Conservative Babylon

When Republican Herschel Young was elected commissioner of Cass County, Missouri, folks wondered if he’d be allowed to take the job, seeing as how he’s a convicted felon; see “Cass County Comish-Elect Herschel Young (R-FelonyAssault, Mo.): Boy-Basher, Boy-Kisser, or Both?,” November 9, 2010.

The good news: His election win was thrown out by a circuit judge, and Weird Herschel won’t be taking office, ever again — at least in Missouri, where convicted felons are barred from holding public office.

Young, meanwhile, says he’ll take his case “all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.” Observes Justin Kendall: “I’m sure the high court has nothing better to do than hear a case from a man who already has a new assault charge pending against him for supposedly throwing a teenager to the ground and trying to kiss him.”

Defrocked: Franklin E. Huntress, Jr., 77, retired Episcopal priest, by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, who “relinquished his priestly orders rather than face a church trial” (COE Newspaper) “after a church investigation into allegations that he abused children in separate incidents 20 years apart”; the investigation “uncovered the fact that Huntress had been arrested on charges of child sexual abuse in England in 1994.” Story: SalemNews.com, February 26, 2011; Boston.com, February 27, 2011; The Church of England Newspaper, March 10, 2011

Arrested: Joe David Nelms, 47, former youth pastor (and, with his wife, Sunday school teacher), First Baptist Church Lindale, Lindale, Texas; former youth pastor, Sky Ranch, a Christian Bible camp (”that enrich[es] lives and build solid Christian character”), Van, Texas; and former youth pastor, Pacific Coast Church, San Clemente, California; on suspicion of lewd acts with a child; i.e., sexually molesting a girl under the age of 14 between 1993 and 1996, in various locations, including the offices of Pacific Coast Church, where the girl and her family were parishioners. It took this long for the alleged victim, now in her 30s, to “work up the courage” to come forward with the accusation. Currently in custody in Texas, Nelms faces extradition to California; CBS notes: “Although the alleged acts occurred more than 10 years ago, prosecutors are seeking to have the statute of limitations waived because investigators believe there was ’substantial contact,’ the girl was underage and the age difference between the alleged molester and victim, [Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Jim Armomino] said.” Unsurprisingly, Dan Anderson, one of the pastors of Pacific Coast Church, donated $100 to California’s 2008 anti-gay marriage ban, Proposition 8. Story: CBS19.tv (undated); OC Register, March 18, 2011

Sentenced: Jade Watson, 44, former evangelist, Church of England’s “Church Army,” former prison chaplain, Winchester Prison, Hampshire, England, & wife & mother of two, to eight months after pleading guilty to “misconduct in a public office.” Watson had had sex with ex-con Daniel Thornton; after Thornton was sent back to jail, Watson smuggled vodka, a cell phone, and muscle-building energy bars into the prison for Thornton. Per Sify News: “Watson claimed she was blackmailed into doing it after she was persuaded to text a photo of herself in her underwear to his mobile phone, and her husband Peter, who is also a Church Army member, is standing by her.” Story: Daily Echo, March 15, 2011; Sify News, March 16, 2011

Arrested: David Lee Edward Mitchell, 64, “former evangelist” & current head of the Refreshing Springs Christian Fellowship, Charleston, South Carolina, and charged with two counts of practicing law without a license. Accused of providing legal advice to prison inmates (and charging them for it), Mitchell is being held on a $150,000 bond. WCSC reports: “Court documents reveal that Mitchell was convicted in 2005 of forgery and grand larceny and was paroled in 2007.” Story: WCSC, March 17, 2011; Post and Courier, March 18, 2011

BOY SCOUTS
OF BABYLON

Sentenced: Michael Vawter, 41, of Danville, California, former Cub Scout leader (Mount Diablo Silverado Council of Boy Scouts of America), husband, and father of two, to four years in prison and registration as a sex offender, after pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Vawter was arrested a year ago after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to a search of his work computer (at his father’s insurance firm, CCI Financial & Insurance Services of San Ramon) turned up “more than 170 child pornography videos, some of which showed adults raping young children.” Vawter’s lawyer attempted to explain away the evidence by saying “his client was lured into viewing child porn after his company’s IT manager set up Vawter’s laptop computer so that it would automatically go to porn sites.” Story: SFGate, February 27, 2011; Danville Express, March 1, 2011

Guilty: Albert Odulele, 47, Nigerian-born evangelical founder & senior pastor, Glory House Churches International, London, U.K.; “prosperity gospel” televangelist; board member, Christian Life Centre UK, Churches in Community UK (CIC); affiliate of B.A.S.I.C. Trust International, Elisha Project (Uganda), Crenshaw Christian Centre (USA); T.D. Jakes Ministries (Jakes is the rabidly homophobic Trinity Broadcasting Network televangelist whose son was arrested in a “gay sex sting” in 2009, and who has long been rumored to be on the down low himself; see also Conservative Babylonian Michael Clare) & Morris Cerullo Ministries (see potential Conservative Babylonian David Cerullo); and author of several books, including Think Before You Say I Do; of sexually assaulting two males, a 14-year-old boy and and a 21-year-old man. He is due to be sentenced in April. Story: Channel 4 News, March 3, 2011; Falkirk Herald, March 5, 2011

See all entries for Benny Hinn

Televangelists Benny Hinn and Paula White may not be engaged to be married — but we’re not so convinced they’re not otherwise engaged.

Nevertheless, ol’ Raise ‘Em From The Dead Benny saw reason to announce, in a press release, that he was withdrawing a lawsuit against a guy who sounds to us like he was joking — but apparently Benny doesn’t have much of a sense of humor: (more…)

Convicted: Ricardo Avalos Maffey, 44, pastor, Apostolic Christian Church, San Clemente, California, of five felony counts of lewd conduct with a child & one felony count of contacting a minor with intent to molest. Sentencing is scheduled for April 15, 2011, when he will face up to six years (just six years?!) in the can. Story: OC Register, March 14, 2011.

No, we don’t care if she’s a “Democrat” — she’s a right-winger who thinks she’s morally superior to the ‘mos: A rabid homophobe, Huntley sent out a mailer last summer blaming gays for a supposed death threat — after initially saying “she had no idea who might be making the threats” — which read in part: (more…)

Sometimes, you (or, rather, we) just need a break from the scum.

We will be back on the air momentarily.

Stay tuned. You will not be disappointed.