Do megachurches have more scandals than usual churches or do we just notice them more?
The 80-year-old leader of a suburban Atlanta megachurch is at the center of a sex scandal of biblical dimensions: He slept with his brother’s wife and fathered a child by her.
Members of Archbishop Earl Paulk’s family stood at the pulpit of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church a few Sundays ago and revealed the secret exposed by a recent court-ordered paternity test.
In truth, this is not the first — or even the second — sex scandal to engulf Paulk and the independent, charismatic church. But this time, he could be in trouble with the law for lying under oath about the affair.
Ted Haggard and Warren Jeffs come immediately to mind as other leaders of large religious organizations that became embroiled in sex related scandals.
I wonder if there is a cause and effect there and, if so, which is which. Do these folks end up in trouble because they repress sexuality or do they repress sexuality because they were tormented by odd desires in the first place? Or, I suppose it’s possible that, per capita, leaders of large religious organizations have sex with their brother’s wives, homosexual meth dealers, and underage children at the same rate as the population at large.
Their ventures outside the mainstream are probably no more or less common than the general population. It’s just that they project so much in these matters. Remember Larry Craig being in an anti-gay group that had a write-up in their newsletter about the dangers of anonymous bathroom sex. Some of these people, you can listen to their very specific condemnations of certain acts and just about figure they’ve either done it, or at least thought about it.
Projection certainly seems to be more of an evangelical and right wing trait. Think about Bush throwing a temper tantrum about how the Democrats have been spending money. When these people point a finger in condemnation, they’re often compensating for their own guilt. It gets old. Most people wouldn’t tolerate that kind of behavior from their children. Yet it seems to be a prominent behavior in politicians and some of these religious leaders.
Evangelical Protestant Christianity is emotion based ( this is my opinion but also my experience).They, for the most part, condemn intellectual pursuits as ‘works of the devil’ My favorite quote is from past discussions: ” you liberals can justify anything with words’
Sexual endeavors are are often based on knee-jerk emotion also, just as their religion is,so we shouldn’t be surprised with these well-published trysts in the megachurches.
They always have that ready excuse about the Devil, or spiritual weakness, and the Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card of “I’ve asked for and received God’s forgiveness.” Those factors probably lower the threshold for aberrant behavior. Like walking a tightrope, knowing there’s a net underneath.
I think that it is the same as in the mainstream.
Incidentally, I am serving a congregation where the pastor took “inappropriate” pictures of two young girls back in 1984. At that time the way the congregation and the synod handled it was by having the pastor retire immediately. (He had served here for over 25 years.) In 1986, the mom sued the church and the former pastor. (Many people didn’t know about the “indescretion”). There are still people who loved the man so much that they to this day do not believe that this happened.
Needless to say, one of the first actions I had this congregation do when I arrived was put glass in my office doors! Also I know that the ELCA and my own synod have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to any accusations of sexual inpropriaty.
“Do these folks end up in trouble because they repress sexuality or do they repress sexuality because they were ~tormented by odd desires~ in the first place?”
Huh?
Just read the article closer…and have a few more thoughts.
1. It’s interesting that this is one of the few mega-churches that welcomes gays-and welcomed blacks in the 1960’s (which, for Atlanta, was quite a feat!)
2. My main point…the “nephew” mentioned that this church was “personality driven” amd “worshiped its pastors.” That is the main problem with many of these Evangelical churches. What happens is that often the pastors get an inflated ego. Then when they’re counseling a woman (or man) in trouble, that person “falls in love” with them. The pastor then manipulates the relationship. (That’s what happened at my church-the young girls’ mom was going through a divorce).
BTW-Back in the early 1990’s, my seminary taught that even if you are single, it is completely inappropriate to date a single (unmarried) member of your congregation.
Rev, you said:
Zero tolerance is something that makes me cringe, even more so for a church. Doesn’t that mean that anyone can fire you by making an accusation? Other than a glass door, how can you be protected against false accusations?
Jason, let me rephrase…they have a zero tolerance policy when those accusations have merit to them. There is a whole procedure in place for investigating such claims. While they were being investigated I would be expected to be “on leave with pay” until the investigation was complete. If there was truth to the accusation, then the zero tolerance policy comes into play. At that point I would be removed from the roster, and would never be allowed to serve as a pastor again. And the case would not be swept under the carpet.
I do my best to never be in a situation in which I would be falsely accused. I try never to be alone with women. I am never alone with a child-NEVER! You can never be too safe in this vocation.
Sorry if I made it sound more dire!
which is why I wont vote for religious fundamentalist extremist nutjobs; or kool-aid drinking cultists.
Such as pro-lifers, right to lifers, endorsed by right to lifers, the AFA, or any other group whos sole purpose and mission in life is to impose theocratic rule upon us, or to elect politician to any position where they may eventually take away a womans right to choose.
what was it that Jesus said about a rich man, heaven, a camel and a eye of a needle?
Or about money changers turning his fathers house/temple into a den of theives? hypocrites, blind guides..
or was that a rabbi, priest, and minister walk into a bar… whatever..
Millionaire megachurch mail order ministers, and the “church of the immaculate exemption”? personal lear-jets, and driving rolls royces? try flying coach, and driving a used chevy van- and then show me the money- how it was spent, whom it went to, etc.
none of these cradle-to grave flock fleecers, cheating widows and orphans out of their life-savings- stealing in the name of the lord.
theres a special level of hell for these kinds of deceivers. What part of the “sermon on the mount /prayer of St. Francis dont they understand? Jesus was a socialist.
And thats why I’m not voting for Mark Souder. Never have. He’s about the same as Fred Phelps- Mark souder hates “fags” too.
Mike Pence is a close second- sorta like Bin Laden, and Zawahiri. 2 packs of the same box of kool-aid.
And thats why I’m a Druid- the pagan religion of my ancestors. all the fun, none of the guilt. come frolic naked in the woods under the full moonlight with me!and dont forget to support lesbian polygamy- make brian bosma, and eric miller, etc. really blow a gasket!(giggle!)
Rut-Ro
Roach is off the meds again.
But back to the topic at hand, I believe there is a certain percentage of the entire world population that is susceptible to succumbing to twisted, perverse, or otherwise unsavory acts. They exist in all walks of life, from Priests, to mechanics, to zimbabwe tribesmen, to politicians and so on.
The vocation chosen may help enable their abhorrent behavior, but I don’t think it’s fair to say any one group has more nimrods than another. Unfortunately, what most people do, is label the entire group (priests-teachers-daycare providers-former presidents-whatever) as bad apples, based on the acts of a relatively small percentage of players. You see the same thing with the nutjobs that label all American troops as murdering, raping child killers.
It’s akin to the old “forest for the trees” meme.