Woman crying in church. cotonbro@pexels
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. Desmond Tutu
It is results like this that are discouraging for those of us who genuinely care about the sexual abuse of underage children in the church. Therefore, I have written three posts on Robert Shifflet, Denton Bible Church, and Tommy Nelson.
A child molester/trafficker, Robert Shiflet, who had been a youth pastor at DBC, has been arrested and federally charged.
I was contacted by some members/former members of Denton Bible Church who alleged that the church may have covered up Shiflet’s activities. They requested that I post about the arrest. Here is the statement released by the Department of Justice-Arkansas branch. The following was posted on 6/24/20. Former Youth Pastor Charged With Multiple Sex Crimes: Indictment Alleges Illegal Transportation and Coercion of Minors.
the indictment, which charges Shiflet with three counts of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count of coercing a minor to cross a state line to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The indictment alleges that in or about May 1997, Shiflet transported a minor from Texas to Arkansas for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity. The indictment alleges he did so again in March 2001 with a different minor, and from June through September of 2002 with a third minor. The indictment also charges Shiflet with enticing the third minor to cross a state line for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity from June through September of 2002. During this time period, Shiflet worked as a youth pastor in Little Rock and later moved to Denton, Texas, where he had previously worked as a youth pastor
NBC/ DFW posted Former Denton Bible Church Youth Pastor Accused of Child Sex-Trafficking which claims that Shfliet had worked at DBC from 1995-2001.
Shiflet’s alleged offenses overlap with his time working at Denton Bible Church, where Shiflet, 50, worked in the church’s youth ministry programs from 1995 to 2001, church officials said in a statement Tuesday..
DBC released a statement to NNBC/DFW claiming they are grieving for the victims…
We are aware that Mr. Shiflet has been charged in Arkansas with offenses that overlap his tenure at DBC,” the Denton Bible Church said in a statement. “Church leadership grieve with and are in prayer for the victims of this tragic situation.”
So, what happened, and did the church know? They loved their youth pastor despite the reports.
It seems like the answer is a resounding “Yes.” The Christian Post reported Texas megachurch repents for not involving women in decision-making after the abuse of 14 girls by an ex-pastor.
On at least one known occasion two youth workers confronted Shiflet about his being alone with girls, which he dismissed. They also raised concern with church leadership, including Pastor Nelson, about Shiflet’s being one-on-one with girls. Shiflet’s supervisor was told by Pastor Nelson that Shiflet should not be meeting alone with girls,” reads the letter.
However, “there was no evidence that any other corrective or disciplinary action was taken.”
…In 1999, a college intern also reported Shiflet’s inappropriate behavior, and church leadership told him to write the intern a letter of apology, which was reportedly never delivered. No further disciplinary action was reportedly taken against him.
The church didn’t promote him.
because of his pattern of being alone with girls and not focusing enough on ministering to the boys in his youth group.”
He was allowed to continue to be with the students. Read that line again; he was allowed to continue with the student. He finally left to go to another church and immediately got into trouble there.
Shiflet left Denton Bible Church to become the youth pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. He quickly got himself in trouble.
“On at least three occasions in Arkansas, Shiflet was seen alone with girls, reportedly touched one girl’s thigh, and kissed another. When the last incident was reported to the church in 2003, Shiflet was fired,” the elders wrote. “However, it was in Little Rock that the second crime for which Shiflet pled guilty occurred. Specifically, Shiflet admitted that he sexually assaulted, by sexual touch and intercourse, a 16-year-old girl in his youth group on multiple occasions over several years, including during a church trip to Florida.”
In 2005, Nelson and friends discovered the presence of sexual abuse in the church and were…stunned…
Finally, by 2005, the church began to believe the reports they were receiving.
…Who cared about the victims? No one.
The church offered little care to the victims.
In 2015, another of Shiflet’s former middle school students at Denton Bible reported to the church and police that he sexually abused her. The church responded by confronting Shiflet but offered no care to the victim.
It wasn’t until the parents of the first victim who came forward in 2005 approached Denton Bible leadership in 2019 and asked for help caring for their daughter, who was then in her 30s, that the church decided to reach out to the police.
“Recognizing the change in the law and finding no record that a report to authorities had been made, church leaders reported what they knew to authorities and hired the independent investigators. However, Denton Bible did not consistently follow-up with the family or offer care to the victim. As a result the family left Denton Bible,” the elder report states.
A third-party investigation found problems with Denton Bible Church
The church finally commissioned a third-party, attorney-led investigation. In May 2022 the report was released, and it didn’t look good for Nelson and the church leaders. Church Leaders wrote about it in We Never Got Trained on It in Seminary’—Texas Pastor Responds to Church’s Failure To Report Sexually Abusive Youth Minister.
The letter chronicles that Shiflet was employed by Denton Bible Church “to work with middle school students from 1996 to 2001. During this time, and despite his own policies to the contrary, Shiflet was observed regularly spending time alone with girls in his ministry, including before and after school, in his office, in his vehicle, in his home, and in a hotel room.”
Shifflet got a 33-month plea deal.
Why a plea deal (33 months)?
This case went back over 20 years, and there was not enough hard evidence. Shiflet pled guilty to two counts of molestation. The judge was frustrated with the 33 months sentence, but there wasn’t much he could do following the plea deal. He expressed his frustration in the following.
I have to worry about general deterrence.nAt least in mymind, this is amongthe very worst crimes one can commit.
In terms of just the conduct that Mr. shiflet pled guilty to, it’s among the worst crimes that one can commit.And it’s among thecrimes that probably have the longest term psychological effect on its victims,
of any I know, perhaps save murder. And certainly as to the related offense conduct that’s in the
presentence report, it gets even worse than the specific crimeso which Mr. Shiflet pled quilty to.Part of what I need to do is make sure that other people don’t do this.How in the world is 33 months
telling people who might commit a crime like this, who are in a position of authority
over their victims like Mr. Shiflet was, telling them that they might get 33 months how in the world does that
deter them from doing something as heinous as this?
And now…
He’s out after 25 months. It was unexpected…
This thing is a mess. First, the Christian Post wrote Ex-Denton Bible Church pastor who abused 14 girls released after 25 months for good behavior.
The Texas Public Sex Offender Website shows that Shiflet now lives in Weatherford after he was released from prison on Jan. 11, Fox 4 reported. His victims, however, were not informed of his release for more than six weeks!!
An email from the U.S. Department of Justice to the victims cited by Fox 4 said advanced notice of the disgraced megachurch pastor’s release wasn’t possible because it was “immediate, and/or unexpected.”
A miscalculation let him get out early.
He was sentenced to 33 months in prison under a plea deal in June 2021 for child sex trafficking charges, which was less than the suggested 41 to 51 months and below the statutory maximum of 10 years on the first count and 15 on the second due to a miscalculation.
…Unfortunately, we were wrong but that was the agreement we reached based upon our understanding at that time,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant said in a statement.
It appears the plea deal was based on some wrong numbers. This was a disturbing blunder on the part of the prosecutors.
“You are a terrible person and should be in jail for decades.”
According to The Christian Post, in Former youth pastor accused of sexually abusing 14 girls to be released from prison after 33 months
Shiflet, 51, whose pending release was highlighted by Fox 4, was sentenced in June 2021, on charges of sexually abusing 14 young girls placed under his pastoral care 20 years earlier. The sentence was made after Shiflet made a plea deal which U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky lamented.
“You are a terrible person,” Rudofsky told the former youth pastor at the time, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “I don’t believe that you are sorry in the slightest. I don’t believe you have rehabilitated yourself. I believe you haven’t been caught again but I don’t believe you have rehabilitated yourself.”
Rudofsky explained that if he had his way Shiflet would be in prison for decades after a trial.
- Shame on Tommy Nelson and Denton Bible Church.
- Shame on those who miscalculated his plea deal. This was a profoundly troubling miscarriage of justice, in my opinion.
- Robert Shifflet may still be a danger. His perversions were not cured in jail.
- I am so sorry for all of the victims of Robert Shifflet. Unfortunately, the system let them down. I pray they will get the help they need to deal with this miscarriage of justice.
Now, I’m going to cry and rage about the system. But there is so much work to do, and we must, somehow, carry on.
Who is paying the Dear Leaders’ salaries?
Complicit.
Church donors own this.
Ughhh.
Sigh…
Shifflet deserves a lot more time, a lot more, in prison than he was originally sentenced.
But, Tommy Nelson, pfffft!
From “Church Leaders” article:
‘ Denying that any coverup occurred, Nelson said, “What there was, well, times changed on us and we didn’t change. Because this was something—a pedophile was a term I never heard from 1974 to 2005. I never heard it. It never happened. We never got trained on it in seminary.” ‘
He didn’t know what the word ‘pedophile’ meant ….. he’d never heard of it. Okay, fine.
But,(big ‘but’ here) Nelson has a degree from a well known seminary and yet he can’t distinguish the difference between right and wrong….. especially when the wrong is terribly, horribly, destructively wrong??? He didn’t know that it was terribly wrong for an older adult male in a position of authority to have sex with a number of underage girls ~~~ that he was supposed to be pastoring???
No. No sale. I don’t buy it. I think Nelson should have been charged with aiding and abetting!
Spring Creek Baptist Church with Pastor Matt Edwards, https://www.myspringcreek.org/ is 3 minutes down the road from the registered church children pedo predator’s address in Weatherford.
(TEXAS RESIDENT)
699 SPRING CREEK PKWY
WEATHERFORD TX 76087
What does that mean? That means that the church participants should be fully informed of the identity, history and location of the church pedo pastor predator.
Awareness. Protect children, NOT the reputation and history of a church pedo pastor predator.
Example from the Bible: Zacchaeus was a repentant sinner, with full disclosure of his predation right in his story in the Bible. Same with David. Full disclosure is a pre-requisite of repentance, NOT cover-up.
Today, the Denton Bible Church still has only white male leadership: 17 elders, and 6 deacons. All old white men. https://dentonbible.org/about/our-team/
“The 15-member, all-male elder board of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas, has admitted that they failed to prevent the sexual abuse of at least 14 girls by a former youth pastor, didn’t involve women leaders when evaluating abuse allegations and failed to provide adequate care for the victims.”
https://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-megachurch-repents-for-no-women-in-decision-making.html
They admit now, but don’t change.
The Denton Bible Church is about 1 hour away from the registered pastor pedo predator sex offender’s address. After Arkansas, where the article notes he quickly got into trouble, he returned to Texas. Apparently, more pedo pastor friendly in the churches.
No wonder they can’t protect and care for women and girls, when they don’t listen to women.
This pedophile pastor predator, in all of these accounts, prefers middle school girls. That’s sick. And evil to the core.
The pedophile pastor predator is married with children. Where do they fit into this? Was his wife aware of his goings-on with middle school girls, meeting them alone in many different venues over decades? Or, is she not allowed a voice either – since she, too, is a woman? Or, does she just stand by her man?
The Denton Church’s older man youth pastor was violating and raping middle school girls in church. It doesn’t need a term. It’s evil, without the term. Evil.
Obviously the Denton church head pastor, church elders, church deacons, and church donors do not value children as human beings. They do not uphold the value of children in their organization. How evil of them. Sick organization, from the top down. Pitiful excuses and no admission.
I think Anthony says it best with regard to Shifflet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocI_R8lMpM
I agree.
Well, Pastor, I suspect you did know these terms at the time: pervert, deviant, degenerate.
So his followers ‘love this guy’ . . . .
and they KNOW what he did and what he is capable of, and STILL . . . . ?
It is hard to fathom the depths of peoples’ ‘loyalty’ to ‘dear leaders’, but you would think that there are some boundaries that are not to be crossed as long as people CLAIM to be ‘following Christ’.
Painful to read this post . . . what ‘form’ of ‘theology’ EXCUSES the hell the poor victims were put through as unimportant in the final balance? We hope for justice for the victims and yet some ‘christians’ still stand for the evil as ‘excused’. ???
I will never get used to this.
Even now, in our present time, people are forgetting the harm done to millions of innocents in the last century be the blind loyalty to them what led entire nations into evil so profound that those who still foster THAT EVIL are called ‘Holocaust Deniers’ . . . .
Those who ‘look the other way’ or are outright ‘excusing’ the abuse of innocents ARE complicit and justice for the innocent WILL be served. I fear for the souls of those who are knowingly complicit. They cannot hide on the Last Day by saying ‘Lord, Lord’
Max,
I don’t believe Tommy Nelson. If it is true, he should never have been in charge of any ministry.
Ahhh, Dee! If you can’t trust “Pastor”, who can you trust?!
(and that my fellow Americans, is the dilemma we are in today in certain corners of the American church)
“In ‘that day’ many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we preach in your name, didn’t we cast out devils in your name, and do many great things in your name?’ Then I shall tell them plainly, ‘I have never known you. Go away from me, you have worked on the side of evil!’” (Matthew 7:22-23)
“should never have been in charge of any ministry” – this is not uncommon.
It makes his church a playground for adults – perverts included. That’s all it is. Adults prey on children while the rest of the adults, including the adults in charge, claim ignorance. Children are violated, including by leaders/pastors. Children’s testimonies are ignored and held in contempt.
Churches engage families. Is this a family friendly safe church? No.
Sex offenders have to register as such, by law, with civic authorities, for life.
Churches that protect sex offenders should also be registered as such. If the church refuses to publicly expose the sex offender, then the community needs to publicly expose the church.
Churches that have a track record of exposing sex offenders and fully informing the church at large of the identity, history, and activities of sex offenders, should also publish this.
There are 2 and only 2 types of churches with regard to sex offenders:
1. Churches that cover-up sex offenders.
2. Churches that expose sex offenders.
Every church is in one, only one, of these 2 categories. Sex offenders live in stealth. Not walking the line with regard to the identity and activities (including histories) of sex offenders is COVER-UP, whether the church admits it or not. There’s no middle ground.
Which churches are family friendly and safe for children?
Which churches are predator friendly and safe for pedos?
(We were active in a church where a sex predator [in the news over the weekend, arrested, and bonded out] showed up to church on the same weekend talking to his targets – middle school boys – right there in the lobby of the church. He still had his leadership position of elder in the church. We turned around and left, never to return. Why parents would continue to bring their families into such an environment is insane. Totally inhumane to children. Playing with fire. Evil.)
IMHO, not a corner.
We were active in another church – a mega – where we saw a sex offender with a legal record sitting rows ahead of us during worship. We went to the children’s pastor and asked what they were going to do about this guy joining/attending their church. The children’s pastor said there was nothing he could do. Right.
NOT right. A sex offender with a legal record registers his address so the community knows the dangers of his presence in their neighborhood. Exposure is essential since sex offenders operate in stealth to prey on the unsuspecting vulnerable and innocent. What do churches do in this regard?
A church:
1. shelters sex offenders in their community, OR
2. exposes sex offenders in their community.
There is no middle ground.
We left that church, also. Not worth it. Children are God’s gift to our communities, and they are our future.
Do most/all church leaders think – falsely – there is a middle ground in dealing with sex offenders in their community?
Are there ANY church leaders that do diligence in awareness and exposure of sex offenders in their community/church?
Unfortunately, more common than uncommon … the institutional church is a mess (Christianity Lite, mega-mania, celebrity preachers, personality cults, authoritarian leaders, aberrant theology, pastor-pedophiles, etc. etc.) … come Lord Jesus!
From the post:
The sentence was made after Shiflet made a plea deal which U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky lamented.
“You are a terrible person,” Rudofsky told the former youth pastor at the time, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “I don’t believe that you are sorry in the slightest. I don’t believe you have rehabilitated yourself. I believe you haven’t been caught again but I don’t believe you have rehabilitated yourself.”
Rudofsky explained that if he had his way Shiflet would be in prison for decades after a trial.
==============================
I did some research on whether a judge has to accept a plea bargain. Here is what I found:
“Can A Judge Refuse To Accept A Plea Agreement?
Yes, if a judge does not like an agreement reached between the prosecutor and the defendant, he or she can inform both parties that the agreement will not be accepted in its current state. But, under both the Arkansas and Federal rules, the judge must inform the defendant that he or she is not going to honor the agreement and give the defendant an opportunity to withdraw the guilty plea.”
Source- Joyce Law Firm – Plea Agreements
IMO U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky has nothing to lament. He could have refused to accept the plea if he thought the perv didn’t get a long enough sentence.
I tire of these spineless judges.
I have a feeling that God is growing tired of them too … spineless judges, inferior judicial systems, church folks who care more about restoring abusers than ministering to victims.
I am done here. Goodbye. Something I should have done a long time ago.
Mr. Jesperson,
I wish you well.
I will miss your comments and perspective.
🙂 🙂 🙂
“Robert Shifflet Is a ‘Terrible Person’ Who Should Still Be in Jail” …
… to join the conga line of hundreds/thousands of pervert-pastors who should be on their way to incarceration
“My brothers, not many of you should become teachers/preachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater judgment” (James 3:1)
Hell is hot and Hell is long.
Read the first verse of James to identify its audience. James does not have doctrine for the Body of Christ, although it has many wise comments practical for anyone.
As far as the rest of this topic, many people struggle to overcome sin and to reckon their old man dead as Romans 6 states and probably should stay away from most other people.
The day is coming when one of those big whigs in the Baptist hierarchy will go down for complicity if he tries to cover up a future sex-scandal involving kids and teens.
If they’ve learned anything, they’ll report it to Law Enforcement FIRST and save themselves a whole lotta’ bad poo-poo.
Better one pedo-perp in jail than a whole ministry ruined as collateral damage.
“My brothers, have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ …” (James 2:1)
Doesn’t get any more wise than that. Then, James goes on to warn about taking on the mantle of “master” (preacher/teacher), which are subject to a greater judgment. As you note, practical wisdom for anyone posing as a religious leader (Jew or Gentile).
Exactly. And there are surprises as to which category churches are in. For example the Lavey Church of Satan is in category 2. I know right?
Coincidentally they’re not a charity and pay their tax.
Make of this what you will.
Romans 11, branches grafted in, would indicate inclusivity regarding those James is addressing.
Apparently some Gentiles don’t want to be included in on the teaching from James. The part about widows and orphans, perhaps?
So refreshing to read the whole Bible for oneself. I suppose there are cherry picked verses against that, too. Nevertheless, we are very blessed by reading the whole Bible for ourselves, without profit, power, or fame. Just blessed by the power of the Holy Spirit, promised to each of us without a gatekeeper or cherry picker.
John Berry,
Wow.
Muff Potter,
In my way of thinkin’, what Paige Patterson did (“break her down”, Darrell Gilyard, etc.) is even worse than what Nelson did — or failed to do. But, both of ‘em are still raking in the money …… supposedly in Jesus’ name. These men and their ilk deserve no more respect than the evil men they’ve protected.
If a public school principal got caught covering for and protecting a pedo-teacher, I don’t think things would turn out so peachy for him.
It’s amazing, Ava, how many religious folks don’t get that … relying on others to interpret (and cherry pick) Scripture for them. I find it particularly blessing when I read the red and pray for power!
Donations. Not wage-earners. More like convince a real wage-earner to fork over earnings. Dupe the donors?
Donors are complicit. Duped and complicit.
We don’t eat regurgitated food, so why take in the Word of God through someone else, other than the Holy Spirit.
We enjoy reading biographies (testimonies or memoirs), history, science, etc., in sync with the Bible. Some teaching is fine. However, to rely solely on what someone says/writes ABOUT the Bible seems a bit off, boring, childish or immature, and idolatrous. Mother’s milk, not meat, as written in Hebrews.
Like Alana said in her video, when you get in line with a teacher who has the secret sauce regarding our Lord, it appeals to the flesh – the “real deal” supposedly. Being right.
Righteousness is not being right. It is being in relationship, IMHO, with God, which is humbling, nothing to brag about.
That’s what I liked about the Bereans in Scripture … they searched the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul was saying was true … Paul!!
And we take for truth what MacArthur is saying? … what Driscoll is saying? … what Mohler is saying? … what local church leaders are saying? … etc. etc.
You’ve got to dig it out yourself, folks, as the Holy Spirit leads you to Truth. This ain’t no fast-food drive-thru you are in … you’ve got to be determined, diligent and disciplined as you read Scripture. Listen to what Pastor has to say? Sure. But test every jot and tittle through your own study.
Max,
I don’t know about other faiths, but a Baptist church is the last place you need a Bible. Sermon? pastor reads a few verses and then talks for an hour, or more. Classes? lesson books with selected verses, commentary, maybe some questions, with answers obvious in the lesson. No discussion/debate in the classes. (Indoctrination?)
The only reason to take a Bible is to privately cross-check pastor/teacher and the lesson with other passages and quietly read to yourself.
In our last church, in the women’s class I attended, half of the SS class time was spent chattering about who needed to be sent cards and flowers and why. I have nothing against sending tokens of support/comfort to others, but that could/should have been set up in an organized fashion so that it could have been taken care of either before or after church services. By that time, I was in no mood to make suggestions and risk having to fend off a conscription attempt.
This. So much this! If the sheep would just remove themselves and their money, then maybe, just maybe, the message might get thru such thick skulls. Don’t associate yourselves with a church like that! That is not leadership. That is dictatorship.
Nancy2(aka Kevlar),
Chuck Swindoll is much older than TOmmy Nelson, but he had a very different response to an elder in his California church who was abusing kids. Both went to DTS and somehow Chuck knew to call the police, remove them from the church, see to it that subsequent churches were aware of this guys issues and provide help for the abused. He is using the term pedophile and lack of training as a smoke screen to divert attention from his failure to do the logical right thing!
Mr. Jesperson,
Do you promise?
One day there will be a reckoning.
Karma and her sister comeuppance are relentless that way.
I’ve left the idea that there’s one overarching “god” for exactly this reason.
Good and evil, I can accept. I accept there are things we can’t explain, I’ve seen them.
But in the case of abuse – child or adult – there’s ostensibly three sentient beings in the room (five if you include Jesus & the Holy Spirit), the abuser and the abuser, and the spirit entity(ies).
This entity created a universe, came and healed the sick, blind and lame. But is incapable of intervention when the most heinous crimes are committed.
This is why we’re going secular. We’re on our own. If you think god is driving you to intervene then great, but keep in mind it’s your actions – you’re the hero (or villian) in your story.
Sure, I might go to heck, but if inaction is sin, then I’m consigned there by a hypocrite.
…abuser, abused…
Autocorrect is going to heck….
Jack,
My brain is squirmin’ like a toad…
Someone did the right thing.
The guy who didn’t – he’s lying when he said he didn’t know better. Unless he is a predator himself, too.
Predatorship.
Good enough reason.
Bring your own Bible to assess what’s going on is a good thing.
It’s the “we’ll just let Jesus take care of it” attitude that bugs me.
Likewise the “everything is fine as long as you have Jesus”.
It makes people passive. Not everyone, lots of Christians are and have been active in fighting injustice but most are sheeple and will not call out their co-relgionists.
So I’m thinking that the people who stand up would stand up whether or not they are Christian. Their goodness isn’t linked to their faith exclusively.
Good apples in a bad barrel.
It wears people out, folks eventually just get out of the barrel.
You don’t need the barrel to be a good apple.
Now I want an apple…
Christians need to get over their leaders and their orgs.
Just as you note: Get out of the barrel.
Through Jesus, every Christian has access directly to God, His Holy Spirit, and the life of Jesus through the Bible.
Dear Leaders and Dear Orgs appeal to the most basic desires, the need to belong and be loved. Best to glob on to, to join, God Himself first and filter out the rest. Leave the shiny glitz of Dear Leaders and Orgs on the cutting floor. Settle only for the real deal. Mobs (Orgs) and thugs (Dear Leaders) are not worthy. Only God is worthy.
Decades ago, we visited a church to hear a guest speaker. Shortly into his “sermon”, he began to go on a course contrary to my reading of Scripture. About the time I was ready to look for an exit, a young man stood up behind me and shouted “That’s not right!” He was immediately surrounded by deacon-bouncers and escorted out of the sanctuary. We shortly followed. While I may not agree with the way he handled things, I sure appreciated the young man’s boldness to defend truth. I suppose I’ve become more like that in my later years, driving the local NeoCals crazy and shouting comments in the blogosphere.
You got that right! A notepad and pen come in handy now and then, too.
Exactly. It doesn’t need a term.
I believe I learned the word “pedophile” at a fairly young age, but the more common term back in the day was “child molester.” Does this dude allege that he’d never heard terms like “molester” and “molestation”? I’m pretty sure I’m older than he is, and I can testify that such terms were part of common parlance in the ’60s and ’70s.
But, as you say, the term doesn’t matter. Everyone knows what the crime is here.
I’ll trust my own conscience every time.
You simply can’t afford to be open-minded about church these days … don’t let your brains fall out. My conscience has saved me from a lot of church mistakes by whispering a simple reminder “When in doubt, don’t” … and then there is the occasional shout “Run like Hell!”
Max,
According to them (reformed devotees) you can’t trust your conscience because it too is totally depraved.
Yes, to the New Calvinists, “total depravity” really means total inability.
It’s such a sick and wrong expression of faith. Who in the heck would want to devote their lives to it?!!
As well as the opportunity for Counting Coup: “More Totally Depraved Than Thou”.
(That CAN’T be healthy…)
Just like those who stopped applauding an hour into the Standing Ovation for Comrade Stalin or Baba Saddam.