30 Doradus (Tarentula Nebula) NASA/ESA/CSA/T.Carpentier
“There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie.” Cornel West
I thought I’d post this picture of Robert Morris, who has checked in, been given an orange outfit, had mugshots completed, paid a $50,000 bond, allegedly pled “not guilty,” and gone on his merry way. I’ve heard orange is the new black.
Robert Morris Mugshot
And in other news, when it comes to pastors…
Steve Lawson is 73 years old…He likes them young.
In September 2024, I wrote Steve Lawson, Expostor of Double Predestination, Either Didn’t Believe What He Preached or Believed He Was Exempt..
Here is a recap of the situation. Rick Pidcock at Baptist News Global posted Steve Lawson preached fire and brimstone except for himself.
Steve Lawson was fired from Trinity Bible Church of Dallas due to what the Trinity elders called “an inappropriate relationship that he has had with a woman.” Lawson is one of the most influential leaders in the complementarian Calvinist wing of conservative evangelicalism. He also lost his position as dean of doctor of ministry studies at The Master’s Seminary, which is led by John MacArthur. And his information is currently being wiped from other ministry websites such as The Gospel Coalition and Ligonier Ministries.
…Several days ago, the elders at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas were informed by Steve Lawson of an inappropriate relationship that he has had with a woman. The elders have met with Steve and will continue to come alongside him and pray for him with the ultimate goal of his personal repentance. Steve will no longer be compensated by Trinity Bible Church of Dallas.”
Julie Roys posted Pastor & The Master’s Seminary Dean Steve Lawson Fired from Church for ‘Inappropriate Relationship’ With a Woman.
Lawson is the founder and president of OnePassion Ministries “and has dedicated his life to help biblical expositors bring about a new reformation in the church,” the ministry’s website states.
Then, there is more information that Trinity Baptist Church and others seemed to want to ignore.
Julie Roys also posted, “Steve Lawson Had ‘5-Year Relationship’ with Woma in Her 20s, GCC Pastor Says.”
Steve Lawson, had a “5-year relationship” with a woman in her “late 20s,” Phil Johnson, an elder and pastor at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church, stated in an X post today, which has since been deleted.
“He is 73. She is in her late 20s,” Johnson wrote.
Johnson also stated that the woman is not a member of Lawson’s church, Trinity Bible Church of Dallas, and “lives in a different state nowhere close to any of the ministries Steve served.”
Did he actually confess to sin? Did he repent
Read the rest of this post to understand this guy’s difficult theology. He was beloved of the Calvinista set and known for calling out pastors who didn’t see things as he did.
Go back to the BNG article quoted at the beginning of this post.
Lawson belongs to a very scary group of double-predestination Calvinists whose theology destroys their humanity. While preaching at MacArthur’s conference for pastors, Lawson said: “Jesus isn’t coming to save. He’s coming to slaughter. He isn’t coming to deliver. He’s coming to destroy and damn.”
…listen to how detailed he gets in his description of what he thinks humanity will experience.
“Everyone in hell is screaming and crying out as they are in this lake of fire, in this furnace of fire as they are under torment as though they are stretched out on a rack to the breaking point, yet never breaking,” he imagines. “And this word ‘torment’ in the original Greek language refers to the rack or instrument of torture by which one is forced to give an answer. The stretching rack that they would put a body on and, ‘We’re going to get the answer out of you one way or another and we’re gonna tighten the screws and we’re gonna stretch you out until you tell us what we need to know.’”
…People are literally baptized in fire. They are immersed in fire. They are swimming in fire. They are engulfed in fire, yet never able to swim out of the lake of fire. They are forever preserved in this lake of fire. They are drowning in fire with the wrath of God inflicting pain from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet to every extremity in their body forever and ever and ever. … They will be roasted alive, yet they will never be able to die.
Where did we leave this pastor?
- There was a question of whether or not he was repentant.
- He met the woman when she was a student at Masters College, which raises the question of a power differential. I want to add that his 50 years of experience in life might also be considered a power differential.
- There was an attempt made to say this was not sexual, but that would prove to be false.
Steve Lawson goes on X to say, “I’ve sinned grievously,” but the sex only happened at the very end. I guess he thought that mattered.
I was doing my daily review of Twitter and stumbled upon his confession, which was supposed to prove that he was repentant. Lawson does not allow this to be embedded, so the reader must go here to read the whole thing.
I have been undergoing extensive counseling for the last five months to face the hard questions I need to address. I have dealt with sin issues that have been painfully exposed in my heart. I have submitted myself in weekly accountability to two pastors and to the elders of a local congregation, who have shepherded my soul. I am also under the oversight of an accountability team who monitor my progress and give me wise counsel in the decisions I have to make
A challenge…do you see what is missing?
He doesn’t mention the woman at all, and he doesn’t mention the “sorrow he bears” for the inevitable pain that she feels, which leads me to wonder what is going on. I found some answers at Cripplegate. Clint Archer interviewed Lawson in January, which was recorded but will not be released until Lawson gets the OK from his soul shepherds (Lawson’s term). However, he was allowed to write some of his thoughts on the interview until it could be posted. Does the reader see any problems with what is said or not said in this interview?
- He has wanted to make a public statement for a long time but has been wisely counseled not to because anything he said could be misconstrued and used to further hurt the many people affected by his sin.
- Lawson’s relationship with the young woman was one of acquaintance and then friendship for approximately five years, but was not one of a sexual nature until very shortly before it was exposed.
- After his adultery was discovered, Lawson confessed his sin to the elders of his church and to his family. He moved to Nashville,… best for the church and family, as they all processed the shocking news.
- He visited his family in Dallas and is still in Nashville.
- Any allegation of being unrepentant, or of being under church discipline for unrepentance, is unfounded.
- The Trinity Baptist Church elders do not have him “under discpline” because he is repentant. He is taking communion.
- Archer wants to see a statement of repentance from Lawson.
Even here, I see the focus on Lawson as a good Christian who is not under discipline. Note how his relationship with the young woman is presented. It was a non-sexual relationship until just before it was exposed. I had to shake my head. I know Archer is a Lawson fanboy, but just because the actual act of sex had not occurred does not mean it wasn’t sexual in other ways, included in thought. It is not excused by stating that sex only happened at the very end, so it wasn’t super bad. This intense relationship was only exposed because the woman’s father knew something was up.
Concern for the woman involved is lacking. She no longer appears to exist, and that subject seems to be one that will not be discussed, capisce?
Ryan Foley for the Christian Post wrote Steven Lawson breaks silence about removal from ministry: ‘I’ve sinned grievously’.He focused on the actions Lawson has taken to rehabilitate.
“I have been undergoing extensive counseling for the last five months to face the hard questions I need to address. I have dealt with sin issues that have been painfully exposed in my heart. I have submitted myself in weekly accountability to two pastors and to the elders of a local congregation, who have shepherded my soul. I am also under the oversight of an accountability team who monitor my progress and give me wise counsel in the decisions I have to make.”
…Lawson highlighted additional activities he has participated in during his “recovery season,” which include “growing in grace, reading and absorbing the Word of God, putting it into practice, praying, and meeting with other believers” as well as “attending and participating in prayer meetings, Sunday school, the worship service, and taking communion weekly.”
Phil Johnson, the erstwhile “Nothing to see here, move along,” was quoted by Foley.
Phil Johnson, executive director of John MacArthur’s Grace to You ministry, elaborated on the details of Lawson’s affair in a now-deleted thread on X. “This was a 5-year relationship with strong romantic overtones,” he wrote. “Both parties insist no literal fornication was involved, but their tie to one another was adulterous in spirit, if not in fact.”
According to Johnson, “[Lawson] is 73. She is in her late 20s. She is not a member of his church. In fact, she lives in a different state nowhere close to any of the ministries Steve served.”
She had a five-year relationship with him while living in a “different state.” This couple has figured out how to have a long-distance relationship, so I am not impressed by distance.
Lawson apparently needs a job even though he is 73 years old.
Newsweek published Pastor Steven Lawson Breaks Silence on Texas Church Removal. Clint Archer provided further information I didn’t find in the interview I quoted above.
- According to Archer, the woman was “a consenting adult in her mid-twenties” and a “student at The Master’s College during some of the time that they were engaged in this adulterous affair.”
- Archer said Lawson “is fully aware that he is permanently disqualified from ministry and is not under any illusion that he could ever be restored to a teaching position or ministry capacity that requires the qualifications of an elder.” He added that the disgraced pastor is “considering avenues for secular employment.”
- The jury is still out on the “consenting” relationship paradigm those who support Lawson proposed. When this relationship began, she was a student, and he was in a position of influence over her. I am waiting this one out. There is not enough information to make this judgment, but it is evident that Lawson’s friends want this to be true. I want to hear from the woman who has become a ghost. She is not worthy of mention except to emphasize that the relationship was “consensual.” I hope she gets excellent counseling outside the Master’s counseling crew. I would also think it would be wise to run this past a trauma-informed lawyer.
- Why does he need a job? He is 73 years old and retired. He has spent his entire life building his Reformed Giant legacy. Maybe it’s time for him to escape the admiring masses and take a break. He could spend quality time with his wife and family instead of starting a new job in a secular company. I’m suspicious. I could see him popping up as a counselor to Hobby Lobby or joining JD Greear on the Board of Chik-fil-A.
I think he is looking for a place to give him lots of money to do very little. Too bad he’s not SBC. He could do the NAMB. Meanwhile, the men are defining the woman. She needs a lawyer.
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Steve Lawson couldn’t have been any vaguer or what he supposedly is confessing. IMO, how can this even be considered a confession with no specifics of what was done. A “sinful relationship” could mean a lot of things everything from what Chandler did and had to step down for a period to full on adultery.
I image Lawson had his attorney review this statement to make sure Lawson wouldn’t admit even the possibility of clergy sexual abuse as it may appear. It is reported that Lawson was a family friend with her parents and had stayed overnight at their house. Who know when the grooming began.
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Have noticed that people will often say that these failures are a pity because the person in question is such a good teacher & preacher.
Goodness me, don’t they know that all this “good” teaching and preaching is one dimensional and that in the Christian context, good teaching and preaching entails faith & ethical behaviour?
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Another disturbing fact about the Steve Lawson affair is that the groups that Lawson was associated with tried to hide any details of what Lawson did other than calling it an inappropriate relationship. People had to push for details. Had there not been this push the details would probably never have come out.
Initially it was reported that Lawson was unrepentant but was never publicly rebuked as scripture calls for. I guess church discipline doesn’t apply to leaders.
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Dee, you truly believe she might not have a lawyer? Puhleese. They all have lawyers.
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“listen to how detailed he gets in his description of what he thinks humanity will experience.…”
+++++++++++
Well, I didn’t get very far.
I had to see what Steve Lawrence was so giddy about.
Then I tried to find a word suitable enough for the horrendous load of noxious applesauce that followed…. there isn’t one.
Since biblical is a logical impossibility, In all of our theologies we go high on some things and low on others. We all end up choosing what to err on in order to keep what we prioritize.
I marvel at what Steve and co. have enthusiastically come up with.
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His giddiness and obvious enjoyment when describing the torture of humanity (except for the “elect”) makes him, and all the preachers taken this kind of pleasure in the pain of others, a pervert, in my opinion.
“I never knew you” is what a lot of these false prophets might hear one day.
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Oh, and concerning RM’s mugshot: the new-style clothing looks good on him. He should have tried it years ago.
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How words can come back to haunt you!
In his book “The Expository Genius of John Calvin”, Mt Lawson has this to say – “ Calvin believed not only that the mind should be filled with the truth of the Word, but that the heart must be devoted to godliness. In Calvin’s view, there was no such thing as an unsanctified minister. The success of the preacher depended on the depth of his holiness. In public or private, in his study or on the street, the man of God had to be set apart from sin to holiness”
Lawson, Steven J. 2007. The Expository Genius of John Calvin. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing.
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Mt should be Mr! Sorry for typo
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Interesting comments follow the CP article about RM et al:
– Orange is the new clergy black.
– When non-Christians do evil, Christians say, “Grrr…” When Christians do evil, the same folks say, “Who am I to judge?”
– Oh, no! Christians are being persecuted in America!
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Ian Docker,
Exactly… and that passage that Dee put in the post of his “preaching” makes my blood boil? As far as I am concerned, messages like that tell me not just the “speaker”, but the system that encourages those kinds of messages are not only”off”, but “really messed up”…
We hear the word “hate” thrown around allot these days, but that “message” is not full “love”……
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Lowlandseer,
The problem with Lawson is that he knew the faith. Yet, the relationship lasted for years. I get the temptation, and I even get a short-term fall. I don’t get five years. That raises the question of whether this may have happened before.
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I am so glad you said this. I wondered the same myself.
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That was my way of saying this would develop into a legal mess. It is always possible that money and an NDA have already occurred.
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The hell imagery is a lame imitation of Jonathan Edwards.
This is off my radar but the typical, boilerplate phrases these guys all use is worthy of eyerolls: “come alongside,” “sin issues” (how about plain old “sin”? accountability, shepherding, wise counsel, etc ad nauseum.
Good work, Dee.
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I wonder whether any of his new improved pastors, elders, Bible study teachers, or accountability partners have suggested the Zaccheus option. The way I see it, from the minute he started the inappropriate stuff, he was robbing all his customers, clients, and donors.
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I’ll tell you who else needs to repent, and that’s the religious organization in Dallas what fired Lawson from his independent contractor public speaker position. From the initial statement onward, they’ve been abusing their pewsitters. First it was “We’re ALL sinners! Take heed lest you fall, too!” Then the silent treatment. Then conflicting clarifications off the record. Then accusing those who were upset or had questions or moved on of idolizing the adversary THEY hired. You bad idolaters! You’re sinners too!
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You will not find “inappropriate relationship” in the Bible. What you will find are words like “adultery”, “sin”, “iniquity”, “transgression”, “wickedness” … the dudebros need to start calling it like it is when their brethren SIN.
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Less important, but very strange, was Johnson’s teeet “Both parties insist no literal fornication was involved”
Never before or since have I heard this phrase.
Did Johnson coin it himself, did the woman’s dad give it to him, or did he actually talk with both parties himself (highly unlikely)?
I can guarantee this— a whole boatload of virtual fornication was going on. And I can only imagine the boatload of lies Lawson fed his alleged clergy abuse victim. “God told me my wife’s gonna kick the ol’ bucket any day now, and then we can be married!”
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As we’ve seen multiple times before on characters who make the front page of TWW, many of them “go into the ministry” for other reasons than being devoted to God to preach the Gospel. Men of God (real ones) keep their pants on.
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Prison inmates don’t think too highly of child-abusing preachers.
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Anybody else note the emptiness in Morris’ eyes in his mug shot?
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One of my other activities is as a peer counselor at a local Vet Center. I estimate that less than 20% of sexual assault victims in the military have received meaningful legal advice or advocacy. While not directly transferable to church assaults, the number is probably similar.
Lawyers cost money. While some do free community service and others do advocacy work funded by donations, they are greatly limited in their time and availability.
Demographics are kind of my thing…. I don’t know if I have posted the following link. https://www.prri.org/spotlight/gen-z-gender-and-religion/
In the past ten years, the number of women 18-29 who consider themselves unaffiliated has increased from 29% to 40%. Given the traditional stickiness of religious beliefs, that number is significant.
In the coming years, this cohort will take leadership positions in their community, family, and professions. If the church doesn’t fix the assault problem, an ever-increasing number of potential victims just leave the church.
Insulting women for standing up for themselves is probably not the best long-term strategy for keeping them in the church.
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Steve240,
“calling it … inappropriate…”
+++++++++++++
people opt for the word “inappropriate” when they want to hide the truth of the matter.
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dee,
Same with me..
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Off topic prayer request: our area of the Ozarks was hit by an EF3 tornado Friday night. We just got our power back on, many still without power. Lots of destruction, lives lost, homes and businesses destroyed. Prayers appreciated!
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Well…logically…as a hyper calvinist…this was all planned to happen from eternity past…the will of God…(snark)
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It really gets ridiculous when you go down that road with Mr. Calvin, doesn’t it?
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“I have submitted myself in weekly accountability to two pastors and to the elders of a local congregation, who have shepherded my soul. I am also under the oversight of an accountability team who monitor my progress and give me wise counsel in the decisions I have to make.”
He almost seems to be saying that it takes a whole lot of people – two pastors, elders, a team – to keep him from going after another young woman.
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The actual name for this eternity of Hell as Spectator Sport is “The Abominable Fancy”.
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AKA Gag Order sweetened with Hush Money.
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That’s the main reason I can’t stomach Christianese.
Too Crapsaccharine and phony.
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“Most cults are started so the Cult Leader can (a) get rich, (b) get laid, or (c) both.”
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Remember that Voddie Baucham quote?
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I thought the same thing and wondered why he did not mention “the woman”. And five years is a long time to do something stupid when you “know better”. Plus, he was forced to come clean because he was caught. He owes everyone that “followed him” a little more detail but I have no idea how much in that statement. I would feel better if he simply used the word “sex” and got it out of the way.
Could there be a good reason to not mention her in his confession? I think he could have said something without mentioning her by name of course. I am scratching my head a bit as to why he would have excluded a reference to how he knew better but used her.
That being said, he created a disaster and hurt a lot of people. No post on X will suffice. If he just “goes away” without saying anything, that doesn’t work either. I want to give this one some time. He lives with knowing what he did, and I can imagine this sucks and he deserves it. If she sues him, great. If he is found dead in a dark alley somewhere I do not think that helps the family at all….. or even her for that matter.
If he shows up in ministry again then Dee will post it and I will shake my head in disgust with the rest of you.
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William Thornton,
You’re kicking it over at SBC Voices. Good work back at ya!
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George,
‘If he shows up in ministry again’
Despite his age and willful sinning don’t be surprised if he does so. After all, there is a clear culture of retooling and reinventing oneself no matter what the failures and shortcomings.
And for those who do so, the ministry and trappings are obviously a meal ticket and idol
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I absolutely think it is very possible that she doesn’t have a lawyer because she’s been told she doesn’t need a lawyer. Especially a lawyer who will protect her interests, as opposed to the interests of the church, the university she went to, the religious community she was in, etc. I think you forget (or never knew) how terribly isolated women are within these circles. They’re supposed to rely on their fathers, husbands and male pastors for authority and direction.
I hope she gets a lawyer who is looking out for her interests, as opposed to one who is looking out for the interests of the community and church which has basically disappeared her.
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Satin,
Such a good observation! I have nothing to add, just a “why yes, that church needs to apologize to its community.”
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WRT Steve Lawson wanting to work–he may have to work?
I suspect, like so many ministers, he never paid into Social Security. So he could be dependent on whatever stipends he may have gotten from the religious groups he has worked for over the years. I have no idea. But I just thought I’d mention it.
Also, despite the fact that I was sick with Covid, I did manage to get married to the love of my life on Friday. I wore an N95 mask while taking my vows. (Those things SWEAT on the inside, just so you know.) I’m still recovering from being sick but there are things husbando and I will be doing for the rest of the week before I go back to work. You know, looking at paint and flooring for the house we’re buying (my late mother’s house) and just being together before I have to go back to work.
Why yes, we’re both very happy! (Dee, I will send you a pic when one of my several non-professional photographers finish sending all the pics.)
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“Meanwhile, the men are defining the woman. She needs a lawyer.”
Thank you Dee for calling out the insane dynamics of this and similar situations. In the religious world, celebrity leaders have virtually unlimited power. When their exercise of their own power inevitably leads to some kind of scandal, the person affected often becomes ‘this other woman’, someone faceless and voiceless. I agree there is a lot of missing information here.
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Much of the 21st century “religious world” is cluttered with Christian celebrities applauded by faithful followers in cults of personality and churches of entertainment. It’s a “Christian” Industrial Complex which has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ has almost no authority; an illegitimate authority of men and their systems have taken over. Christ’s influence is becoming less and less in this religious world. It’s no surprise that a man with unlimited power can set up his own kingdom with a counterfeit form of Christianity … “and My people love it so.”
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Christie24,
I hope she is OK and has some support. I worry about the “Jezebel’ thing that they like to hang on women. They make it about them and excuse the hallowed perpetratr who they want back in the game.
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Gus,
I would posit that this theology is a manifestation of underlying sociopathy. This is not just “hard preaching.” This is a purposeful use of fear, intimidation, and horrific threats to gain control over individuals. There is something wrong with those who entertain and espouse such thoughts. There is something even more wrong with someone who proclaims these ideas and uses them to build a following.
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Muslin, fka Dee Holmes,
This guy made his money in books and conferences. He wasn’t your typical pastor.I wonder where his money went. That could be interesting.
I cannot wait to see the pics. I am ecstatic for you.
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Satin,
Well said!
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He says he wants a job in the secular world. That may involved things like books and speaking. They like to become “corporate executive coaches” which can make them $800,000+ a year if they ar famous.
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On some other sites I hear men say that she was so young and he was so old, he couldn’t help i.
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Not to mention the fact that hell is cruel and unusual punishment according to the U.S. Constitution.
Only a sicko takes delight in the pain of others.
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Pardon me if this has already been said, but what really gets under my skin is that so many of these “covenant membership” promoting pastors/ leaders will cry “submit” and claim Hebrews 13:17 and 1 Timothy 5:17-19, but they seem to completely forget about 1 Timothy 5:20, “But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.” The pervasive and persistent sin of leaders should not be covered up but should be brought out into the open before the entire church.
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With too many Christians, God is not God, HELL is God.
Look at what happened in the N.T.Wright YouTube comment thread last Sunday.
Here are the fruits of this:
1) Soteriology becomes Fire Insurance and nothing more. This gets compounded by accompanying images of Heaven which don’t sound much better than Hell.
2) Moral development gets arrested at the Toddler Level: Avoid Punishment At All Costs.
3) And has Gus has pointed out, what type of guy creams his pants over preaching Hell in such exquisite detail? Do you really want to be around a guy like that, never mind giving him Spiritual Authority over you?
4) Fear of Hell can be quite a motivator to Shut Up and fall in line — Pay, Pray, and most important OBEY! (If Gus is the same “Gustav von Osterreich” of old, he should know the word “Kadavergehorsham” — literally “Corpse Obedience”, more accurately “Zombie Obedience”, even more accurately “Total Blind Obedience”.)
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I believe this is called “Beware the Power of P*ssy” and/or “Orders from Captain Bonerhelmet”.
I bet Lawson wishes he were a Taliban Mullah right now. Where Honor Killing is common under the rationale “If nobody knows of my sin, I Am Not Shamed. And dead Jezebels Tell No Tales.”
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“I kill my own mother and still they cheer me!”
— Caesar Nero, in Paul L Maier’s historical novel The Flames of Rome
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That only works if she’s a Succubus.
Are these guys LARPing D&D or Malleus Maleficarium and won’t admit to it?
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
Yep. And yep.
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Well, that tells you all about the people saying it.
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“He couldn’t help it” so there is no fruit of the Spirit, self-control, for pastors? Or is it just not available for old guys (and how old is “old”? Or is it her fault? I need to know what she was wearing to make this judgement call. (Insert eye roll.)
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dee,
““corporate executive coaches” ”
+++++++++++++++++
ah, the Pet Rock, revisited.
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These bad-boy pulpiteers behave as if they have no fear of God. Apparently, they are in the ministry for other reasons than to please Him.
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dee,
As always not matter what the scandal, indiscretion, and form of exploitation. Money is always in the mixture.
Starting think its not just a cultural thing, but DNA.
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Hes an adulterer by his own confession but his language reeks of a desire to still be RESPECTED as a spiritual leader. I hope his wife leaves him. He deserves it.
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This post gives information on how far the two actually went.
https://thecripplegate.com/steve-lawson-interview/
Reading this article it says “ but was not one of a sexual nature until very shortly before it was exposed.” Maybe the claim is it was physical but not full fornication which at Lawson’s age maybe not possible? It wouldn’t surprise me if both Lawson and the woman are trying to minimize what they did.
Pictures have been circulating online that show Lawson and the woman sitting close together like a couple at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church. I am sure if this was a regular unmarried couple their actions would have been scrutinize but with Lawson being royalty his actions like this were unassailable. Then again who would figure something would be going on between a young woman and a man old enough to be her grandfather.
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This contains a video of Lawson talking before he was caught. Lawson is talking about a hypothetical pastor caught in adultery and calling that person a “fool of fools.”
What sad is all that the only consequences Lawson mentions is the person having to work a menial secular job. He makes no mention of the damage this pastor’s affair would do to the wife, the church he is pastoring nor the woman this man had an affair with. If nothing else, this sadly shows Lawson’s true motive for being a pastor: position vs. serving and glorifying Christ.
Now Lawson has himself done what he calls “fool of fools.”
Another thing is that Lawson was known for his expensive Brooks Brother Clothes and Mont Blanc pens. It wouldn’t surprise me if he spent a lot of his money on these as well as flying his mistress to meet him.
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dee,
Sure! Men cannot help themselves when confronted with a pretty young face.
But women are called huskies.
PLEASE
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William Thornton,
“Growing” in “grace” an activity?
Participating in Sunday school? His ghost writers are trolls!
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I have a question. Does the woman bear any guilt or moral responsibility for this immoral relationship?
Clearly, Lawson obviously bears far more. I don’t think anyone can dispute that. He was a pastor, a teacher, and a well educated professor. He was vastly older, married, a father and grandfather, and highly esteemed within his circles. He was in a position of respect, and authority (even if not directly over her as her particular pastor, or professor).
Did he use those things to manipulate the woman? He probably did. It was very likely a manipulative and abusive situation.
Still, the woman was a woman in her 20s not a child, or teenager. As an adult, does she have any agency of her own?
I think women are capable of sinning, and also have sinful hearts.
We don’t know her heart. Did she seek, or enjoy his improper attention? We don’t know.
Can one be simultaneously a sinner and a victim? I tend to think so.
Can moral culpability exceed 100%? Can we say that Lawson is 100% responsible while the woman also be say 40% responsible? I tend to think so.
Did she sin, or is she only a victim?
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Steve240,
Information, accurate or otherwise, is online at the Evangelical Dark Web website and has been for several months.
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
Thank you for pointing to the NT Tom thread and I (a week late) pinched my nose and stomached the transcript! What do readers think of my “viewpoints” there?
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Bridget,
Apparently, auto correct didn’t like hussies.
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*drily* Women and girls are made responsible for male sexual activity. So if the man falls victim to sexual sin, it’s not *his* fault, it’s the fault of any woman / girl in their vicinity. All of us women/girls are to blame when men fall. The men are never at fault. ‘
I hate this.
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I despise it too.
Thank God there’s only a tiny minority of American people who believe this $hit.
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Jesus had somthing to say about this:
“And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.”
He might not have had eyes in mind, exclusively.
Blaming men’s bad behavior on “provocative” female clothing, or on females and their “behavior” in general, is something all fundamentalist religions have in common, be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Hindu. The ultimate goal is controlling the female and her sexuality. Fundamentalism is the religion of small, weak men.
That’s why I often say that all fundamentalists everywhere follow the same religion, just different denominations of same.
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Oh, and BTW:
If men cannot control themselves, maybe the restrictions should apply to THEM, not the women: maybe men should – if they’re “easily tempted¹” – be made to wear very dark glasses, or blinders, like horses, so that they always look at the straight and narrow path ahead.
—
¹worse than “easily deceived”, methinks.
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Fundamentalism is a state of mind that can attach itself to any belief system.
And it doesn’t need to be a religion; abstract political ideologies or the person of a charismatic Fuehrer/Messiah type will also work, as long as It can be elevated to Cosmic Importance. Anything/anyone that claims to be The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.
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“Deliver me, Lord, from the Judgement
Of Saints Who Have Never Been Caught.”
“The greater the Righteousness, the greater the Perversion.”
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Brian,
I think you are on to something…. And all to often I see people make it an “all or nothing” discussion. Lawson probably preached the sermon about Joseph fleeing the temptation of Potapher’s wife many times. He should have been more mature, wiser, stronger… etc. But does that always make the sin 100% / 0% ? I don’t think so. I disagree with the comments at times.
But…. Dee and the commenters are right when they assess that it is not 50 / 50. The power differential is not something I thought a lot about until this site.
Its like if I fought Mike Tyson and died….. people would think I was stupid, but Tyson would would come under more scrutiny due to the obvious issue with the mismatch.
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Well, either Lawson or his board member(s) claim it only “became sexual” just before it was exposed. If whoever it was clarified what they meant by “became sexual” then the readers might understand how far. Otherwise, IMO that’s a really horrible article, beginning with the misleading headline. I’ll go into more detail if you like.
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Let’s imagine it was Lawson himself who said this because it was only last summer the woman finally sent him some naughty selfies which her Dad accidentally saw. But if he’d been pressuring her for years, playing footsie beneath the pews, putting his hand on her knee, telling her how beautiful she is with her loong waaavy hair, how they’re soulmates and his wife doesn’t understand him etc. some folks might say it was sexual the whole time.
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I suggest doing a quick Google search for “dating in the workplace policy” you will find a number of links to more information about the issues surrounding personal relationships in the workplace, school, and religious institutions.
The core questions are around: Does the relationship cause conflicts of interest, favoritism, or harassment?
The issue of power is not about who is stronger; it is about whether one party has the ability to cause the other party to make decisions that are not in the best interest of the other party or the organization.
IE. Am I sleeping with the boss in order to get a promotion? Can I coerce a subordinate to sleep with me out of fear of reprisal?
Relationships happen. When they happen, the question becomes whether they are properly disclosed and steps are taken to eliminate conflicts of interest, favoritism, or harassment.
By way of example. I meet my wife in group therapy at the VA. During the day, I was finishing my undergraduate degree while working evenings at a VA hospital as a peer counselor. Part of my job was leading group therapy sessions with between 5-10 Vets. I had a supervisor with an MD who attended about one out of three sessions and I was assisted by a 3rd-year med student on their psychiatry rotation. A rotation was generally 8-12 weeks.
After each session, the student and I would debrief in the hospital cafeteria.
During one rotation, I meet the most amazing women. Our 1-hour after-session debriefing sessions often stretched to 2-3 hours. Somehow, she was often done studying at around 1130 PM when my shift was over 🙂
I can still remember the final day of her rotation. We had finished the debrief; she hit send on her final email to my supervisor and her attending. Under the glare of the fluorescent lights, I leaned in and kissed her. We have been together ever since.
If we had dated while working together in group, I would have gotten fired and she would have gotten reprimanded. The moment she was no longer attached to the VA psychiatry department, a relationship was fine.
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And they are working hard to establish National Socialism here in the States.
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But in Christianese, “sexual” means Tab A in Slot B and nothing else.
LOOPHOLE! LOOPHOLE!
Like Deep Throat Driscoll and both ends of the alimentary canal.
LOOPHOLE! LOOPHOLE!
Like Douggie ESQUIRE of Vision Forum’s favorite act on his Commander’s Handmaid.
LOOPHOLE! LOOPHOLE!
Like Falwell Junior’s instructions to Pool Boy.
LOOPHOLE! LOOPHOLE!
Like the song of the same name from Garfunkel & Oates.
LOOPHOLE! LOOPHOLE!
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And like the first time National Socialism came around, the Christians are cheering it on. The Anointed One who will WIN the Culture War against the HOMOSEXUALS, against the Global Radical Left, and the Vast Cabal pulling the strings behind it all while Eating Our Children and
baking their blood into Passover Matzoiextracting Adrenochrome from their pineal glands.And as long as you don’t salute from the shoulder, hoist the Hakenkreuz, or speak Hochdeutsch, you’re safely under the radar.
“You’ll always have Nazis among you,
You’ll always have Nazis among you,
Next time they won’t come in brown shirts or boots;
They’ll come speaking softly in three-piece suits;
But you’ll always have Nazis among you.”
— Donna Barr, Desert Peach: the Musical, closing aria
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If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
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Sorry about the typos and bad grammar…
My eyes are getting too old to write and edit a coherent multi-paragraph response in a 2.5 X 4-inch text box. It doesn’t help that Grammarly seems to make random changes when I hit enter.
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davewis,
It’s OK, at least par for the course of an internet forum post, and it’s a great and heartwarming story, in addtion to making your point. Thank you!
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Muff Potter,
Like capitalism it seems there are numerous definitions and concepts of what ‘socialism’ entails and has become in the minds of many.
Historically where I reside, christain clergy supported “socialist” trade unions and political parties that advocated and implemented living award wages, sickness and injury benefits for workers, national health care for all citizens, affordable aged and child care, and equal pay for women, just to name a few.
And guess what? The capitalist – who more often than not are, and still remain, practical atheists – still made money.
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Yes, but can they become billionaires?
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(The bold was done by me.)
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 etc.
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Not if they’re Christian.
Compared to Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or Vladimir Putin, the world’s richest televangelist (Kenneth Copeland) is only worth pocket change — still well under a billion.
Even when it comes to Simony (getting rich off the church), Christians are still last in line compared to the REAL Big Boys.
“Wealthy is Quiet,
Rich is Loud,
Poor is Flashy.”
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Ian Docker,
You missed the point, I was talking about the German version (1930s national socialism) headed up by a charismatic public speaker with a small brush mustache.
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Muff Potter,
Yes, you’re correct it seems I did.
As you know the irony is that some of the first people thrown into labour ‘concentration” camps by the so called ‘national socialist’ were ‘socialist’ & ‘Christian socialist’ plus very faithful clergy like Paul Scheider who were all collectivly labeled as politicals.
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Ian Docker,
Yes, very true.
Being gay was also enough to get you (generic you) sent to Sachsenhausen or Dachau.
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And Boy Could He PREACH!
Remember those Revival Meetings at Nuremburg?
Where EVERYONE (even filtered through the Media) could FEEL the SPIRIT Moving?
(FACT: Outside observers DID describe the Nuremberg Rallies as “Revival Meetings”.)
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And the Christians Rejoiced.
As the Anointed Leader restored Traditional German Family Values.
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I do not care one iota for Steve Lawson. I was never a fan, although I was aware of his super-duper Reformed stardom. The Jesus Lawson claims to know so much about (not sure he knows Him), is powerless to change a life, powerless to transform his desires, fails to implant His love in a life. That Jesus is very foreign to me. I am sorry for those who listened so closely to Lawson. Although, now there is no excuse for anyone who gives him one ounce of their attention. I do NOT feel sorry for anyone who listens to him anymore. They have their reward in full. This is another masterclass in Spiritual Manipulation of the Masses. Admirals in Rowboats, indeed!