Church Pastor, Wife Sentenced After Using Homeless for Forced Labor, Stealing Benefits – Christian Marriage Doesn’t Improve Society or Make People More Ethical

Church Pastor, Wife Sentenced After Using Homeless for Forced Labor, Stealing Benefits – Christian Marriage Doesn’t Improve Society or Make People More Ethical

It’s more and more difficult for me to want to stick with the Christian faith at all when I see so few people who claim to be Christians actually consistently live out a Christian lifestyle, or who commit such obviously anti-biblical actions.

Also let this serve as yet another example of how “hyper pro marriage, hyper pro Nuclear Family” views put out by Christians simply is not true: Christian marriage didn’t make this couple more godly, mature, loving, or ethical, nor did this marriage improve society.

Further, Gender Complementarian teaching (which includes “male headship” teaching) is clearly false, since so many self professing Christian men are unethical dirt balls.

(Link): Pastor Who Used Homeless as Forced Labor, Three Others Plead Guilty to Benefits Fraud 

(Link): California pastor gets jail time for using homeless in benefits fraud scheme: ‘Appalling abuse of power’

Victor Gonzalez and wife were part of church labor trafficking scheme, according to prosecutors

by Jon Brown

A California pastor and his wife were sentenced to prison time earlier this month after pleading guilty to a charge related to what federal prosecutors described as a church labor trafficking scheme that victimized the homeless.

Victor Gonzalez, the head pastor of California-based Imperial Valley Ministries (IVM), was sentenced to six months in prison and another six months of house confinement after pleading guilty in a San Diego federal court to conspiracy to commit benefits fraud, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

His wife, Susan Gonzalez, who pleaded guilty to the same charge, received a time-served sentence.

Man Legally Changed Genders to Gain Custody of His Kids; Trans Groups Concerned

Man Legally Changed Genders to Gain Custody of His Kids; Trans Groups Concerned

Progressive causes like LGBTQ can have all kinds of terrible and unintended consequences, one of which is, perverted men claiming to be trans getting access to women’s bathrooms so they can sexually assault women, but then, there are other odd ball, troubling, or strange ramifications, such as this one (and why would Trans groups be upset about this? Their weird views about sex and gender are responsible for opening this can of worms in the first place)…

Also way further below, I discuss the apparent hypocrisy of conservatives, including Christian gender complementarians, about their inconsistency of when and where to support motherhood, and I also comment on conservative commentator Tucker Carlson’s sexist attitudes about women having careers.

(Link): Man Legally Changed Gender to Gain Custody of His Kids. Trans Groups Are Concerned. – via VICE:

Excerpts:

René Salinas Ramos says the legal change is an attempt to gain full custody of his daughters, because Ecuadoran law favors mothers in custody battles.

By Nathaniel Janowitz
January 5, 2023

A cisgender man in Ecuador legally changed his gender to female in an attempt to gain custody of his two daughters. But LGBTQ groups are concerned about the man’s use of a law designed to promote transgender rights, and what effect it could have in the future.

René Salinas Ramos, 47, told local media that the change was not related to his sexuality or identity, but rather that the Ecuadorian legal system gives preferable rights to mothers over fathers when it comes to the custody of children.

… “I am very sure of my sexuality. What I have sought is that I want to be a mother, so that I can also give the love and protection of a mother.”

The Myth of the Career Woman by M. Notkin – Why Women Are Still Single in Their 30s and Older

The Myth of the Career Woman by M. Notkin

I’m a conservative, but I’ve been beyond fed up for years now at how so many other conservatives, as well as sexists of whatever variety, assume that the reason why most women are single past the age of 30 is because they chose career before marriage.

Along with that is the other annoying, very wrong, and sexist assumption by men online that all of us women who remain single past the age of 30 had lots and lots of “nice guys” who wanted to date us back in our 20s, but we coldly, cruelly turned them all down.

I don’t know what the hell those men are talking about, because I did not have lots and lots of men asking me out on dates when I was in my twenties.

But it’s simply not true that all women choose career over “marriage and family.”

Why aren’t men giving up careers to be stay at home fathers, taking care of children?

I never cared much one way or the other if I ever had children, but I had wanted to be married. And I’m not single because I “chose career over spouse.”

I have more observations about this essay below:

(Link): The Myth of the Career Woman by M. Notkin

The image of the single, childless “career woman” is drawn so sharply in our minds, so deeply ingrained in culture and overused in media, it obfuscates the real story. Contrary to popular belief, most working women are not putting their careers ahead of love, marriage and motherhood.

Never mind that there are no “career men” — no one accuses a single, childless man of prioritizing career over love and family just because he’s single and can pay the rent.

But women are made to wear this label — though I have yet to meet a woman who has declined a date with a guy she’s interested in because she’d rather be on a Zoom call.

While college-educated women are settling down and having children later than was once the case, the “career woman” is mostly a mid-century myth, an outlier like Mad Men’s Peggy Olson, who belongs to a time when women went to college to earn their “MRS” degree.

A Husband and Father Died on Thanksgiving After Flames Burst Over His Body When Hospital Staff Used Defibrillator Paddles – Wife Relied on Dead Husband’s Social Security

A Husband and Father Died on Thanksgiving After Flames Burst Over His Body When Hospital Staff Used Defibrillator Paddles   – Wife Relied on Dead Husband’s Social Security

 Being married and a father didn’t save this guy.

His wife is now alone again. Marriage didn’t ultimately make her happy or protect her from loss and stress.

Also, Complementarian Christians and anti-Feminist conservatives are in error to brainwash women into thinking they can or should always count on a husband to rescue them, pay their way, etc, because what happens if that married woman doesn’t have a career of her own, no savings, and her husband dies, and she was relying on his income or social security (as was the case here)?

I am a conservative, I’ve never been a feminist, but, I also do not buy into the usual sexist, backwards propaganda other conservatives push on to women about marriage and motherhood, either.

Other conservatives think the way to ‘own the libs’ on these issues is to stupidly go in the 180 degree (opposite) direction of neo-marxist, anti-motherhood feminist, and progressive views,
and then “double down” even more on marriage, natalism, and motherhood.

They’re actually creating more problems than they’re solving with that approach, but that is their comfort zone, and they seem determined to stick to it.

This woman, if she had a career of her own and savings, might not have fallen into this situation.
And Christian Patriarchists and Complementarians actually double down on this faulty approach of advising or pressuring women to be nothing but stay at home wives and mothers, leaving them with possibly no fall-back income by which to pay their bills, if their husband dies or leaves them.
It’s very unwise advice or an unwise way to approach life.

(Link): A Tennessee husband and father died on Thanksgiving after flames burst over his body when hospital staff used defibrillator paddles

by Katie Balevic
Sat, December 3, 2022

• • A Tennessee man died after he caught on fire while hospital staff used a defibrillator on him.
  • The man’s wife was in the room when her husband caught ablaze, telling WKRN that “it just blew up.”
  • The hospital system said they are reviewing the “functionality of equipment” following the incident.

A father died in Tennessee on Thanksgiving day after he caught on fire as hospital staff attempted to use a defibrillator on him.

Bobby Ray Stark was bedridden for seven years and relied on his wife of 35 years, Kathy Stark, for care, according to WKRN. He went to the hospital for a foot infection and bed sores last month was later transferred to TriStar Centennial, where he coded and staff tried to revive him with a defibrillator, Kathy told the outlet.

“Then they started the paddles, and it just blew up, everything,” Kathy told WKRN. “I saw that, and I just burst out.”

Kathy told the outlet that she watched the flames cover her husband’s body.

Woman Claims Married Minister, Spiritual Counselor Suggested They Get Naked For Therapy: Lawsuit

Woman Claims Married Minister, Spiritual Counselor Suggested They Get Naked For Therapy: Lawsuit

Complementarian “male headship,” as taught by Complementarians is false, as many Christ-professing men are perverts, and God would not ask women to submit to perverts.

Secondly, note that this guy is married – marriage, contra “Focus On the Family,” Al Mohler, and other marriage- promoting Christian groups and persons – does not make a person godly, ethical, responsible, or mature.

Also: contra most old school Christian “how to get married” advice, God is not demanding that a person achieve a level of godliness or perfection before he will allow them a spouse. If God with-held spouses from people for being flawed, abusive, or perverted, this guy below would not have gotten married.

(Link): Woman claims minister, spiritual counselor suggested they get naked for therapy: lawsuit

Excerpts:

by Leonardo Blair
Dec 21, 2022

An Iowa woman has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for emotional distress and negligence after a former minister at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, who was also serving as her spiritual counselor, allegedly suggested they get naked in bed as a part of her counseling.

The woman, who The Christian Post has chosen not to identify at this time because of her claims that she is a victim of sexual misconduct, alleges in the lawsuit filed in Polk County District Court earlier this month that the actions of her former counselor, Asa Crow, went “beyond all possible bounds of decency.”

According to the lawsuit (Link): cited by the Des Moines Register, the woman claims she met with Crow for counseling several times in 2021 for “spiritual direction.”

During those meetings, she alleges that Crow, who got married in 2016, made escalating remarks about sexual health. She further claims that he eventually suggested her spiritual direction “may include sexual acts” after proposing that they undress and sit in each other’s laps in a bed.

Married Pastor, Father of 3, Faces Prison Time For Sex (ie, Sexual Abuse) With Teenage Intern During Counseling – by L. Blair

Married Pastor, Father of 3, Faces Prison Time For Sex (ie, Sexual Abuse) With Teenage Intern During Counseling – by L. Blair

I’m grateful that the site or reporter mentioned that this guy is a MARRIED FATHER. Too often in culture – especially among Christians – there’s an assumption that single adults are perverts, when, quite often, these news reports of perverts are married perverts, and sometimes, these married perverts have biological children of their own.

This guy is so gross for 50 different reasons, some of which are, that he groomed and sexually abused these kids in churches – during counseling sessions. Lord. So nasty.

Also note: marriage and parenthood did NOT make this man more godly, mature, ethical, or responsible (as so many hyper pro Nuclear Family conservatives and Christians teach), and no, obviously, since this pervert got a spouse, God is NOT keeping spouses from single adults until they achieve some level of godliness or perfection.

(Link): Married pastor, father of 3 faces up to 35 years in prison for sex with teenage intern during counseling 

Excerpts:

by Leonardo Blair
December 19, 2022

A married Minnesota pastor and father of three is facing up to 35 years in prison and $90,000 in fines for allegedly having felonious sex multiple times with a teenage intern during counseling sessions at his former church.

Investigator Shawn Bohnen of the Sleepy Eye Police Department declared in a probable cause affidavit filed in Brown County Court that from about October 2019 through February 2020, Pastor Nathan Van Alfred Luong, 36, engaged in a sexual relationship with his underage victim multiple times while he counseled her at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Under Minnesota Law, members of the clergy can be charged with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree if a complainant is not their spouse and sexual penetration occurred during a meeting where the complainant sought or received religious spiritual advice, aid or comfort from the perpetrator.

Wife Asks If It Is Okay To Warn Husband That She Will Leave Him If He Becomes More Obese – Yes, Complementarians, Women Are Visually Oriented Too!

Wife Asks If It Is Okay To Warn Husband That She Will Leave Him If He Becomes More Obese – Yes, Complementarians, Women Are Visually Oriented Too!

Not only will many people find too much excess weight horrible to look at, but being overweight can result in life-shortening medical conditions.

The thinner spouse may end up being the “care taker” to the fat spouse – that is not a role I would want for myself.

A lot of women are visually oriented and care about what a man looks like, but Christian Gender Complementarians have un-biblical, incorrect teachings and assumptions that God “wired” men to be visual, that women only care about “emotional connection” and not what a guy looks like – FALSE!

Women DO CARE about what their male partner looks like.

The woman in the following example says she “doesn’t care” about what her husband looks like, but she isn’t quite clear on this point, because she says when they first met, her spouse lifted weights regularly and stayed in shape – I am not clear if she means she was okay with the way he looked initially, but now she’s not, or what.

(Link): Wife Asks If It Is Okay To Warn Husband That She Will Leave Him If He Becomes More Obese

by Jurgita Dominauskaitė and Saulė Tolstych
Dec 2022

The traditional vow the bride and the groom give one another goes something like this: “I take you to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death.”

But what if you are really annoyed that your spouse is getting sick and they aren’t doing anything to prevent it when they can?

Is that enough of a reason to leave them? This woman online asks the internet if she would be unreasonable to threaten to divorce her husband if he became morbidly obese.

More info: Mumsnet [I want to tell my husband I will divorce him if he gains a lot more weight]

Woman noticed her husband has been gaining weight and wants to tell him that if he ends up like his dad, she will leave him

The Original Poster (OP) has a father-in-law who is morbidly obese and has so much excess weight that he finds it hard to walk. This concept is hard for the woman to wrap her head around as she likes to be active and couldn’t imagine doing that to one’s body.

Bentley-Driving Accused Cult Leader Has 20 Wives as Young as Age 9, Possibly Married Own Daughter, FBI Alleges

Bentley-Driving Accused Cult Leader Has 20 Wives as Young as Age 9, Possibly Married Own Daughter, FBI Alleges

Christian Complementarianism could be used to justify this nasty behavior discussed in this news article below.

Complementarianism also has a lot in common with the sexist views of women and marriage as found in Islam and Mormonism.

All of this should cause Christian Complementarians to take pause and realize how un-biblical their gender ideology is, but they are reluctant to do that.

Let this be yet another example in opposition to the usual conservative propaganda: marriage and parenthood do NOT make people more ethical, godly, responsible, or loving.

(Link): Polygamist ‘prophet’ accused of marrying 20 women and girls, including his own daughter, hauling some of them around in windowless trailer with bucket for toilet

by Isabel Keane
Dec 4, 2022

An Arizona polygamist cult leader has been accused of marrying more than 20 women, most under the age of 15 — reportedly including his own daughter.

An FBI affidavit filed Friday in Washington, and obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune. contains horrifying accusations against Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 46, of incest, group sex acts involving adults and children– some as young as 9 — and child sex trafficking.

(Link):  Arizona polygamist cult leader Samuel Bateman had 20 wives, most under age 15 

(Link): Bentley-driving Arizona ‘Mormon prophet’ had TWENTY wives as young as nine including his own daughter, FBI says – and drove them around in a TRAILER with a bucket for a toilet

Dec 4, 2022

An Arizona polygamist cult leader had 20 wives aged as young as nine, married his own daughter, and drove his spouses around in a trailer with a bucket for a toilet, it is claimed.

A new FBI affidavit has revealed shocking allegations against Bentley-driving Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 46, who was arrested in Arizona earlier this year.

Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 46, is accused by witnesses of ‘marrying’ up to 20 women and girls as young as nine, including his own daughter, according to the affidavit filed on Friday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

(Link): Bentley-driving accused cult leader has 20 wives as young as age 9, possibly married own daughter, FBI alleges

Samuel Rappylee Bateman allegedly trafficked women, girls across state lines
by Danielle Wallace
Dec 4, 2022

The FBI is accusing a 46-year-old Arizona alleged polygamist cult leader of having 20 wives, many of whom were underage — as young as 9 years old — and of possibly marrying his own daughter.

The wives were allegedly trafficked across state lines in a trailer — forced to use a bucket as a toilet — while the self-proclaimed prophet drove two Bentleys while pushing failed business ventures in real estate and goal coaching.

Shocking Moment Woman, 18, is Carried Away in ‘Bride-Stealing’ by Russian Man After She Refused to Marry Him

Shocking Moment Woman, 18, is Carried Away in ‘Bride-Stealing’ by Russian Man After She Refused to Marry Him

Another example of an infinite number of why Christian Complementarian “Male Headship” is a bunch of sexist, anti-biblical garbage and Toxic Masculinity is true:

(Link): Shocking moment woman, 18, is carried away in ‘bride-stealing’ by Russian man after she refused to marry him

Excerpts:

by Will Stewart
Nov 29, 2022

A shocking video shows how an 18-year-old woman was ‘kidnapped by a Russian man and his family’ after she refused to marry him.

Bella Ravoyan is seen being carried out of an apartment block in the city of Tambov by two men.

She was abducted after celebrating her 18th birthday by the man she rejected – named as Amik Shamoyan, 20 – along with his father, Oganes, 48, and brother Alo, 24 – according to law enforcement.

The woman was taken to the Nizhny Novgorod region, evidently to force her to agree to a wedding.

After several days, the woman – reported missing by her father – escaped and went to police, say reports.

Thanksgiving Horror: Family Members Arrive at Relatives’ Home for Holiday Gathering, Discover Husband Had Dismembered and Disemboweled His Wife, Police Say

Thanksgiving Horror: Family Members Arrive at Relatives’ Home for Holiday Gathering, Discover Husband Had Dismembered and Disemboweled His Wife, Police Say

My, my, my. If nothing else undercuts the hyper- marriage- and nuclear family propaganda spewed by my fellow conservatives, this sure does.

This woman was married – did being married bring her happiness, joy, or peace? Nope. She is very dead – killed by her looney husband.

Did being married make this husband more ethical, sane, godly, mentally healthy, or responsible? Nope, it sure did not.

If you’re a single adult disappointed to be age 35 or older and still single (when you had expected marriage), just remember, there ARE worse things than being  single – like being married to a dementia-addled dirtbag who literally cuts you apart dead, for your relatives to discover.

(Link): New Mexico man arrested after allegedly dismembering and disemboweling wife ahead of Thanksgiving dinner

A family’s Thanksgiving festivities took a turn after a New Mexico man was arrested Thursday after allegedly stabbing his wife to death and dismembering her body.

Relatives had found Karlan Denio, 62, lying in bed with his wife Connie’s body on the floor ahead of the family’s Thanksgiving meal. They then called police and Denio was taken into custody Thursday afternoon and charged with first-degree murder, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Albuquerque Journal.

(Link): Man with dementia accused of murdering, dismembering wife on Thanksgiving 

By Isabel Keane
Nov 27, 2022

A New Mexico man with dementia allegedly killed, dismembered and disemboweled his wife hours before out-of-town family arrived at their home to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Relatives of Karlan and Connie Denio had to take the hinges off a door to enter the couple’s Albuquerque home Thursday afternoon when no one answered, and then made the horrifying discovery.

Karlan Denio, 62, was found lying in bed, while cops said his wife, Connie, was discovered “dismembered and disemboweled” on the bedroom floor, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

…Police who arrived at the grisly scene found Connie “dismembered and disemboweled,” authorities said. They detained Karlan and found he had cuts on his leg and neck, officials said.

Dear Abby: I’m Happy Now That My Abusive Ex is Dead

Dear Abby: I’m Happy Now That My Abusive Ex is Dead

 This is not the first time I’ve come across this sort of thing. I have another blog post or two from the past several years detailing letters by widowed women who say their dead husband was abusive or a big jerk, and they are thrilled the husband is dead.

(Link): Dear Abby: I’m Happy Now That My Abusive Ex is Dead

DEAR ABBY:
I have been a widow for six months.

My late husband was a physically and verbally abusive alcoholic.

I spent numerous nights in the ER waiting to be seen and nursed many black eyes throughout the years.

During all those years of abuse, which was witnessed by numerous friends and family, I remained faithful and dedicated to him and our marriage, but due to the toxicity of our relationship I was severely depressed and needed antidepressants.

I tried many times to get him help and had family interventions, only to end up being threatened with getting all my teeth knocked out.

Texas Pastor Caught with ‘BDSM’ and Bestiality-Themed Child Pornography Voluntarily Admitted He Has an Addiction, Feds Say

Texas Pastor Caught with ‘BDSM’ and Bestiality-Themed Child Pornography Voluntarily Admitted He Has an Addiction, Feds Say

I don’t know how conservative Christians can keep insisting upon “male headship” or male-only pastors, when so many male pastors end up being rapists and abusers.

Complementarians sometimes like to argue that complementarianism keeps girls and women safe – no, it does not. They seem to assume that men are more wise or moral than women… no, no they are not.

(Link): Former Faith Baptist Church pastor faces up to 20 years in prison after child porn arrest 

(Link): Pastor of Texas church ‘knew it was wrong,’ but kept downloading child porn, feds say 

Nov 14, 2022

The longtime pastor of a Texas baptist church was arrested on child porn charges after federal authorities said he downloaded and shared the explicit content — at times from the church.

David Lloyd Walther, the pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Round Rock, was charged with distribution, receipt, transportation and possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

On this page, which is reporting on this crime, is this photo caption:

David Walther, wishing his congregation a Merry Christmas alongside a woman who appears to be his wife.

Ah, so he’s likely married.

Well, you know, contrary to most religious and secular conservatives, marriage does not fix society or make a person more ethical, responsible, loving, or mature. I am not against marriage, but I do very much dispute the undue emphasis that so many conservatives place upon marriage, parenthood, and the nuclear family.

Considering that so many self professing Christian men, even ones that pastor or otherwise work at churches, turn out to be rapists and perverts, if you’re a Christian single adult, you need to get rid of the “equally yoked” rule and open your dating pool to non-Christians.

There’s no advantage in sticking to Christians only, and there aren’t enough single Christian men for the women who’d like to date.

Also, contrary to most Christian “how to get married” advice I heard when younger, God is not going to with-hold a spouse from you because you’re not good or godly enough… God apparently allowed this pervert pastor below to marry, so there’s no litmus test for “earning” a spouse from God.

(Link): Texas Pastor Caught with ‘BDSM’ and Bestiality-Themed Child Pornography Voluntarily Admitted He Has an Addiction, Feds Say

Nov 11, 2022
by Matt Naham

A 56-year-old pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Round Rock, Texas who was caught with”BDSM” and bestiality-themed child pornography in his possession admitted he has an addiction, the Department of Justice alleges. David Lloyd Walther now faces federal charges for distribution, receipt, transportation and possession of child pornography.

According to the affidavit, which Law&Crime is not sharing in this instance because of how detailed it is, the pastor had a “BDSM” folder containing an image of a nude boy with a collar on his neck and being sexually abused, a similar image of a female toddler, and images of nude young boys and girls being restrained by ropes and tools.

A “Zoo” folder allegedly contained a bestiality video involving a dog and a female toddler “likely less than three years old.”

The feds allege that the defendant also downloaded several videos through BitTorrent showing young girls being sexually abused by adult men.