The state college trustees were right to fire Joe Paterno and the college president. They have acted to protect the integrity of their institution, and more importantly send a powerful message about how they expect their university leaders to always act to protect children and not the image of their institution.The grand jury testimony was clear: Paterno turned a blind eye toward a pedophile coach that used the Penn State showers for multiple sexual assualts against minors. When he was told of a specific episode by a distraught graduate assistant, Joe didn't call the cops. His graduate assistant didn't. Joe didn't have the sense to use his influence on the graduate assistant to encourage him to call the police as an eye witness to a sexual assault.
And according to the grand jury report, more boys were needlessly assaulted after this.
We know the lesson of Sandusky: there are perverts everywhere posing as coaches, teachers, preachers, Sunday School teachers, mentors, and seemingly all-around good guys that want to prey on your children. This makes it incredibly difficult for us parents to know who really wants to help our kids. We didn't need Sandusky to teach us this, we already knew it.
But Paterno's firing teaches us three lessons:
- it tells us that in the secular realm, we hold our legends and heroes to much higher standards than we do our ordained "men of God" in Christianity. Look at the Catholic priest scandals all over the world, evidence that molesting priests were shuffled from parish to parish. Look at Baptist preachers who knew of sexual molestation in their church by preachers and ministers that didn't report the abuse to authorities - and in some cases even allowed the pedophile to simply move away to be someone else's problem.
- it tells us that even the most respected and revered coach in the history of college football is not so powerful as to be not accountable for a moral failure to protect children. Citizens in Pennsylvania - and Paterno himself - never envisioned a day that a group of trustees would deem him unfit to be the coach of the state university football team. It was not his God-given right to be the coach of Penn State...many pastors think they are appointed by God himself to their position as pastor, leading many to think they are above being held accountable for a moral failure to protect children from perverts in their church.
- there was an institutional arrogance within the Penn State university that led employees from the janitor all the way to the president of the university to not do all they could to protect children from a sexual predator posing as a powerful assistant coach. Thankfully, this arrogance may have come to an abrupt end by the actions of the state trustees yesterday and in the days to come. Question is: when will "trustees" of the Southern Baptist Convention realize they can do much, much more to protect children from predator ministers?
Thankfully, Paterno will not be on the sideline this weekend coaching Penn State for turning a blind eye toward a pedophile coach.
Sadly, there are many pastors and priests who this weekend will be in pulpits preaching who should have been fired for turning a blind eye toward molesters in their church.
WD Point 1: a given; training of SBC ministers certainly should include "What to do if a crime such as this occurs on your watch as senior pastor . . ."--and then those ministers should act on that training. Most senior pastors are not granted the authority to terminate another minister's employment ("God and the congregation called them here, God and the congregation should un-call them here"), but there can be information about those ministers that the senior pastor cannot know alone within the organization of the local church--and anyone knowing a crime has been committed should report it and report that he has, in the case of a senior pastor as leader of a congregation.
ReplyDeleteWD Point 2: not "many" pastors think so, despite the nationwide attention it gets when such things are reported--actually, relatively few compared with the total number of SBC ministers of all sorts that there are (100,000+?), though their actions clearly are damaging.
WD Point 3: SBC executive leadership can do more about such things, but it cannot do all that may be envisioned by folks reporting on this story; local SBC churches do not take their cues from Nashville--though they do indeed take them from the Lord Jesus, who talked about mill stones tied about the necks of people hurting children and then being cast into the sea . . .
Keep up the good work.
The trustees definitely did the right thing. Sad all the way around !!
ReplyDelete"The state college trustees were right to fire Joe Paterno and the college president. They have acted to protect the integrity of their institution," WD
ReplyDeleteBeing of a more cynical nature, I think it's less about their integrity and more about their fingers in the wind trying to find a way to keep from losing a billion dollars or so.
But call me cynical about the human condition.
Sadly, the secular world holds men in authority to higher standards than those who supposedly teach Christ to others.
ReplyDeleteThere is no excuse for anyone to protect those in the ministry whether they be Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran - whoever.
But the hardest thing for me is that when you expose them for their discretion's, their followers give them standing ovations, pay raises, promotions, and throw out and turn everyone against those who have exposed them, especially the Baptist!
Baptist, you have a problem!
Bravo to Albert Moholer for his article today on lessons learned from Paterno firing, especially this paragraph regarding immediate changes at his own institution, SBTS:
ReplyDelete"We all need an immediate reality check. I discovered yesterday that the policy handbook of the institution I am proud to lead calls for any employee receiving a report of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, to contact his or her supervisor with that report. That changes today. The new policy statement will direct employees receiving such a report to contact law enforcement authorities without delay. Then, after acting in the interests of the child, they should contact their supervisor."
Way to go Albert. Now go a step further and think about what the institution of "Southern Baptist Convention" can do to better protect children who are in harm's way at churches who have a policy of "tell the pastor", or who have no policy, or at churches who think they can conduct their own investigations outside of police involvement.
Instead of jumping on the bandwagon to fire Paterno maybe someone should question the graduate assistant (who is now a Penn State assistant coach) why he didn't stop the rape of a 10 year old. He's a former PSU quarterback so he's plenty big to do something about it. Maybe he should be the one being fired and prosecuted since he's the one who watched it happening.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the grad ass't who saw the act and then went to his dad, and then to Jo Pa instead of immediately intervening, or at the VERY least calling 9-1-1 should be held accountable. In fact, that will probably be Sandusky's defense. He will say if I was doing someing so gross as having anal intercourse with a 10-year old, surely McQuery would have stopped it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, this tells you the power of these pedophiles. McQuery likely saw who it was, his former ass't coach, and probably feared intervening. What does this say about the organization?
I also don't rule out the possibility that PSU football players will come forward and say that there were "rumors" about Sandusky's perversion within the organization. There must have been wider knowledge of this guy amongst those in the organization.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that child abuse is a heinous crime and people should be held accountable, what happened to the notion of a person is innocent until proven guilty in court of law (as opposed to the court of public opinion)? I am not trying to defend the likes of anyone who commits acts such as those alleged against the assitant coach, but it seems as though the notion of being proven guilty in the media is becoming the norm. The guilty parties deserve to have their day in court.
ReplyDelete"Being of a more cynical nature, I think it's less about their integrity and more about their fingers in the wind trying to find a way to keep from losing a billion dollars or so."
ReplyDeleteGood old Seneca Griggs (fake name), always judging the motives of others when he is completely unqualified to do so.
You gotta love a guy who has come to a firm conclusion without knowing any of the facts.
Most senior pastors are not granted the authority to terminate another minister's employment.
ReplyDeleteSteve Gaines of Bellevue Baptist is an exception to that rule. That's why there's an air of tension around the Bellevue offices that can sometimes be cut with a knife. Eyes down and lips zipped are the order of the day lest you be fired for the tiniest of perceived transgressions or if you're no longer needed or the SP wants to replace you with one of his buddies. He's been known to fire several staff members on the spot... well, that is, except Paul Williams after he learned Williams had molested his own son. That was considered by Gaines to be "uncharted waters" and "under the blood." It wasn't until the story became public and the church conducted a sham of an investigation, during which they were reported by law enforcement to have been "uncooperative," did they finally fire Williams who had been suspended with pay. It wouldn't surprise me to learn they paid Williams a lot of money to leave.
Regarding Paterno and the others, I wouldn't be surprised to find out they were paid handsomely, too.
Maybe it's my own cynicism or just the effect of the full moon tonight, but I find myself in agreement with Seneca/James on this one. I'm glad this all has come to light and that the university seems to have done the right thing. I'm just not sure the motivation was as much damage control and money as it was concern for the victims.
Apparently institutions of higher learning have a higher regard for their reputation to a watching world than the southern baptist church does.
ReplyDeleteBut the hardest thing for me is that when you expose them for their [in]discretion's, their followers give them standing ovations, pay raises, promotions, and throw out and turn everyone against those who have exposed them, especially the Baptist!
ReplyDeletePenn State students protested in the streets and destroyed property, and overturned a news van. Paterno took a swipe at the trustees and urged supporters to pray a little for those victims.
Everyone, beginning with the grand jury, has chosen to believe some statements about events and to disbelieve others. But grand juries make mistakes at times, which is why their charges are subject to a further legal process.
ReplyDeleteSecond, there was a report to police, the campus police, which generally have an investigatory authority and arrest authority. That report about one of these events apparently did not result in action for some reason.
We do not know exactly what the graduate assistant coach reported to Paterno, what Paterno reported to the AD and Sr. VP, and exactly why. But if the testimony of the AD and Sr. VP was true, and not perjurous, then the testimony of someone else was. And quite frankly, it was in the interest of the graduate assistant coach to say that his report was specific.
This whole situation appears to be a rush to judgment and a mob response. A bit more caution in leaping to conclusions may be appropriate. To me, the great fault was the failure of the graduate assistant coach to stop the rape in progress and make a citizens arrest of Sandusky.
Certain SBC Pastors seems to have gone to "twitter silence" today. Maybe this story hit too close to home? They dare not weigh in considering the skeletons in the closet. The silence is deafening.
ReplyDeletePaterno should have been removed just for the things he has already admitted to knowing. He has already stated that he should have done more.
ReplyDeleteThere was no way that the trustees were going to let the student body give him a standing ovation in this weekend's game.
That would have been a great embarrassment to the university.
Apparently it is not an embarrassment to a southern baptist church.
Arce seems to have a bit more sensibility than most on this blog.
ReplyDeleteSandusky pimped out young boys to rich Penn State donors?
ReplyDeleteJoePa knew and covered it up?
This story just gets more and more sordid. The Board of Trustees is not yet in full damage control mode because they still haven't fired Mike McQueary.
One can only assume this involves rich powerful Penn Staters and some folks still think they can control the scandal.
Note that the first article in my link says some believe there are HUNDREDS of RAPED, molested boy victims.
"We know the lesson of Sandusky: there are perverts everywhere posing as coaches, teachers, preachers, Sunday School teachers, mentors, and seemingly all-around good guys that want to prey on your children."
ReplyDeleteNot pointing the finger at you on this, but even bloggers, policemen, firemen, janitors, builders, politicians, etc.
The inmates seem to be running the asylum.
ReplyDeleteThe Penn State student rioters were screaming, We are Penn State!
Sadly, these lame brain rioters would probably make excellent Baptists!
McQueary called his father to get guidance. Father made a plan and son followed it. Why does Dad get a pass? He could have stopped the trainwreck.
ReplyDeleteAnd they might make even better Catholics since they have a lot more practice in molesting and covering up. The constant harping on Baptists sure grows old in a hurry.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has an opinion about who to blame and who's at fault at Penn State. Bottom line, it's sad and tragic, there are many victims. But, before we pass judgment or criticize, we should remember the words of Jesus from Matthew 7: Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, Let me wash your face for you, when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor (Matthew 7:1-5 MSG).
ReplyDeleteAnon at 9:43,
ReplyDeleteDon't understand why you are picking on Seneca.
He clearly said it was his opinion and not fact.
You just came to a conclusion about Seneca that was totally unfair based on what he said.
I've seen Seneca on a few forums--and though I often don't agree with him I have not witnessed him acting as poorly as he's always accused of.
FBC Jax Watchdog said...
ReplyDelete"Bravo to Albert Moholer for his article today on lessons learned from Paterno firing"
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.,
(serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary — the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.)
said;
"What about churches, Christian institutions, and Christian schools? The Penn State disaster must serve as a warning to us as well, for we bear an even higher moral responsibility.
The moral and legal responsibility of every Christian — and especially every Christian leader and minister — "
Ahh, but what would he do with his buddy Steve Gaines?
Besides exchanging speaking engagements, the Gaines family is fully engaged at the Seminary.
Grant Gaines is getting his Doctorate there, Gentry Hill just started his studies there, and Alli Gaines Hill is employed there.
While Steve Gaines is still preaching
to cover ones sins
Anon at 2:32,
Thats the same message your preaching.
Bravo ???
NYT > The Quad > Leading Off: Campus Chaos on a Sorry but Necessary Day
ReplyDeleteIt was a sorry but necessary day, one that the angry students will understand someday. They may also someday wish no one had recorded their part in it on YouTube. A proud university was reduced to reputational rubble and chaos, all in the name of a football program allowed to rise above all accountability.
A problem in most the reporting on this and even the reporting on this blog is the main focus on Paterno, the school officials.
ReplyDeleteThe first line of blame goes to the offender.
The second line of blame goes to the person who witnessed it. Very little is being said about him. No one is asking for his job (as far as I know). He knew what happened and chose, not only to not report it to police, but he took a job where he had to face Sandusky almost daily.
Is he not being talked about because he is not famous, or his name would not draw crowds to get the media traction? If so, shame on us and shame on the MSM.
The third line of blame, which I have heard, maybe one person, speak against, is the father. He knew and as far as the reports show, he told no one. No one.
Why would the man who saw it happening want to work along side such a monster?
"Second, there was a report to police, the campus police, which generally have an investigatory authority and arrest authority. That report about one of these events apparently did not result in action for some reason."
ReplyDeleteGreat comment. Most major universities have their own police force. As official as any police force in any jurisdiction. They have jails...
One thing that seems to be pushed to the side here is the victims. The discussion is revolving around the perps and little is being said about the victims.
Maybe they need to hear how angry we are at the perps, but maybe also they need to know how much we care about them. I guess we care enough to make our subject focus a famous coach, a successful school. Yet, for every 100,00 words written we find one short sentence heartbroken (and I am being generous with the heartbroken comment) concerning the abused.
Do we really care? I wonder if our focus shows we like the sensationalism more than the damaged life.
"Don't understand why you are picking on Seneca."
ReplyDeleteDon't understand why Seneca Griggs (fake name) is picking on the board.
"He clearly said it was his opinion and not fact."
He clearly did not.
"You just came to a conclusion about Seneca that was totally unfair based on what he said."
I came to a totally fair conclusion and it was indeed based on what he said. As opposed to what Seneca Griggs (fake name) did, judging total strangers intentions based on nothing more than his feelings.
"I've seen Seneca on a few forums--and though I often don't agree with him I have not witnessed him acting as poorly as he's always accused of."
There are two possibilities:
1) you haven't read enough of his comments
Seneca Griggs (fake name) is a kool-aid drinker that defends the so-called man of god no matter how ungodly his actions are.
He goes to ridiculous extremes to defend indefensible behavior. Causing some to believe he isn't serious in his comments but just trying to stir up controversy.
2) you are not able to discern truth from error
This would be my inclination considering your poorly thought-out contentions above.
Wade Burleson > Unconditional Love for a Person Means Unconditional Approval of the Person
ReplyDeleteWD,
ReplyDeleteAccording to SG, you should be in the business of covering up sin - not exposing it.
WD,
ReplyDeleteI just read the linked article about why tithing is not biblical.
It is well written. I only have one question.
The article says that only people who raised crops or animals owed a tithe in the OT.
So, why did Jesus tell the Pharisees that they should tithe?
I thought that they were religious teachers and not farmers.
So, why did Jesus tell the Pharisees that they should tithe?
ReplyDeleteWoe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
where in this above statement by Juses did Jesus tell the Pharisees that they should tithe?
Anonymous said:
ReplyDelete"He goes to ridiculous extremes to defend indefensible behavior."
Maybe Seneca's a major creeper who leads a double life and is trying to defend his indefensible behavior.
Some follow-up comments on Albert Moholer at
ReplyDeletenewbbcopenforum
Including connections with his buddy Steve Gaines
All you have to do is look at Mohler's PUBLIC defense of CJ Mahaney in the Courier Journal and the fact that SGM pastors tell victims of sexual predators NOT to call the police to see that Molher is talking out of both sides of his mouth as usual.
ReplyDeleteMohler mentions the angry bitter bloggers. You know, the ones who have brought all the sexual molestation problems at sgm churches across the US and the way they are handled.
So, Mohler is a big phoney.
"So, why did Jesus tell the Pharisees that they should tithe?
ReplyDelete"
Reference please.
New BBC Open Forum > Al Mohler Wakes Up... Finally!
ReplyDeleteStop Baptist Predators [Christa Brown] > Penn State and Prestonwood: Consequences are necessary
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete" All you have to do is look at Mohler's PUBLIC defense of CJ Mahaney in the Courier Journal
"
"Seminary president Albert Mohler is forcefully defending C.J. Mahaney, a Maryland pastor and popular author who has taken a leave of absence over allegations of spiritually abusive and dictatorial practices in church network he leads."
“There is nothing disqualifying in terms of anything that is disclosed in this,” said Mohler, who regularly speaks on programs along with Mahaney. “It’s just evidence we knew all along, that C.J.
is HUMAN
but a deeply committed Christian and a visionary Christian leader.”
Awe shucks, a human pastor, how convenient.
Harris said:
“It is as bad as it seems, and it is the fault of your leaders, and we desperately need the help of God and the wisdom and the accountability of the people who have looked to our leadership to sort through this mess,” he said.
In his own statements, Mahaney said that “God is disciplining me for my sin and leadership failures and I am very grateful for this discipline.”
Touch not my anointed LOL
13 year old girl fights off knife carrying rapist.
ReplyDeleteHey Mike McQueary, this girl could teach you lessons in courage! I'll bet she would have tried to stop Jerry Sandusky's RAPE in progress. Why didn't you?
So wait - Mohler states how critical PSU's decision is toward emphasizing morality in our country, then defends someone involved because he's a preacher?
ReplyDeleteIf I read that correctly, my respect for Mohler has reached a new low. Well actually, that would be impossible.
"Reference please."
ReplyDeleteAre you serious?
I'm not going to help you if you are that lazy. Try Google.
"where in this above statement by Juses did Jesus tell the Pharisees that they should tithe?"
ReplyDeleteWell, if you didn't see it in the verse you quoted, I'm not sure that you are going to be able to carry on an intelligent conversation on the subject.
"these ought ye to have done"
that is a reference to the first part of the verse
"ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin"
since you are being obtuse
Those were crops in the garden. So it applies to that, and not to other income.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people want Jo-Pa to go to jail. I don't think it will happen
ReplyDelete"Those were crops in the garden. So it applies to that, and not to other income."
ReplyDeleteHow did you come to that conclusion?
"Those were crops in the garden. So it applies to that, and not to other income."
ReplyDeleteI just looked it up. You are correct. This is referring to garden herbs. Those weren't actually required in OT law, but the Pharisees were going beyond the law.
My question.....was there a quid pro quo when McQuery was promoted from grad assistant to assistant coach? Would be interesting to know that time line and how he was selected for that position. Just wonderin'......
ReplyDeleteOff Topic:
ReplyDeleteIt's 11/11/11. Last year on 10/10/10 Ed Young at Fellowship Church put a big "10" on stage and asked for people's bank acct numbers.
Think he'll ask for 11% this year?
NYT > Opinion > The Institutional Pass
ReplyDeleteThy Peace said...
ReplyDeleteNYT > Opinion > The Institutional Pass
Hmmm?
"What goes on in the typical big-time college football program constitutes abuse of the athletes who play the game. It’s not sexual abuse, to be sure, but it’s wrong just the same.
For 46 years, Joe Paterno averted his eyes to the daily injustices, large and small, that his players suffered —
just like Nick Saban does at Alabama and Steve Spurrier at South Carolina, and all the rest of them. When Paterno averted his eyes from Jerry Sandusky, he was just doing what came naturally as a college football coach."
And the mega Church Pastor Steve Gaines (as well as many Alabama churches) are/is heavily involved with BAMA, going to games and other connections.
.
NYT > More Accusations Surface in Penn State Abuse Case
ReplyDelete