Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris, who 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 to The Christian Post. In that statement, he conceded that he engaged in “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a “young lady” when he was already married with a child in his early 20s.
Morris didn’t mention the girl’s age—but his alleged victim, Cindy Clemishire, told the religious watchdog blog 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 “under her panties.”
“It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,” Morris said of the relationship to the Christian Post.
Is it really an allegation still when you are quoting him in the article admitting to it?
It’s just a sparkling apology if it isn’t administered under oath as part of a court pleading.
If I was writing the article I would have pointed out the admission, rather than pointing towards the allegation. Which is based on his admission.
If you were writing the article you probably wouldn’t get to pick your headline. Headline writing is not an art, it’s a boring science of putting it in the most regular and concise of terms.
He resigned amid allegations of abuse. Those are the cold hard facts. If it turns out that the Christian Monitor how misquoted him or coerced him etc then this outlet might also be liable for claiming something not quite 100% defensible in a court of law.
That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying the liability issue.
And I think it just means that if you are rich enough to sue a newspaper, then they’ll never claim you are anything other than an upstanding citizen.
Until convicted he’s innocent until proven guilty. No matter how insanely obvious it is that he’s guilty.
Once again not a drag queen but a religious figure.
When you are a pastor they let you do it.
Hell they’ll even move you into another community to do it again.
Not even a good joke, sadly its very real.
I went to a catholic school, very small had like 15 people in a grade for the most populated grades. Usually 2 grades in a classroom. A nun was the principle and we had a priest for the church and some religion classes.
One day the priest was removed and we were all told he went back to Ireland.
Years later when the catholic church was raked over the coals, the dirty deeds were spelled out in the news paper.
That priest was moved from small town USA, Chewelah Washington, to a bigger city, Spokane, to remove him from allegations of sexual abuse. He continued those abuses at the School he was reassigned to!!
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/accused/o-malley-james-j-1946/
The guy who baptized me and my brother and sister. The guy I considered next to Jesus. The guy I told all my childhood sins to.
Fuck that guy, I hope he is in hell.
Not allegations.
ADMISSION of molestation.
Trump’s spiritual advisor resigns after admitting he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old child.
Much better headline in my opinion.
Convicted felon Donald Trump’s spiritual advisor resigns after admitting he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old child.
Minor edit.
Lmao
Repeatedly sexual assaulted a 12 year old child. The abuse happened over a 5 year period.
I hope there is no statute of limitations on child sexual assault in his jurisdiction.
There isn’t now, but there was then. He isn’t likely to face any charges. Civil trial is more possible, but still difficult.
He sexually assaulted a 12 year old over and over for years, became a millionaire pastor, and now is retiring while his church does damage control, “both sideing” their support for both him and his victim. The church leaders claim they “just didn’t know” how young she was when he was assaulting her, even though hes been publically talking about his "redemption for his sin " for 30yrs+.
As usual with church sexual abuse, everyone walks away unscathed but the victim, who takes all the pain and has to deal with all the shame.
Church, Child Pageants and Rich fucks.
Anyone who fucks with any of those is a pedo. Weird Trump hits all three.
So does Putin, how weird.
Look, it’s true that Trump is surrounded by horrible people who do horrible things, and that Religion, Pageantry, and Wealth are all vectors for child sex abuse.
But let’s not fall for the same intellectually bankrupt rhetoric of the far right. “Everyone who is a part of x is also a pedophile” arguments, with very few exceptions, are going to be bullshit.
Pedophile priests don’t validate your claim that all clergymen are pedophiles. There’s no evidence for it, you just hate Christianity.
The weirdness of child pageantry doesn’t validate your claim that everyone involved is a pedophile. One of the leading drivers of that industry is moms living vicariously through their daughters, which is still an issue, but not the same issue.
As for rich people. Sure, we can hate the ultra-rich, but you’re just being slanderous with the claim that every rich person is a pedophile. There’s literally no evidence of this, you’re just saying it because it’s a nasty thing to say.
I really hate this pattern of choosing accusations of pedophilia as a cudgel, just because it is such a severe accusation. Making this claim so baselessly comes across as rather extreme indifference to actual victims, since one clearly has no issue using a dishonest portrayal of child sex abuse just to smear political enemies.
Okay I agree there is a problem with people using pedophilia as a bludgeoning instrument politically.
However I stand by what I said. Putin and Trump are pedos and so is any male involved in child pageants of any sort. Probably some women too
But that’s the thing: most people involved in church, pagentry, etc are not. There’s issues with the institutions, but by claiming everyone involved is a pedophile you gut any actual criticism of the institutions - including their exposure to predators.
I disagree I do think the church and pageants are largely pedos
And because that’s your claim, you instantly put the majority of people who are not on the defensive about everything.
If someone falsely called you out as a pedophile, would you then listen to anything else they had to say about you, no matter how reasonable it is? No. Because they obviously don’t know you and are wildly ignorant about who you are and what you stand for. Also: fuck them for spouting off that bullshit about you and your friends.
That’s what’s been happening with pedophiles in the church. People claim *everyone is a pedophile, so they circle the wagons to defend themselves from false allegations, and the actual predators end up being better-defended.
By falsely claiming everyone in the church is a pedi, people like you are enabling the pedophiles.
Good job!
The most surprising thing is that he resigned.
“Trump’s Spiritual Adviser”
Hahaha! Rofl
Well, the last one that held that post was preaching that he’s literally the second coming
It checks out
It’s always the self-righteous, “holier-than-thou” types. Remember, when these so-called holy men talk about the “evils” of porn and casual sex it’s a self report.
this is like the second notable pedophile he associates with.
I’m assuming he hasn’t stopped being the convicted felon rapist’s spiritual adviser though?
Oh look, another instance of child molesters flocking together.
“Advisor on how to dupe the Christians” FIFY
When they’re in a mega church, they come pre-duped.
I don’t think you’re giving normie white American evangelicals enough credit. Aside from kids and very old people, most join megachurches for community and status reasons. It doesn’t matter at all if the pastor preaches the exact opposite of what the Bible says — prosperity gospel, for example — it’s about showing up, seeing friends, and being part of a community. They aren’t being duped.
I don’t want to say no Evangelicals are sincere in their faith because, obviously, that isn’t true. Plenty people practice their faith by doing good works and helping the poor. But as that Niebuhr quote says: “Religion makes good people better and bad people worse.” A lot of white American Evangelical churches are about giving bad people excuses to be worse. Trump hasn’t been good for much but he did create a big “mask off” moment for lots of American “Christians.”
It doesn’t matter at all if the pastor preaches the exact opposite of what the Bible says — prosperity gospel, for example — it’s about showing up, seeing friends, and being part of a community. They aren’t being duped.
Yeah, it isn’t like people in the US where megachurches are located have multiple other churches to choose from.
I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or if megachurches just Walmart local churches
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
Yes
Remember the “scandal” over Obama’s preacher? I do.
No, what was that about?
Molesters of a feather flock together.
