank, and then spending any deposits they received. The virtual coin they were given was merely a representation of what they thought was in investment in new technology. In reality, it was nothing more than a basic con with a fresh coat of virtual paint.

What’s crazy in all of this is the fact that the 3.9 million they stole from their own flock is a civil matter, and not a criminal one. This means that they face no jail time for this huge scam. All the victims can hope for is that some of the money can be recouped. Judging by how quickly these bozos burned through the funds, it’s not looking too good.

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.