February Pastor Arrests for Sexual Crimes - First Google Results Page Only

[MineralMan]

And so it continues. Of course, we shouldn't condemn these ministers of the Lord, since we are not allowed to judge our brethren, apparently...We should maintain our silence and pretend such things do not occur. Perhaps they will be acquitted after being tried.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS730US730&biw=1920&bih=949&tbm=nws&ei=fSWQWoz8EsqgtQWphrqwBQ&q=Pastor+arrested&oq=Pastor+arrested&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l2.31036.39652.0.40346.19.11.2.6.6.0.66.607.11.11.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.18.568....0.FFzVAAd3Lw8

Pastor charged with raping two young girls in Murfreesboro arrested ...
WZTV-Feb 21, 2018
A pastor accused of sexually assaulting two young sisters at a religious conference in Murfreesboro has been arrested in Florida. David Alan Rowan, a pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Milton, Fla., is charged with three counts of rape, two counts of unlawful contact and sexual battery by an authority figure, according to a ...

Pastor arrested for sexual battery against teen parishioner, told her ...
ABC Action News-Feb 12, 2018
A pastor in Pasco County is accused of sexual battery against a teen parishioner and was arrested on Friday, February 9, 2018. Gerardo Martinez, 52, the pastor at Miracle Christian Church, met a 17-year-old parishioner when her parents brought her to the church. Martinez told the teen she suffered from ...

Whitwell High School teacher, pastor arrested for statutory rape
WRCB-TV-Feb 16, 2018
The details of what led to Smith's arrest have not been released. Channel 3 has learned that Smith is also the pastor of Valley View Baptist Church in Whitwell. Sheriff Burnett says Smith was arrested shortly after 8:00 p.m. and is being booked in the Marion County jail. Stay with WRCBtv.com for updates to ...

Florida pastor arrested on child sexual battery charge
WPTV.com-Feb 9, 2018
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Florida church pastor was arrested on Thursday for improper sexual conduct with two minors, deputies say. Pastor David Cooper, 43, of Moving Mountains Ministries in Winter Haven was arrested for the sexual battery of a girl under the age of twelve, and lewd exhibition with ...

[Freedomofspeech]

1. But it's okay...

They accepted Jesus...just like trump.

[MineralMan]

2. Sinners, all. We shouldn't cast the first stone, see.

Maybe we can pray for those individuals. That might help.

[Permanut]

3. Okay, but atheists do it too..

so that balances it out, and so this isn't really about theism. Well, on second thought, maybe these pastors were just searching for the creator in their own way. I'm not sure which is correct.

[MineralMan]

7. It's not about the acts, really.

It's about the reaction to those acts by colleagues and co-religionists. Too often, as we saw with the RCC's burying of sexual offenders among its clergy, such things are not dealt with as they should be, nor are the offenders handled properly by the hierarchy.

For every arrest, there are those who escape notice, sometimes for years. We are too quick to trust "men of God," I believe. We need to be more watchful and careful.

That's really the message here. And yes, atheists can also offend in these ways. They have no protective organizations, though, as a rule.

[Permanut]

9. Excellent points..

I should have included the sarcasm tag; and it really IS about the acts. Your beliefs (the generic "your" ) don't affect me until you act on them.

[guillaumeb]

4. Demonstrating 2 things:

First, that predators will prey no matter their occupation.

And second, that one can find many things on Google.

It does not demonstrate the correctness or relevance of your personal opinion as anything other than one person's opinion.

[MineralMan]

5. Oh, my opinion is worthless, of course. I know that.

I do appreciate your regular reminders, though. It's always good to see other people's opinions, whatever their perceived value might be...

[guillaumeb]

6. Your opinions are worthwhile,

and generally quite insightful. But my observations on this particular post stand.

[MineralMan]

8. Well, I should hope you stand by your observations.

Mine stand, as well, even though you missed the point.

[Permanut]

10. A couple of quick observations..

First, that not all predators represent that they are God's representatives on the Earth. Pastors do that.

Second, the statement that "one can find many things on Google" is an example of tautological arrogance.

As I said, just a couple of quick observations.

[guillaumeb]

11. Yes, they were quickly read.

And predators are not confined to any one group.

[trotsky]

12. Ah yes, whataboutism.

One of your standard responses.

[guillaumeb]

13. Dismissal of what you cannot answer.

One of yours.

[trotsky]

14. Are you sure you're not writing about yourself again?

Sure seems like it.

[AtheistCrusader]

15. It demonstrates one thing you can't hand-wave away, not even with enough vigor to propel yourself

through the air like a bird.

One of the following is true:

Being 'of faith' is so squishy and or meaningless, that you can't even detect people in your own ranks that fake it
Or
People who do believe and use that position of faith to harm children, are so un-awed by their own god, that they commit these crimes at the same rate as faith-less/un-faith-related positions of authority, like public school teachers.



Their faith is either wholly fake and you can't even tell, or their faith is real but doesn't make them better people.


Either way, faith is useless.

[guillaumeb]

16. Your attempt at phrasing failed.

[MineralMan]

17. No. That was your understanding.

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Out of gas, huh? Come on back when you're ready.

[Paleologue]

19. Don't you mean framing?

Or do you have other deflections and dodges I haven't seen yet?

[guillaumeb]

21. You are showing yourself to be quite harmonious.

At least we know what to expect.

[MineralMan]

22. Oh, for pete's sake!

Please...

[Paleologue]

23. Apparently "harmonious"

is your latest dodge of the day. Or else "harmonious" only means in harmony with you and your religious apologist worldview. Yeah...don't expect that.

[guillaumeb]

24. And tolerant as well.

Good to see such tolerance on your part for the 85% of your co-citizens who are theists

[Paleologue]

25. Good that you think so

since I haven't been intolerant of any of them. They're all still around, still practicing their little faiths exactly the way they want to, and professing their beliefs just as they always have. So clearly they are being "tolerated". "Tolerated" does not mean respected, it means put up with.

[guillaumeb]

26. So you have no respect for them?

No respect for 85% of your co-citizens?

Your tolerance sounds less tolerant than you might think.

[Paleologue]

27. Ah, so putting words

in other people's mouths is what you regard as "harmonious". Why am I not surprised? You do fit the stereotype perfectly.

[guillaumeb]

29. Read what you wrote.

Explain what you meant.

[Paleologue]

30. And now demands, from someone who never answers direct questions

Tsk, tsk. Not very harmonious at all. In fact, you're starting to sound downright hostile.

But don't worry...I will continue to tolerate you.

[guillaumeb]

31. I understand your position.

Your respect for theists is noted from your direct statement.

[Paleologue]

33. Oh, let me guess

You've already bookmarked this in hopes of throwing it back in my face at some future date. So predictable. You really are the poster boy for this kind of....poster.

Knock yourself out, but don't delude yourself that you understand me at all.

[MineralMan]

32. He is speaking of being "harmonious" with regard to singing in the choir.

That is another favorite word.

[MineralMan]

20. And Here's a New, Late-February Pastor Arrest

This one's from Texas. And he seemed like such a nice young man, too...

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/02/26/youth-pastor-mesquite-baptist-church-accused-sexually-assaulting-15-year-old

A Mesquite youth pastor has been arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a teenager.

Steven Winn, 33, a youth pastor at Open Door Baptist Church, was booked into the Dallas County jail early Thursday on three counts of sexual assault of a child.



Police said that the victim was 15 at the time the assaults began, according to KDFW-TV (Channel 4). Authorities learned of the allegations earlier this month and arrested Winn several days later.

[dlk]

28. Let's Not Judge Criminals but, Instead, Give Them a Pass