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encouraging ex-Christians
News of interest to former Christians
A prominent Culpeper VA minister charged last week with child endangerment has been arrested again.
This time, Charles V. Shifflett, 54, faces one count of "intentionally proposing [that a child under 18] feel or fondle the accused's sexual or genital parts," according to Culpeper sheriff's Sgt. Vern Fox. Shifflett is being held without bond, Fox said.
The charge alleges the incident occurred between Dec. 1, 1991, and June 1, 1993, Fox said. He added that the latest charges were brought by the unidentified victim and not as a result of a Sheriff's Office investigation.
Last week's charges were brought as the result of the office's investigation into incidents alleged to have occurred in 1992 and 1993. Neither of those involved any sexual misconduct.
Fox said yesterday that last week's two charges point to a single victim, not two different victims as the Sheriff's Office had initially reported.
Chad Robison, 26, told The Free Lance-Star Thursday that he was the alleged victim in that case. Robison was a student at Calvary Baptist Academy in 1992 and '93.
Fox would not release the name of Shifflett's latest accuser and offered no further details about the charges.
Shifflett assumed pastorship of Calvary Baptist Church in Culpeper in 1983 and transformed it from a 25-member congregation to one with more than 1,000 members. The academy, which Shifflett and his deacons oversaw, was added in the early 1990s.
Shifflett abruptly resigned as pastor about three months ago over what he called a difference of opinion between himself and church elders. He attributed the earlier charges to vindictiveness by some church members.
"It's strictly out of hate," Shifflett said Thursday.
Archie Seale, who says he is now interim pastor at Calvary on Alum Springs Road, said that is not the case. Seale said in a Thursday e-mail to The Free Lance-Star that an investigation began before Shifflett resigned and "was not initiated by anyone who is still a member of our church."
"We had the meeting [on Nov. 2, 2005] with the hopes of talking about the investigation but after about five minutes of discussion, Pastor Shifflett lost his temper, resigned and walked out, informing us to find a new pastor. Since this was the fourth time he had resigned, all [seven] of the men present accepted his resignation," Seale wrote.
Seale said Shifflett later gave the elders a letter--to be read to the congregation the following Sunday--saying that he had resigned "at the request of his doctor for medical reasons."
Following his resignation, Shifflett formed the First Baptist Church of Culpeper, which has been meeting at Dominion Skating Center. About 150 people, including many former Calvary members, are reportedly attending his new church.
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This time, Charles V. Shifflett, 54, faces one count of "intentionally proposing [that a child under 18] feel or fondle the accused's sexual or genital parts," according to Culpeper sheriff's Sgt. Vern Fox. Shifflett is being held without bond, Fox said.
The charge alleges the incident occurred between Dec. 1, 1991, and June 1, 1993, Fox said. He added that the latest charges were brought by the unidentified victim and not as a result of a Sheriff's Office investigation.
Last week's charges were brought as the result of the office's investigation into incidents alleged to have occurred in 1992 and 1993. Neither of those involved any sexual misconduct.
Fox said yesterday that last week's two charges point to a single victim, not two different victims as the Sheriff's Office had initially reported.
Chad Robison, 26, told The Free Lance-Star Thursday that he was the alleged victim in that case. Robison was a student at Calvary Baptist Academy in 1992 and '93.
Fox would not release the name of Shifflett's latest accuser and offered no further details about the charges.
Shifflett assumed pastorship of Calvary Baptist Church in Culpeper in 1983 and transformed it from a 25-member congregation to one with more than 1,000 members. The academy, which Shifflett and his deacons oversaw, was added in the early 1990s.
Shifflett abruptly resigned as pastor about three months ago over what he called a difference of opinion between himself and church elders. He attributed the earlier charges to vindictiveness by some church members.
"It's strictly out of hate," Shifflett said Thursday.
Archie Seale, who says he is now interim pastor at Calvary on Alum Springs Road, said that is not the case. Seale said in a Thursday e-mail to The Free Lance-Star that an investigation began before Shifflett resigned and "was not initiated by anyone who is still a member of our church."
"We had the meeting [on Nov. 2, 2005] with the hopes of talking about the investigation but after about five minutes of discussion, Pastor Shifflett lost his temper, resigned and walked out, informing us to find a new pastor. Since this was the fourth time he had resigned, all [seven] of the men present accepted his resignation," Seale wrote.
Seale said Shifflett later gave the elders a letter--to be read to the congregation the following Sunday--saying that he had resigned "at the request of his doctor for medical reasons."
Following his resignation, Shifflett formed the First Baptist Church of Culpeper, which has been meeting at Dominion Skating Center. About 150 people, including many former Calvary members, are reportedly attending his new church.
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What you believe is not necessarily the truth!
You believe only what you wish to believe!
No one every saw Jeffrey Dahmer have sex with dead bodies and then eating them either! So with your analogy, Dahmer was totally innocent.
I was a member of that congregation several years ago. I have NEVER seen Preacher Shifflett alone with a teenage girl. I have never seen him hurt a child. These allegations are being made out of sheer vindictiveness. And he is not a Priest. He is married to a lovely lady and has 3 grown daughters who are devastaded by these accusations. He is a good man who is being trashed by folks who are ENCOURAGING their TEENAGERS TO MAKE UP STORIES!
If he is found guilty by a jury of 12, in a court of law, will you still believe that teenagers are making up stories. Yes you will, because any negative goes against your brainwashed belief.
Sorry anonymous, but you have been bamboozeled not only by this preacher, but by society and their silly beliefs as well. Time to give up the imaginary friends and live in truth, and not in fairytales.
That's a good one, by the way, about the priest growing "fondler."
The building of churches over here in Fort Worth is what drives our economy! I'd personally rather be in a recession! heehee
No, you haven't......because if you DID see them, they wouldn't been "alone", now would they? D'oh!!!
God 'less.
They can't stop building them over here. They've built two along my 4 mile trek to work in the last month or so. I see them all over the place being built. They pop up in no time.
There's a massive mega-church near where I live. The parking lot is not big enough so they have another lot across the street. On Sunday they have POLICE (our tax dollars at work) directing traffic and allowing masses of churchgoers to cross the street. I do mean masses.
I say those christians ought to have an overpass built between the lots and pay for it themselves with all those millions. Or maybe they should have a shuttle service. Nice to know that if I need a cop because I've been mugged the response time will be that much slower on Sunday morning.
Some of those churches here are right next to each other, or right across the street. Two different denominations! I wonder if they can hear each other condemning the other to hell...
Annoy, are you trying to lump us all in with that pedophile? Are you saying that becasuse we don't believe we are vile like that fundie preacher? Well I think that is exactly what you are saying. Luckly, I have a very high self esteem and tolerance for that kind of ignorance. I would not want to be in your shoes with such a stinking thinking. Check yourself deary.
"Let's get one thing straight, Mr. Shifflett brought this all on himself. He manipulates people, brainwashes them, uses them, and then, get's rid of them."
LOL!!! Really?....he *maniputlates* them?....he *brainwashes* them?....he *USES* them? Yoo hoo?....knock-knock?....hellooo?....anyone home?? ROFLMAO!!
Nevermind, fart-knocker...I wouldn't expect you to "get it" anyway. Okay, moving on.... you say that Mr. Shifflet "brought this all on himself", eh? Hmmm, how ironic---your "omniscient" deity, Yahweh, also brought on the very problem of "sin", and the whole "redemption" through "salvation" gag.
Y'see, Anon, Biblegod is a wuss-bag.....either that, or he's a complete moron. Why, you ask???.... because, A) He could've simply chosen not to "create evil" to begin with(ref: The Bible)...or B) He could've destroyed "evil" at ANY point in time AFTER he created it...right? RIGHT. Or wait, maybe Biblegod isn't "omnipotent" at all...? or better yet....maybe the whole CONCEPT of "God" is man-made?
Let's see....what's more likely--- a "God" who can "snap" a whole Universe and everything in it into existance, and yet, be utterly foiled by an evil pitch-fork weilding man in a red leotard(yikes!!!).....OR, there are no gods or devils and the Universe is natural, and self-caused. Hmmmm...?
What a reliefe to see that some peole believe in physical scientific evidence over and not a fictional spiritual "being".
What a relief!!!!!!
P.S. I have never trusted Shifflett and I know that he has mistreated many of teenage boys!!!!
Now as a 50 year old mother of two All I have to say to Chuck is...Pay backs are hell and it looks like you are on you way to getting yours!
Some things he forgot to mention.... he dated Shiffletts oldest daughter....he quit Rock of Ages Prison Ministry......... he is no longer ordained.....he is no longer married to his first wife......he is right if you dig a little deeper you will find a soap opera.....birds of a feather....
Culpeper Star Exponent
Friday, February 17, 2006
A new arrest warrant has been filed in the ongoing case of Charles Shifflett, pastor of First Baptist Church of Culpeper, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Shifflett, 54, has been arrested three times since Jan. 17 on charges of cruelty and injury to children, child endangerment and two counts of indecent liberties with a child.
Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jim Fox said the most recent warrant was obtained Thursday at 2:11 p.m. and had yet to be served as of that evening.
According to Fox, another woman claiming to be a victim obtained the Class 6 felony warrant for an offense that allegedly occurred between January and March of 1990.
The charge, “unlawfully causing bodily injury with the intent to maim, disfigure, disable or kill,” is one of five other felonies Shifflett faces.
The woman, who was not named, would have been 10 at the time of the offense. She is the third person who has filed citizen complaints with the Culpeper County Magistrate’s Office and has obtained warrants.
Chad Robison, 29, was the first to come forward and claims Shifflett physically and sexually abused him while he was a student at the school. Liz Bailey, 35, also a former student, obtained a warrant about 10 days after Robison for charges of sexual abuse against Shifflett.
The charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred at Calvary Baptist Church, where Shifflett was the former pastor. The church also had a K-12 school where Shifflett was principal.
For all felonious charges, Shifflett faces up to 25 years in prison, five years in jail or a fine up to $12,500.
Culpeper Star Exponent
Saturday, February 18, 2006
More than 10 churchgoers, including two young mothers with babies and a Town Council candidate, crowded into the Culpeper County Magistrate’s Office Friday morning in a show of support for Charles Shifflett, pastor at First Baptist Church of Culpeper.
Shifflett, 54, turned himself in to authorities around 9 a.m. Friday after a warrant was issued Thursday for his arrest. He is charged with felonious assault on a 10-year-old girl in 1990.
Shifflett’s latest detainment marked the fourth time in a month that he has been arrested on charges of child injury, endangerment and indecent liberties.
Handcuffed and dressed in a short-sleeved white shirt, Shifflett appeared in General District Court around 11 a.m. Friday, and was released from jail after noon on a $2,500 secured bond.
“I’m out,” said Shifflett, departing the magistrate’s office with his wife, Janice, and the group of supporters at his side. “No comment,” he said of the ongoing investigation against him. “No ma’am.”
Mrs. Shifflett also had no comment. “I’m not going to say anything,” she said.
Tom Reese, a Culpeper auctioneer running for Town Council in the May election, put up the money for Shifflett’s release and said he also posted the $2,000 bond the first time Shifflett was arrested.
Reese, 76, said he is a 19-year member of Shifflett’s two congregations and a trustee at First Baptist. Reese, former mayor of Remington, said he is “100 percent sure” of “Preacher’s” innocence.
“Why would somebody wait 26 years, 20 years, 16 years to come forward with this?” Reese said of the pending charges filed against Shifflett by three former students at Calvary Baptist Academy, located next to Calvary Baptist Church, where Shifflett formerly served as pastor.
“I don’t think he did anything wrong,” Reese added. “I know he is not that type of guy.”
Reese tied the recent string of charges to the split of Calvary Baptist Church in November, when Shifflett resigned as preacher there and started First Baptist. His new church meets at Dominion Skating Center on Sunday mornings and evenings and Wednesday night.
“I think some of the people who split from Calvary are the backbone of this thing,” Reese said.
He added that getting Shifflett out of jail was more important than his own political aspirations.
“If it meant freeing the preacher, I’d rather do that than be on Town Council,” said Reese.
New charges
In the new arrest warrant filed Thursday, the alleged victim claimed Shifflett “spanked” her repeatedly during one incident in 1990 when she was 10 and a student at his school.
In her handwritten statement, the now 26-year-old women - whose identity the Star-Exponent has decided to keep anonymous - said Shifflett “called me into his office” to ask about “her sister’s birth control pills.”
“I told him I didn’t know what they were and he told me I was lying. He was also asking me if she was having sex and I told him that I didn’t know and he said I was lying about that. So he told me that I was going to get a spanking. He got a ping pong paddle and started to spank me.”
The alleged victim said she was instructed to “hold my hands together on the edge of the desk” and “if I started to move, made a noise or anything he would hit me harder.”
From his office, the warrant says, they moved into “the main church area where I had to hold the end of a pew. That is when he broke the paddle.”
The woman said she was told “to stand still and don’t move” and when Shifflett returned, “he had a new paddle.” The spanking continued for a “few more minutes,” the woman said, “then it moved into the side hallway where the nurseries were.”
At this point, the woman stated on the arrest warrant, she told Shifflett she had to go to the bathroom, but he refused her permission.
“After a few more minutes, I told him that if I didn’t go I was going to wet myself and he let me go,” she said. “I was hurting so bad at that point that I could barely sit when I got out of the bathroom. He continued until someone came to get him.”
The woman said Shifflett told her “to wash my face and go back to the class and if anyone asked me I just got in trouble and not to tell.”
The alleged victim said she told her father about the reported incident when she got home from school that day: “He looked at my bottom and it was bruised with red marks that looked like blood. He almost took me to the hospital.”
After that, she said, she did not return to Calvary Baptist Academy and her father enrolled her in public school.
“And now that this has come back up I have nightmares about it and can’t sleep,” the woman said, concluding her written statement.
Shifflett is scheduled to appear at a hearing April 4 at 9 a.m. in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. More charges in the ongoing investigation are expected, officials say.
Background:
In October, the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation of Shifflett, prompted by a church member coming forward with concerns of how the school was run.
- Three of his subsequent four jail bookings resulted from arrest warrants obtained by former students Chad Robison, 29, Liz Bailey, 35 and the woman who filed her citizen complaint through the magistrate’s office Thursday.
- Robison claims Shifflett sexually and physically abused him while he was a student at the school. Bailey obtained a warrant about 10 days after Robinson on charges of sexual abuse against Shifflett.
Religious leaders, appeal to god to absolve them of the things that are abhorrent to anyone with a modicum of moral decency. The status quo will remain, until religious leaders, their doctrine of hate, and the parents who push their children into indoctrination in the early years of their life are held legally accountable for their actions.
Ironic though, as much as I detest Shiffletts' actions, I don't think that an eternity in hell would be justifiable, if hell were real as portrayed by christianity. However, it appears that god has no problem with throwing him in the ol' lake of fire and throwing away the key, what a role model. I can see where Shifflett may have had a problem with a role model figure.
Many children who are abused, are ashamed, embarassed, or in shock and don't know what to do when they are young. Religion that preaches that people are depraved and fallen in sin, see themselves as naturally defective and at times deserving of the abuse they recieve. I know, sounds strange, however, abused children have common characteristics, sometimes aloof, sluggish, seemingly disconnected with their environment. When they finally come out of their state of shock over the years of psychological repression, they start the healing process, which starts out with anger. The victims, finally realized they were lied to, and were deserving of more than abuse, they finally learned that they were naturally valuable, and not defective by original sin. They finally accepted their self unconditionally, and dropped the religious baggage of sin and self abuse.
Anonymous 2/19/2006 8:59 PM: "As for the People in some of the post that don't believe in God, one even said there is no evidence to support that. I would suggest you looking at some of the 40 + thousand doc's. that are in museums that are preserved from 1000's of years ago."
Not one of those documents are signed by a Jesus. Many of those documents deny the divinity of Jesus. And, just because there is a lot of people who wrote about what they thought about, doesn't make it factually valid. There are over 1,860,000 web pages that have Santa Clause referenced, does that mean Santa Clause is more real that Jesus.
Anonymous: "It is overwelming the evidence."
Let see.
Anonymous: "There have been more buildings built, songs written, money given, lives changed as the result of one man who never traveled more than 200 miles from his birth place, only had a few friends, was unjustly tried and killed, and rose from the dead, than anyone in history."
This theoretical man, was only known for a short period of his life, the few years in his childhood and the last three years, per anonymous writings in the bible. The old testament, never mentions the name "Jesus", once, or "original sin" or "trinity" for that matter.
Anonymous: "You will ask how do you know he rose from the dead? Dont you believe the unbelievers of his day would have produced his dead body to disprove the Christians, if they had it."
Some would suggest, that there were no writings before mid to late first century CE that mentioned the name Jesus. Hence, if Jesus was a god, he sure didn't make an impact in his time, great enough to be written about. He didn't have one statue erected with his image, or one painting created. There is no archeological evidence for his existence, except the copies of texts that were passed through the generations. However, there were just as many texts that claimed Jesus was just a man, and not divine. If Jesus never existed, then, there obviously wouldn't be a body, or any archaeological evidence, and hence, there isn't.
Anonymous: "They could not because he was see of over 500 people at once."
The accounts of Jesus' resurrection, are based on writings written decades after Jesus was supposed to have lived. Why did it take that long to come up with the information. I mean, if a god died, and was resurrected, one would surmize that it would have made it into at least "one" document at that time. However, there is not "one" document of the era a Jesus was supposed to have lived, that mentions Jesus, at all, to include his resurrection.
I think it is time CHUCK SHIFFLETT took a long hard look at what he has done. Instead of running around
druming up supporters with his cheesey smile as if he is running for office---he should be thinking about what HE has done to his family !!!
What does Calvary Baptist Church have to do with it---he is no longer pastor there. Why do you call those people liars? What have they done? Those bringing the charges are not even members of that church.
Anonymous: "It's a free country and anybody can go to any church they want. I know I don't want to go to a church that has a child abuser as a pastor, Do you?"
Are you suggesting we should take your word, that he is a child abuser? I mean, you were there, right? Why wait until April to make a few observations, based on your statement.
Your point, that we live in a free country, and anyone can go to any church they feel like, may be true. However, the central view here, seems to be, not everyone should be a preacher/pastor, especially if they are a child abuser. It seems though, that Pastor Shifflet, has moved on to another church, after being presented with prior allegations of his 'potential' misconduct.
This may be a free country, and the individual rights of a citizen should be at the forefronts of our minds, however, when a person is openly accused, with written statements submitted to law enforcement, by a group of individuals for misconduct, then the accused is obligated to provide a response. Its how the system works, the pastor is innocent until proven guilty, however, he must respect the law, and respond to the allegations.
This pastor, chose, to move on, and begin anew with another congregation. Anyone, in public service as a leader who is accused of misconduct, should be suspended from their service, with benefits, until they clear their name, up-to a reasonable amount of time is provided to present their case in court.
This pastor, was not suspended from public service, and at this very moment could be continuing to engage in further misconduct. If this pastor would have did the "right" things, and went to court to clear his name, and the charges were found to be part of a personal vendetta against him, then he could have leveraged his legal right to counter-sue for slander, etc.
What is appalling, is that there is a public service leader, accused of child misconduct, who has physical access to children without restraint.
Further, if this pastor if found "guilty" of all charges, he may "still" have the opportunity to "serve" in a pulic service capacity, because being a pastor, isn't federally or state regulated, except for the purposes of tax law. He may be restricted from being exposed to children, etc., but that does not stop him from preaching the words that have inspired him to be who he is today.
Could it be possible, that this pastor's words and belief are part of the problem? If one says, this pastor's actions don't necessarily reflect the word of god, or the christian belief system (pick one of 38,000 christian denominations to choose from), then... why was he a preacher to begin with for so many years, without question. Perhaps, the congregation knew no better their own beliefs, and what this preacher taught.
Religious leader have to control their followers. If they can't, then they run the risk of losing their congregation.
There are many forms of control, one of them, is controlling the basic needs of a follower. How is this accomplished? Basic needs, like food, water, shelter, clothing, etc., require money. Money, requires a job, and typically a good paying job, requires an education. Therefore, religious leaders have found, it beneficial to keep their followers from becoming financially independent, by preventing advanced education.
If a follower states that they "will" get an education, and the family supports the decision, the religious leader will typically suggest a bible college or college that grants degrees that don't promote secular careers, i.e., piano, etc., as its difficult to become financially independent teaching piano lessons, but a piano teacher is great for free labor in church. I am only a few credits shy of a piano performance degree, from a bible college.
Its all about control, religious leaders compete with the economy. Our economic system, rewards people for getting advanced degrees and building this nation. However, religious leaders have a vested interest in preventing their followers from entering degree programs, that are philosophically contrary to religious teachings, i.e., engineering, mathematics, and science based degrees, etc. Its why... the U.S. has more international students enrolled in PhD programs in U.S. Universities, than it has U.S. citizens enrolled.
Religious leaders, at times, take the stance, that they have more right to lead the masses than the "individual" people, themselves, and therefore, block efforts for an individual to enter into society to gain financial independence. Moreover, religious leaders, also block efforts of their followers to climb the ranks within the church as well. Its all about control, and keeping everyone co-dependent on the pastor or religious leader, because without a steady supply of religious followers, a pastor doesn't have a job. And, its a job, and nothing more. Anyone, can pick up a bible, and read, and if they read really closely, they will realize that the bible in many places, just doesn't make sense.
Isaiah 45:7 - I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
This passage doesn't make sense, when a religious person says their god is a just and loving god, but obviously god creates evil according to the bible. Pastors, don't need educated followers, they need people who have no hope to escape poverty or a psychologically/emotionally co-dependent relationship. This pastor, engaged in tactics to control his followers; in any form he felt was appropriate - spanking, etc.
Religious leaders, validate their control levels by asking followers to engage in acts that are contrary to their natural instinct. If a religious leader can corrupt, a childs' conscience, they own them for life, as a child will slip psychologically into into a mentally repressive state of mind.
A child who is in that state of mind, will have a diffucult time trying to focus on education. Furthermore, a child who can not maintain clarity of thought, will have a hard time engaged in a job which requires high levels of awareness, as they will have a psychological ball and chain they carry with them for life. This psychological trauma, further perpetuates dependence on the religious leader/religion, its a continual loop of abuse.
The only escape... education, and it appears that this pastor seemed to deliberately derail each child's ability to gain an education. This isn't too surprising, its common practice with religious leaders who feel they need to "control" people, using religious rhetoric, and direct coercion.
I'm sure at one time they all loved and honored the ground he walked on.
Or is this just another case of the blind leading the blind?
Charles Shifflett bailed him out of jail and then turned his back on me and my 2 small children. God will have his way with him, and I will continue to pray for all those who have been hurt by him.
Even after all this has happened to C.S. and your family, it still has not occured to you that just maybe, just maybe, that the religion that this cretin was teaching and leading you people around like puppets could be fraudulent?
To me personally, this leading by example, I would want to burn the G-Damed church down with him in it.
The same thing happened at my parents church, the 56 yr. old preacher was caught by his wife in bed with a 21 yr. old woman, they just got a new preacher, no big deal, everybody just follows the wrong spirit once in a while.
It has nothing to do with the religion, god loves everybody, god is the same, yesterday, today, tomorrow.
Lets all join hands and sing all together now...cume bye ya my friends...cume bye ya.
I really just do not get it, how you nutjobs are just willing to forgive and dismiss any crime, fraud, scandal, rape, molestation, perversion, embezzelment, adultry, sodomy, crimes of passion, crimes against nature, the full gambit of whatever the fool preacher gets up and preaches against.
What it is, is that the preachers have this forgive the sinner sewn into the minds of his sheeple, this way should he, himself ever forbid get caught, his sheep will aways stand by him, ready to be forgiven, or bailed out, or lick his wounds and ass.
The more that I delve into the fraud of religion and jesus and preachers, the sicker it gets, I just do not know how much longer I can put up with this shit, this shit reaches way beyond sick, it is a mental psychosis, unimpenetrable by any amount of common sense or logic.
I've been hunting the right magical words for over 5 years to try to awaken you brainwahed christians up, it's now beyond words, there's a chemical imbalance
thats it, there's this invisible force called god, that only preachers have complete control of, that is poluting your minds, it's going right through your skull into the jack-ass nerve receptors, and once they get a harness on your brain, the preachers have complete control over you, you people are rendered completely brainless, spineless, wayward, zombie cult worshippers followers, lemmings, dolts, you're like sea gulls following a shrimp boat.
I would have never believed that adults were that sick, when I was just a young boy, religions are beyond childhood insanity, it's mentally induced complete mind domination, beyond the receivers own ability to recognize it, mind fog, deception, trickery, well that explains the daily news, and why the world is so screwed up and the masses of total insanity going rampant, christians are like rats on a sinking ship, except they do not want off, and leave their preacher.
How can a sane god allow religions to be like this?
March 8, 2006 12:50 am
Three more counts of child endangerment have been filed against a Culpeper minister who was already facing five similar charges.
Charles V. Shifflett, 54, was arrested Monday afternoon and released yesterday on $5,000 bond.
Two of the new charges were filed by Woodrow W. Leake III, who attended Cavalry Baptist Academy when Shifflett was the headmaster. The other was filed as part of an ongoing investigation by the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office.
According to court documents, Leake accuses Shifflett of mistreatment by paddling him in the fall of 1986 and forcing him to help cut and split wood as part of after-school activities from the fall of 1990 until 1992.
Leake's statement alleges that the split wood was then sold to help pay the salaries of Shifflett, who also was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church at the time, and academy teachers.
Leake also alleges that Shifflett "whipped" him with a 2-foot-long, 2-inch-thick and 4-inch-wide paddle after the student "back-talked a teacher five times."
Leake's age at the time of each alleged offense is not given on the court documents.
The third count, filed by sheriff's investigators, lists neither the name of the victim nor details of the alleged crime, which is said to have occurred in the fall of 1999. The victim in that incident was 17 years old at the time, according to a Sheriff's Office spokesman.
Sheriff Lee Hart did not discount the possibility yesterday the parents of the victims involved could be charged for forcing their children to attend the academy. He said such action has already been discussed and might be taken if Shifflett is found guilty.
"We'll have to wait and see what unfolds before moving in that direction," Hart said.
He added that it would be up to Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Close to decide if charges are warranted against any parents.
The Department of Social Services, which could promote such charges, has been involved in the investigations, according to sheriff's Sgt. Vern Fox.
Shifflett, who was pastor at the rural church for 22 years, resigned in November prior to the first charges being filed in January. He is now pastor of an offshoot congregation, the First Baptist Church of Culpeper.
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Of course, your god has a reasons for everything. I wonder what his reason for pedophilia is?
You get a whole religion that is basically founded on Munchausen syndrome, i.e., feigning pain, illness, damnation at birth, sinful, etc., to get attention, and then have the great invisible sky daddy, act as the caretaker.
If god, is given comfort through praise, glory, etc., for inciting such behavior, and god is pleased, then god is nothing short of manifesting Munchausem by proxy, where the proxy are the spiritually sick children, who are so, so, ill.
Munchausen is not a DSM IV, diagnosis, however, its a sub-type of the factitious disorder;
"FACTITIOUS DISORDER, (of which MUNCHAUSEN SYNDROME is a sub-type), (also called "Adult Munchausen", and "Adult Factitious Disorder") is a formal, DSM-IV mental health diagnosis in which people deliberately exaggerate and/or fabricate and/or induce physical and/or psychological-behavioral-mental health problems in themselves. The primary purpose of this behavior is to gain some form of internal gratification, such as attention, for themselves."
http://www.mbpexpert.com/definition.html
I like that, it has unity. Many religious claims, are affectionately called "faithful" beliefs, and yet, I feel the more appropriate term is "factitious" beliefs.
Either, way, someone is getting some attention out of it. People who require much attention, because of their learned/developed social structure, will lean towards any method in which they can satisfy their social needs - even if they have to go to church or religious settings in order to get these needs met. I will admit, however, that some people go to support and give attention to others, out of a sense of loyalty and care. I won't call them enablers, but some might.
In the end, people go to church, because they have needs, its that simple. Shitlett took advantage of people, who had human needs. An invisible sky daddy, had nothing to do with his actions, well, unless someone is going to suggest they have factual information on god, else, god per the christian tradition, is "fictitious" DSM-IV, NOS 300.19
Just this statement ALONE shows the idiocy in such an assertion. Yeah, there's 125 BILLION *known* gallaxies, meaning, we are basically a grain of SAND on a vast beach...yet, Mr. Omnipotent is going to help the "community". HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!