Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris, whoĀ Donald Trump once named as a spiritual adviser to his administration, announced he was stepping down from Gateway Church amid allegations he molested a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.

The resignation comes days after Morris, 62, seemingly admitted to molesting the girl in a statement toĀ The Christian Post.Ā In that statement, he conceded that he engaged in ā€œinappropriate sexual behaviorā€ with a ā€œyoung ladyā€ when he was already married with a child in his early 20s.

Morris didnā€™t mention the girlā€™s ageā€”but his alleged victim, Cindy Clemishire, told the religious watchdog blogĀ The Wartburg Watch on Friday that she was only 12 when she was first sexually abused by Morris on Christmas Day in 1982. She claimed that he invited her into the room he was staying in at her family home during a visit, and touched her inappropriately on her breasts and ā€œunder her panties.ā€

    • ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I donā€™t think youā€™re giving normie white American evangelicals enough credit. Aside from kids and very old people, most join megachurches for community and status reasons. It doesnā€™t matter at all if the pastor preaches the exact opposite of what the Bible says ā€” prosperity gospel, for example ā€” itā€™s about showing up, seeing friends, and being part of a community. They arenā€™t being duped.

      I donā€™t want to say no Evangelicals are sincere in their faith because, obviously, that isnā€™t true. Plenty people practice their faith by doing good works and helping the poor. But as that Niebuhr quote says: ā€œReligion makes good people better and bad people worse.ā€ A lot of white American Evangelical churches are about giving bad people excuses to be worse. Trump hasnā€™t been good for much but he did create a big ā€œmask offā€ moment for lots of American ā€œChristians.ā€

      • snooggums
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        5 months ago

        It doesnā€™t matter at all if the pastor preaches the exact opposite of what the Bible says ā€” prosperity gospel, for example ā€” itā€™s about showing up, seeing friends, and being part of a community. They arenā€™t being duped.

        Yeah, it isnā€™t like people in the US where megachurches are located have multiple other churches to choose from.

          • Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net
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            5 months ago

            Near me, a megachurch has been under construction for two decades has been begging for funds from the very poor community.

            Every time I drive by it I hope I see a burned out shell instead. That money could have helped people, Jesus said to pray quietly at home