67 Comments
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Linda Palmer's avatar

I'm sorry not sorry. He was Baptist. White Christian Nationalists. Over 400 pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention are adjudicated pedophiles. Cry for the victims. These men produce porn with infants and children

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steven hensley's avatar

Aren't you painting with rather a broad brush? This type of hateful rhetoric is one of the reasons the people of this country are at each other's throats, metaphorically speaking. Southern Baptists, of which I am not one, are people with a wide variety of opinions, not some monolithic group. Demonizing whole segments of the population is not helpful in any way. The next time you post, please use your head and not your emotions and prejudices.

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Mark Hayes's avatar

Here's a crazy idea! Maybe if clergy and faith leaders stop sexually assaulting children…

…that would be good.

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Wayne Stiles's avatar

A teachable moment: when asked why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton responded, "because that's where the money is". Wherever there are children, there will be pedophiles yet the background investigations of people involved with the very young are non-existent or shoddy at best. When will we learn?

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Mark Hayes's avatar

If I was religious and had kids — there's no way in hell I'd allow them to attend ANY church function unless they were next to me the entire time.

Every day, we get a new report of child sexual abuse be a member of the clergy organizations a faith leader.

A church is NOT a safe space for children.

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Kai's avatar

Scott says that he is being transparent, but the church refuses to post the Wednesday night service from where they talked about everything online for the people who who couldn't be there because of being out of town or sick. If you are truly being transparent, post the Service online for all to see. We shouldn't have to call or contact the members who were there to figure out what was said or not. POST THE SERVICE ONLINE

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MaryClare StFrancis's avatar

"Transparent" to baptists means "there is so much evidence we didn't have a chance to try to cover it up." I know this song and dance well.

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GMT's avatar

The cadre of grifter, pedophile, sexual abuser “pastors, priests, clergy, etc) is proof that religion is just a nasty business. Religion is the root of all evil,

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steven hensley's avatar

Sure. Without religion we would be living in an earthly paradise.

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GMT's avatar

Exactly

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steven hensley's avatar

Do you not recognize sarcasm?

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GMT's avatar

Sure I do -I ignored it - religion sucks period - root of all evil

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steven hensley's avatar

No, the love of money is the root of all evil, as you would know if you studied history. All wars, even religious ones, are economic conflicts.

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GMT's avatar

Oh Steve - you are such a white boy.

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call me deacon blues.'s avatar

Another child molesting Christian pastor? 🤔

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Jill Lockard's avatar

Also, not a drag queen.

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Tamara's avatar

Boo-hoo. It’s just another religious pedo coward and the church that produces and protects men like him.

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Debra's avatar

Way too many abusers in trusted positions- we have a huge sexual abuser problem in this world. Women should be taught the signs, how to protect themselves, abusers should be outed.

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Russell Swanson's avatar

Straight, white, Christian, male. Can't wait to see the MAGA pogrom against this group. /s

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Tom Melvin's avatar

They all should do the same…

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äDn Sukhāvatī's avatar

“Pastor Timothy Forgy had sexually abused a teenage girl in Texas around 15 years ago”.

The word is “abused”. How many meanings, insinuations and implications does this word have ?

Of course, in our culture and contemporary society, a sexual relationship between a 39 year old man and a “teenage” girl, beside being taboo, is definitely illegal. In other eras, and other societies, such a relationship may not have been unusual; and may have been somewhat normal. People nowadays look on such a relationship as “unnatural”, abhorrent, and…..Abusive.

I would venture to say that it would not be unnatural, despite the societal prohibition, for a 39 year old man to “fall in love” with a teenage girl; especially if the social situation permitted a close, intimate proximity. It would not be unnatural for a teenage girl to “fall in love” with an older man: a teacher, a mentor.

Sexual passion leads many people to act irrationally. In fact, it widely recognized that people can be rendered helpless to resist the sexual urge when a private situation arises. This is not a legal or moral excuse. Societal mores demand self control.

In a Christian culture; especially in a highly moralistic evangelical setting; breaking such a taboo is deemed a shameful failure; and indeed a Sin. But precedent reveals that such and similar “sinful” behavior is more common among Christians than is publicly admitted. The tragic result of public disclosure of such a moral breach, even many years later, often ruins a person’s reputation, marriage, family, and sometimes a Life. In today’s society, a past indiscretion is likely to lead to an accusation of abuse, imprisonment, financial penalties; and in some cases….Suicide, by the victim or the perpetuator.

People have very strong feelings and opinions about such cases of “abuse”. Perpetuators of such improper relationships are often castigated in the most violent ways imaginable.

Serial child abusers and rapists are indeed a plague upon contemporary society.

One circumstance of impropriety, of uncontrolled passion and lack of self control, can put a man on the same list for the rest of his life. Such shame may lead some to self annihilation.

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Michelle Holcomb's avatar

That statement is why men continue to abuse young people. If there was one circumstance you know there were more. And one time is enough to be held responsible for sexually abusing a child.

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Wayne Stiles's avatar

There is an on-line list of sexual abusers among elected and non-elected GOP members, as well as pastors, ministers and religious volunteers. I wish I could remember the title but it's been awhile since I saw it. This list contains the names, affiliations, as well as arrest, prosecution and sentencing information.

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Elizabeth Albright's avatar

In part I agree in regards to the Christian culture. But there are some parts that there is no excuse. Suicide in this case is someone who understands exactly what he did wrong and is not “man enough” to accept the repercussions of his actions.

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äDn Sukhāvatī's avatar

But of course You know exactly what his thoughts, feelings and reasons were for taking his own life. But then again… you may have no idea. It’s so easy to speculate…. and judge.

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YLemard's avatar

True, I am speculating right now

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Kayla Peebles's avatar

I in no way am defending the pastor or what happened but I do think this an interesting point. Thank you for finding nuance here. It seems like there should be some guard against the “close, intimate proximity.” Some other people involved in that relationship or checking in on both parties when they start to get too close?

It does seem like a part of the problem for faith leaders is that they have boundless trust of the community to do what’s right and too much proximity to children with no supervision

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Jamie's avatar

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭

““Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭42‬ ‭

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Bridget Collins's avatar

Funny.

I was raised with working class men some of whom had been raised in rural Ireland.

Their opinion was that any grown man who was trying to flirt with a teenager was a loser and a sonofabitch.

Because strangely enough they were proud of being fathers and uncles. And more proud of those roles than predator.

But of course they were men and not whiny ass males.

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Scott E. Johnson's avatar

If only there was a hell. Alas there isn't.

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MaryClare StFrancis's avatar

Baptist. Of course. And I call bullshit on his wife not knowing. What a fucking coward.

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John Boyd's avatar

That is as believable as it is that it only happened once, 15 years ago, far away. This false "transparency" is intended to try and prevent further investigation and the uncovering of more and recent, abuse. That's why the school was closed for *next* school year.

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MaryClare StFrancis's avatar

Yep!

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Gerald Murphy's avatar

Here’s the dilemma - if instead of killing himself, Pastor Forgy had confessed to the abuse during a Sunday service, the congregation would immediately have forgiven him and slut-shamed the victim.

The hypocrisy of the Christian far-right continues to astound me.

White middle-aged pastor, Baptist Church, Texas - a trifecta of red flags

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rc4797's avatar

Not trans. Not an immigrant.

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William Hancock's avatar

Sounds to me like they handled it fairly well once they found out. I wonder what vetting was done when he was hired. What did his previous church tell them?

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