Jack Schaap has told the U.S. District Court in Hammond, Indiana, that decreased donations to the church and his working too many hours led to his having sex multiple times, in multiple states, with a 16-year old church member that he was counseling.Yep, financial difficulty and being overworked are to blame for his sex crimes against a young girl in his church. If that is true, 90% of Americans will be molesting teenagers this year.
Schaap's lame excuse might give pastors another reason to preach the 10% tithe, telling church members they must fork over 10% of their income because if they don't, it might put too much stress on the head man-o-God, and he might accidentally have sex with a teenager. Save a teenager, tithe to your church. I'm only half joking; I've heard some incredibly asinine, nonsensical reasons to tithe given by mega church pastors already. And don't forget, Perry Noble has already blamed the spread of homosexuality on non-tithers, so why not blame sexually abused teenagers on non-tithers also?
I hope the judge sees through this nonsense, and I hope the judge ignores the 140 letters of support from First Baptist Hammond church members, including Schaap's wife, and gives Schaap the maximum sentence on January 15th. He will likely be sentenced to 10 years, probably more.
The truth is Schaap's molestation crimes had nothing to do with finances of the church or a busy work schedule. Pastors all over the country are over-worked and churches everywhere are under financial strain, and they aren't regularly finding comfort by having sex with teens in the youth choir.
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“I believe First Baptist Church gradually evolved into a cult that was
in complete idolatry of my father [Jack Hyles] and, after his death, complete
idolatry of Jack Schaap." Linda Murphrey, Sister-in-law of Jack Schaap.
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Everybody but the die-hard FBC Hammond members understand that Jack Schaap is just another in a long line of perverse sexual offender pastors and lay people at FBC Hammond going all the way back to the 1950s, starting with Schaap's late father-in-law, Jack Hyles. Ministers at FBC Hammond, as at most fundamentalist, independent Baptist churches, are authoritarian rulers who have absolute power and whose judgements and actions are not to be questioned. If you want to read about the history of FBC Hammond and a chronology of the sex crimes and cover-ups at that church, read "Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church". A "Godfather"-type movie - in three parts - could be made about the shenanigans at that one church.
What can we learn from this? Simple. Churches that have a history of sexual abuse by pastors, especially those that have a history of denying the abuse, covering up the abuse, and then repeatedly lying about the abuse, they will produce more sexual abusers eventually. Churches that can't come clean to their members and to their communities about the past actions of their sexually abusive pastors - and the actions of those who covered it up - are breeding grounds for more misbehaving pastors.
I'll wrap this up by sharing with you another quote from Linda Murphrey, daughter of Jack Hyles and sister-in-law of Jack Schaap:
“Don’t get me wrong—I certainly believe Jack Schaap is guilty of a
crime and deserves punishment. But I wondered: If my dad [Jack Hyles] had been taken
off his self-constructed throne long ago and people had known the full
truth about who he was, perhaps Jack Schaap would never have been given
the liberties, the complete lack of accountability, and the power that
eventually led to his own demise. Instead, he was allowed and encouraged to perpetuate
what my father began..."
How true. Are you in a church that has yet to be completely truthful about the past of a sexually-abusive pastor, or his successor who helped cover it up?
26 comments:
Poor overworked thing.
Worked over 100 hours per week yet still found time to transport a minor across the state line for sex.
Bwahahaha.
I just read the article you linked to in the Chicago Magazine. What an awful history of abuse.
Wow How telling that JAck Hyles daughter is willing to admit what many have known for years about her father and the cultishness of FBC Hammond. The congregation would do well to listen to her since she is no doubt a voice of reason within the body.
It was truly sad to see what has been going on for the better part of 40 yrs or more there. Maybe now, the church will openly repent before the world and seek to accept the responsibility of foolishly follwoing blindly
bill
To call this a sad and disturbing situation would be an understatement. I hope and pray the leadership and membership of this church spend time on their knees in self-examination, confession and repentance.
I know Baptists don't typically observe Lent, but this might be the year for this church to start, and they shouldn't bother waiting until Ash Wednesday to do so. Nor should they conclude the season with Holy Saturday if they've still got work to do.
Just to show how religion is a creation of man, to control the masses.
This guy may be the sickest of them all.
This can happen as the result of the false doctrine, Once Saved Always Saved. It was the original lie told in the garden....you shall not surely die. God has called Christians to obedience, holiness, and righteousness. This lie from hell tells people they can live how they want to and God is still obligated to "let them in" since they "said the prayer." What rubbish! There is no fear of God. This is disgusting. He is a WOLF! I grew up in an independent Baptist church and was very familiar with Jack Hyles. It wasn't until recently that I read what a pervert he was.
WD. you are right, my friend. I was an Independent fundamental baptist for about 11 years after I was born again. I got saved at home after a Christian shared the gospel with me and I knew nothing about any "churches". I joined one (I thought that was what I was supposed to do), and everything you say about the IFB is true. They teach that the pastor is "the man of God", implying that every other man is not. They are legalistic (women wearing pants, tithing to the man of God, be here everytime the man of God opens the doors and tells you to be here, men have to wear long sleeve white shirts and a tie; because we know that is how Jesus dressed, and you better NOT have a beard, you dang hippie!), I left the IFB cult, and am now free to follow Christ outside of the boxed church, without the wizard of oz hireling pastors that are so spiritual that they don't kiss their wives (alot of them will kiss somebody else's wife though). And just so people don't think I am just against IFB. The southern baptist corporation isn't any better either.
Good post, Tom. This is an unbelievable story. I have kept up with the goings on over at FBCH for nearly 2 decades. A classmate of mine was the deacons son who uncovered the sick perversion of Hyles son, Dave.
So when this story of Schaap came out, I was not surprised.
This is the "church didn't pay enough for me to get it for cash" defense.
"The congregants were derelict in giving so I gave the girl my you-know-what, since I could not afford the prostitute I would have used otherwise."
These bozos always find someone else to blame. My former pastor blames the court for not giving him a fair trial. The blame game reveals how really repentant he is.
Creepy how this wacko and all the other guys in the video are wearing white jackets and ties at a youth conference. I'll never understand why anyone pay to get yelled at by some guy obviously making it up as he goes along. It's kind of like religious vaudeville: Creepy, I think.
Since the disciples were far more over-worked and under-paid than the pastor, I wonder how they were able to avoid the same problem?
Off Topic: Forbes > A Barrage Of Legal Threats Shuts Down Whistleblower Site, Science Fraud
On January 3rd 2013 someone uncovered my identity and emailed ~100 individuals, including several scientists whose work was listed on the site, encouraging legal action.
At a youth conference, in the middle of his sermon he simulated masturbation for over a minute with a long stick held close to his crotch while he stroked the stick and made painful, orgasmic sounds as he talked to God. Watch it here, and you'll see what I mean.
I last saw THAT shtick in high school, where it was called "Love Call of the Purple Hornies" and accompanied with a HOWL.
Creepy how this wacko and all the other guys in the video are wearing white jackets and ties at a youth conference.
They're his "Deacons" and "Elders", i.e. Hand-Picked Yes Men. And they dress exactly like their Anointed Prophet/Pastor because they want to keep their jobs and positions.
Since the disciples were far more over-worked and under-paid than the pastor, I wonder how they were able to avoid the same problem?
Man-o-Gawd had dibs on ALL the jail bait?
Humans have ALWAYS had a lousy track record mixing the Sacred with the Erotic; why should this be any different?
I went to the college that the church runs. Jack Schaap himself looked me in the eye and said I don't want you here. I kissed a girl on the cheek!!! How hypocritical of someone. Organized religion is about one thing the almighty dollar. If it isn't then why are there constantly churches building bigger and better buildings? It's all for money and getting away with breaking laws and cover ups. Disgusting.
What is most amazing are the people who actually listened to this guy and thought him ok. Amazing what people think is normal Christianity.
Wasn't Bob Gray, the founder and pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Trinity High School, and Trinity College in Jacksonville exposed by the local media as being a long time child molestor?
Wasn't Tom Messer hand picked to succeed him by Gray and Swearingen since they knew Messer would cover it up to "protect the good name of Christ" in the community? Didn't they even send Gray off to Germany to do "mission work", where as far as they know, he continued to molest innocent children?
But that church continues to grow and attract God fearing families. So maybe by covering up this stuff, these church leaders at Trinity, and those moms and dads that take their children there, are actually helping protect the name of Christ. So what if a few kids get molested on the way?
Just sayin'
Wasn't Bob Gray, the founder and pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Trinity High School, and Trinity College in Jacksonville exposed by the local media as being a long time child molestor?
Wasn't Tom Messer hand picked to succeed him by Gray and Swearingen since they knew Messer would cover it up to "protect the good name of Christ" in the community? Didn't they even send Gray off to Germany to do "mission work", where as far as they know, he continued to molest innocent children?
But that church continues to grow and attract God fearing families. So maybe by covering up this stuff, these church leaders at Trinity, and those moms and dads that take their children there, are actually helping protect the name of Christ. So what if a few kids get molested on the way?
Just sayin'
Where to begin? I grew up having to go to this type of establishment until I was old enough to drive, therefore refusing to go. They let any derelict pedophile off the street have a closed room full of children, the pastors are completely unchecked to use any and all funds for vacations with secretaries, they guilt everyone into looking alike and hopping on the same ridiculously jolly/anger-ridden bipolar hayride, and the pastors' "children" are often middle-aged sexual deviants that pretend that sex is the worst thing in the world..well, between two consenting adults that is. I actually remember living in Florida at 14 and being stuffed in a van to go to this Shop of Horrors in Indiana for TWO WEEKS, where they worshipped this old man with a 2-story long banner of his likeness, as the backdrop. Luckily, my younger brother, my friends, and I all escaped with some semblance of sanity, albeit slight. Warn everyone that their kids are seriously in danger of being tricked with candy onto a bus to be indoctrinated and potentially dittled for several hours.
I feel deeply for those who have gone through a shop of horrors such as this. I was in one for a few years that took a severe nosedive, but to my knowledge there were no sexual shenanigans. To those on the outside wanting to rail & spew venom when you have no first hand knowledge of what went on, I would ask what your real purpose for being here is. Ironically the "gotcha!" types are only gonna encourage more of this deplorable behavior. If you're truly concerned, then you should be asking what can we do to prevent this outrage from happening again. And to cast all IFB churches in this light is just sheer ignorance. Unless you've spent considerable time in every single IFB church and know this first hand, you're just a low rate fear monger with no interest in truth at all. I am currently in one where nothing of the sort happens. I've seen my pastor kiss his own wife. He makes himself accountable to others. He welcomes questions & discussion. He does not view himself as infallible. 1st church I've ever been completely comfortable where it truly is like a family, and I've been in several in my life. Not all were IFB churches either. This goes on in denominational churches as well, so those of you in other church groups get off your high horse. This could actually have been anyone of us. My philosophy is that any person is capable of absolutely anything given the right set of circumstances. So are one of you high & mighty haters gonna be the next one in the headlines we read about doing something like this? If you think it can't happen to you then you're severely delusional & in need of serious professional help. I wouldn't put myself or my kids anywhere near you. My opinion is this man should be locked away for life for his dispicable acts. But at the same time God's love & forgiveness is as available to him as it is to the rest of us. There but for the grace of God go any of us.
I went to his "youth conferences" they are week long, cultish, gatherings. They force you to stay within the confines of the church, eat minimal food that they prepare for you and stay up until 11pm listening to their brainwashing "sermons." They keep the air conditioner constantly running so as to keep the auditorium uncomfortably cold, why? So you don't fall asleep. They make you feel like a complete outcast or unclean if you are not "called into the ministry." Being a female, I was supposed to be a pastor's wife or secretary. I was also to attend Hyles Anderson College and get a degree that is of no real use in the secular world so you are almost trapped. Lucky for me I became an emancipated minor, ran away, and am now living my life the way I've always wanted to.
I am not a fan of this church either but your propaganda is ridiculous. It's hard to take seriously...if you are going to publish something, at least make it creditable. For instance? The whole masturbation thing. I was all up in arms over that. I mean, how disgusting and perverse would that be! And then I viewed the video. Now? The whole article is void to me and anyone with a brain because you have taken your theory (regardless of it's truthfulness; to any reader, it is merely a theory which must be proven true by you, the writer) and you have made it implausible. Which is too bad because it's something that needs to be heard. You probably won't publish this comment, because I noticed that you don't allow comments to be shown that you don't approve of. Which, in my experience, is very relative to the church and ex-pastor you are preaching against. Interesting...
To get more information on this subject www.www.baptistfundamentalism.com.com.com
how are the black students treated there? Can they join FBC are do they still have a separate church to join? Also can blacks be dorm minitors? even if they are good students with no or few dermits?
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