Controversial preacher killed in house fire

[n2doc]

By Michelle E. Shaw
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Rev. Arthur Allen, known for his run-ins with the law because he oversaw and ordered whippings of misbehaving children during worship at the House of Prayer, died in a house fire Monday.

Allen was identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. Atlanta Fire Department officials say there is an ongoing investigation into the fire.

Allen was convicted in 2002 of cruelty to children. He served two years in prison before his release in 2005. Prior to his incarceration, he was on the run for five months before he was caught in Cobb County in August 2003.

A criminal investigation into Allen and the practices of the House of Prayer began in 2001 when two boys showed up at school with welts and bruises. Social workers took the boys from their parents and soon seized 47 other House of Prayer children and put them in foster care and group homes. Police arrested Allen and other church members.

more
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/preacher-killed-in-house-fire/nbbDy/?icmp=ajc_internallink_textlink_homepage

[Niceguy1]

1. wonder if it is a sign?

Anyways many condolences for his, family

[Cerridwen]

2. Yet another controlling abuser who uses "the Divine"

to justify inhumanity, brutality, hatred, and perversion.

May his family be at peace; both families.

I found a link about him but I'm not sure of the overall website. I'll post the link and let you decide. If you (or the hosts) find this unreliable, please let me know and I'll remove.

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/h20.html

Allen encourages church members to live free of sin. But former members claim he frequently intersperses his sermons with inappropriate sexual comments, and the pastor confesses to an affair years ago with an 18-year-old woman from the church. He also acknowledges an early marriage that he had kept quiet, a marriage that produced two children whom he long ago left behind.

<snip>

"You can't do anything in that church I don't agree with," Allen says, "because I'm the pastor."

As the pastor, Allen authorizes courtships between church members and approves marriages for girls from the congregation as young as 14. Georgia law forbids marriages at ages younger than 16, so Allen takes young brides-to-be to Alabama, where they can legally wed.

<snip>

And he makes it clear that the parents whose children were seized would be in conflict with the church if they reunited their families by promising a judge they would not follow the church's disciplinary practices.

[mn9driver]

3. If I were the fire investigator, I would be thinking that arson is a high probability.

This guy no doubt had some well deserved enemies. RIP.

[RebelOne]

4. Yes, my exact thought.

I am in Georgia and I remember the case from a few years ago. That holy-roller should have been locked up for at least 10 years.

[AverageJoe90]

5. Don't think anyone's going to miss this guy.....

And my sincere condolences to those he victimized over the years....y'all didn't deserve that.

[TlalocW]

6. Someone who used religion to justify beating children?

Yeah, I'll go ahead and revel in his death. I don't care what anyone says. Good riddance.

TlalocW