When people live in a bubble dominated by magical thinking and special pleading, it doesn't take long to convince themselves they're operating under divine sanction. Especially when there is no one to set you straight, and the people they surround themselves with have a vested interested in not setting things straight. Pedophiles go where the kids are. Where better than a religious setting where children are essentially being held hostage, and people are often afraid to speak out.
And when you see the massive and horrific pedophilia in the Catholic Church -- of which we have still seen only a fraction, and which continues unabated every day -- you can only imagine how rampant pedophilia must be throughout the rest of Christendom. For every one of these awful stories that comes to light, there must be 99 that are successfully covered up by Christians who desperately don't want the world to see the truth.
In John 8:32 Jesus says "and the truth will set you free", but Christians do not follow this principle: they cover up the truth. They lie, they mislead, they deceive. Christianity is a false religion that breeds dishonesty.
You disgusting excuse for a human being, the kid was five. As the saying goes, "I can't even..."
That kid demonstrated TRUST and INNOCENCE. That's all.
And by the way, not even with an adult woman is taking ones clothes off to change into a bathing suit any sort of invitation or consent to sex. It's only, maybe, an invitation to go swimming.
Seriously. Think about the implications that 'grandmother' is making about her 5-year-old granddaughter. Who in christian tradition hasn't yet reached the age of reason. She's treating that CHILD like she's a hooker, like the grown ass man who raped her isn't responsible for the rape - her FIVE YEAR OLD granddaughter is. That woman deserves to be slathered in honey and staked out on a fire ant hill.
Yep: and none of the honey should be on her face, either: I don't want her getting even a modicum of relief by licking that golden-sweet goodness as the fire ants ravage her shitty body.
Ah, but the Christian perspective is she's female, therefore, she's responsible for the sex. Even if she's screaming no, begging the rapist to stop, and a child, it's her fault for not being born a boy. After all, men cannot be expected to control themselves, and if the parents objected, they should have been there to put a stop to it.
Sure, most Christians would object to all that at high volume, but let's be honest about it: that is EXACTLY how they act. Dear grandma is just being completely true to form and totally on-brand for the Christian mindset; even down to the denial that so many Christians use to cover anything they don't want to deal with.
You don't need to convince me. I grew up catholic. I know how much shit was covered up, including kids being pressured by their parents not to 'say such things about FATHER!' Men had zero expectations about their behavior; women had every expectation.
Anyone who would imply that it was the child's fault deserves to be stripped of all their authority and all their ill-gotten gain, and tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. This comment is just vile beyond belief...but it's par for the course for Christianity.
Shout out to this woman in LA who is doing her best to expose my former cult: So much more covered up sin in “The Lord’s Recovery” (Part 1) - https://youtu.be/_I_JInKOcXc
Julie Roys does excellent work and I am a regular financial supporter. However, I was recently told that they are unable to report on a scandal at my former church group due to a backlog of cases like this Daystar TV mess. Steve Baugman the Banjo Atheist is also tied up, or he would be willing to help. Maybe some former cult members on this forum could help to expose "The Lord's Recovery" movement of Witness Lee?
Some kids, who haven't become modest, won't hesitate to do that. My youngest niece, until she was eight of nine would run through the house yelling "I'm naked, I'm naked." Then suddenly she became modest.
God "told her" he's innocent. I can't even... these fucking people who "talk to god" for their own benefit... and then, blaming the little girl... and worrying that the molester's feelings might be hurt... gawd, I can't even get my head around it. But what can one expect from people who steal from the government; funds meant to help employees through the pandemic, and BOUGHT A FUCKING PRIVATE JET!
Leave no stone upon another. Okay, leave all the stones on top of this vile, twisted woman masquerading as a christian.
I remember being a Christian (shudder) and people would tell me "God just told me such-and-such," and I knew that if I challenged them, I'd be considered a "doubter": so I just stayed quiet and accepted it.
Then eventually I realized, wait a sec: there IS no God! There's just a horrible, dishonest, dysfunctional, man-made religion, filled with deluded and dishonest people.
Wikipedia says she has three children, but doesn't give their sex. My guess is the molester was a (different) son, i.e. Jonathan Lamb's brother? Frankly I don't even know if Jonathan Lamb has a brother, but that's the only scenario I can think of that makes even a smidgen of sense; the couple stayed in contact and tried to work things out because the brothers are close/loving, and mom is going to such lengths to defend the accused because she doesn't want her (other) son to go to jail as a sexual predator.
Nope. No drag queens involved. Just crister creeps who love them some young, YOUNG flesh (and other crister creeps who aid and abet in children being manhandled). Oh, and money. They love those $$$ almost as much as they love molesting children.
Doesn't their bible say how those who cause children to "stumble" should be dealt with? Doesn't their bible say that the love of money is the root of ALL evil?
This all comes down to the parents. When their little girl told them she was sexually molested, the FIRST thing they should have done is call the police. As parents, it's the right thing to do. As clergy, they're mandated reporters. But they failed in their responsibility to their child and continued exposing that little girl to her molester. All in service of their REAL god: money.
These are a bunch of sick f***s. They're no different from the Duggars who knew their son was a pedophile and continued allowing him near the sisters he molested. The only reason Josh Duggar's ass is sitting in prison now is because he was caught in a federal investigation for possessing child porn.
I guarantee this isn't the only girl who's been molested in that hell hole organization. Ole Joni knows where are the skeletons are buried. She should be in prison for protecting her granddaughter's rapist rather than her granddaughter. What utter filth.
Clergy are generally exempt from being mandatory reporters. It's sick, but it's that whole 1st Amendment shtick where we can't burden religions with rationality.
Because your suspicions are founded on evidence of this same kind of crap happening over and over again, regardless of the flavor of christianity involved?
In the United Methodist Church, I had been a mandated reporter since my first appointment, in 1985. It was a denominational requirement. I believe these people are not necessarily clergy, but employees of a television ministry.
Child abuse. Coverup. Financial indiscretions. MORE coverup. All from a church--based organization. [sigh] Must be another day that ends in "Y."
Perhaps the thing that floors me more than any other is that this is happening all over the evangelical Christian community and NO ONE IS LEARNING FROM IT. No one is saying, "Gad, this is a BAD look for us. Maybe we need to clean up our act and get back to the teachings of Jesus." No, I'm not being naive here. Most of these people quit their association with the Nazarene carpenter-turned-rabbi some time back and are worshiping another god.
Christianity is steeped in lies. "Without lies, Christianity dies," as the saying goes. The very doctrine itself is chockablock with lies; their "holy book" is lies from cover to cover. They have to keep lying to themselves and to each other every day to keep their sky-fairy fantasy going. The whole of Christendom is built upon, and supported by, lies, lies, lies.
With such dishonesty and falsehood being the very pillars of the faith, maybe it's not so surprising that the Church is so terrible at coming clean and being honest at times like this. Their whole culture is dependent on lies: if they decide to be honest all of a sudden, that's one card being pulled out, and maybe the whole house of cards starts to teeter....
Misotheists hold god in contempt and anger over its inaction to prevent harm. I am now an atheist/misotheist/anti-theist Gay man. Say tht fast 5 times. 8^).
I describe myself as an afaithiest. I regard faith as a horrendous vice. I don’t care whether faith is or is not related to a religion/god or anything else (e.g., faith in alien abduction or the Loch Ness critter or gold at the ends of rainbows. Faith, per se, is a vice in my view.
Been through this multiple times. It never goes away, but it does ease off. Can't do much more than thoughts – no prayers of course – from this distance, but come back eventually. You add a certain Je ne sais pas, elan, and qu'est-ce que tu as. Hope I got that last one correct.
Please stay. I have come to love your comments. Hope DM gets better. You are in my thoughts. Sorry about the food snob comment. It ws not demeaning y9u. I was poking fun at myself.
Protecting their fing fairy tale ministry over the safety of their little girl. Two words FK. YOU!!!! Yup everywhere. Everywhere. Protect the guilty expose the innocent. Go back and read your Bible Jonathon and Suzy. Not the trump bile version the real version. Fk You!
Reminds me of this quote from Boondock Saints before they take out a mafia don in court:
"Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not steal. These are principles which every man of every faith can embrace. These are not polite suggestions. These are codes of behavior, and those of you that ignore them will pay the dearest cost. There are varying degrees of evil. We urge you lesser forms of filth not to push the bounds and cross over into true corruption, into our domain. For if you do, one day you will look behind you and you will see we three. And on that day, you will reap it. And we will send you to whatever god you wish."
Common sense. But do that to a child? No. Everybody knows that even these monsters who prey on the littlest knows that. That's why I firmly believe in abolishing the separation of church and state. The Churches must be accountable. Not should--Must.
Yes. Right now the churches govern themselves. Since there have been churches its always been the churches that police themselves and those in authority either enable or look the other way. Millions of children have been abused. If separation of church and state continues with the church policing itself then they do so at the risk of there not being any church anywhere. And I as a Catholic say amen to that so be it!
Churches may police themselves but they still fall under the regular laws that govern everyone. That they often don’t follow them does’nt relieve them of that responsibility. They’re breaking the law by not reporting such cases but the law doesn’t hit them hard enough (if at all).
Getting rid of the separation will not make it better but it will allow churches to legally meddle in affairs of the country that they should not be involved in. That would be a much worse situation. Think of the church choosing or endorsing political candidates - they do that now but they should be punished for it. That they are not punished speaks more of the built-in privilege they enjoy than anything else.
Bottom line: churches should follow the same laws as everyone else.
Yes I do not want churches to meddle in the government just that I do not want to hear yet again of another child getting harmed. Sick of it. The reason they get still get away with it is because the priests are looked at as holier than though and they are not. Human beings. And people forget that. Oh how dare you talk badly about a priest kind of thing. The children they harm they see them as monsters. I live in Boston and trust me 2002 and the reporting of what happened in Boston for decades and Cardinal Law covering it up? I used to love the Catholic Church. I wanted to be a nun. Now I can't stand the hypocrisy. Still unfortunately looks good on paper not in practice. Just I want everybody to be protected
And the sexual crimes? I knew the man who harmed a child at my church. He had money. Got away with it. Must protect the children! Sorry ill shut up and have a Guiness now. 🍺
Remember Susan Smith, the South Carolina woman who killed her two children (3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex) 30 years ago? She was just denied parole. Here's what she said at her parole board hearing:
"I am a Christian and God is a big part of my life and I know he has forgiven me and I know that this is by his grace and mercy. And I just ask that you show that same kind of mercy as well."
What kind of "mercy" did you show to a 3-year-old and a 14-month-old, Smith? What kind of just, loving god forgives something like that?
Make that life in prison. This woman needs to die a bitter old woman on a cot in a prison cell.
"I'm a Christian!"
"Well bless your little ole heart, isn't that SPESHUL! Listen, Little Miss Shitforbrains, God can forgive you all he wants in the afterlife, but in the here and now, you're going to rot in prison."
Goddammit, if she didn't want those poor children, she could have given them to someone who did.
If you do something that merits more than 30 years in prison (as is the case here), whether God (supposedly) "forgives" you for that behavior or not is completely fucking irrelevant.
How is she still alive after all these years? Back when she was first sent to prison, I read a couple of stories about her getting beaten up by other inmates. I figured it was just a matter of time before somebody did her in.
Why didn't the parents immediately go to the police upon learning that someone was hurting their daughter? Why didn't they leave the area where they had to continue seeing the child's victim blaming grandma and worse the alleged pedophile? I don't know all the facts of the case, but it looks like the parents' concerns about inheriting the leadership of the church with it's accompanying money may have gotten in the way of protecting their daughter. The parents seem to have been fine staying during the COVID misinformation campaign the church was spreading. It is hard to trust them now. I hope that this young girl is given safety and loving care and her assailant is put on trial along with her grandma.
My guess is the accused is a very close relative, to both the father and grandma. Finding out the very worst about someone you love is both hard to accept and hard to correctly respond to.
I think they have been taught to "keep it in the family," rather than bring in outside investigators. Once that happens, any skeletons in any closets become fair game, and the whole house of cards is threatened. Insofar as I can see, that's been the case with both the Catholic Church and multiple evangelical communities.
Yes that seems to be consensus here; that it's a business or religiously-motivated decision.
But I think it would be a very common human failing to avoid the rational conclusion and action, at least for a while, when it is a close loved one committing the crime. Which is why I think the accused must be someone like Jonathan's brother ( = another of Joni's sons), or Joni's brother ( = Jonathan's uncle). Someone that would give both Jonathan and Joni mixed emotions about sending to jail.
Until we get more info on who it is, I'm going with Hanlon's psychological razor on this one: don't assume cult/corporate malice where emotional incompetence can explain it. If it turns out to be someone less intimately related, I'll be happy to say I was wrong and that yes, if the perp is someone the family doesn't have such a vested emotional interest in, that sure looks like they were sacrificing the child to protect the organization.
What an awful grandma to have. And if the parents don't start to value their child more than the church, the child will have or get major problems, most likely for the rest of her life.
Funny that the all-knowing Yahweh didn't see fit to throw in THOU SHALT NOT DIDDLE LITTLE KIDS as one of his 10 favorite bits of behavioral advice. But then, I suppose, he wouldn't have had room to comment on the unforgivable, dastardly, totally evil, heinous act of making graven images.
Along with Thou shalt not rape. The sons of Levi will not take more money from the faithful than needed to live a modest life. Thou hast the power to safely travel in tubes full of demons. The grace of God will protect thee. I repeat, THOU SHALT NOT DIDDLE LITTLE KIDS, for the hard of hearing.
He knows that the confirmation hearings will result in the details of his sex trafficking and sexual assaults coming out no matter what, with a good chance of his financial crimes also being fully exposed. This way he can go make an obscene amount of money by shouting vitriol on behalf of whichever right wing outlet offers him the most money, and any talk about his criminal behavior can ignored or handwaved by pointing to the FBI's failure to prosecute.
I doubt negative publicity alone did it. I'm guessing 4 GOP Senators told him privately that they wouldn't confirm him, and this is his "you can't fire me, I quit!"
His concern is the evidence and testimony coming out. As long as it's just people talking about the accusations he can dismiss it as rumours and some sort of witch-hunt. If the ethics committee report is released and/or if witnesses are able to testify at the confirmation hearing then he loses that.
News is confirming this morning that four GOP senators told him they wouldn't confirm: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and John Curtis of Utah.
I would not at all be surprised if the same four stopped a number of the other more crazier appointments. Starting with Hesgeth.
Technically he can be. But the DOJ decided to drop the investigation because Garland was more concerned about not being labeled partisan than about pursuing justice, and under Trump there's no chance that it will continue.
With the DOJ ending their investigation there was no longer any possibility that he'd face justice and the best case scenario was that it would ruin his political career.
They blamed a 5 year old child for the sexual depravity of the adult supposedly caring for her!! These people are sick. Their ministry, or however they want to describe their obscene superstitious scam, should be towed out to sea and sunk into the oblivion it deserves.
Marcus himself told his viewing audience that they had alternatives to vaccines: “We can pray, we can get ivermectin and budesonide and hydroxychloroquine.”
Why do you have to take anything at all if you can pray and be magically protected from COVID?
That's what reveals it as irrational *political* tribalism rather than irrational *religious* tribalism. Religious tribalism would conclude "no medicine". Political tribalism concludes "medicine, but never the medicine the CDC or liberal media supports."
Hey Joni! Maybe you should be saying that to the family member who (allegedly) assaulted a little girl. Not the parents of that little girl who are just trying to protect her and seek accountability for her abuser.
When people live in a bubble dominated by magical thinking and special pleading, it doesn't take long to convince themselves they're operating under divine sanction. Especially when there is no one to set you straight, and the people they surround themselves with have a vested interested in not setting things straight. Pedophiles go where the kids are. Where better than a religious setting where children are essentially being held hostage, and people are often afraid to speak out.
And when you see the massive and horrific pedophilia in the Catholic Church -- of which we have still seen only a fraction, and which continues unabated every day -- you can only imagine how rampant pedophilia must be throughout the rest of Christendom. For every one of these awful stories that comes to light, there must be 99 that are successfully covered up by Christians who desperately don't want the world to see the truth.
In John 8:32 Jesus says "and the truth will set you free", but Christians do not follow this principle: they cover up the truth. They lie, they mislead, they deceive. Christianity is a false religion that breeds dishonesty.
EXCELLENT !
Exactly! I don’t understand why all of these “churches” still get tax exemptions!
𝐼𝑛 2020, 𝐽𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑢𝑧𝑦’𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑠ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑦 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑛
First thought: it's 2024. Why TF are you just getting out/away now?
Second thought: ah, family owned business. Job. Money is a hell of a drug.
*
𝐽𝑜𝑛𝑖 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑒’𝑠 𝑑𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑓.
You disgusting excuse for a human being, the kid was five. As the saying goes, "I can't even..."
That kid demonstrated TRUST and INNOCENCE. That's all.
And by the way, not even with an adult woman is taking ones clothes off to change into a bathing suit any sort of invitation or consent to sex. It's only, maybe, an invitation to go swimming.
Seriously. Think about the implications that 'grandmother' is making about her 5-year-old granddaughter. Who in christian tradition hasn't yet reached the age of reason. She's treating that CHILD like she's a hooker, like the grown ass man who raped her isn't responsible for the rape - her FIVE YEAR OLD granddaughter is. That woman deserves to be slathered in honey and staked out on a fire ant hill.
And even that looks like an easy way out for her.
I'm open to more creative suggestions......
Add "and spoonfed with bokna*-fish".
Bokna fish is made in nothern Norway and on Iceland. It smells like 15 days old dead fish left in the sun.
Awesome!
Hahaha. No.
Inject live cancer cells into every major organ. No treatment allowed. Let. Them. Suffer.
See, this is the kind of outside-the-box thinking that keeps me coming back here!
Yep: and none of the honey should be on her face, either: I don't want her getting even a modicum of relief by licking that golden-sweet goodness as the fire ants ravage her shitty body.
You're after my godless heart with that one!
Ah, but the Christian perspective is she's female, therefore, she's responsible for the sex. Even if she's screaming no, begging the rapist to stop, and a child, it's her fault for not being born a boy. After all, men cannot be expected to control themselves, and if the parents objected, they should have been there to put a stop to it.
Sure, most Christians would object to all that at high volume, but let's be honest about it: that is EXACTLY how they act. Dear grandma is just being completely true to form and totally on-brand for the Christian mindset; even down to the denial that so many Christians use to cover anything they don't want to deal with.
You don't need to convince me. I grew up catholic. I know how much shit was covered up, including kids being pressured by their parents not to 'say such things about FATHER!' Men had zero expectations about their behavior; women had every expectation.
perhaps Jane, the G-mother needs to also visit the' iron maiden',or the 'wheel' she deserves NO LESS...
Such creative thinkers around here!
Why would you want to waste perfectly good honey?
In this case, it would be serving a greater good.
Anyone who would imply that it was the child's fault deserves to be stripped of all their authority and all their ill-gotten gain, and tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail. This comment is just vile beyond belief...but it's par for the course for Christianity.
If you read Roy's article, they have been doing something about this for years.
Shout out to this woman in LA who is doing her best to expose my former cult: So much more covered up sin in “The Lord’s Recovery” (Part 1) - https://youtu.be/_I_JInKOcXc
Julie Roys does excellent work and I am a regular financial supporter. However, I was recently told that they are unable to report on a scandal at my former church group due to a backlog of cases like this Daystar TV mess. Steve Baugman the Banjo Atheist is also tied up, or he would be willing to help. Maybe some former cult members on this forum could help to expose "The Lord's Recovery" movement of Witness Lee?
Some kids, who haven't become modest, won't hesitate to do that. My youngest niece, until she was eight of nine would run through the house yelling "I'm naked, I'm naked." Then suddenly she became modest.
Thank you! Marcus's scumbag mother needs to go to jail for enabling a pedophile.
Imagine being a grandmother who is okay with your younger relative molesting your 5 year old granddaughter.
How sick can you get?
"How sick can you get?"
Don't ask christians, they'll take it as a challenge.
"Hold my communion wine"?
God "told her" he's innocent. I can't even... these fucking people who "talk to god" for their own benefit... and then, blaming the little girl... and worrying that the molester's feelings might be hurt... gawd, I can't even get my head around it. But what can one expect from people who steal from the government; funds meant to help employees through the pandemic, and BOUGHT A FUCKING PRIVATE JET!
Leave no stone upon another. Okay, leave all the stones on top of this vile, twisted woman masquerading as a christian.
I remember being a Christian (shudder) and people would tell me "God just told me such-and-such," and I knew that if I challenged them, I'd be considered a "doubter": so I just stayed quiet and accepted it.
Then eventually I realized, wait a sec: there IS no God! There's just a horrible, dishonest, dysfunctional, man-made religion, filled with deluded and dishonest people.
She is not masquerading as anything, except a decent human being
BOUGHT A FUCKING PRIVATE JET! And none of their empty-headed flock noticed.
Wonder how the employees felt about getting stiffed like that.
If you talk to God, you're a pastor or a priest.
If you talk to yourself, you're psychotic.
Talking to myself is often the only way to have an intelligent conversation.
Hey, you stole that frome me! And I’ve never even said it here. ;)
My dad said it 50+ years ago. I knew I liked you!
Wikipedia says she has three children, but doesn't give their sex. My guess is the molester was a (different) son, i.e. Jonathan Lamb's brother? Frankly I don't even know if Jonathan Lamb has a brother, but that's the only scenario I can think of that makes even a smidgen of sense; the couple stayed in contact and tried to work things out because the brothers are close/loving, and mom is going to such lengths to defend the accused because she doesn't want her (other) son to go to jail as a sexual predator.
A brother does seem most likely; an uncle is another possibility, or maybe a cousin.
I hope they reveal the guy's identity. If they don't, he'll just keep abusing children in the secrecy they've been giving him.
If you read the article at https://julieroys.com/former-daystar-tv-executive-wife-accuse-joni-lamb-covering-up-daughters-sexual-abuse/ you will see that Marcus Lamb had three children Jonathan and his two sisters: Rachel and Rebecca.
Looks...looks...looks...
Nope. No drag queens involved. Just crister creeps who love them some young, YOUNG flesh (and other crister creeps who aid and abet in children being manhandled). Oh, and money. They love those $$$ almost as much as they love molesting children.
Doesn't their bible say how those who cause children to "stumble" should be dealt with? Doesn't their bible say that the love of money is the root of ALL evil?
I am sure I can find a millstone, and you have got Puget Sound. If that is what Jesus would do ...
Loafer shaped cement is close enough for horseshoes and handgrenades.
Earworm. Green Day channeling The Hives.
youtu.be/CAnsTfrtEEA
What’s the score look like nowadays? Christers elevenumptybillion, drag queens zero?
Are they tired of winning yet?
They should be throwing themselves a ticker-tape.parade.
We ran put of millstones last year, and because of trumpentariffs, won't be importing any more/
This all comes down to the parents. When their little girl told them she was sexually molested, the FIRST thing they should have done is call the police. As parents, it's the right thing to do. As clergy, they're mandated reporters. But they failed in their responsibility to their child and continued exposing that little girl to her molester. All in service of their REAL god: money.
These are a bunch of sick f***s. They're no different from the Duggars who knew their son was a pedophile and continued allowing him near the sisters he molested. The only reason Josh Duggar's ass is sitting in prison now is because he was caught in a federal investigation for possessing child porn.
I guarantee this isn't the only girl who's been molested in that hell hole organization. Ole Joni knows where are the skeletons are buried. She should be in prison for protecting her granddaughter's rapist rather than her granddaughter. What utter filth.
Clergy are generally exempt from being mandatory reporters. It's sick, but it's that whole 1st Amendment shtick where we can't burden religions with rationality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_reporting_in_the_United_States#Clergy%E2%80%93penitent_privilege_and_other_exemptions
In Texas, where this church is located, they're included in mandatory reporting.
If that is in fact the case, why do I have the sneaking suspicion that there is a lot of reporting NOT HAPPENING???
Because your suspicions are founded on evidence of this same kind of crap happening over and over again, regardless of the flavor of christianity involved?
The kkkatlik church has fought this
In the United Methodist Church, I had been a mandated reporter since my first appointment, in 1985. It was a denominational requirement. I believe these people are not necessarily clergy, but employees of a television ministry.
Not in Texass. Everyone is a mandatory reporter.
Doesn't sound like Bush or Abbott. Does it date from Richards time?
Of course, you can report it but that doesn't mean the police are going to do anything about. IIRC, the first complaint was dismissed.
PREACH!! It’s going to be the downfall of Daystarr!!!
It better be!
Child abuse. Coverup. Financial indiscretions. MORE coverup. All from a church--based organization. [sigh] Must be another day that ends in "Y."
Perhaps the thing that floors me more than any other is that this is happening all over the evangelical Christian community and NO ONE IS LEARNING FROM IT. No one is saying, "Gad, this is a BAD look for us. Maybe we need to clean up our act and get back to the teachings of Jesus." No, I'm not being naive here. Most of these people quit their association with the Nazarene carpenter-turned-rabbi some time back and are worshiping another god.
I suspect you're familiar with Mammon?
Christianity is steeped in lies. "Without lies, Christianity dies," as the saying goes. The very doctrine itself is chockablock with lies; their "holy book" is lies from cover to cover. They have to keep lying to themselves and to each other every day to keep their sky-fairy fantasy going. The whole of Christendom is built upon, and supported by, lies, lies, lies.
With such dishonesty and falsehood being the very pillars of the faith, maybe it's not so surprising that the Church is so terrible at coming clean and being honest at times like this. Their whole culture is dependent on lies: if they decide to be honest all of a sudden, that's one card being pulled out, and maybe the whole house of cards starts to teeter....
No wonder Donald Trump is such a great fit for REAL Christians.
Dictator for a Day!
Exactly: they rally around the Biggest Liar in America, because they're used to being lied to, and they NEED to be lied to.
Not really, but It is hard to believe Mammon would be more evil than the Jahve of their holy book.
That Lamb of god belongs in a prison cell same as the pedophile.
Misotheists hold god in contempt and anger over its inaction to prevent harm. I am now an atheist/misotheist/anti-theist Gay man. Say tht fast 5 times. 8^).
I describe myself as an afaithiest. I regard faith as a horrendous vice. I don’t care whether faith is or is not related to a religion/god or anything else (e.g., faith in alien abduction or the Loch Ness critter or gold at the ends of rainbows. Faith, per se, is a vice in my view.
OT : DM caught an infection and may be too weak to fight it. This is my last comment. I won't erase my account but I don't see the point anymore.
I’m sorry to hear about DM. I hope it turns around. Feel free to reach out to me if you need anything.
Take care of yourself as well.
I wish the best for you. But please don't leave us for ever.
Been through this multiple times. It never goes away, but it does ease off. Can't do much more than thoughts – no prayers of course – from this distance, but come back eventually. You add a certain Je ne sais pas, elan, and qu'est-ce que tu as. Hope I got that last one correct.
https://tenor.com/o3TY.gif
I hope DM gets better. I'm here if you need anything in my power.
https://www.zentaur.org/memes/cat-hug.gif
My VERY best to DM and to you. Wish you'd stay on, but ...
Just take very good care.
We're here if you need us.
https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-vocabulary/goodbye-in-french/
I do hope that your absence- and her illness- will only be temporary. Your input will be sorely missed, around here.
*hugs*
Hard times. I lost my father to pancreatic cancer a few years back, there are no words. Death is just plain terrible. Wishing you both well.
Please stay. I have come to love your comments. Hope DM gets better. You are in my thoughts. Sorry about the food snob comment. It ws not demeaning y9u. I was poking fun at myself.
sending my best to your mom and you.
https://tenor.com/view/dogs-puppy-cuddle-love-i-love-you-gif-15744377
I a. Sorry to hear it. Do what you can and hope for the best.
I do hope DM gets better. Please come back to us when you are ready. *hugs*
I'm so sorry, losing your mom is the worst. I lost mine 20 years ago and I still miss her. All the hugs and healing thoughts to you.
Protecting their fing fairy tale ministry over the safety of their little girl. Two words FK. YOU!!!! Yup everywhere. Everywhere. Protect the guilty expose the innocent. Go back and read your Bible Jonathon and Suzy. Not the trump bile version the real version. Fk You!
Not so much "protecting their fing fairy tale" as much as protecting their grift.
It's *always* about the money.
Reminds me of this quote from Boondock Saints before they take out a mafia don in court:
"Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not steal. These are principles which every man of every faith can embrace. These are not polite suggestions. These are codes of behavior, and those of you that ignore them will pay the dearest cost. There are varying degrees of evil. We urge you lesser forms of filth not to push the bounds and cross over into true corruption, into our domain. For if you do, one day you will look behind you and you will see we three. And on that day, you will reap it. And we will send you to whatever god you wish."
Common sense. But do that to a child? No. Everybody knows that even these monsters who prey on the littlest knows that. That's why I firmly believe in abolishing the separation of church and state. The Churches must be accountable. Not should--Must.
"... abolishing the separation of church and state."
Really?
Yes. Right now the churches govern themselves. Since there have been churches its always been the churches that police themselves and those in authority either enable or look the other way. Millions of children have been abused. If separation of church and state continues with the church policing itself then they do so at the risk of there not being any church anywhere. And I as a Catholic say amen to that so be it!
Churches may police themselves but they still fall under the regular laws that govern everyone. That they often don’t follow them does’nt relieve them of that responsibility. They’re breaking the law by not reporting such cases but the law doesn’t hit them hard enough (if at all).
Getting rid of the separation will not make it better but it will allow churches to legally meddle in affairs of the country that they should not be involved in. That would be a much worse situation. Think of the church choosing or endorsing political candidates - they do that now but they should be punished for it. That they are not punished speaks more of the built-in privilege they enjoy than anything else.
Bottom line: churches should follow the same laws as everyone else.
Yes I do not want churches to meddle in the government just that I do not want to hear yet again of another child getting harmed. Sick of it. The reason they get still get away with it is because the priests are looked at as holier than though and they are not. Human beings. And people forget that. Oh how dare you talk badly about a priest kind of thing. The children they harm they see them as monsters. I live in Boston and trust me 2002 and the reporting of what happened in Boston for decades and Cardinal Law covering it up? I used to love the Catholic Church. I wanted to be a nun. Now I can't stand the hypocrisy. Still unfortunately looks good on paper not in practice. Just I want everybody to be protected
And the sexual crimes? I knew the man who harmed a child at my church. He had money. Got away with it. Must protect the children! Sorry ill shut up and have a Guiness now. 🍺
OT
Remember Susan Smith, the South Carolina woman who killed her two children (3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex) 30 years ago? She was just denied parole. Here's what she said at her parole board hearing:
"I am a Christian and God is a big part of my life and I know he has forgiven me and I know that this is by his grace and mercy. And I just ask that you show that same kind of mercy as well."
What kind of "mercy" did you show to a 3-year-old and a 14-month-old, Smith? What kind of just, loving god forgives something like that?
"God...has forgiven me."
I need to see the paperwork.
God may forgive you, but us humans feel you need to make amends with another 30 years in jail.
Make that life in prison. This woman needs to die a bitter old woman on a cot in a prison cell.
"I'm a Christian!"
"Well bless your little ole heart, isn't that SPESHUL! Listen, Little Miss Shitforbrains, God can forgive you all he wants in the afterlife, but in the here and now, you're going to rot in prison."
Goddammit, if she didn't want those poor children, she could have given them to someone who did.
Or had abortions, like she should have.
If you do something that merits more than 30 years in prison (as is the case here), whether God (supposedly) "forgives" you for that behavior or not is completely fucking irrelevant.
Imaginary forgiveness exists only in the person's imagination. Not anywhere else.
How is she still alive after all these years? Back when she was first sent to prison, I read a couple of stories about her getting beaten up by other inmates. I figured it was just a matter of time before somebody did her in.
Only thing I can think of is that she's in a PC wing of the prison. Or Super PC, if there is such a thing.
Why didn't the parents immediately go to the police upon learning that someone was hurting their daughter? Why didn't they leave the area where they had to continue seeing the child's victim blaming grandma and worse the alleged pedophile? I don't know all the facts of the case, but it looks like the parents' concerns about inheriting the leadership of the church with it's accompanying money may have gotten in the way of protecting their daughter. The parents seem to have been fine staying during the COVID misinformation campaign the church was spreading. It is hard to trust them now. I hope that this young girl is given safety and loving care and her assailant is put on trial along with her grandma.
Those are good questions.
My guess is the accused is a very close relative, to both the father and grandma. Finding out the very worst about someone you love is both hard to accept and hard to correctly respond to.
I think they have been taught to "keep it in the family," rather than bring in outside investigators. Once that happens, any skeletons in any closets become fair game, and the whole house of cards is threatened. Insofar as I can see, that's been the case with both the Catholic Church and multiple evangelical communities.
And it shows no sign of changing.
Yes that seems to be consensus here; that it's a business or religiously-motivated decision.
But I think it would be a very common human failing to avoid the rational conclusion and action, at least for a while, when it is a close loved one committing the crime. Which is why I think the accused must be someone like Jonathan's brother ( = another of Joni's sons), or Joni's brother ( = Jonathan's uncle). Someone that would give both Jonathan and Joni mixed emotions about sending to jail.
Until we get more info on who it is, I'm going with Hanlon's psychological razor on this one: don't assume cult/corporate malice where emotional incompetence can explain it. If it turns out to be someone less intimately related, I'll be happy to say I was wrong and that yes, if the perp is someone the family doesn't have such a vested emotional interest in, that sure looks like they were sacrificing the child to protect the organization.
Sounds like grandma's brother then.
There is more detail in roys' report. Apparently the child was threatened by her grandmother (?) and totally shut down
Apparently Joan Crawford was Mother of the Year compared to Joni Lamb.
What an awful grandma to have. And if the parents don't start to value their child more than the church, the child will have or get major problems, most likely for the rest of her life.
KKKRISTERS ALWAYS BLAME THE VICTIM TO "SAVE" THEIR SUPPOSEDLY OMNIBENEVOLENT GOD FROM THE WELL DESERVED BASHING IT DESERVES.
damn capsloc strikes again.
Funny that the all-knowing Yahweh didn't see fit to throw in THOU SHALT NOT DIDDLE LITTLE KIDS as one of his 10 favorite bits of behavioral advice. But then, I suppose, he wouldn't have had room to comment on the unforgivable, dastardly, totally evil, heinous act of making graven images.
THOU SHALT NOT DIDDLE LITTLE KIDS was on the third tablet of the original 15 Commandments
youtu.be/VVUu8nn--mA
Along with Thou shalt not rape. The sons of Levi will not take more money from the faithful than needed to live a modest life. Thou hast the power to safely travel in tubes full of demons. The grace of God will protect thee. I repeat, THOU SHALT NOT DIDDLE LITTLE KIDS, for the hard of hearing.
Edit to clarify the second sentence and fix typo.
Yahweh said, "Honor thy father and thy mother." Sadly, he said NOTHING about mom and dad honoring their kids.
Kids are slave labor. And we know how JHVH feels about slaves.
OT: Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s attorney general pick
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-transition-news-11-21-24/index.html
Turns out the dip has a fraction of common sense after all. Unfortunately, anyone want to bet that all the dirt on him comes out anyway?
That's generally good news. Though I am assuming Trump can't find a worse pick, which is probably a bad assumption. Tucker Carlson? Roy Moore?
"Hold my Diet Coke!"
You think he drinks Diet anything? Besides, apparently, the kids don't like the term Diet anymore, that's why everything is Zero Sugar now.
By all reports, 12 cans a day.
Lightweight. 4 liters of leaded Diet Pepsi and 2 of unleaded at night.
🤢
Pam Blondie.
Beat me to it by six minutes.:) But he's also resigned his day job right? So now he's just a citizen – however wealthy he might be?
Until the sex trafficker (sorry, "alleged" sex trafficker) runs again, he's out of a job. Good!
His daddy will hire him.
Another Donald.
He won reëlection to the US House on November 5. He can go back to Congress if he wants to.
Two days ago, Gaetz said he won’t be returning to Congrees after he withrew his DA nomination bid.
What the heck is in that report that’s so horrbile he doesn’t want anyone to see it? Too bad for him it’ll get leaked anyway.
His daddy's rich. His brother-in-law is richer. Matt won't be rich until daddy dies.
He knows that the confirmation hearings will result in the details of his sex trafficking and sexual assaults coming out no matter what, with a good chance of his financial crimes also being fully exposed. This way he can go make an obscene amount of money by shouting vitriol on behalf of whichever right wing outlet offers him the most money, and any talk about his criminal behavior can ignored or handwaved by pointing to the FBI's failure to prosecute.
I doubt negative publicity alone did it. I'm guessing 4 GOP Senators told him privately that they wouldn't confirm him, and this is his "you can't fire me, I quit!"
His concern is the evidence and testimony coming out. As long as it's just people talking about the accusations he can dismiss it as rumours and some sort of witch-hunt. If the ethics committee report is released and/or if witnesses are able to testify at the confirmation hearing then he loses that.
News is confirming this morning that four GOP senators told him they wouldn't confirm: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and John Curtis of Utah.
I would not at all be surprised if the same four stopped a number of the other more crazier appointments. Starting with Hesgeth.
Why can't he prosecuted for statutory rape whether he's in office or not? I mean, illegal is illegal, isn't it?
Technically he can be. But the DOJ decided to drop the investigation because Garland was more concerned about not being labeled partisan than about pursuing justice, and under Trump there's no chance that it will continue.
With the DOJ ending their investigation there was no longer any possibility that he'd face justice and the best case scenario was that it would ruin his political career.
I certainly hope so. That POS deserves to have his life ruined.
Pam Bondi????????????????
Ohhhhh, another Sunshine State Sycophant who isn't De Satan. Bet he's about ready to throw a tantrum the size of Texas.
She's better looking and not as obnoxious as baby gaetz.
Can he go back to congress after resigning?
He'd have to run again and win. Right now, he's just a private Joe.
GREAT news!!!
Bet he regrets resigning now. 🙂😃😄😆😂🤣
If the Yuge Orange Turd hadn't picked Gaetz for AG, would Mike Johnson have blocked the ethics committee report?
Bet he's made an agreement to withdraw in return for the non-publication of the report into his behaviour. What's the betting it will leak anyway?
Must be something patently illegal, like Epstein Level Illegal.
They blamed a 5 year old child for the sexual depravity of the adult supposedly caring for her!! These people are sick. Their ministry, or however they want to describe their obscene superstitious scam, should be towed out to sea and sunk into the oblivion it deserves.
Marcus himself told his viewing audience that they had alternatives to vaccines: “We can pray, we can get ivermectin and budesonide and hydroxychloroquine.”
Why do you have to take anything at all if you can pray and be magically protected from COVID?
COVID is god's will. Why fight it. /s
I hate their god. I get vaccinated to prevent its illnesses..
The same sky dude who created the universe also created the viruses.
Death by childbirth is also God's will. Why fight it?
That's what reveals it as irrational *political* tribalism rather than irrational *religious* tribalism. Religious tribalism would conclude "no medicine". Political tribalism concludes "medicine, but never the medicine the CDC or liberal media supports."
Like the damn virus knows the difference. I guess that's what they really think.
They really don't 'think'.
Bathed in the blood of jesus sounds like a great way to catch nd spread disease.
The stupid! It BURNS!!!!!!
"Look at what you’re doing to this family!"
Hey Joni! Maybe you should be saying that to the family member who (allegedly) assaulted a little girl. Not the parents of that little girl who are just trying to protect her and seek accountability for her abuser.