Slog
News & ArtsMonday, January 19, 2009
Religion Youth Pastor Watch
Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 9:31 AM
A former youth minister in Alabama who lives in California is facing a federal sex charge.
According to U.S. Attorney Alice Martin in Birmingham, a federal grand jury indicted 35-year-old William David Webb for transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity. The indictment announced Thursday, alleges that Webb took the minor from Alabama to Oklahoma.
The feds said Webb was serving as the youth pastor for Word of Life Church in Jefferson County when the crime occurred in 2004.
A judge has postponed the trial of a Chesapeake youth pastor accused of sexual abuse. Timothy Edmonds, 37, a former pastor at Chesapeake Apostolic Church, was to go on trial this week on charges he sexually abused a 16-year-old girl. Judge Irene Berger agreed to postpone Edmonds' trial until Jan. 26. [Edmunds obsession with pantyhose is detailed here.]
1
Dan, are you compiling these anywhere accessible on-line? I'd love to drop a ream of YPW reports on my religiously-intolerant co-worker's desk the next time he tells me that "Religion Is The Answer".
If there was even just a summary of n-per-week or -per month reports with a yearly total, that'd be handy.
If there was even just a summary of n-per-week or -per month reports with a yearly total, that'd be handy.
3
So, you're still doing the thing where you throw in a non-molesting pastor, with no acknowledgment of the fact that they are not the same as the others? Except this time it wasn't even a youth pastor, it was just a religious kid who might want to be a youth pastor.
Youth Pastor Watch has become synonymous with molesters (whether that was your intent or not), so, it just seems strange to put in non-molesters in the same post. If you want to highlight youth pastors that are doing good things, either put them in a separate post or call it out somehow in the YPW posts.
Youth Pastor Watch has become synonymous with molesters (whether that was your intent or not), so, it just seems strange to put in non-molesters in the same post. If you want to highlight youth pastors that are doing good things, either put them in a separate post or call it out somehow in the YPW posts.
5
Julie: I don't include any non-rapist youth pastors (or wannabes), I get accused of stacking the deck because "not all youth pastors are bad people." Include some good ones for balance and I get accused of...
Can't win.
And remember: it's Youth Pastor Watch. We watch Youth Pastors. The good, the bad, and the ugly all have a place at YPW. Thank you for playing Slog!
Can't win.
And remember: it's Youth Pastor Watch. We watch Youth Pastors. The good, the bad, and the ugly all have a place at YPW. Thank you for playing Slog!
6
he was deep like a graveyard
she was ripe as a peach
and how could he have known?
that she was only fifteen
she was ripe as a peach
and how could he have known?
that she was only fifteen
7
I'm not saying don't include the good youth pastors (or in this case, the neutral potential youth pastor). All I'm saying is do it in a separate post, or, in some way, recognize that, hey, here's a pastor (potential pastor) that's not a child molesting freak, bully for them.
I know you want YPW to be about "the good, the bad, and the ugly", but in most people's minds, it is only synonymous with the molesters.
I know you want YPW to be about "the good, the bad, and the ugly", but in most people's minds, it is only synonymous with the molesters.
8
Sorry Dan @ 5,
I get your frustration, can't satisfy everyone. Still, be careful. Do you really want to hurt the innocent? You could take a few moments to differentiate within YPW.
I get your frustration, can't satisfy everyone. Still, be careful. Do you really want to hurt the innocent? You could take a few moments to differentiate within YPW.
9
Or we could read the actual posts and figure out for ourselves whether or not he's talking about a molester.
Just an idea.
Just an idea.
10
True, and we should read them.
I wasn't thinking about us, but Ms. Renner and how she would feel reading YPW.
I wasn't thinking about us, but Ms. Renner and how she would feel reading YPW.
11
i remember what it is liked to be stereotyped, placed into a group and disparaged because of it. you don't have to have love for youth pastors to feel a little bad for those unfairly grouped in these posts. i'm a little sad for them, and think dan knows better, even if he pretends he's being honest. then again, dan has far more experience than i in dealing with these matters, and perhaps this is the most suitable approach.
12
I think the original YPW makes a brilliant point and shouldn't be diluted.
Just my two cents, so don't get all pissy, Dan.
Just my two cents, so don't get all pissy, Dan.
13
So is YPW the new No Spin Zone? Give me a break!
Who says you are staking the deck anyway?
I doubt anybody you care about is saying that!
Liar, Liar pants on fire!!!
So is YPW the new No Spin Zone? Give me a break!
Who says you are staking the deck anyway?
I doubt anybody you care about is saying that!
Liar, Liar pants on fire!!!
14
What I love about having good or neutral youth pastors in YPW is the creepy dichotomy--look at the secretive pervs about, and now look at this bright eyed youth wanting to join the same field!
I don't know whether to believe Savage about trying to be even-handed about it, but intentional or not it's actually a much better to way to puncture the bubble of assumed goodness surrounding religious figures precisely because you know that an earlier point, the bad ones could have received the exact same fawning praise as the "good" ones. It's like the beginning of a horror movie (which is the only good part)--the only thing that's scary is not knowing.
I don't know whether to believe Savage about trying to be even-handed about it, but intentional or not it's actually a much better to way to puncture the bubble of assumed goodness surrounding religious figures precisely because you know that an earlier point, the bad ones could have received the exact same fawning praise as the "good" ones. It's like the beginning of a horror movie (which is the only good part)--the only thing that's scary is not knowing.
15
Um, Dan does differentiate them. The good one (if there is one) is always on the bottom. The pervs are generally on top.
16
i believe any rational person would acknowledge -- if they were being honest -- that this makes the "neutral" or "good" YP look bad in context. you can try rationalizing it, or playing games with semantics, but the truth is clear. to argue it provides balance is equally disingenuous.
what you are doing is maligning a person who, as of yet, does not deserve it. and you justify this by pretending it is a reasonable response to those who complained about the original format of the youth pastor watch posts.
it is being evil to battle evil.
i wasn't fond of the original YPW post format, but i know that sometimes dan does things like that and so be it. but these posts are now bordering on nasty.
but this is the last i'll post about it! i've said my piece! if we are talking about being honest, i'd have to admit that dan is much better at dealing with these issues than i am, and as silly as it sounds, i actually respect what he has done for human rights. maybe this is the way to get attention that an issue needs. i don't know.
what you are doing is maligning a person who, as of yet, does not deserve it. and you justify this by pretending it is a reasonable response to those who complained about the original format of the youth pastor watch posts.
it is being evil to battle evil.
i wasn't fond of the original YPW post format, but i know that sometimes dan does things like that and so be it. but these posts are now bordering on nasty.
but this is the last i'll post about it! i've said my piece! if we are talking about being honest, i'd have to admit that dan is much better at dealing with these issues than i am, and as silly as it sounds, i actually respect what he has done for human rights. maybe this is the way to get attention that an issue needs. i don't know.
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