233 Comments
User's avatar
oraxx's avatar

I hope he gets prison time rather than a pension. That said, I pretty well gave up on the idea of justice being done in this country.

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

Jail time would be BADLY OVERDUE.

Expand full comment
Tom Reitano's avatar

Payments as long as he lives....

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

I agree on. Conversely, if he collects retirement it sends 2 messages:

1. Start vetting your ministers

2. They messed up, so now they have to cut him a check every month. They should be extremely bothered by that, since it's money they can't put toward not helping other people.

Certainly there are more messages, like "crime does pay" and "so does christian pedophilia."

Expand full comment
oraxx's avatar

My daughter and son in law belonged to that church briefly. Decided they didn't like it. I don't know what their reasons were, and I didn't ask. Don't really care.

Expand full comment
Joe King's avatar

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐺𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟, ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑝𝑎𝑦 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 $1 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 $600,000 - $800,000 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒… 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒, ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚

I can think of a much better retirement plan for him. It involves 3 meals a day, and a room all his own. He would even be allowed oustide for one hour a day! No more financial worries, he can live there for the rest of his life. Which will be shortened substantially if they put him in gen pop instead of solitary.

Expand full comment
Tom Reitano's avatar

The church should repent and give that retirement to the victim.

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

What they “should” do and what they “would” do are as opposite as night and day.

Expand full comment
Septuagenarian Contrarian's avatar

In my day... we used to call it "three hots and a cot". In his jail cell he would also have a pot to piss in and a window to throw it out of.

Expand full comment
Tom Reitano's avatar

If I were president I'd have you as an advisor.

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

Ooohhhh. That's kind of you. I was going to ask how much are bullets these days? It is the lowest cost retirement plan and he gets those rewards stored up in heaven.

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

Nah man, that’s wasteful.

A guillotine is reusable.

Expand full comment
John L's avatar

Exactly. No need to clean the blade, who cares about germs at that point?

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

True, but much more difficult to carry around.

Expand full comment
John L's avatar

It can be permanently displayed in the church parking lot. Just bring a basket!

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

Beats having a garden Gnome.

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

Yes, and this is America!!!!! The greatest nation on god's green earth. Guns can just about be had anywhere, especially flea markets next to the Nazi "memorabilia."

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

𝑃𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑅𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 35 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐺𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑐ℎ.

Terrific. Morris can be forgiven his trespasses until the cows come home. That doesn't change the fact that HE IS GUILTY OF SEXUAL ABUSE, and REPEATED sexual abuse at that. How he figures he is due retirement pay in the face of his actions is beyond me.

This is a repeating problem with evangelicals. They think that being forgiven their sins is equivalent to being pardoned of the crime they committed.

WRONG!!!

Expand full comment
Joe King's avatar

But he made the Public Apology to the Ceiling! The sense of entitlement that comes with that is industrial grade.

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

To quote an old trope, "TELL IT TO THE JUDGE!"

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

But he told Ceiling Cat!

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

Something else occurred to me, when I was reading the bits about 'being forgiven': The wording talks of 'the family' of the child providing forgiveness (this sentence might actually have been a blatant lie), but nowhere does the church or the pastor mention what the 'young lady' (barf!) herself thought. They do not mention her at all. They talk of his 'moral failure' (barf again!), but do not talk of what harm it might have caused her.

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

In other words, the victim gets IGNORED, and ain't that swell?

No, not remotely.

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

As if she doesn't count.

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

She doesn't, she was her father property then.

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

You don't want to guess how much that "property" crap pisses me off. You see, I have a daughter. She is a good woman, ridiculously sharp, way smarter than I am, and she's my pride and joy.

Property? BULLSHIT.

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

DM had daughters too.

Expand full comment
Donrox's avatar

I retired in a shithole state to be near my daughter, who is associate director of international student services at a state university. She works much harder than I ever did as a United Methodist clergyperson!

Expand full comment
Suze's avatar

Most women victims are ignored while their abusers, who are often in powerful positions, get to continue their lives as if nothing happened. See Amber Heard and her actor ex. Add to that the idea that if someone truly repents, then they are forgiven (which, as a Christian, I agree with) but that does not mean they are inured from prosecution and are subject to the justice system. As for the BS about women being the property of men - we rejected that a long time ago. Well, in certain places anyway. Sorry, my grammar is all over the place, I’m a bit cross (which is British for “incandescent with rage).

Expand full comment
Septuagenarian Contrarian's avatar

Here in America we called it being really pissed off.

Expand full comment
Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Children exist for them to abuse, in their sick minds.

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

Exploited. Don’t forget they’re trying to abolish child labour laws.

Expand full comment
John L's avatar

They don't care. It's about the money.

Expand full comment
Linda Bower's avatar

Indeed. When you place all value on and prioritize the “afterlife” over actual life here on earth, you aren’t living in the present and therefore see no need to take accountability for anything or strive for personal growth.

Expand full comment
Stephen Brady's avatar

It is one of the big arguments between the RCC and Evilgelicals - whether or not good works count toward salvation. Makes one wonder just how many of these holy Joes believe in the god they are selling.

Expand full comment
ericc's avatar

Ironically the original protestants gave that up because of the rampant corruption of 'good works' = buying an indulgence. But they just ended replacing it with another form of rampant corruption...

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

One that continues to persist now. Capitalism actually supports it, too.

Expand full comment
Linda Bower's avatar

That’s really disturbing. I personally believe it’s all or mostly self serving.

Expand full comment
Linda Bower's avatar

🧟 🧟‍♀️ 🧟‍♂️ 😵

Expand full comment
Mind Flayer's avatar

Well, he is a Trump crony and in that circle, they don’t have any issue with stuff like this.

Expand full comment
Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

Repeating problem indeed - one in which a pervert poses as a pastor. These people have no scruples , no morals, no ethics. This scumbag and others like him are in it for one reason only - fleece the flock and amass a fortune. Consider the company he keeps.

Expand full comment
Joe King's avatar

For the fundies in the back who haven't heard yet: 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗔 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗚 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗡!!

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Or anyone on the LGBTQI+ spectrum.

Expand full comment
Tom Reitano's avatar

To be factual some male abusers abuse boys.

It happened to me at 11 to 12 years old.

But your point is well taken.

Expand full comment
cdbunch's avatar

I'm sorry to hear that some (I need new words vile enough) did that to you.

I do feel I need to point out It's debated whether that is homosexuality or pedophilia/ebiphilia. Most such men have adult relationships with women.

In any case the LGBTQ2SIA+ community rejects them.

Expand full comment
Rhiannon's avatar

Personal observation, but people who feel free to live openly as themselves seem to have far less need of finding powerless victims that they can try to hush up than those who stuff themselves all the way in the back of the closet. (Not claiming that it never happens, of course.)

It's almost like, if you can publicly partner with a consenting adult from a gender you're attracted to, you are less likely to seek out someone more vulnerable. But surely it can't be that simple...

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

I am sorry to hear that.

Beyond that I’ve got no words, just sending you my best wishes.

Expand full comment
Chuck May's avatar

Doesn’t seem to be a drag queen here, either. Weird.

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

They never are.

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

The Christians are ahead by bajillions. Those drag queens really need to up their game if they hope to ever catch up.

Expand full comment
Lee's avatar

His victim should receive his pension. He should be taken to prison

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

Now, THERE's a concept!

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

In a just world.

Expand full comment
avis piscivorus's avatar

"... a lawsuit that four former church members had filed against Morris for misusing their tithe money and refusing to honor a money-back guarantee he made back in 2022"

Hint for these four church members: if you don't want your pastors to misuse your tithe money, don't give them any and spend your hard earned money for something usefull. Also, you will no longer need a money-back guarantee. If you are denied access to your church for not paying, nothing of value will be lost.

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

Rule of Acquisition No. 1: "Once you have their money, you never give it back!"

Expand full comment
cdbunch's avatar

I think it perfectly reasonable to donate 10% of your net income to charities that actually document where the money goes. (Hypocritically, I do not meet the 10% threshold, I like my creature comforts and toys too much)

Expand full comment
Straw's avatar

I have no idea of how much of my net income I donate. Now you made me want to find out.

Expand full comment
Boreal's avatar

Xtian/republican=pedophile

He sure doesn't look like a drag queen.

Expand full comment
Bensnewlogin's avatar

It is simply amazing to me how much money they have to play with. 600 to 800,000 a year? Wassammatta, are there not enough starving children in the world?

It’s interesting. When one of their own molests a kid, they refer to it as a moral failure. But when a gay person, trans person, or drag queen simply exists, let alone is even near kids, with no threat at all to any child, the full weight of government and the Wrath o’ God must be brought to bear.

Oh, I see what happened. He got “freedom ministry” counseling. I guess that means he’s now free of sin? Wait, that doesn’t happen, he’s born with it. It must mean that maybe he’s free to do it again.

“I was involved…”

“Behavior happened….”

“ The situation was brought to light …”

“It was confessed…”

It was repented…”

It’s clear from the language that it’s the sort of thing that could happen to anyone just walking down the street.

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

Yes, the language is very revealing. Dontcha luuuurrvve passive grammar constructions?

Lessons will be learned .....

Expand full comment
Bensnewlogin's avatar

It’s vitally necessary to put distance between the self and what the selfdoes.

Weasel words is what it all boils down to.

Expand full comment
dammitbarry's avatar

kkkrister hypocrisy is alive and well. Their book calls for my murder. If anyone beats the fuck out of one, just claim "stand your ground" and self-defense. See Lev. 20:13 and paul the hateful.

Expand full comment
Tom Reitano's avatar

I wonder what the preachers of the days of yor would have to say about this.

Would they "convict his heart"? Or envy him and take notes?

Expand full comment
cdbunch's avatar

The Catholic church has documentation going back centuries. No reason to expect other extant denominations not to have had the problem from inception, even if we're only learning about incidents in living generations.

Expand full comment
Bensnewlogin's avatar

They would do whatever is necessary to get whatever they want.

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

Noticed that no apologies were offered and no reparations made.

Typical of those scum.

Expand full comment
Bensnewlogin's avatar

When you apologize to Jesus, what else do you need?

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

A few million dollars.

Expand full comment
Bensnewlogin's avatar

It rarely hurts.

Expand full comment
Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Of course, not when jebus has forgiven you, your victim becomes irrelevant.

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

Bibically-speaking, Morris caused little children to stumble (lose faith in Jesus) by sexually assaulting them.

The Christian's own savior had a solution for this. It involved having a millstone hung around the guilty party's neck and then throwing them into the sea.

Expand full comment
Joe King's avatar

Won't work. The earth has an insufficient supply of granite.

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

Made me laugh.

Made me also think of - could the granite be reused?

Expand full comment
Donrox's avatar

Of course they are! when a body is reduced to chum, just attach a new one! I had a Physical geography prof at Michigan State point out that the granite steps will be the last remaining trace of the university campus.

Expand full comment
Joe King's avatar

No. You don't want that many floating corpses.

Expand full comment
cdbunch's avatar

Where do you find a millstone these days. Compost.

Expand full comment
Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Biblical punishment for the win!

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

I haven't even finished reading the article and I am already blowing a gasket: “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady.” - what utter baloney! Let's translate this, it was sexually assaulting a child!

You assaulted a child, you ..... [insert insult of choice!]!

You got away with it for a number of years, but now your behaviour is biting you in the arse and you'll pay for it!

Expand full comment
Boreal's avatar

I call it rape. That's what it is since the child cannot give consent.

Expand full comment
Donrox's avatar

He literally penetrated her with his finger! That is literally rape!

Expand full comment
Straw's avatar

Yup. And here some males has been found guilty of rape based on that.

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Which law would apply in a civil trial ? The one when it was filed or the one when the rape happened ?

Expand full comment
cdbunch's avatar

I believe definition of the crime, at the time it happened. Minimum sentence at the time of conviction. So, if it wasn't a crime when it happened it can't be charged.

Expand full comment
Claudia's avatar

I am not disputing your view. However, there are some 'interesting' definitions of rape in some jurisdictions, hence I decided to stick with the more general term of 'sexual assault'.

Cf E Jean Carroll.

Expand full comment
Linda Bower's avatar

Now he’s just a “finger rapist”. I was definitely taking notes when that went down. I was unaware of these suspicious narrow definitions myself.

Expand full comment
Linda Bower's avatar

They don’t like the word rape because it makes them feel icky inside, so we softened the language for them.

Expand full comment
Boreal's avatar

I don’t soften it for them. It’s rape.

Expand full comment
Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Yes,

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Salopard de pedo, prends-toi un manche à balai dabs ls troufion.

Fucking pedo prick, shove a broomstick up your asshole (the bottom one).

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

Frank Castle (Punisher) has a more pragmatic solution: https://mediachomp.com/the-punisher-widowmaker-comic-book-excerpt/

Expand full comment
larry parker's avatar

A retired pedophile is still a pedophile.

Expand full comment
Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

I doubt he ever retired from that.

Expand full comment
cdbunch's avatar

OT: I didn't take the time to find out what they were peddling, but a couple of god-botherers stopped by this morning. I soon as I saw the pamphlet title 'Pure Worship', I forcefully said (maybe shouted) no and began to close the door. They seemed somewhat shocked, but they turned and left.

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

I would have looked them straight in the eye and asked them, "Why should I worship something that cannot be bothered to show itself?"

I gots LOTS more questions, too, anytime they wanna show up!

Expand full comment
cdbunch's avatar

I’m supposed to be working.

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

I'm retired, and sometimes, I enjoy sparring with them.

Expand full comment
Guerillasurgeon's avatar

I used to warn them about the dog next door that bit people – then I got tired of it and stopped. Haven't seen one for years now.

Expand full comment
dammitbarry's avatar

Shouting is so much fun. Telling religious pukers where to shove their hate mongering god is so much fun.

Expand full comment
Tom Reitano's avatar

He sinned against her again, he bared False witness against her and her father.

He'd know this if he preaches......to others

🙄🤯

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

"Rules for thee, not for me."

Expand full comment
Matri's avatar

https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-05-03

“All we did was claim to speak for God and suddenly we’re held to a higher standard?”

Expand full comment
David V. Miller's avatar

Once AGAIN, yet ANOTHER pedophile is caught (and he still wants his pension, tax exempt of course). Is the pedophile ___?

A- RELIGIOU$

B- REPUBLIKAN

C- BOTH

Hint: Only 1 answer is correct, all others half correct.

Expand full comment
Maltnothops's avatar

Are you sure this isn’t a trick question?

Expand full comment
DAMjas! NO!'s avatar

That money should be payed to his victim.

Expand full comment