Pastor on buggery charge stumbles at courthouse door

Pastor Presley Smith leaving the the Trelawny Parish Court on Wednesday.

the church in question

Sadly as if the fall from grace is not bad enough and perceived to have brought shame and disgrace on his church, it is even worse when the pastor in question literally stumbles infront the hallowed halls of justice it is seen by some as a sign of failure in the sight of God.

In a follow-up to a previous post from GLBTQ Jamaica and from HERE this matter raised many eyebrows in church circles and given the succession of awful church'clerical abuse of men and women mostly since this year. A 27 year old pastor of the New Testament Church of God in Bunkers Hill Trelawny has been relieved of duties after he was charged with sexual assault & buggery of a minor being a fifteen year old boy. Percy Smith has been slapped with buggery, gross indecency and grievous bodily harm, the acts allegedly occurred between 2016 to earlier this year. In a press release yesterday the Administrative Bishop of the church Reverend Wellesley Blair confirmed that Smith was removed from conducting anymore pastoral duties, he said the church disassociates itself from immoral, unlawful or reprehensible acts unbecoming of a pastor; he said the church is willing to cooperate with the investigators in whatever appropriate or is necessary and that the church is also expressing sympathy to the family affected, the accused pastor is to face the court sometime this week.

The Star reported today that:

Presley Smith, the pastor of the New Testament Church of God in Bunkers Hill, Trelawny, stumbled badly as he made his way to court on Wednesday.

The clergyman who was arrested and charged with buggery, indecent exposure and grievous sexual assault last week, had a large towel covering his face which may have impacted his visibility. As he was ushered in the courthouse, Smith hit his foot against the step and stumbled into a metal gate.

Smith is accused of molesting a 15 year old schoolboy, who is reportedly a member of his congregation. Reports are that Smith baptised the youngster just weeks ago.

When Smith arrived at the entrance of the Trelawy Parish Court in the back of a police car at approximately 10:10 a.m., a large crowd, inclusive of some of his church members, had gathered there to get a glimpse of him. However, the police quickly ushered him into the building.

When Smith re-emerged from the courthouse, with the towel still covering his face and his hands still bound, some members of his congregation began crying while others turned away their faces, sobbing quietly. He was quickly taken away in a waiting police car.

A court official told THE STAR that Smith was offered bail in the sum of $450,000 and is scheduled to return to court on June 22.

ENDS

also see:
Labourer suffer near two years in prison on false accusation of buggery - DNA shows boy was molested by a family member (Jamaica Observer)

I Bet Deafening Silence from Religious Anti Gay Voices ...... Preacher served summons during service for .......

Tension at Riverton SDA Church board as member accused of sexual assault is still active and FAME FM’s ‘Uncensored’ radio show conflates homosexuality, paedophilia with transgenderism

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups?

Blakka Ellis on "Jamaica a christian country?"

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective Religious Anti Gay

Sodomy is an Issue for Teens says Jamaicans for Justice Interim Chairman

Disturbing Paedophile Case & Conflation of Same Gender Sex with Abuse

Allegations of St Catherine Teacher fondling boys makes tabloid headlines again

Concerned sources claim that ... Boys kissed, fondled by male teacher

and 

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups?

The question of the age is why are so many pastors interfering with minors while clothing themselves in piety? (see: Is the pope serious about confronting child abuse? .... the question of the age)

More anon

Peace & tolerance

H

Elder on sex charge has bail extended

meanwhile

Even as so many inappropriate cases that are simply disturbing come to the fore many as are asking what are these pastors getting so involved?

Are they only running churches to make money and psychologically lure persons into the flock under the guise of doing God's work?

The case in question:

The church elder, charged for engaging in sexual acts with a minor earlier this year, had his bail extended.

The prosecution is awaiting documentation from the Communications Forensic and Cybercrime Unit (CFCU) to move forward in the case.

The elder is 41-year-old Narry Hudson of Heywood Hall, St Mary. When the case was mentioned last Thursday, May 4, the prosecutor indicated that a medical was now on file in the case.

The case is now set for mention for the CFCU documents on July 27. Hudson’s bail was extended by senior parish judge Yvette Wentworth-Miller for that date.

Hudson was charged on Thursday, February 2 with grievous sexual assault, sexual grooming and having sex with a person under 16-years-old.

Hudson, an elder at Heywood Hall Seventh Day Adventist Church in St. Mary, was taken into custody by the Port Maria Police on Tuesday night, January 31.

He was arrested after the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) collected statements from a 14-year-old girl.

Hudson was later offered bail by senior parish judge Yvette Wentworth-Miller in the sum of $400,000 with one surety, when he appeared before the St Mary Parish Court on Monday, February 13.

As a condition of his bail, Hudson was to reside outside of the parish, in Portland.

Bail was offered after the prosecution had no objections to him being granted bail and the police having conducted the necessary interventions in the Heywood Hall community.

It was alleged at that time that persons from the area had not been supporting the complainant and her mother and had wanted them to leave the area.

Sad I'll try to track this one but with the rapid succession of cases punch us out we are losing track as many get lost in translation.

More anon

Peace & tolerance

H

Clerical abuse ugliness revealed as antigay religious voices barely respond

As the nation is almost in a tailspin given the rapid succession of cases of allegations of inappropriate sexual assault if not rape by pastors and church leaders one takes note of the fact that there is a slowness and certain less impactful response to the unfolding by certain antigay groups and voices. Strangely the accusations have now gone beyond the usual suspects in terms of denominations notably the Catholic Church, whose longstanding cover up of such matters is well known, in rapid succession the Moravians, the Seventh Day Adventists, Church of God as shown on CVM TV news last evening and also the Pentecostals as well which clearly to me suggests this was going on all along and that someone knew of all this but kept it quiet. Why would all this be happening with some accused having multiple accusations over their heads and someone not know outside of the victims given the grapevine culture in if nuh go so it go near so (if it does not go as is it is near the accusation) yet when it comes to homosexuality these churches are quick on the draw to the point of very slow responses to issues of tolerance and mass meetings to oppose the mere mention of buggery law adjustments, yet no such mass meetings for this far more egregious matter.

two of the accused Pastors from the Moravian Church (Gleaner photo)

This blog has been watching some of this ugly business of clerical abuse for some years now and I have gone to pains to point out the selectivity and or hypocritical morality, the antigay groups in particular make the rest of the church body look really stupid on many fronts as they shout over sensible Christians but if those sensible Christians do not speak up and out clearly to distant themselves and take the punches then those misguided groups will always dominate, then there is the business of a ignorant willing population who do not at least question or make their heads function to think for themselves as they gobble up the vomit they are fed and simply regurgitate the digested nonsense. Some years ago for example the leader locally of the Catholic church claimed there were no reports of any such abuse of boys as seen elsewhere to so many hundreds of years now there are rumours out there now coming through which if true can only serve to reinforce an old misconception that tends to feed a entrenched homo-paedophile construct whilst reducing the credibility of church (via denomination) and the LGBT lobbyists as well wherein the latter already has a weak hand in that department.

The Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (JCHS), Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship and Lovemarch (all linked) who were responsible for the mass meetings opposing buggery law reform, implying the aforementioned homo-paedophile constructs, misuse of studies to push their agendas and so on are the main voices yet they have barely come forward to call out those who are in the faith and positions of power who abuse psychologically weak and the young. Apart from Betty Ann Blaine’s Sunday Gleaner piece in the Gleaner’s In Focus section, other half hearted letters in the printed press, a typical statement sounding the rights tones from the JCHS and some other radio interviews when the news first broke not much has followed, one would have expected a stronger call seeing they claim they are Christians to such persons to give themselves up or offer prayer and or reconciliation. One bets that if the case had a male as a victim though that it would have been used to great effect to prop up the case for any sensible discourse on LGBT rights.

Apart from Reverend Clinton Chisholm who is also aligned to the JCHS in spirit at least and who has dedicated much radio time co-hosting a show to call out pastors who abuse while looking at the psychology of same from a clerical perspective or Reverend Marvia Laws who hosts the Morning Watch Show hardly anyone of the other pastors including the convicted Reverend Al Miller linked to the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship and the JCHS have come out with the same stridency as when it comes to matters on homosexuality. But if they cannot or refuse to speak on corruption in any meaningful way, integrity, true tolerance then why should we expect any more as such virtuous ideals should be some of the pillars to carry out God’s mission to win souls.

The previously mentioned CVM TV news clip on the latest case was a little balanced to digest as a leader of the church spoke on camera and advised the accused to turn himself to the police while declaring his denomination does not support sexual assault of any kind. But the JCHS via its frontman Dr Wayne West is busy supporting Donald Trump’s presidency linked to some antigay suggestions and supposedly addressing the now legal gay marriage while ignoring the fact Supreme Court rulings are not overturned so much. Other ultra conservative radio stations such as the TBC have been avoiding any prolonged discussion on the issue and have also barely called out such church leaders and pastors who commit sexual offences.

The Seventh Day Adventists have since put out a statement claiming they are distancing themselves from the accusation thrown at one of their own which is the typical knee-jerk reactions similarly to the Jamaica Council of Churches, JCC (also known as PNP at Prayer) who seem more concerned about Jamaica’s position on Israel given last night’s statement and the Umbrella Group of Churches also churn out releases from the press release conveyor belt. Bearing in mind the SDA has been also strident in opposing any LGBT push by way of a still standing position statement that they refer to from time to time. 

Homosexuality

Oct 17, 2012 |

The Seventh -day Adventist Church recognizes that every human being is valuable in the sight of God, and we seek to minister to all men and women in the spirit of Jesus. We also believe that by God's grace and through the encouragement of the community of faith, an individual may live in harmony with the principles of God's Word.

Seventh- day Adventists believe that sexual intimacy belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman. 

This was the design established by God at creation. The Scriptures declare: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Gen 2:24, NIV). Throughout Scripture this heterosexual pattern is affirmed. The Bible makes no accommodation for homosexual activity or relationships.  Sexual acts outside the circle of a heterosexual marriage are forbidden (Lev 18:5-23, 26; Lev 20:7 21; Rom 1:24 27; 1 Cor 6:9 11). Jesus Christ reaffirmed the divine creation intent: 

"'Haven't you read,' he replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator "made them male and female," and said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?" So they are no longer two, but one'" (Matt 19:4 6, NIV). For these reasons Seventh-day Adventists are opposed to homosexual practices and relationships.

Jesus affirmed the dignity of all human beings and reached out compassionately to persons and families suffering the consequences of sin. He offered caring ministry and words of solace to struggling people, while differentiating His love for sinners from His clear teaching about sinful practices. As His disciples, Seventh-day Adventists endeavor to follow the Lord's instruction and example, living a life of Christ-like compassion and faithfulness.

This statement was voted during the Annual Council of the General Conference Executive Committee on Sunday, October 3, 1999 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Revised by the General Conference Executive Committee, October 17, 2012.

Yet rumours have always abound from ever since I know myself to understand things that many especially in the upper echelons of leadership do fool around with not only young victims but adult women an indeed in homosexual liaisons and again the (if it nuh go suh it go near so) closeness to truth but unproven rumours obtain. One can recall the cheerleading fiasco some time ago at the Northern Caribbean University involving a young lady who in routine played the part of a man as the original actor could not make it and the other males were too heavy to place in the choreographer but it ended up with a backlash from the associated leaders tried to pressure the young lady in question to leave the institution and punished her for speaking out, she eventually left the place to pursue her education elsewhere while the NCU was condemned for fearmongering and selectivity.

It is understandable that victims who have been suffering in silence for years seeing the major Moravian pastor’s case that sparked this new wave of incoming many are coming out to make reports which is good but persons cannot be forced to come out as some misguided activists seem to want to suggest that they should merely call their names, the naming of folks such as that is one thing then there is defamation to think about as an ongoing matter in the sea of them shows us; when the appropriate channels were not employed before launching the online campaigns such as #saytheirnames.

Sad that what common sense should obtain has in its place misguided rhetoric and theocratic mumbo jumbo when children are being abused, church sisters taken advantage of while consenting LGBT adults cannot live in peace because of some fanatics.

The Gleaner had some of this as well, Trust Betrayed - Policemen, Pastors Main 'High-Profile' Sex Predators, CISOCA Head Tells Committee - a point in fairness Betty Ann Blaine has been saying this for years and indeed others including LGBT voices, The head of the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA), Enid Ross-Stewart, told a committee of the nation's Parliament yesterday that pastors and policemen - two groups in which the nation places great trust - are among the main 'high-profile' perpetrators of sex offences against children.

This revelation, according to a senior Christian pastor, is another example of the breakdown of values in Jamaica.

The disclosure comes as public spotlight remains on the church community following the recent arrests and charge of three pastors from the Moravian Church in Jamaica for alleged sex offences.

"We have constantly arrested high-profile members of the society, and, in particular, the Church. The Church and policemen are really our two highest, high-profile persons. The Church and police. Yes, my colleagues," Ross-Stewart, a superintendent of police, yesterday told a resurrected joint-select committee of Parliament that is reviewing Jamaica's sex laws.

For Gender Affairs Minister Olivia Grange, "it's distressing but not surprising".

Ross-Stewart did not give much data on the number of cops and gospel preachers implicated in the sex offences, and the Reverend Garnet Roper, president of the Jamaica Theological Seminary, says that the data are necessary.

But he said that the abuse of children requires attention. "Sexual abuse of minors is a deeply entrenched social and psychological problem. It reflects a deterioration in the family structure; it reflects a deterioration in the psychology of men." But, he said that the police should not "cherry-pick" cases to pursue.

The CISOCA head said that last year, her office received 1,094 reports of alleged sexual intercourse involving underage persons. Of that number, 664 reports came from Kingston. Most of the perpetrators were adult men.

However, she lamented that the conviction rate was among the lowest compared with other categories of sex offences. "We have a very high rate of arrest and conviction for rape. But the under-16 sex - the young girls, really - they are into the sex, for whatever reason, and so they mislead the police. The rape, they tell you everything about it because they feel they were properly abused, but the under-16 sex, they really do not."

She also said that there was a lack of supporting mechanisms and coordination among government agencies to respond to the situation. Under-reporting and family members being complicit in the abuses were also noted as hindrances.

Yesterday, the United Nations Country Team presented 11 recommendations for how to improve the four laws under review. On the age of consent, the UN team, led by Mark Connolly, said that it did not see the need to modify the age of consent, which is at 16 years.

"Raising the age of consent may not necessarily have a preventive or deterring effect on perpetrators and victims as the current situation proves, among other reasons, because the enforcement presents numerous difficulties."

The UN has also sided with the Office of the Children's Advocate for the decriminalisation of "sexual experimentation" among underage children, especially those who are close in age.

Prayer indeed

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Anti gay religious voices where are they? .... Pastor charged with sexual assault 

Northern Caribbean University female Cheerleader Suspended After playing male role

Church Cherry Picking on Issues again, Western Jamaica Bain Protests .........

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective 

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups

I Bet Deafening Silence from Religious Anti Gay Voices ...... Preacher served summons for sexual assault 

Tension at Riverton SDA Church board as member accused of sexual assault is still active

Is this a joke .... Church group denies gay bias

Silent on murders, vocal about gays 

Is the pope serious about confronting child abuse? .... the question of the age

Woe unto you ye Pharisees, Saducees & Scribes & your righteous hypocrisy

Impossible to be gay & Christian? 

I don’t want to peep in your bedroom ... oh really now 

Reverend Al Miller has no moral authority (yet again) to speak on flags & correctness

Levitical imperatives in the age of ‘grace’ instead of ‘law’ & the new covenant

Anti gay pastor and restorative therapy advocate in trouble with the law again

Is the pope serious about confronting child abuse? .... the question of the age

I have been watching this one on the side even as election silly season is on in full earnest; the long standing matter of child abuse by clergy has not gone unabated while Catholics locally have been opposing homosexuality and the smoke screen of futuristic gay marriage rights have been used to obfuscate the discussion if not shouting match on sexual orientation and the buggery law.

A blind eye has been turned on the issue and locally the repeated reports of inappropriate sexual abuse of pastors towards children has not been condemned with the stridency as that of the anti LGBT agenda; 

Father Holong at anti LGBT church rally in Half Way Tree

chief among them is Father Richard Holong, not to knock his work with the poor, HIV positive persons and destitute which are commendable but his association with Jamaica CAUSE and others claiming their opposition to any moves on amending or repealing the buggery law etc. The warning was issued on September 29, 2015; see the Observer report HERE. It is commendable and one thing to condemn paedophilia to conflate abuse with same gender sex leads to the constant rift between church groups, child rights groups and LGBT advocacies. 

meanwhile:
The Guardian two days ago reported:

Even by Vat
ican standards the timing is spectacularly inept. The six Oscar nominations for the movie Spotlight have refocused the attention of the world on the issue of paedophile priests inside the Catholic church – almost certainly the biggest scandal to plague the institution in the past century. And yet, with disdain or disregard for world opinion, just two weeks before the Oscars the most outspoken member of the pope’s commission to combat sex abuse has been sacked.

Pope Francis is busy elsewhere. After Friday’s historic meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church – the first for almost 1,000 years – he has been about his usual business: visiting prisoners, migrants, indigenous people and the families of victims of the violence of drug traffickers, this time in Mexico.

But in his absence a hidden civil war inside the Vatican continues. On one side are reformers who want public accountability for abuser priests and the bishops who have overseen them. On the other is the recidivist Roman old guard whose instinct for cover-up continues.

Pope Francis is reportedly wary of false accusations being made against priests. Photograph: Giulio Origlia/Getty Images

Two years ago Francis set up the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. It is made up of clerics, theologians, psychiatrists, therapists and – most significantly – two survivors of priestly sex abuse. The most vocal member was Peter Saunders, who founded the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, one of the world’s most forthright anti-abuse campaigners.

His sacking last weekend is a signal that, behind the scenes, the Catholic church is reverting to its old bad habits.


At its first meeting in May 2014, the commission’s president, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston – the man who cleaned up the mess exposed by Spotlight – startled its members by revealing that establishing the group had run into more opposition inside the Vatican than any other papal reforms, apart from the overhaul of Vatican finances.

Over the following two years the anti-abuse commission has seen attempt after attempt to undermine it. Key Vatican departments vied to take control of the body. Its decision to set up offices outside the Vatican was countermanded. Bureaucrats tried to subvert its attempt to write its own statutes. It was starved of finance.

Its press releases were doctored and diluted – as happened with the Vatican announcement on Saunders, which was presented as a fait accompli despite Saunders’ insistence he had merely been asked to consider whether his outspoken public pronouncements were compatible with his role as a papal adviser. “It was not a vote of no confidence,”another commission member, Marie Collins has since revealed.

As the story broke so did the news that the Catholic church had been running training courses for new bishops where they were told it was “not necessarily” their duty to report accusations of clerical child abuse to the police. The commission, it transpires, has been allowed no role in devising the training programme even though another member, the British psychiatrist Baroness Sheila Hollins, insisted on Friday that its brief was “to assist local churches in all parts of the world” to develop initiatives to safeguard children and vulnerable adults.

Church spin doctors rushed to the internet to suggest that removing Saunders, with his constant public lobbying on behalf of victims, would free the commission to get on with important policy work. That is the opposite of the truth.

Certainly Saunders has been an uncomfortable irritant for many in the Vatican. On the eve of this month’s meeting he told one newspaper that its previous session, in October, had been a “non-event”. He said publicly what a number of commissioners have told me privately, that the body – which meets only twice a year – is moving too slowly. “Glacial” is the word used by several members. 

the article went on:

The additional problem is that Francis appears ambivalent on the issue of clerical sex abuse. It took 10 months of private badgering by O’Malley before he agreed to set up the commission. Several of those close to Francis have told me that though he has a detestation of abuse, he is also wary of false accusations being made against priests.

That may explain why it took him over two years to accept the resignation of the US bishop Robert Finn in Kansas City after his 2012 criminal conviction for failing to report a paedophile priest to the police. Commission members called for Finn’s removal but it was almost three years after Finn’s criminal conviction before Francis authorised action.

Then, even more controversially, Francis promoted a bishop in Chile, Juan Barros, who was accused by abuse victims of covering up for a paedophile priest.

All of that sits uneasily with the policy of zero tolerance that Francis called for in 2014 – after his commissioners had repeatedly pressed him to endorse such an approach.

Rome may come to regret its judgment that Saunders is more of a nuisance inside the tent shouting out than he will be outside shouting in. Since his removal he has condemned the “Vatican system” as “essentially corrupt and unwilling to do the right thing” more HERE 

In other words the Catholic church has no moral authority in my eyes given the awful atrocities that have gone near unpunished and fairness for victims and their families; yet they are the ones who want to pronounce fire and brimstone on LGBT persons yet cannot address their internal sins.

The pope who we are now looking for to provide redress is left found wanting and most disgracefully, it hurts to watch these proceedings go down having been close to a case some years ago.

I hope there can be some start to bring closure once and for all on this as was the attempt on the near thousand year schism between Latin West and Orthodox East branches.

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective Religious Anti Gay 2014

Vatican says cover-up accusations due to Pope's opposition to gay rights 2010

Two Good Letters on Gay Person-hood & Paedophile Homosexuality Conflation

No Reported cases of Paedophilia say local Catholic Diocese Representative 2010

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups?

Ephebophilia vs Paedophilia & Male Homosexuality part 2 .... the need to continue the discourse

After Church Drama - Pastor chastises effeminate man

"A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger." At least, that's what the Bible says, and something you think, at least, Christians would abide by. However, that wasn't the case last week Sunday after church.

I had never seen such arrogant behaviour on any church grounds before. I was sitting in church when an uproar outside caught my attention. Of course, like the sun, this Gossip Chica rose into action.

"Shut up yuh mouth, mi nah talk to yuh! Because nobody nah say nutten yuh feel say yuh cya come yah wid yuh behaviour. People a take up fi him. Gwan through di gate, and yuh cya come back inyah nyda," came from a big man that had taken part in the service earlier.

He was addressing what was described as a 'gay-like' boy that was in service also, his effeminate actions had reactions with raised eyebrows. Mark was one of those inner-city boys whose behaviour depicted a real 'ghetto sketel gal' according to one witness. He didn't act like the normal teenage boy. His body language spoke as loud as the words that came from his mouth. His little brother, who apparently thinks he is a role model, acts the same way, too. Mark's excuse for his behaviour is just that he loves drama and he grew up with girls, so he acts like that, but he isn't gay. Sad this is a strong belief by many that effeminacy in males is a rub off from from socialization with girls for extended periods which also explains interest sexually in men.

Upset man with anti gay attitudes

Anyway, back to the drama..."This a God house. Yuh come a God chuch, and God say to repent. The alter deh here fi everybody fi repent and start over fresh. Look pon him. Look pon him likkle bredda. Look how dem act. And people still accept them, that's why them can come een and do anything them want," the upset man continued.

A woman minister chimed in: "A true. Some order need to set!"

The man continued, "Di nastiness fi cut out, so mi a talk today, and anybody nuh wah say nutten, that a fi dem business. Anybody weh wah say mi and dem involve in a anyway, step forward. Nuhbody can't call my name. Mi love people. Mi nuh deal with b...man!" (He does not deal with battyman or gay men)

"It nuh sound good, uncle. If a did me a talk and a gwan so, yuh would tell me to stop it," another woman pleaded.

"So wah yuh a tek mi aan fah? Yah tek up fi dem?" he questioned.

"Mi nah tek yuh on, uncle, but mi a tell yuh say you at church, and it doh sound good," she said.

Mark, in his defence, claimed the man called him after church to speak with him. Apparently, the man couldn't wait, and pulled him by his shirt and put him in a corner. He said the man asked him why he was speaking about him and pushed him. He said he retaliated with the same action.

Cut miself

"My madda dead when mi a likkle bwoy, so she nah lick mi. My fada cya lick mi cause mi wi go police station. Him lick mi one time, and mi just cut miself (he showed a scar on his arm) and go tell police say him cut mi. Him bright. Him cya lick him pickney dem," he said.

"Bout him waah come lick. Him push mi and mi push him back. The church big and empty and him a go tell me nuh come back a him church, with him big shine head?! Try nuh ina no argument with mi," he continued, hissing his teeth and and rolling his eyes. The speech being delivered while swaying his body left to right and standing on the inside of his feet. Lmao.

My two cents bout all of it ... In my best preacher voice: "And the Bible said ... Come just as you are ... Ye that is without sin let him cast the first stone ... Judge not that ye might not be judged!"

Walk good. Live well! Bless up unuh self!

I Bet Deafening Silence from Religious Anti Gay Voices ...... Preacher served summons during service for alleged fraud

So like many other reports before where pastors find themselves in questionable charges coupled with grave societal ills will not get any public comment from the likes of Jamaica CAUSE, Lawyers' Christian Fellowship and Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society (the latter's leader on radio claimed homosexuality is not normal recently). A series of serious allegations against men of the cloth have been coming to light with everything from sexual abuse to fraud as this latest charge shows:

Preacher served summons during service

The weekly Wednesday service at a church in Spanish Town, St Catherine, was recently disrupted when a bailiff stepped in and slapped a senior clergy member with a summons.

The service had been going on for several hours on April 8, when about 1:30 p.m. the bailiff entered with a summons for the female preacher.

According to a source, the clergy member had been collecting the day's offering when the bailiff appeared.

It is said that when the bailiff at first attempted to serve the summons, he was greeted with resistance. There was said to be an argument between both parties before the preacher eventually took the document.

The summons, the source said, was served on the preacher after an issue developed between her and an ex-member of the church about money in a partner scheme.

When THE STAR spoke with the ex-member she stated that she had no choice but to seek the legal redress.

"Yes, I was a member of the church in 2013, and was throwing partner of $1,000 weekly. I stopped throwing and demanded back my money and still can't get it," the disgruntled ex-member said.

She said that it was as a result of being unable to collect back her $22,000 that she sought the assistance of the bailiff.

THE STAR was able to see the documents for the matter which confirmed that the case will appear in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court (Civil Division) on May 16.

ENDS

The selectivity on issues is glaring by the aforementioned groups and previous entries on this blog have brought to bear alongside podcast to similar effect. One wonders why some persons join the church if only to hide under the guise of trust while exploiting all kinds of avenues for gain. They give a bad name to leaders who are really genuine yet fanatics remain mum.

Podcasts (prior to the HWT protest)

The Hypocrisy of Jamaican Anti Gay Groups & Selective Actions of Societal Ills 

Antigay LCF's President Helen Coley Nicholson-Summit of the Americas Clash w/LGBT Activists 14.04.15 

Buggery, Bain, Bullshit & Buffoonery in Jamaican LGBT Discourse 

also see:

JCSC Highlights Danger Of Debate About Buggery Law Leading To Social Strife(Repost)

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups? 

Forming The Ass With Anti-Gay Rhetoric

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective Religious Anti Gay .....

Jamaica CAUSE issues Veiled threat to Govt to not Repeal The Buggery Law

Don't give up on the church, pastor tells gays (Observer)

The False Dichotomy of the religious right on the LGBT advocacy Godlessness 


The Gleaner Editorial to Anti gay Group Jamaica CAUSE - Good Tactic, Wrong CAUSE

Church Cherry Picking on Issues again, Western Jamaica Bain Protests

Did the talk of buggery turn persons off from the polls as well? 2012

"Tell Me Pastor" cautious on Down Low complaint .

Seventh Day Adventist pastor & psychologist recommends restorative therapy & says homosexuality is a disorder

Church claims future victimization if buggery is decriminalized in Jamaica 

Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society continues its “HIV is a gay disease” campaign with more deception added

Dr Wayne West’s continued intellectual dishonesty ...

Jamaican Pastor says the LGBT issue is not about rights but acceptance of lifestyle 

Anti Sodomy Decriminalization/Repulsion action intensifies from the Christian Community

Reverend Clinton Chisholm on Clarifying Sexual Orientation, Homosexuality and Homophobia

Rev. Michael Kelly Jesuit Priest takes on controversial issues

Blair warns politicians - Hits at campaigns, abortion, gay marriage

Defending marriage

Shirley Richards breaks silence .......... "Sustain Buggery Law!"

Other search results(may appear different depending on your location and browser used)

Gay Marriage - An Invented Issue by the christian right movement

Lawyer's Christian Fellowship hypocrisy from Shirley Richards: "Charter Of Rights And The Moral Divide" (read carefully)

The church now claims what has happened in other countries where supposed religious voices are legally persecuted for either opposing or speaking out on homosexuality will eventually lead to their speech labelled as hate speech. Recent court cases in the UK have been sited as benchmarks for this so called inevitable abuse of Christians. Case in point: Espeut, West says “Homophobia” was invented to abuse Christians as hate speech sometimes I wonder if persons do not speak their own doom into reality, what a lovely way to give the very secular and supposed anti-Christ all the ammunition they need?
 
I had warned about the clouding of the issues regarding religion versus LGBT rights:

A letter in the Gleaner today I have to in some sense agree with where it read in part:

One more misguided pastor

THE EDITOR, Sir:

In his column 'Jesus, Obama and gays', published in The Gleaner of April 14, 2015, the fact that Pastor Smallwood deliberately omitted one of the most significant portions of the St John 8 passage he quoted speaks volumes to his real motive.

For those who have an interest in promoting truth, here is what the passage says: "When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he stooped down to write on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away, one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus alone was left with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, woman where are they? Has no one condemned you? No, sir, she said.

Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. GO AND LEAVE YOUR LIFE OF SIN" (John 8:7-11).

The pastor's omission of the latter part of the dialogue between Jesus and the woman is deliberate because he knows that if he had included it, his purpose would have been completely demolished.

It is the belief of all true Bible students that the death and resurrection of Christ have made available to all men the ability to overcome every sinful habit. Indeed, that is why he died.

It is truly heart-rending to see someone who calls himself/herself a pastor joining ranks with those who have vowed to perpetuate the lie that those who oppose homosexuality are promoting hate and intolerance.

Is it possible for these gay apologists to understand that those of us who serve Christ with a pure heart understand very well that if we do not love all men with the same fervency and understanding that we display in our opposition to homosexuality, we would be 'serving' Christ in vain?

CASHLEY BROWN
cashleybrown@yahoo.com 

ENDS

What would Jesus do?

Peace and tolerance

H

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective Religious Anti Gay Fundamentalists?

A random search of the numerous cases of suspected sexual assaults, rape and other atrocities to under aged teens and boys as well reveals a frightening set of results yet I do not hear anti gay religious groups smarting from their little rally in Half Way Tree on Sunday June 29 harping on a 25,000 attendance yet all the speeches there none of their own was castigated for breaching their position of trust and indeed real sexual grooming and not the allegations of same of the JFJ facilitators of the sex ed course as if teaching a class can allow inappropriate preparation for abuse by the counsellors in such a setting.

My BIG question as of late of late is where are the LGBT Christian voices of those of Sunshine Cathedral Jamaica or the Interfaith participants such as those from The United Theological College, why have they not spoken up yet?

Such religious hypocrisy however MUST be pointed out repeatedly and I intend to do so at every chance I get, here are some recent stories of pastoral sexual assaults, it is only a pity it had to take the foolishness and antics from anti gay groups like Jamaica CAUSE to have to unearth such awful issues:

March 2014:
A pastor is currently in police custody since March of this year, after he allegedly threatened to kill an underage girl because she ignored his sexual advances.

Information reaching THE STAR is that the pastor, who is in his 50s, was, for weeks, sending the 14-year-old girl lewd text messages stating he wants to have sex with her and that "he wants her little body."

THE STAR understands that the child is related to someone close to the pastor.

send gunmen

According to reports, when the child dismissed the pastor's advances, he allegedly became angry and threatened to send gunmen to kill her and her family, if his demands were not met.

The terrified girl notified a member of her family about the text messages and the pastor's threats and a report was made to the Spanish Town police.

But drama unfolded on Saturday when the police went to arrest the pastor at his St Catherine residence that he shares with his wife.

According to reports, the police spent over an hour beseeching the 'man of the cloth' to exit the house, after he reportedly locked himself inside, when they arrived.

After the police failed to convince him to exit the premises, it was reported that the pastor's wife, who was not at home during the incident, was called to give the police entry to the property.

The pastor was subsequently arrested.

The Spanish Town police confirmed the incident, but stated they could not provide any details as the matter is currently being investigated. 

ENDS

February 2014 - Pastor Beats Wife:

Residents from a western Jamaica community are crying shame on a pastor who it is alleged showered some telling blows on his wife after she accused him of having an affaire with a teenager from the district.

THE STAR understands that more than two weeks ago, the wife, who shares cellular phone use with the pastor, had the phone when a text message came from the girl for her husband. It is further understood that the text was not to her liking, and the pastor was accosted and questioned.

It is alleged that the frightened pastor became angered with his wife's constant questioning about the text message and his affaire with the teenager, resulting in a heated argument and him throwing the blows on her. This, it is reported, resulted in a security guard who was passing the couple during their arguing, having to intervene.

utterly concerned

It is further understood that the situation was so ugly that the wife disappeared for a number of days from her nearby place of employment, raising several questions as to her whereabouts from her colleagues, who became concerned.

It is alleged that the security guard, who is also employed where the pastor's wife works, was ordered transferred after the wife revealed that he was responsible for spreading the news about the fracas involving the couple.

THE STAR has learnt that the incident is hot on the lips of many community residents, many of whom are calling for the pastor to be removed from being in charge of the church he leads.

ENDS

March - After getting bail ... PASTOR ON SEX CHARGE AGAIN

A Jamaican-born pastor in the United States who was last year accused of repeatedly raping a teenage girl has now been accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl while on bail.

THE STAR understands that the pastor was taken into custody last Thursday when he was making a court appearance in the previous case.

He is 40-year-old Reverend Michael Clare, the pastor of the Harvest Worship Centre International, and the principal of the Harvest Preparatory Academy in New York.

According to a www.ncbnewyork.com report, Clare has been charged with one count of rape in the second degree, one count of sexual misconduct, three counts of sexual abuse, one count of criminal sexual act in the third degree, and endangering the welfare of a child.

It is alleged that the sexual offences occurred on at least three occasions from June 22, 2009 through June 30, 2011 at the school where he serves as principal .

Further allegations are that the victim was a 14-year-old student at the Harvest Preparatory Academy at the time of the first encounter and was 16 years old when the relationship ended in June 2011.

It is reported that the judge set bail on the new case at US$350,000 ($29.75m) cash or US$200,000 ($17.4m) bond and also raised the bail on the first case to US$350,000 cash or US$200,000 bond.

He is also reportedly prohibited from being around children under 16 years old and ordered to surrender his passport.

In Clare's previous case of alleged rape, he is accused of engaging in a three-year sexual relationship with a member of his congregation which allegedly began in April 2006, several months before the victim's 13th birthday, and continued through January 2010, sometime after the victim's 16th birthday.

ENDS

March 2014 - Woman Raped by "God's Messenger"

A St Catherine man who reportedly told a female he was a messenger from God and could heal her was granted bail in the Linstead Resident Magistrate's Court on a charge of indecent assault on Tuesday.

Travis Barton of Ewarton was granted $200,000 bail with one or two sureties.

Allegations are that on December 12, last year, the complainant was walking in Ewarton when Barton, whose head was wrapped in a red turban, approached her and told her he was a revivalist and received a vision. He reportedly told her in that the vision she was having some serious problems and he was able to assist her, however, she needed to give him her telephone number.

She was later convinced to visit the accused man's house.

The court heard that the complainant became suspicious when the accused started to rub her body with olive oil and Kananga water, while tying a piece of cloth around her belly and telling her he wanted to heal her pain. She was then touched inappropriately and fled the house.

The matter was subsequently reported to the police and Barton was charged.

Barton's attorney, Earl Hamilton, made a successful bail application to Resident Magistrate Vaughn Smith. He told the court his client was a victim of circumstance as the complainant did not want people to see her coming from the accused man's home, hence she concocted a story that she was assaulted. The lawyer said that was farthest from the truth and his client will prove his innocence.

ENDS

There so many other cases including high profile ones, remember this one? - 

Former pastor convicted of raping 2 teen girls in US, faces deportation to Jamaica

or the popular Daniel Findlay matter which I carried earlier on this blog? see: Anti gay religious voices where are they? .... Pastor charged with sexual assault

Pastor Daniel Findlay, charged under the Sexual Offenses Act with three counts of sexual assault with a person under 16 years and one count of grievous sexual assault, was told his case will be tried soon.

Findlay, 36, from Lower York in St Thomas, appeared in the Morant Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. His lawyer was absent and so was the complainant. After exploring the possibility of sending a taxi for the complainant, the magistrate advised the accused to make his attorney aware of the next court date.

"Your case will start soon, as the complainant is not here. You should return to court on August 7," the magistrate advised. She also told the mother of the child to ensure that her daughter is present at the next hearing.

Findlay's bail conditions of $250,000 with stringent measure remains. The bail conditions include two sureties, reporting to the police six times each week and residing with his father. The accused has also been ordered to have no contact with persons under the age of 16 years old.

Finday was identified as a person of interest by the Morant Bay police earlier this year, and was picked up in Kingston after he made arrangement with the police to hand himself in.

ENDS

Pastor on Buggery Charge - 2008 case unresolved

A pastor accused of molesting several boys appeared in the Port Maria Resident Magistrate's court Thursday.

The case against Donald Stewart, who is facing 30 counts of indecent assault and buggery, is set for hearing on December 11.

Stewart was granted bail in July in the matter which is being heard in-camera.

Stewart who was a supervisor at a boys' home in St Mary was charged in July following allegations that he assaulted several of his charges.

The case caused outrage from rights groups when it came to light in July, with Jamaicans for Justice lamenting that enough was not being done to protect the welfare of children.

The group also heaped blame on the Child Development Agency, for not being more proactive in its duties to uphold child protection regulations.

ENDS

Clarendon pastor on sexual assault charge

The Clarendon pastor who was arrested earlier this month on allegations that he sexually assaulted a 14 year old girl will have to spend more time behind bars.

29 year old Orane Ellis who is charged with rape and grievous sexual assault was remanded when he appeared in the Clarendon Circuit Court yesterday.

He is to return to court on June 7.

The pastor was arrested on May One by personnel from the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, CISOCA.

It was reported that a complaint was filed with the police that he held the teenager and forcefully had sex with her.

ENDS

A letter today in the Gleaner claimed homosexuality is a sickness lol - 

"THE EDITOR, Sir:
Congratulations to the Church for making its voice heard in the Half-Way Tree Square mass rally two Sundays ago against what many regard as the growing menace of homosexuality in Jamaica today.

I salute those who turned out to demonstrate for what most of us call decency and to protest against men going to bed with men and women with women. And let us say it up front: The fact that many people 'in the Church' support this kind of rogue behaviour only goes to reinforce what many have long suspected. Much of 'the Church' is a big part of the challenges we face as a society. Is it any wonder that many of those we have lost at the hands of their homosexual 'lovers' were supposedly outstanding churchmen?'

Homosexuality is an aberration. Sure, in a homosexual's 'other life', he, or she, may become an outstanding artist, a seminal scientist or a university president, but that is another matter.

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

Trouble is, those who engage in it are also citizens of the State (just like those whom the medical services used to send to Bellevue Hospital) and, accordingly, have the same constitutional rights as the rest of us. What they do not have is any right to foist their strange and unnatural lifestyle on the rest of us or use it as a ploy to extract favours and concessions from us or from the State.

With every respect to all concerned, a man who lusts after, and enters the anus of, another man in an amorous embrace has to be sick somewhere. Maybe in his head!

I have no wish to take away their right to go to bed with each other, but let them do it in the privacy of their homes, cars, behind trees or wherever.

LLOYD A. VERMONT
Sirtryltd@cwjamaica.com
Stony Hill, St Andrew

ENDS

TO which my simple response was:

I suggest we bombard his email, silly letter writer. Funny too that nowhere on Jamaica CAUSE's communications does it speak to any of these concerns as to their selectivity and silence on when one of their own molest especially under aged persons.

Their statement released on June 29th is very limited in scope for a Christian group, winning souls whatever the condition for Christ is nowhere to be seen, who are they to judge and define others?

Peace and tolerance really needed in this time as the crackpots come to the fore, homosexuality is the only thing these folks see as the enemy nothing else and when they are cornered on that they search for proper explain-aways to look all concerning yet they are silent on:

Political corruption

Police excesses

Other crimes

Embracing the outcasts (wouldn't Christ do that?)

Murders

Missing Kids almost daily

Real care for minorities ...... etc.

That is what real Christians focus on and along side charity they think logically, sensible advocates and those concerned about abuse do not fan the flames of national hysteria and moral panic as those only provide more cover for abusers to continue to hide and abuse or start the process of sexual grooming unseen by those who ought to be vigilant as we are too busy arguing and distracted by the very hysteria that was created.

May God help us as theocracy is slowly shoved down our throats,

H