Thursday, July 30, 2009

Modern Pharisee breaks Marty Braemer story.

This reminds me of the end of Elmer Gantry, the movie, not the book. Elmer is caught with Lulu Bains (played by Shirley Jones), who actually framed him. The pictures were sent to Jim Lefferts, Gantry's bible college roommate in the book, who is a journalist in the movie.

Lefferts passes on the pictures.

When asked, why, he responded, "This pornography proves only one thing: Gantry is as human as the rest of you."

Yeah, Braemer threw similar stones at the author of Tales from The Temple, so maybe it is a case of karma in action. Still, compared to some of the sick cases of child abuse we've been following and reading about, I don't think it's really something I'll be following. However, Marty will make his case on Sunday, so I'll definitely post whatever he might say in fairness.

Here is what the Modern Pharisee wrote:

Modern Pharisee.

Gotta admit, that's an appropriate name! Modern Pharisee is a Presbyterian whose apparently an advocate of polygamy, so, I guess, if it's true, he's just upset that Marty's lying about it?

Guess if Marty just brings her into the house and the three of 'em life together, Modern Pharisee will be happy?

Would honest swingers even care?

The Lavender Liberal is also covering this:

Pastor Marty Braemer resigns?

The Lavender Liberal includes this quote where Braemer accused James Spurgeon, who wrote Tales from The Temple of adultery:

Turns out in his quest to expose his former pastor, church, and college that, through the FFF, he re-met a former girl friend - grad of the same place. They began to PM each other and meet. Soon he was having an affair.

Finally he resigned his church, left his family, and took off with his ex-college flame.

That means while he was still blogging, documenting, posting on the FFF, having his stories published, and teaching deep Calvinism (since he rejected the doctrines of his former school) he was, in fact, committing adultery. …

The lesson: Be careful about prideful judgment and the exposing of another gospel preaching ministry and their faults. Yours may be the next to be exposed.


NOTE: The Lavender Liberal is mistaken. The writer claims the above post was written four days before Marty resigned. It was actually posted on July 23, 2007.

I'm sure it will eventually be corrected.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: The Lavender Liberal corrected the error (see comment below). The Lavender Liberal is the best collection of accounts concerning the hypocrisy of so-called moral conservatives that I have seen to date. Worth a visit!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

from Pastor Marty Breamer

from http://www.fundamentalforums.com/1461599-post234.html :

It has been a whirlwind few days. Everyone ... calm down ... breathe in / breathe out and take a time out. Go live your lives for a few days.

Yes, I have resigned. My family and I are doing well ... the church is strong ... Bro Keever is standing tall ... and God is still on the throne.

I will address all of your "concerns" on Sunday night. Now, go have some fun.
__________________
PMB's FF Disclaimer...

The views I express are my own.
To those whom I have offended ... sorry
To those whom I have not yet offended ... give me time

National Sword of the Lord Conference held at WALKERTOWN!

No, not my official webpage: walkertown.com.

That's always amused me up since I learned Walkertown, North Carolina is the place where SOTL has been having their annual conferences.

Here's the official webpage for the conference: Sword of the Lord at Walkertown.

Just when I start liking someone. . .

NOTE: This article has been slightly modified since I first posted it late last night.



Actually, I never knew Marty Braemer, and I'm not about to beat up on him, even when, if ever, all the facts are in. I've resolved to tread lightly.

Yes, I haven't slightest idea why Marty Braemer resigned from his church, but judging from the comments under the last article I wrote about Braemer, and the current thread at the FFF, it sounds like something that might be serious. . .or not.

Still, with the somber tone of that FFF thread, I can't help but contemplate the following:

First I championed my former English teacher, Tom Bennet, then, this year, learned he was wanted by the Feds.

Then I championed Jeri Massi, who disappointed with lies, exaggeration, and a judgmental attitude no different than the fundamentalists she rails against.

And now, after changing my tune on Marty Braemer, am hearing that maybe my enthusiasm might be misplaced.

You know what?

I don't care.

I have spoken with child advocates who will suffer the most ridiculous arguments under the rationalization that 'few are speaking about this, so we'll just accept bad behavior'.

Yeah, when I was with the fundamentalists, we agreed certain things must be kept under wraps 'for the good of the church'.

When I was with the Humanists, I was told we don't really mention the cruelty of the late Madalyn Murray O'hair, or the racism of the late James Hervey Johnson, whose foundation funds many freethought projects to this day, because of how the religionists would interpret it.

And when I was championing the survivors of clergy abuse, I felt encouraged to look the other way at the cruelty of other so-called 'child advocates' since few addressed this issue.

I'm sick of cover ups, no matter how righteous the rationalization sounds.

I'm not going to wax self righteous. I'll wait for all the info to come in, but I'm not going to judge either.

It's not my place.

You (and 'you' know who you are) are the ones who keep putting men, or your vain rationalizations that justify cruelty, on a pedestal.

As one who has been 'exposed' time and again, and sometimes even helped my own expose in the name of 'fair disclosure' and 'clearing the air', I can tell you it's not fun being on the receiving end of judgement by the hypocritical self righteous.

Let us not be gleeful, or act gleeful, or act like we're enjoying it, when the so called 'righteous' fall. After all, the next person being exposed might be you.

Besides, he might have just resigned for the reason so many of us have resigned our jobs: the prospect of better opportunities.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Why did Geoffrey Hill stop teaching at Calvary Chapel?

Geoffrey Hill was an associate of mine back in the mid 90's. He was a former pastor/teacher from Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa. He wrote articles about the 'Jesus People' movement and became a therapist and film theorist.

I interviewed him, on camera, for an hour. However, when I asked him why he left Calvary Chapel his response was just inadequate. He said it was because they were anti-intellectual.

Well, did he just figure that out after being in the movement for years? Someone of his intellect should have realized that from the get go.

That interview pissed me off so much that I erased the tape with an excerpt from Bible Madness. In those days, I broke the movie up into a six part 'mini-series' for public access television.

I was running out of tapes and realized how useless Geoffrey's interview about Calvary Chapel really was, so I recycled the tape. Sorry! I wasn't aware he would eventually be the subject of a criminal investigation. Next time, I'll remember to exercise my powers of clairvoyance.

Geoffrey was later arrested on the charge of possession of child porn on his computer. A number of people believe he was framed because of his activism against police corruption. He was a critic of police corruption and often spoke about the effects of child abuse on adults.

He once called me and told me police were framing non conformists, and those who lived alternative lifestyles, in his area.

Hill was later found dead in the desert. A bullet through his brain. Police ruled his death a suicide. Activists believe he was framed, then murdered.

Maybe that is the case? Either alternative is a terrible twist, whether police really did frame, and possibly kidnap and murder Hill, or, if Hill really was a child advocate who, in private, solicited child porn. Either way you look at it, this is one disturbing story.

So, what I want to know is, "Why did Geoffrey Hill stop teaching at Calvary Chapel school and church?"

Rethinking Marty Braemer

I just read, for the first time, Marty Braemer's entire post on accountability related to the situation regarding the late Bob Gray. Prior to this, my exposure to Braemer was found in the fireworks exchanged between Marty and Jeri Massi (Schizophrenic Christianity). I was too blown away by the fireworks to even take the time to read Marty's opinions.

Here it is, three years later, and I discovered his article linked in, of all places, the Lavender Liberal, a gay themed blog that highlights the hypocrisies of the so-called religious right. The blogger has a page devoted to the Bob Gray scandal where he quotes Marty Braemer.

Now, I had read Marty's letter to Shelton Smith before, but after finally reading the entire post, I have to say he offers the best assessment on the scandal regarding Trinity Baptist Church, written by a fundamentalist Christian, since Don Boys wrote Fundamentalists must face sexual abuse by pastors..

My first exposure to Marty Braemer occurred just before I screened Bible Madness at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood on September 13, 2005. He commented on my blog Why I made Bible Madness.

He wrote:

I'm sorry to hear of your departure from the faith. No, I'm not trying to convince or convert you. It's just sad to think your experiences drove you to abandon faith in Christ.

Pastor Marty Braemer
Fort Plain, NY


My response:

DW said...
I get equally sad when I think of people who have been trapped, and enslaved, by their fears instead of liberated by Truth.

Truth needs no apology, or apologists.


Well, that was before Gray's arrest in 2006!

Now, let's read some of Marty's comments from his article, Accountability:

I believe in local church autonomy. If a pastor sins or mishandles himself then I believe it's between him, God, and his congregation. When a pastor crosses a line into a moral failure that also violates the law then it is no longer a simple matter of church discipline. Dr. Gray has been charged with molesting girls between the ages of 6 and 9 years old over two decades.


As Fundamentalists we like to claim autonomy on these issues. "Let Trinity handle it. It's a local church matter," is the usual montra. Really? Then why do we chide Pensacola Christian College for their lavish campus or Jerry Falwell for becoming a southern Baptist or churches who incorporate a "praise & worship" style of music into their local churches? Aren't they autonomous, too?


Notice how Marty blows away the excuse of 'local church autonomy' when it comes to dealing with someone who has been accused of child molestation. How can fundamentalists simply say 'it's a local church matter' when they've been criticizing other local churches on minor things such as 'praise & worship' music?

Does that sound like someone hiding their head in the sand?

He wrote a very diplomatic letter to Sword of the Lord editor, Shelton Smith, which reminds me of a military court where a prosecutor accuses a superior of a violation worthy of a court martial, yet must still show respect to the accused.

Excerpts:

The typical independent, fundamental Baptist approach to a scandal like this is first to deny it. I understand that. I truly do. None of us wishes to believe that people we loved and admired and followed could be capable of such sinful acts, especially against children. Then when it is realized there may be merit and teeth to the charges we ignore it. I mean we’ll remove Bob Gray’s picture from our websites, remove his name from our missionary lists, reprint conference flyers that once featured his name as a guest speaker, and gather up all of his preaching tapes. Neither his name nor anything about him will ever be mentioned from the pulpit in any conference where he once spoke. It will almost be as if he never existed.

Dr. Smith, there is a better way… a more biblical way. Let’s face it. I mean let’s address it. At one time Dr Rice used to print the names of southern Baptist officers who owned properties which they rented out to the owners of liquor stores, movie houses, and taverns. How much more accountable should we hold those who claim to be called by God to an office that features a list of character and moral requirements that includes mandates like “blameless” and above reproach?


Jeri Massi raked him over the coals for allegedly making excuses for the child abuse scandals of fundamentalists!

Check out this review of her book which references Marty:

Christa Brown, founder of the Baptist arm of the Survivors Network of Clergy Abuse (SNAP), writes that Schizophrenic Christianity, "illuminates many aspects of this battle for clergy accountability and shows how Christian fundamentalism allows monstrous men to prey on the flock while still maintaining a mask of goodness."

Others, most notably Fundamental Baptist pastors, disagree. Pastor Marty Braemer of Fords Bush, New York, has written that Massi "died of intellectual honesty over a decade ago." His opinion has
been seconded by Pastor Guy Beaumont of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Both men are former students of Hyles-Anderson College, the unaccredited Baptist seminary that Massi identifies as a nest of abuse.


from: New Book Analyzes and Reports on Clergy Abuse in Baptist Churches Schizophrenic Christianity.

It's even more amazing that Jeri criticizes this man who so eloquently pleaded with Shelton Smith to not duck his head in the sand:

It is sad that Evangelist Tim Lee and Pastor Marty Braemer, as well as others, have become so deeply offended that I am running a conference to hel (sic) the victims of church abuse. Some great reversal has occurred in their thinking, I believe, about what Christianity actually is.

from: 5 Responses to “The Lambs of Culpepper - churched abuse victims.

I never bought her assertion that Marty Braemer had a plant at her conference, or threatened her life, any more than I believed her implication, from Schizophrenic Christianity, that Brenda Hyles purposely backed up her car to run over her step son. Read the book and notice how she practically screams at a police contact for insinuating that was an accident!

Maybe it takes being smeared by the same broad brush, but I will come out and say that I sold Marty short! After reading his article, albeit three years too late, I have to regard him, as I do Don Boys, as one of the good guys.

Very, very few people were willing to take a stand during the first few weeks after Gray's arrest. I feel a little bad that I was distracted by the fireworks to not see that Marty should have been complemented for his letter instead of being smeared.

Association with this type of broad brushing is the kind of thing that will rob child advocates of credibility. It's not enough that someone addresses this issue, but the facts must also be accurate and without the hint of agenda.

That takes discipline.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Victim's Resolve Brings Down a Star of Science.

""I just did it, just something in me was just evil."
William French Anderson, father of gene therapy.



This story is 3 years old, but it packs an emotional wallop if this is your first time reading it.

All the elements are there:

A famous and accomplished man, William French Anderson, world-renowned scientist, the father of gene therapy and a martial arts expert with law enforcement connections from the FBI to the chief of his hometown police department in San Marino.

A young girl whose parents trusted him.

Sexual abuse.

She fought back.

So did he.

There were other victims

She won.

He's apparently still in prison even though charges against him, brought by a male survivor in Maryland, were tossed out.

Worth a read.

Inspiring to read about a survivor fighting back. . .and winning.

Victim's Resolve Brings Down a Star of Science.

wiki on William French Anderson.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

another case of the falsely accused.

When I first came to California and began interviewing people, one of the first interviews I conducted was of a couple who had been accused, not by their son, but by overzealous prosecutors, concerning 'ritual abuse' of their son. Unfortunately, I can't upload the video because I've lost track of the people, and the last time we spoke, they wanted confidentiality. Their son grew up and revealed the dirty tricks the court ordered psychiatrist pulled on him to get him to admit to certain things.

The dirty trick?

Repressed memory.

Keep in mind, this was happening while the McMartin Pre-School trial was going on, and while families were being arrested, practically by the droves, in Bakersfield and in the San Bernardino area, by suspicion of police.

My interview with former independent fundamentalist Baptist, Norma Jean Almodovar, revealed she had been arrested for writing a book because her book referenced accounts where members of the LAPD molested young girls in their care.

She resigned from the LAPD and decided it was better to work as a prostitute than a cop. LOL! Yeah, you can see the 'independent fundamentalist Baptist' influence there, can't you? Always from one extreme to the other. That still doesn't circumvent the fact that, in some cases, police have launched false cases against people for abuse while being silent concerning those in their own ranks who have been guilty of the same things.

When I heard the dirty phrase 'repressed memory' mentioned in connection with one of the cases involving Trinity Christian Academy, I sighed. What else was I to do? Why must valuable cases be thrown in with dubious psychological tactics?

See, there are other factors that paint a disturbing picture of how the victims were molested that don't even require 'repressed memory'.

There are deacons who were present when a victim told her story. They can testify as to how Gray hemmed and hawed, and denied everything, before, little by little, actually conceding to different parts of the story.

You have the letter from Tom Messer. If Messer did not believe Gray was guilty, why did he write the letter in the first place?

You have a witness to one of the victims actually confronting Gray and asking, "Why did you molest me?"

Gray allegedly responded, in the face of this victim, and her witness, "I took it too far."

There is also the interrogation tape, released after Gray died, where he admits to french kissing a minor.

Who needs repressed memory when you have evidence like this?

Maybe the statutes of limitations, and expert lawyering, might keep these obvious points from a court of law. Repressed memory, in my opinion, is just a slippery slope toward more false accusations. If that's the best we can do, maybe we need to reevaluate our tactics?

Anyway, here is an article about a man who spent 20 YEARS IN PRISON on false charges based on repressed memory. His children grew up, revealed the truth. Guess what? The charges still stick even though they have recanted their story.

Repressed memory, and cases like this brought by overzealous prosecutors, cheapen the charge of child molestation and make it more difficult for real victims to find closer and justice.

Ray Spencer released.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Just a quick note about the Michael Jackson.

"The statement by Rep. Peter King represents a small element of people who have NO respect for the courts of law. Mr. King raises allegations that were found to be baseless in the courts and it is interesting to me that people that often tell me to listen to the courts when I disagree, now recklessly and viciously disregard the courts when they disagree."

Al Sharpton. reverend responds to Rep. Peter King calling MJ a 'child molester' and 'pervert.'




Anyone catch Peter King's comments about Michael Jackson?

You probably did, but if you need to refresh yourself, check out this home movie where he made the comments:



It's interesting. Peter King boldly comments on Michael Jackson while staying silent about his Republican peers who have been criticized for the same thing, and worse: most have been convicted or pled guilty.

Check out: Stop Republican Pedophilia.

Peter King did acknowledge the grandson of the legendary wrestler, Haystack Calhoun, offered to be his bodyguard:

from: Peter King Defends His Attack On Michael Jackson and Media..

"King tells the Sleuth that just as his stance has won him detractors, he also has plenty of supporters. "A professional wrestler from Long Island who weighs 500 pounds has offered to be my bodyguard," King told the Sleuth, chuckling.

The wrestler is known as Boss Hog Calhoun, the grandson of legendary wrestler Haystack Calhoun."


How many preachers in fundamentalist churches used this moment to condemn a man found not guilty on all counts? All counts! Plus, the parents of the alleged victims, and the various workers at the estate, willingly accepted settlement money. Obviously, their concern about 'exposing' a 'child predator', took a backseat to higher concern$.

After watching the Michael Jackson funeral, I realize the real question is not "What if he did it?", regarding the accusations of pedophilia, but rather, "What if he didn't do it?". Because if he didn't do it, we all just gave in to the hysteria of the moment.

Did the news ever reach the East Coast that there was not ONE ARREST outside the Staples Center? Now THAT was a miracle!

Here's Al Sharpton's message at the MJ funeral:



You might have noticed I removed the Dave Chappelle video from the blog. Yeah, felt a little bit guilty.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

It's always nice when your work gets noticed.

Okay, I know you're all going, "Why does he keep going on about his wrestling movie? Isn't this a blog about the clergy abuse of children?"

Well, my movie is getting good reviews. I'm shopping it around to distributors. And, following this, you know what my next big project is going to be, don't you?

Most Say Nothing.

However, movies about surviving child molestation are not exactly in demand right now. Why is that? Don't get me started on the story of Victor Salva, the director of the Disney financed Powder.

Read up on that guy and then get back to me on why the Southern Baptist Convention doesn't patch things up with the Walt Disney Company and start making movies about child predators who turned their lives around? If the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Walt Disney Company, can't get it right about sex predators, we're really in a fix, aren't we?

So, anything I do on this subject will have to be an independent effort. There are more movies made about people accused of child molestation than there are those who have survived this crime.

We need movies about the falsely accused (Witch Hunt, Indictment: The McMartin Trial, Just Ask My Children), in addition to movies about the credibly accused (Little Children, The Woodsman), to remind us about the dangers of hysteria. But we also need to give some equal time to films about surviving.

I want to take Most Say Nothing on the college circuit, complete with panel discussions. Before I can take it on the college circuit, I first have to establish a college circuit.

You might remember I was hired by the Humanist Association of Los Angeles to organize Humanist groups on college campuses? I know the ropes on this, but need to re-establish a record with the colleges. Right now, student groups in Southern California are getting interested in Wrestling Then and Now. We're also going to involve pro-wrestlers in our promotion.

Wrestling Then and Now is the movie I will use to establish a college circuit. It's entertaining. Appeals to a broad audience. Profit, and donations, made from these tours will be used to finance Most Say Nothing.

So, in case you were wondering, that is the method to 'my madness'.

Here are some quotes about Wrestling Then and Now, coming soon to a college near you:

From Lanny 'The Genius' Poffo. WWF (now WWE) wrestler, and brother of Randy 'Macho Man' Savage:

Wrestling Then And Now is a MUST for any wrestling fan. It was great to see my old deceased friends, Killer Kowalski and Tiger Khan. It was also great to see Evan Ginsburg, Don Arnold and Jeff Archer!”

From Ric Lieb, Indy Wrestler & Co-Host for Smart Mark Radio:

"An Interesting, Entertaining, and Informative Documentary. Evan Ginzburg intelligently shows perspectives from Pro Wrestling's past performers, present performers, future performers as well as their fans. You don't have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this video, it's that good!"