Have you ever noticed how often people involved in the ministry end up in some tawdry sex scandal? If we start looking at all those mega preachers over the years, how many, with the exception of Billy Graham haven’t ‘sinned’ as Jimmy Swagart called it? So far, we’ve not heard about Rick Warren or Mark Driscoll going down that pat, but Driscoll has other ethical problems which would bring down anyone, in the normal world. But in the world of far right cults, he’s getting a pass. He’s also ordering members of his cult to now stay off the internet. This is a world that is now so out of control, so not in keeping with reality and the basic decencies of life that pedophiles and abusers are given a pass.
Like Doug Phillips and Bill Gothard, they have a tendency to fall from grace. Entire books will be written about the two men and their exploits. Some will be from a criminal point of view, others from the ethical, and some from the religious version. The psychological profile of these men would be fascinating. It is obvious they are text-book Narcissists. Are they psychopaths? Probably, when one considers that a psychopath is someone who is only interested in getting theirs. According to psychologists, the clergy is one of the callings that most attracts psychopaths.
It is at this point it must be noted that the governing board of the Gothard’s ministry, Institute in Basic Life Principles , has found him not guilty of anything criminal. He basically sinned – acted inappropriately. They are though, going to keep him from having anything else to do with his organization. I suspect that is the way they are going to try and handle the lawsuits, which could bring down the whole multi-million dollar machine. Evidently they are now in CYOA mode.
“…Asked if he engaged in sexual harassment, Gothard said, “Sexual harassment is to a large extent intent, and my intent was never to harass them.” As for whether he has any interest in returning to the institute in a ministerial or leadership capacity, he said, “That’s not my goal or desire right now. I just have a desire to work with and encourage the young people that I have served in the past and I want to continue that on a personal basis.”…”
Bill Gothard is a pervert, with a godly foot fetish. His godly defense included the fact that he put his godly institute ahead of people.
“…My wrong focus produced a further consequence. Families were made to feel that they must “measure up.” This resulted in some parents putting undue pressure on their sons and daughters in order for the family to be accepted. When there was a lack of love or consistency, sons and daughters saw this as hypocrisy and rejected it. Also, many felt that the expectations where so high that they could never measure up to them. This resulted in a feeling of deep defeat.
This emphasis on outward appearance was also manifested by bringing selected young people to serve at the Headquarters and causing others to feel rejected and offended by my favoritism. My actions of holding of hands, hugs, and touching of feet or hair with young ladies crossed the boundaries of discretion and were wrong. They demonstrated a double-standard and violated a trust. Because of the claims about me I do want to state that I have never kissed a girl nor have I touched a girl immorally or with sexual intent….”
Those little hussies were asking for it by dressing lewdly. Never mind the 10 signs of sexual abuse. They were asking for it. In Bill Gothard’s world if a woman even looks at a man, she is inviting him to enter into a sexual relationship, even if she says no, and walks right past him. Eye contact is a rousing yes! Can we talk? One wonders just what Mama Gothard did to make her little boy Bill into such a weird pervert and turn his brother into a sexual predator. Just what kind of kinky stuff was going behind closed doors when Billy boy was growing up, to be such a foot fetish perv? How weird was Mommy Gothard, anyway? What he has advocated, over the years, is just plain old, not normal.
It is so bad, even the legendary Al Mohler was caught up in a nasty little incident where the godly C. J. Mahoney is now denying that he defended a now convicted pedophile. Evidently Mohler has had some sort of epiphany. Instead of the Bill Gothard’s ATI teachings that a godly victim should go to their godly leaders and allow them to attempt to force the godly victim to forgive their godly abuser, which is the status quo, Mohler has finally seen the light. Call 911 first, he is now preaching. One might want to suspect that he’s trying to save his godly tushie from an ungodly lawsuit via the godly Mahoney’s culpability in helping to cover-up a now convicted, but godly pedophile’s abuse of boys.
Nathaniel “Nate” Morales, of the uber godly Sovereign Grace Ministries, was recently convicted of of molesting 3 boys during his stint as a volunteer youth leader at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Md. As in politics, once again we’re going to see that the crime is one thing, but the cover-up is going to be yet another disaster. Mohler, who was (?) one of Mahoney’s stalwart supporters, had stood behind Mahoney, who is at this time, proclaiming his innocence in that cover-up.
“…Last year Mohler joined Together for the Gospel co-founders Mark Dever and Ligon Duncan in a statement that appeared briefly on the ministry website vouching for Mahaney’s “personal integrity” in light of the lawsuit allegations.
“A Christian leader, charged with any credible, serious and direct wrongdoing, would usually be well advised to step down from public ministry,” the statement said. “No such accusation of direct wrongdoing was ever made against C. J. Mahaney. Instead, he was charged with founding a ministry and for teaching doctrines and principles that are held to be true by vast millions of American evangelicals.”…”
The SBC has a pedophile problem. Mohler’s statement is part of the ongoing evolution of godly men trying to comprehend that they have a godly pedophile problem.
The Wartburg Watch
Part two continues tomorrow.
