The Last Great Moral Hypocrisy Scandal Of The Year? Family Values Attorney Charged With Sexual Abuse And Production Of Child Pornography!

Checklist for moral hypocrisy:

• Child Exploitation
• Child Pornography
• Drug Possession
• Illegal Gun Possession

...And Promoting It Child Pornography On Craigslist

But on facebook, she listed the Bible as her favorite book, so all should be forgiven, OK?

"A New Hampshire attorney associated with an anti-gay group of "Christian" lawyers, is facing federal charges that she took a teenage girl to Canada and convinced her to engage in sexual activity and to let it be filmed."

Defending "Family Values" gets tougher with every hypocritical scandal: Lisa Biron, a prominent attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom (formerly the Alliance Defense Fund) was recently arrested by the FBI and charged with seven counts of child exploitation, transporting a child for illegal sexual conduct, possession of child pornography and production of child pornography. Witnesses have testified that she has also been in possession of ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine.

Guess the ADF is a bit embarrassed, huh?

Ah, but the Lisa Biron case gets even more embarrassing: she was previously charged with possession of child pornography and while waiting for trial, a gun was discovered in her apartment, prompting the judge to deny bail. She also allegedly sent a threatening text message to one of the witnesses.

Super embarrassed.
By a super sinner...
by a super hypocrite ...and a super idiot: she advertised the child pornography on Craigslist. 

Whether or not she will be defended by the Alliance Defending Freedom remains to be seen, since she is pleading not guilty, but so far it seems as if the ADF wants to forget about her as quickly as possible: her profile and association with Alliance Defending Freedom has been expunged from its website.

Unfortunately, the ADF couldn't expunge everything about Lisa Biron: In Concord, she worked with the ADF in defending a Pentecostal church in its tax fight against the city , and in Manchester, NH, she served on the board of directors at Mount Zion Christian Schools.

On facebook, Biron also cited her favorite book: The Bible.

Hypocrisy At It Best

Not since the outing of Pastor Ted Haggard with a male prostitute (along with alleged possession of crystal meth) has the Christian Right suffered such a set-back in terms of demonstrating "family values." Although the year was laden with scandals and rotten rhetoric* this last jewel in the crown of hypocrisy shines brighter than most. And yet the Christian Right (let alone the Alliance Defending Freedom) has yet to respond sufficiently. The incident, like many others, is being swept under the proverbial moral rug. It may be up to the media to keep it in the public eye - a media that the Christian Right will be quick to blame as "left wind" in its dogged determination to reveal the truth: extreme hypocrisy exists within the realms of the Almighty Right.

The ADF

The hypocrisy, of course, lies in the stance that the ADF (Founded by James Dobson and Focus on the Family) has taken in the culture wars: " ...to keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel by transforming the legal system and advocating for religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family." In other words: the high moral road. As the Alliance Defense Fund, it was instrumental in litigating through the morass of appeals for California's Proposition 8 (unfortunately, doing a rather poor job on almost all counts). It was supposedly stocked with the best of Pat Robertson's Regent University School of Law. And it recently proffered advice to clerks in the sates of Maine, Maryland and Washington how to avoid issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples so as not to "violate their consciences."

After this latest situation, however, the ADF has a lot of 'splainin' to do.

It won't, of course.

* - After while introducing Primary Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum, Pastor Dennis Terry tells all of the "naysaying" liberals to "get out!" of the country.
 - Pastor Sean Harris told his congregation to "crack that wrist" of any four-year-old who showed homosexual tendencies.
 - Pastor Charles Worley tells his congregation the country should put homosexuals behind an "electrified fence" to die off.

- Bryan Fischer warned CNN viewers that gays were the founders of the Nazi Party.

Hooking Up With Studboi1: Top Border Cop, Romney Campaigner And Congressional Candidate In Scandal Of Epic Hypocrisy!... And We Love It!

In terms of hypocrisy, it doesn't get any sleazier than this. And sometimes lurid, yellow journalism has its uses.

"If what [Babeu's attorney] says is correct [about Jose's being illegal], either the sheriff had a long relationship with someone he knew was undocumented, while all the time being Mr. Bluster about the border and using it for political gain," or he threatened to deport someone he just broke up with, Merritt says. [Phoenix News-Times' interview with Nancy-Jo Merritt, Phoenix immigration attorney]

In the Arizona border patrol controversies of recent years, no one has stood out more than Paul Babeu. Even Joe Arpaio couldn't eclipse him in visibility and bravado: John McCain stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, FOX News profiled him and his activities, and Babeau's political aspirations looked bright.

HUFFPOST, 2-18:


Republican Congressional candidate Paul Babeu, currently serving as a sheriff in Arizona, stepped down on Saturday from his position as the co-chair for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign in the state, after an explosive allegation from a Mexican man, who claims to be his ex-boyfriend, that Babeu threatened him with deportation to Mexico.
In other words, the hypocritical sh*t has hit the proverbial fan: the reason he threatened the ex-boyfriend with deportation is because the ex refused to sign a document silencing their affair. The Phoenix New Times reported all the salacious (and vicious) details revealed through hook-up sites, emails and phone texts in a five-page long article sure to become fodder for election year pundits ...like me.

For in dealing with hypocrisy, you can't be hypocritical. And this story is too horrifically hypocritical for me to pass up. I have to make the most of it. Sounds snarky, I know, but that's the way it is. Exposing hypocrisy is like that.


Paul Babeu And His Right Wing 
Political Dream Machine


At the age of 18, Paul  Babeu was elected to city council for North Adams, MA. He then went on to become commissioner for Bekeley County, MA. (1992 - age 23). In 1996, Babeu ran for Massachusetts State Senate as a nominee from the GOP, but lost. He subsequently lost two bids for Mayor of North Adams.


All the losses, however, were with extremely narrow margins, so Babeu's political drive was not quelled.


After joining the Massachusetts National Guard, Babeu rose in ranks to become major in the Arizona National Guard, serving in Iraq, then was deployed as a Commander in Jump Start and the United States Border Patrol.  In 2002, he became a patrolman in Chandler, Arizona, receiving two life saving medals and becoming the Police Association President. In 2008, he became the first Republican sheriff elected in Pinal County history (founded 1875).


As sheriff, Babeu's activities couldn't be more exemplary ... or anti-immigrant: while reducing emergency response time 40% and being awarded nearly $7 million in grants, Babeu "reorganized" the sheriff's department and became the leading voice in Senator John McCain's "10-point Border Security Plan." And,

In late 2010, Babeu was asked by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in his own department. This 6 month long detailed search led to the termination of Arpaio’s top two deputies.^{[21] (wikipedia)}

In October, 2011, Paul Babeu announced a run for U.S. Congress (newly-redistricted 4th Congessional Arizona Seat)

OK, Now The Sex Stuff

In an era of facebook, twitter and internet hook-ups, sexual exposure has become common. When we got the goods on Rep.Anthony Weiner and "Bishop" Eddie Long, we realized that, in a sense, supermarket tabloids had jumped onto our homepages. And we embraced them with a renewed vigor for the salacious. Why? Because reading about hypocrisy is fun while being infuriated: laughing at the high-minded while telling ourselves that we're not THAT bad is a sinful pleasure. We feel somehow mitigated in our realization that people on the "A-List" can become sleazeballs on the "A-Hole List". 


Now guess which list Babeu is on. 

According to Babeu's ex-lover, Jose (last name withheld because of the ongoing litigation), they met in 2009. Jose then worked on Babeu's campaign websites, facebook and twitter accounts while in a supposedly monogamous relationship. Later, in 2011, Jose discovered a profile of Babeu's on Adam4Adam a gay hook-up site. He confronted Babeu about it and was told that it was an old profile.


But after the request to have Babeu remove the profile, it was still up and active. Jose then decided to do some undercover work on his boyfriend and posed anonymously on the same site. 

"I will suck you off as much as needed."

"Dude, I can't send naked pics over e-mail . . . just can't for my job . . . you can have me in person and what ever else you want." Babeu made a point about his work as sheriff.

Jose showed up for a meeting, and the pair broke up, whereupon an eerie kind of harassment ensued: Jose changed his address several times, with Babeu giving hints that he knew where he was all along (e.g. a Christmas card). Jose then posted comments in sites and editorials intimating that Babeu was not what he seemed. Babeu answered back: "And you say you have loved me? Papi . . . this is no good."

The phone text messages produced by Jose number in the hundreds. The pics on Babeu's Adam4Adam profile have since been erased, some including a full erection.

For the record, Jose states that he is legal and not undocumented, hence the threats of deportation by Babeu's lawyer ring hollow.


Within hours of Jose's incriminating evidence coming to light, Babeu "came out" but stated that his candidacy for Congress remained in tact, while his personal life was just that: personal ...and private.


In Summation To The Jury


Political aspirations. Right wing political cronies and media coverage. Illegal immigration. Threats of deportation. Gay sex. Gay hook-up sites. Infidelity. Pornographic internet photos. The court of public opinion will be at this scandal from all sides: the Right (esp. the Christian Right) will focus on Babeu's sexual orientation and use of hook-up sites; the Left will focus on Babeu being a Republican and his anti-immigration stance; the LGBT community will focus on Babeu's hypocrisy and his closeted machinations. Stand-up comedians will joke about border sheriffs. Pundits and bloggers like me will keep tabs, looking for developments and nuances to highlight Babeu's hypocrisy.


There have been parallels to this scandal: Rep. Mark Foley and Congressional pages, NJ Governor James McGreevey and his infidelity. However, they were but slight blips compared to this earthquake on the Richter scale. Why? Simply because the hypocrisy is so blatantly wrong and so compellingly raw.

In fact, there may be only one entity to be truly sorry for in this story: The National Inquirer. It didn't break the story.

Newt Gingrich Ninja Marriage Protector - LOLOLOL!

I love the sneeze!

The "Compassion" of Paul Ryan and The Right: "The Poor You Will Always Have With You - We'll See To It"

NOTE: Although I've posted this article under stressful circumstances  (see postscript below) the perspective presented is definitely appropriate and shared by many people in this country. I may not be writing for a week or two, so I hope that this article is passionate enough to suffice for a while. 

"But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.'"
— Luke 10:30–36, World English Bible


On Tax Day, April 15th, Rep. Paul Ryan had this to say about "his" budget:

Our budget offers a compassionate and optimistic contrast to a future of health-care rationing and unbearably high taxes. We lift the crushing burden of debt, repair the safety net, make America’s tax system fair and competitive, and ensure that our health and retirement programs have a strong and lasting future.[1]

There are people who would beg to differ with Ryan's statement, notably the people fighting his expansive social welfare cuts on Capitol Hill and in the White House. The fight has extended to the matter of the national debt and the next several weeks will be grueling ... and revealing. If you look at the fight in a simplified perspective, it becomes a battle for the existence of compassion: should it be sustained now (in a diminished form), or in the future? Republicans are already naming their form of "compassion" by calling it INTERGENERATIONAL JUSTICE. 


But whatever the outcome of the fight, we must not lose sight of the fact that the economic and financial  crises we now face are about people: some people will benefit, while others will not. Cost cuts to social welfare agencies are already showing results: the poor are not only getting catastrophically poorer because they have less money, but also because they have less access to housing and necessary subsidies. It is the same with healthcare reform: while decrying imagined atrocities of "Obamacare", not one conservative member of Congress has put forth any real solution for the uninsured. Republican actions in the House have, in fact, ensured us that none will ever be forthcoming. 


The conservative image has never taken such a beating as in this Congress. 


In the past, the conservative rich have always trotted out the defensive statistic that conservatives actually give more/do more for the disenfranchised than liberals because the liberals want the government to do their giving for them. They chafed when George Bush's "compassionate conservatism" was met with the label of "oxymoron." What liberals have always realized, however, is that most conservatives tend to give only to their own causes and many times those causes not only leave out whole groups of Americans, but actually sustain the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Conservatives must control where their money goes. Liberals do it too, but conservatives do it more often and on a larger scale.


TRUE COMPASSION


Giving to those in need comes down to true compassion. But what is "true compassion"? Who is more compassionate - a church elder making a cake for a church bazaar held for the homeless or the man who off-handedly gives a man on the street a dollar because he asked for it? Both are compassionate, but the church elder KNOWS to whom she is giving her time, money and effort to, while the anonymous man cares not who the needy person is (or even if the person is, indeed, needy at all). Conservatives would not call the latter's gesture compassion, but the mere foolhardiness of a "bleeding heart liberal."


In biblical terms, one could associate the Good Samaritan with true compassion: when the priest and the Levite saw the man they both passed by. Why? Perhaps because when they saw them they judged him immediately as not worth their efforts. Now, notice that Christ's story did not say that the Samaritan knew he was helping a Jew.[2] In other words, the Samaritan did not judge, nor did he know who he was helping. The Samaritan just did what he felt was the right thing- the human thing -to do.

In another belief system (not really a religion), there's the story of  bodhisattva  Quan Yin (correction: stories - hundreds of legends, but all of their central themes involve her compassion). The most popular is the one that after she was made an Immortal, Quan Yin started her ascent to Enlightenment (heaven), but heard the cries of people still in need, forsook heaven and descended to help them. There are many parallels given to Quan Yin's Christian counterpart, Mary, the mother of Jesus. (Aside: it is interesting to note that much of the non-denominational and Protestant denominational Christian Right consider prayers to St. Mary to constitute "Mariolatry" or idolization of the Virgin Mary. They are loathe to think of any intercessor to Christ for mercy.)


COMPASSIONATE CAPITALISM -
 ACCORDING TO RYAN & CO.


Just as true compassion does not need judgment, it does not need a reason except for helping someone to survive in the best way possible. Compassion need not come in the form of the Christian thing to do, nor even the right thing to do, but simply as the human thing to do. People in need do not have the luxury of determining from whence compassion comes.


The above statement of Paul Ryan is, to say the least, dripping with the disingenuous patronizing to the poor that many conservatives today deal out: the belief that capitalism in all its glory will ultimately benefit everyone.  The conservative mindset also believes that individual investment, individual charity, individual compassion will also prove supreme. 


They will not. Individual charity is subjective and can be manipulated. It can be focused on a number too few to benefit as many as possible. Philanthropy and charity have given the public many blessings, to be sure, but no matter how generous, they have always benefited only a portion of the truly needy. In most cases, the giving has been focused. In addition, many faith-based organizations are unfortunately too focused and their charitable agendas can be skewed: catastrophes, for example, have been used by what might be called "God's Ambulance Chasers" more intent on conversion to religious beliefs than relief.[3]


Of course, individual charity can be the most valuable adjunct to a society's governmental social services: it lets us know that - coupled with government - our society is doing everything it can to aid in our people's survival. Budget-slashing by the likes of Rep. Paul Ryan, however, puts a burden on individual charity that it cannot possibly sustain ... without neglecting hordes of our country's citizenry. Perhaps the truly sad part about the likes of  Mr. Ryan is that he knows it, and doesn't seem to care - hence the disingenuous statement above. Of course, he may not be entirely to blame, since his party is, after all, controlled by a very powerful group: the coalition of religious entities known as the Christian Right. 


AT A CROSSROADS


From what we've seen these last twenty years, can anyone truly say without a doubt that social conservatives (the Christian Right)possess true compassion? Their own "agenda" of condemnation exposes how they pre-judge people and groups, vehemently prejudicing against segments of society: for example, we have seen the great Southern Baptist Convention try to harm businesses that have supported the LGBT community and treated it with respect. And while some within the Christian Right community describe their compassion as "tough love" (Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association comes to mind) others beg to differ on that point: can "love" of any kind be borne of bigotry? [4]


So now our country's compassion is at a crossroads because of a budget crisis: should it be government (liberal) or individual (conservative) compassion? According to people like Ryan, America cannot have both. We could, but that might mean raising taxes while giving more to charity. A blogger at Hubpages.com put it well::

There are two kinds of compassion in this country. The compassion of the left and the compassion of the right. The compassion of the Democrat and the compassion of the Republican. The compassion of the government and the compassion of the individual.

Whichever one you choose, put your money where your mouth is.

With "slash and burn" Republicans goaded by Dominionists and corporations, the compassion of the Democrat may be gone entirely. And the other kind of compassion will be meted out to a select few. 


God help us.




1.The new terminology for Ryan's futuristic "compassion" is INTERGENERATIONAL JUSTICE. (!?)


2. Remember, the Jew was stripped and therefore not recognizable by any particular clothing. Also, Samaritanism and Judaism were very similar Abrahamic religions and shared the tenet of circumcision. 


 - The story of the Good Samaritan poses a conundrum for many in the Christian Right because it is sited as the epitome of compassion by many evangelicals and therefore is something they strive for; however, the Samaritan does not evangelize or proselytize in any way, leaving the audience of the story to wonder why evangelizing is necessary in order to do good.
  
3. In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, a faith-based organization spent $100,000 erecting electronic Bibles (60 loudspeaker systems from which Biblical verses were broadcast) among people who were still not receiving adequate medical treatment. Another example: after the horrendous Asian Tsunami, Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church sent food and clothing, along with 600,000 Christian scripture tracts (the cost of which totaled more than the emergency goods sent). Since the victims were mostly Buddhist and Hindu, the tracts were considered insultingly superfluous and respectfully sent back.


4. The concept of "love the sinner, hate the sin" is especially egregious: no other moral precept has ever been so misused as some ridiculous band aid for guilt. The phrase is always used while knowing that it goes against human nature: just as Jesus Christ new that the concept of "love thine enemy" was a hard sell, so to does the Christian Right know that LSHS falls on deaf ears, but it needs the phrase to sound more benign.


POSTSCRIPT





Parts of this article have been written while my former partner and best friend of fourteen years lies dying of liver cancer.  I have been his caregiver for six of those years, aided by his current partner and soul mate.  We live in San Francisco, (that bastion of liberalism and perversion!) certainly the most compassionate city in America. It was here that he was nurtured as an artist (award-winning theater director) and came to nurture other artists as well. It is in San Francisco that he is now comforted and cared for by an incredible extended family of friends, hospice workers, physicians, and therapists - many made possible by San Francisco and the caring state of California. I firmly believe that he could not have gotten greater "comfort care" anywhere else. He is passing in dignity as well. 


While there are conservatives who can be regarded as compassionate, I sincerely doubt that those in Congress (guided by today's Christian Right) would be as wonderfully human as the people I see around us. Ironic, isn't it - that such love and humanity should exist in the city they castigate most. 


We are put on earth to thrive from the knowledge that we have helped everyone else survive as best as possible. It is unfortunate that others do not see this purpose, because by being confined within boundaries of their own kind of compassion, they are depriving many people of the thing they need most: 


Humanity.  

This Is The BIG ONE! It Even Beats Eddie Long!: The Hypocrisy of the Year Award Goes To ...

An Anti-Decadence Pastor 
Accused Of Public Masturbation
And Pedophilia!

From WDSU in New Orleans:

METAIRIE, La. -- Grant Storms, a conservative pastor who has staged protests against New Orleans' Southern Decadence Festival, was arrested Friday on accusations of masturbating in a public park.

Great hypocrisy stories, like income tax refunds, should always be treated as windfalls. Journalists and bloggers have to take advantage of them because it would be ridiculous to waste a great story by relegating it to ho-hum regular news. And this one is a gem. 

Storms told deputies he was just having lunch at the park when he had to go to the bathroom, so he relieved himself in a bottle.

Imaginative stories like that can be the mark of desperation: two women were witnesses and they precisely testified that he wasn't urinating in any bottle!

Every day, dozens of google-alert "Pastor arrested"s fill my email box. So why is this one so special? Because of the adjoining copy:

Storms is known for staging protests against Decadence, an annual gay celebration in the French Quarter. In 2003, he organized a march in opposition of the event, calling it "nasty" and "depraved."

"Nasty." "Depraved." WTF? 

OK, let's step back: 

• Pastor
• Anti-gay activist
• public park
• children
• play ground
• masturbation
• urination. 

Couldn't get better on the hypocrisy scale, could it? Then there's his name: Storms. It can (and will) be linked to the story in a myriad number of ways. I'm trying to think of one now, but my head's still trying to fathom how stupid this guy is. Maybe he hated Southern Decadence because it was not the kind of "playground" he enjoyed. Maybe a long time (months or years, who knows?) of ogling kids in public parks has changed Storms' mind about what is "nasty." 

The REAL Southern Decadence

Alright, I'll eschew the sarcasm. It's just that I feel so giddy. 


Campaigning against immorality has been the stock-in-trade of the Christian Right for centuries. The tactics haven't really changed, it's just that today's media has made it closer. The media has also highlighted the faults of extreme religionists who do practically nothing but campaign against morality. The stridency of some people creates suspicion. Oh, the public may not always want to recognize hypocrisy, but covering it up has gotten increasingly hard to do. There are, of course, hypocrites who think that their titles and Bibles will shield them, but they are delusional. Eddie Long, the I'm-David-and-I-haven't-thrown-a -rock-yet pastor found out the hard way. But hubris is a drug to which many pastors become addicted and they tend to do stupid things with abandon.

Stupid things like masturbating in a public park, after you've become known as the most vocal enemy of a gay event that calls itself "Southern Decadence."

If you look up "decadence" in the dictionary, you're apt to come up with this definition: "a luxurious self-indulgence". Self-indulgence, however, is very relative: while most people think of self-indulgence as being sheer love of the body, e.g. sexual gratification, self-indulgence can be had by "luxuriating" in just about anything. Grant Storms was luxuriating in self-righteousness when he spearheaded protests against Southern Decadence. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council luxuriates in demonizing people:

• Almost all child sexual abuse is committed by men; and 
• Less than three percent of American men identify themselves as homosexual; yet 
• Nearly a third of all cases of child sexual abuse are homosexual in nature (that is, they involve men molesting boys). - - This is a rate of homosexual child abuse about ten times higher than one would expect based on the first two facts. 

Actually, Perkins luxuriates in lies and is completely decadent with them: in 1992, A. Nicholas Groth, (then a major researcher of sex offenders) complained about his work being totally distorted by FRC:

Since your report, in my view, misrepresents the facts of what we know about this matter from scientific investigation, and does not indicate that my studies on this topic reach conclusions diametrically opposed to yours, I would appreciate your removing any reference to my work in your paper lest it appear to the reader that my research supports your views.

So, the Southern Decadence of Grant Storms' beautifully hypocritical scenario should not be lost on the public. And Eddie Long? Well, at least he didn't get caught with his zipper down and his eyes on little kids.

Pushing Us Over The Edge: Holy Evil Lurches Towards Christmas

Can One Act Of Evil Kill The "Season Of Sharing"?

(CNN) -- A [former] Catholic priest, facing criminal charges and a lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused a teenage boy, is now charged with attempting to hire someone to kill the youth, authorities said Tuesday.

It's enough to make you lose all faith in humanity. 

The Christmas Season has settled upon us, feverishly puking its guts out into the aisles of WalMart and Walgreens, Saks and Macy's. The Christian Right is gearing up for its annual "War on Christmas": The Catholic League's Bill Donohue has shipped 50 Holy Nativity scenes to every state capitol with the hopes of snagging at least a dozen or so "atheist states" that might refuse to display them alongside "holiday trees." Retailers are hopeful but nervous: the great economic barometer of Christmass Season ales might not show signs of recovery. 

Elsewhere: the War in Afghanistan drones on; Uganda keeps up its witch-hunting of homosexuals;  cholera snakes its way from Haiti to the U.S.; France and Germany prepare for terrorism; President Obama tries to garner good will from foreign countries, while battling a disgruntled and polarized homeland; the Vatican allows for condoms as use for protection against HIV - twenty years after their use was proved to be effective.

Not a beautiful picture, to be sure, but the glimmer of hope that contains the essence of humanity, that trite-but-necessary, warm-and-fuzzy feeling of comfort the season always manages to bring us will be there, won't it? 

This year, I'm not so sure.

[Rev. John M.] Fiala, 52, of Dallas, was out on bond on other sexual assault charges involving the youth, now 18, when he allegedly attempted to negotiate the boy's murder, said Tom Rhodes, the teen's attorney. He was arrested last week after he offered an undercover agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety $5,000 to kill the teen, according to department spokeswoman Lisa Block.

"This guy," Edwards County Sheriff Don Letsinger said, "is an evil man."

While I've been writing about the extreme hypocrisy of the Christian Right for years, some things never cease to amaze and terrify me: the calumny of clergy like "Bishop" Eddie Long, the stupidity of proselytizers like Lou Engel, or the viciousness of people like the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer. Yet as frustrating as these self-righteous idiots may be, I have always been able to maintain a basic faith in humanity. 

That, however, might change: the machinations of  Reverend John Fiala and his ilk have become so blatant, so intense this past week, that I have trouble seeing any spark of humanity at the end of this dark, dark tunnel. 

CONSIDER THESE ASPECTS OF EVIL:

SEX and GREED

Indicted: Pastor Johnny William “Bill” Cabe, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, on felony charges of sexual abuse of an 11-year-old boy. "Pastor Bill" had already served seven years in prison for conning $8 million from his congregation's "investors." (While guarding their money, somebody forgot to guard their kid.) 

SARAH PALIN'S ALASKA

Guilty: Pastor Carl  Ekamrank, of a Moravian Church (Alaska) of one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl. This plea, however, enabled him to reduce the counts from five down to one. He faces five years in prison with ten years probation. (Is sexual abuse now doled out in degrees?)

FUN AND GAMES

Convicted: Former coach of Riverside Christian School (Lost Creek, KY), Dennis Jackson, of nine counts of sexual abuse against a number of boys 11-years-old and older. Jackson, by the way, committed the crimes while he was in his sixties. (Proves he hadn't lost his athletic charm.)

BAD SPIRITS

Sentenced: Pastor Marcus Ondiegi of Nyakwatha, Kenya, sentenced to 50 years in prison for repeatedly raping an 11-year-old orphan and infecting her with HIV. Ondiegi had told the girl's grandmother that he needed to pray over the girl to ward off "bad spirits." He raped her for six consecutive days until she escaped. (His conviction, however, put him in "bad spirits.")

TELEVANGELICAL BUSINESS AS USUAL

Sentenced: Pastor Samuel Salanky of Bethany Mission Center (NYC) to 57 months in prison plus restitution for conning "investors" out of approximately $3 million. Salanky was a televangelist who broadcast a program on a Gospel network. (The program was broadcast in the Far East -  obviously not too far for him to get caught.)

SMOTHERING WITH LOVE

Appeal filed: Pastor Matt Baker of  Crossroads Baptist Church (Waco, TX). Baker was found guilty of murdering his wife (administering sedatives, suffocating her with a pillow) and is currently serving a sentence of 65 years. (What the hell is this guy appealing?)

UNDER GOD'S ROOF

Convicted: Former Pastor Marvin James Lowe of Arbeka Indian Baptist Church (Weleetka, OK) on six misdemeanor counts of domestic abuse. He was originally charge with six counts of sexual abuse of girls under 14 in his church. (He knew somebody who knew somebody.)

SPREADING THE LOVE

Charged: Former Pastor David Love of New Hope Baptist Church (Independence, MO), with the first-degree murder of his insurance agent Randy Stone, who was the husband of Love's lover,  Teresa Stone.  He topped the crime by giving the eulogy at his victim's funeral. (A rather twisted take on "Double Indemnity," but Teresa Stone doesn't look as good as Barbara Stanwyck.)

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Sentenced: Pastor Steven G. Welty of Glory House Fellowship (Sequim, WA) to 26-1/2 years to life. Pastor Welty was convicted of six counts of child rape, six counts of child molestation and six counts of incest occurring with the same girl from the time she was 4-years-old until she was 11. (He may have been sorry during those seven years, but relatives are always the last to know.)

Crawling Back To That Spark Of Humanity

Yes, my asides were flippant: the human mind provides safeguards against acute depression. The fact is the list of crimes was longer than I had ever imagined: besides these cases, dozens more were reported - ALL WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. So while "Silent Night" was droning on during the morning's grocery shopping, I was dealing with hypocrisy overload. "There must be some good ones out there" was trying to tap into my brain, but it was far too numb. Hours later, I'm still trying to fathom it all. 

Yes, there are good-spirited people out there. But they're not to be found on our screens or heard through our airwaves. They're not to be found attending Values Voter Summits. They're not to be found bloviating over microphones during rallies to "protect" marriage. They're not to be found praying in front of the Capitol, beseeching God to make us a Christian-Only Nation. They're not to be found preaching "love the sinner, hate the sin." 

No, the people with that spark of humanity, that basic goodness, cannot be found even amongst the rabble preaching about it. It can simply be found in the person standing next to you on the bus. In the person in front of you in the check-out line at the grocery. In the person you call brother, sister, son, daughter, husband, wife, lover, partner, or friend. In you.I guess the thing I hate most about the crimes committed by the "Reverend" John Fialas, the Bryan Fischers and the Lou Engles of our world is that they make it harder and harder to discover the spark of humanity in everyone else. They’re piling up, like some godawful pile of hypocritical manure.

Yes, the pile of hypocrisy is getting bigger and bigger and the needle of humanity is getting smaller. It’s there, of course, and there’s the entire Christmas season to find it.

Oh joy.

The Greatest Story Never Told Part II: If Eddie Long Is David, Who The Hell's Goliath?

Plus  Bonus Feature: 

CLASH OF THE LEGAL-EAGLE  TITANS!!!

 

A hypocrite is always judged by the degree of hypocrisy he or she is guilty of. For example, if we hear someone say that they really dislike liars, then we catch them in an innocent lie, we think it slightly hypocritical, but barely give it a second thought. But when we hear someone pass judgement in a moral sense and perceive that the judge has done worse, that enrages us.

"...and to every man that knows what God is saying to do and you’re still acting like the boys on the corner, God says you deserve death!”

                                                                             - Bishop Eddie Long    

Long's virulent and strident attacks on homosexuality may ratchet up his hypocrisy level beyond the stratosphere. Whatever the outcome, the dichotomy that was created within the last ten days will forever effect his credibility: who can explain away the photos? How could a man who is quoted as saying that God will severely punish a man for sleeping with a man turn around and befriend young men with homoerotic pictures? How can he explain away those relationships as "spiritual" without insulting those who want to believe him?

"I am not the man portrayed on television." He may not be, but he has placed himself in such a high position, such an idolized position, that there is no place for him to go but down. The dichotomy is too great. The hypocrisy will be deemed too huge for any "David" to overcome. 

America loves the "little guy" the "underdog." When you're down and out, capitalizing on your status can be your best bet. Eddie Long is certainly counting on the compassion inherent in America: that's why he chose the story of David and Goliath. It's ironic, of course, that the story of David and Goliath leads right into the story of Jonathan and David.  Eddie might have missed that irony. 

And "Bishop" Eddie Long has not yet defined exactly who he thinks "Goliath" is. If Long is going to put up a fight, the least he could do is tell everyone who his opponent is. Is he aiming for a broad metaphor? Does he want his followers to think that the entire world is sitting in judgment against him? Or is it our own "activist" justice system? Is he going into battle against the devil? He was unfair to have his followers so little to go on. Ahah! Perhaps it was a test to see just how loving, how faithful his flock would truly be. 

Or maybe it was a way to say "make up your own damn Goliath! Whatever you come up with, that's what I'm fighting." But that's unfair as well, making everyone do the work from something he created himself.

People will say that I'm beating a good man when he's down. Not really. It's more like a wrestling match where, when the other guy who's been beating you into a bloody pulp makes a wrong move and suddenly, you're on top of the brute and realize that you have to KEEP him down. Maybe all the people who know that, once it's exposed, they have to keep Eddie Long's hypocrisy in the fore, maybe they're Goliath.

Yes, Eddie Long is staring at Goliath in the form of  Spencer LaGrande, Jamal Parris, Maurice Robinson and Anthony Flagg and their resolve to keep his hypocrisy front and center. With each statement, Bishop Eddie Long's credibility grave has been dug deeper:

"They said bishop has been accused of something, and my heart dropped. And that was my time that God told me to release what I had to say."

Note that both Parris and LaGrande spoke in vague generalities just as Long did. People are hungry for the salacious particulars, but no one is unmuzzled as yet. Vagaries aside, with each statement from the prosecution, Long's support grows weaker (outside of New Birth, of course). Plaintive cries against an established person, however sotto voce they may seem, can grow louder each time, plucking at heartstrings.

Another reason these men might be believed: they didn't go to the media - the media came to them. Scripted? I doubt it. Bernstein isn't the kind of legal counsel to insist on scripting.

And speaking of Bernstein, she's a force to be reckoned with:

From her website:

B.J. has been recognized in Atlanta Magazine in it's Super Lawyer edition from 2008-2010 as one of the top 100 Lawyers in Georgia. She is the only female criminal defense attorney to make the top 100 list this year and overall one of only 11 women so recognized. Georgia Trend magazine named her to the Legal Elite list for the last 4 years and has individually profiled her as one of six of Georgia's "Power Women" in 2008.

Another force to be reckoned with: Craig Gillen (website):

As a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Gillen has won several courtroom victories as set forth on the Representative Cases page. He has successfully represented corporations, executives, professionals and businessman. Most recently, Mr. Gillen served as co-counsel in the successful defense of Mark Shelnutt who was accused of money laundering and one year prior to that, Mr. Gillen served as lead counsel in the successful defense of Jim Happ US. v. Happ. The charges in the Happ case involved allegations of a $1.9 billion fraud. Mr. Gillen's client was the only charged defendant to be acquitted.

When these two Titans clash, we may see a fight the likes of which we haven't seen since the O.J. Simpson trial: besides being two very forceful attorneys, however, their milieus have been very different in the sense that Gillen's has been mostly government and corporate while Bernstein has handled more individuals ...with emotions. Unfortunately for Eddie Long, these suits are on too personal  a level. Gillen will have to rely on disparaging the person of Anthony Flagg with the attempted robbery angle.

The silence and waiting will now seem interminable. The public wants details, statistics, financial accounts, screaming, tears and emotion., everything the trial of a hug hypocrite should be and everything Eddie Long can deliver. If hypocrisy of this magnitude dies of annui,  Eddie Long may come away with more than he deserves.

Just a thought. 

The Greatest Story Never Told - Part I: When Did The Writ Hit The Fan For Other Evangelical Pastors?

(Note to Eddie Long: Sorry, Eddie. You weren't the first and most certainly won't be the last. Although you have topped Ted Haggard and George Rekers... BIG TIME!)

Yeah, I'm having some fun with all of this. Sorry, can't help it. Chasing down hypocrisy is hard work, so when a lulu of a story practically lands in your lap, it's best to burn rubber and enjoy the ride. 

"David and Goliath." That's the simile "Bishop" Eddie Long came up with to describe his plight. The audience (congregation) cheered. However, I perceive a seminal problem: just who the hell is Goliath? The media? The public? The plaintiffs? His sermon, in fact, left way too many questions unanswered and had a kind of senseless "win one for the Gipper" feel because he didn't base it on anything solid. I have a feeliing that he'll be repeating it over and over ad nauseum because (as he himself stated) his lawyers told him not to say anything else. Unfortunately in this case, caution will give sway to speculation.

Anyway, since Long's non-explanation opens up a whole plethora of theories, I'd like to save them for Part II of this saga. 

The history of evangelical sex scandals goes way back and although I can't educate the reader with dates and names, I'm sure that more Scarlet Letters were sewn on both bodices and lapels than the America-is-a-Christian-Nation people would like us to think. And while most of the scandals were heterosexual in nature (e.g. the FBI closely monitored MLK and his infidelities), the ones involving homosexual relationships were probably swept under the rug too many times to count. 

So here's a rundown of evangelical homosexual scandals in the last half decade:

Lonnie Frisbee 

Known as the first "Jesus Freak," Lonnie Frisbee was a self-styled Pentecostal "prophet." He actually some success as an evangelist, despite his appearance. He became THE key person of the Jesus Movement and was instrumental in establishing both Calvary Chapel and Vineyard Movement denominations. 

Lonnie felt the righteous wrath of God, however, when both churches disowned him because of his homosexual behaviour. Lonnie continued to preach up to his death from AIDS in 1993.

An Emmy-nominated documentary about Frisbee titled "Frisbee the Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher received numerous accolades and was released in 2007.

Billy James Hargis

The word that most defined Billy James Hargis was prolific: besides his show Christian Crusade being aired on 500 radio staions and 250 television stations (and in the 1950s and 60s), Hargis was a prolific author of more than 100 books fire-and-brimstoning their way through America with titles like Communism, Hypnotism and the Beatles. He also founded American Christian College. Unfortunately, he was allegedly prolific in other areas: a sex scandal erupted at the college involinv both female and male students. 

 In fact, a couple he married claimed to have found out on their wedding night that he had deflowered both of them.

Time, Feb. 16, 1976:

Hargis justified his homosexual acts by citing the Old Testament friendship between David and Jonathan and threatened to blacklist the youths for life if they talked.

Hargis faded from public life very slowly, broadcasting occasionally and publishing The Christian Crusade Newspaper as well as a number of books.

Interesting note: Hargis was inadvertantly instrumental in establishing the FCC's fairness doctrine. Hargis' programs promoted Barry Goldwater's run for president in 1964 and viciously attacked anti-Goldwater journalist Fred J. Cook. When Cook asked for equal time, Hargis refused. Cook took the case to court - all the way to the Supreme Court, in fact. The court then upheld the FCC's "equal time provision." Echoes of Tony perkins anyone? 

Perhaps it's fitting that Billy James Hargis, the penultimate hypocrite has also been referred to as the "father of the Religious Right."

Roy Clements

Roy Clements' rise to prominence within Britain's evangelical community included authoring popular evangelical texts. He taught and preached at Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge. He was immensely respected and served on several held boards of leading evangelical organizations. 

In 1999, Clements divorced his wife and revealed that he intended to live with another man. His books have since been removed from shelves. They are, in fact, very difficult to find. Clements now counts himself as a gay rights advocate and an activist for gay Christians.

John Paulk

Oh, what a tangled web: part-time escort and part-time drag queen gets religion, tries to become straight, marries an ex-gay woman, they become the "poster couple" for Focus on the Family, and ex-gay man becomes head of FOF's premiere anti-gay program, Exodus International.  All things are bright and beautiful until ex-gay man gets photographed in a gay bar. End of  job. 

John Paulk may still have a story to tell, but for the time being, he's still not really talking about it. He's focusing on his catering career and cooking show in Portland, OR. FOF has since warmed up to him enough to feature his recipes on their website. 

BFD.

Paul Crouch

There is little doubt that Paul Crouch and his wife Jan are, well ... creepy. As founder and president of the world's largest evangelical Christian network, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Crouch looks like death warmed over (clad in whatever he thinks makes for good fashion sense - it doesn't) and Jan ltries to look like a cross between Tammy Faye and Dolly Parton with lavender hair (BIG lavender hair). They've hosted homophobes like Rod Parsley and John Hagee on their own program Praise The Lord.


Ironically, all that makeup and hair, all that showmanship (Paul sits in what can only be construed as a gold throne) serve as a visible reminder that the Crouches are hiding something: transparency has never been their strong suit. In fact, Wallwatchers (a financial watchdog ministry) has consistently given TBN an F in financial transparency. 


In 2004, the L.A. Times did published an expose of Crouch's finances as well as a large settlement that went to a former TBN employee, Enoch Lonnie Ford as part of a  sexual harassment law suit. It also intimated that friends and colleagues Benny Hinn and Jack Hayford knew about the affair. Allegations of extortion went back and forth in the ensuing months, with Ford even taking a public lie detector test on the TV reality show Lie Dectector test (he passed). Ford offered NOT to publish a book about Crouch and TBN for $10 million.  


Meanwhile, back at the scandal mill: Crouch was sued for $20 million for plagiarism after he had written and novel which was suspiciously like someone else's book. There was an out-of-court settlement. 


The Ford saga has faded into the past just as the Crouches intended, but it might resurface. We're waiting.

Ted Haggard

Haven't heard of Ted Haggard? Well, I hope the rock you've been living under is comfortable.  Ted Haggard was at the top of the evangelical food chain: a mega-church pastor and president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Haggard boasted about weekly talks with George Bush. 

Male prostitute Mike Jones, however, took care of all that when he revealed that not only was Ted a frequent flier but earned more scandal miles by purchasing methamphetamines from Jones. Haggard's bumbling of the situation made it clear to his supporters that he was in no position to continue as an evangelical leader.  Although he announced that he was "cured" some months later,  his persona had been reduced to such a comic state that re-establishment in the evangelical community was  rendered moot. 

Haggard has begun a new ministry in the shadow of his old one - Colorado Springs. Although he still says he's "cured" he has become critical of the evangelical community that shunned him.

Paul Barnes

Paul Barnes saw his ministry grow from a basement to a 2100-member church he called Grace Chapel (in Douglas County, Colorado). It took him 28 years. When the Ted Haggard scandal broke, an anonymous caller to Grace Chapel voiced concerned that the same would happen to  Barnes. Barnes came forth, and in a video presentation to his congregation, resigned from his position:

"I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy. . . . I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away."

Lonnie Latham

What is it with the name "Lonnie"? Must be genetic. 

Max Blumenthal:

A notoriously anti-gay Southern Baptist Convention heavyweight who resigned his post for engaging in “offering to engage in an act of lewdness” (read: seeking meat whistle lessons from an undercover cop posing as a male prostitute), Latham has now asserted his right to solicit sex from that cop.

Amazingly, Latham was acquitted of the charge of "offering to engage in an act of lewdness". His high standing in the Southern Baptist Convention and rabid homophobic rants might have had something to do with it. In any case, SBC's pressure caused Lonnie to admit that he had actually done the deed and "needed help."

George Alan Rekers

George Rekers has a credibility problem. Check that: he has a problem in thinking that there are people dumb enough to believe him. His luggage boy rent boy story became the laugh riot of the internet and it was evident from the start that Rekers himself wasn't the profoundly intelligent "expert" in sexual orientation as he had been portrayed and that his work was criticized for skewing research results. Perhaps the most valuable thing that came out of the salacious story was that organizations like Family Research Council and America Family Association had been using Rekers as a "star witness" in cases involving gay adoption. The backpeddling of these organizations was classic: although Rekers was a founder of Family Research Council, current President Tony Perkins literally said "George who?"

Update:
Now we have "Bishop" Eddie Long, perhaps the most brilliant star in the fermament of homophobic hypocrisy. One of his accusers, Jamal Parris has appeared on television calling Long a "predator" and a "monster." In his Sunday sermon, Long likened himself to David battling Goliath:

 "I feel like David against Goliath, but I've got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet."

"Predator," "monster." 

Eddie, you'd better start throwing those rocks now.