NEW: In an interview today, Southern Baptist President @jdgreear strongly denounced disgraced leader Paige Patterson, and advised churches to consider Patterson's history of mishandling sex abuses before inviting him to preach. #SBCtoo#ChurchToohoustonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…
@jdgreear Greear's comments came after I asked him about decisions by two churches to host/honor Patterson, including a Dallas-area church that recognized him as a "defender of the faith" earlier this month. #SBCtoo#ChurchToo#CaringWell
@jdgreear Greear: I advise any Southern Baptist church to consider this severe action before having Dr. Patterson preach or speak and to contact trustee officers if additional information is necessary. #SBCtoo#ChurchToo#CaringWell
@jdgreear Greear: "If our system of governance means anything, it means exercising due diligence and heeding what those whom we put in positions of trustee oversight have reported about official misconduct.” #SBCtoo#ChurchToo#CaringWell
@jdgreear Greear: “I know (Patterson's return to preaching) has caused confusion, frustrations, and in many cases fresh pain for survivors. We must be clear going forward for the sake of those who have been hurt and to those in churches and entities today.” #SBCtoo#ChurchToo#CaringWell
I promise you that I, too, would have preferred it not involve sex abuses, Southern Baptists and/or Paige Patterson.
Really. I tried.
@jdgreear A bit more context: the crux of Greear's statement was about Patterson's recent return to SBC pulpits. The context is much more evident in the story, but I wanna further clarify for the Twitterverse.
Former, longtime Southern Baptist exec member Rod Martin claims there is no "proof" that Paul Pressler was a predator, and that attacks on him are part of a leftist scheme. He's right - there isn't proof. Just a mountain of corroborating evidence. Let's unpack:
Let's start with just SOME claims that predate Duane Rollins' 2017 lawsuit, most with contemporaneous supporting evidence. All were made by conservative Christians, so not sure why they'd try to take down the SBC.
In 1978, a non-SBC church removed Pressler as a youth leader after learning of an "alleged incident." Not long before then, a man said in a sworn affidavit, Pressler got into bed with him at a camp, and later invited him to exercise together and allegedly groped him.
NEW: A Texas group with ties to Ted Cruz and GOP megadonors is hosting a pro-Christian nationalist conference that embraces Great Replacement Theory and resists a campaign "to rid the earth of the white race." Neo-Nazi Richard Spencer's mentor is speaking. texastribune.org/2024/06/12/tru…
True Texas Project's founder Julie McCarty once said she sympathized with the El Paso Walmart shooter, who murdered 23 people he believed were replacing him. Her husband, also a True Texas Project leader, called the shooting "blow-back" for trying replace white people.
Despite that, True Texas Project maintains close ties with many prominent elected officials, including Ted Cruz, Ken Paxton and former Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi. TTP is also directly allied with the Texas GOP's biggest donors, Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. washingtonpost.com/investigations…
Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine, who rules on election disputes: “Do you really think the Democrats are gonna roll over and let Trump be president again? You think they’re just gonna go away, all of a sudden find Jesus and be an honest election?”
As I covered earlier this year, Devine – a former anti-abortion activist who calls church-state separation a "myth" – has a history of publicly blasting people/issues that could one day be before the court, raising questions about his impartiality.
Separately, Devine has faced criticism for not recusing when the court considered a high-profile sex abuse suit against Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler and Jared Woodfill. Devine worked at their law firm at the same time an ex-employee alleged abuse.
I missed most of the Department of Justice/Southern Baptist drama. But I saw quite a few people - including those who've vocally opposed abuse reforms - celebrating. Let's talk about that:
To be clear: I am not weighing in on the validity or strength of the DOJ's hypothetical case, or whether the SBC did/didn't break laws. I am just spotlighting one type of response, and way some folks selectively apply standards of proof to fit their own views.
When news broke that the DOJ had closed its investigation, some celebrated it as proof that there was never a real abuse crisis – as if the last 5 years just didn't happen.
🧵🧵Super Tuesday in Texas will be a bellwether for the Texas GOP's ongoing civil war over school vouchers, the Paxton impeachment and, to lesser degrees, white supremacists and sex abuse scandals. Let me explain:
Ahead of election day, deep-pocketed groups and lawmakers have poured in millions amid fights over school vouchers, the Paxton impeachment and the broader future of the Texas GOP. texastribune.org/2024/02/27/gre…
Tension in the Texas GOP isn't new. But the impeachment of Paxton, an ally of the well-funded far right, exploded those fights into all-out war. texastribune.org/2023/09/16/ken…
🧵🧵In leaked audio, Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine says his all-GOP colleagues are "brainwashed" and "would sacrifice the Republic for the sake of the (legal) process."
Devine also blasted his colleagues' ruling in the Jeff Younger case; said the all-GOP Court of Criminal Appeals is filled with "RINOs" and "trans-Republicans"; and accused Harris County Democrats of trying to use "dirty tricks" to steal elections. #txlege texastribune.org/2024/02/27/joh…
The audio is a rare glimpse into the typically insular court and how Devine views his role on it. And it comes as he faces a heated GOP primary against Appeals Judge Brian Walker, who has campaigned on questions about Devine's ethics since the 1990s. texastribune.org/2024/02/27/joh…