Jack Schaap, Pastor, Fired From Megachurch For Committing 'A Sin'

www.huffingtonpost.com...

The First Baptist Church of Hammond, a Chicago-area megachurch, fired its pastor on Tuesday saying he had committed "a sin that has caused him to forfeit his right to be our pastor," the board said in a press release. An Indiana newspaper is reporting that the pastor had a romantic relationship with a minor.

www.dailymail.co.uk... sing-16-year-old-girl-phone.html

A pastor at a mega-church has been dismissed after allegations that he committed a grave ‘sin’ with a 16-year-old female church member. Dr Jack Schaap, 54, had been pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond in Indiana for 11 years, but was let go after a deacon saw a text on Schaap’s phone from the teenager, allegedly with a picture of the two of them kissing. A board of deacons from the church voted to fire him, according to a public release from the church ‘due to a sin that has caused him to forfeit his right to be our pastor.’ In a sombre meeting at the church on Wednesday night, the Board of Deacons said the shamed father-of-two confessed to having an affair with the young woman - a member of the church - when she was just 16

www.examiner.com...

Freedom of religion in this country is one of America’s greatest strengths, regardless of religious belief or lack thereof, but where do we draw the line when a sense of religious entitlement causes physical and psychological harm to others, crosses the line, and begins to violate constitutional rights?

Due to the fact that I rarely post anything and prefer to lurk and simply read, I am unable to post this in any other forum, but felt it to be an important topic and one that strikes me at my core.

I knew this man, I've known him my whole life as my father is one of his closest friends and my mother being equally close to his wife. My brother and I grew up with his children. Unfortunately, when I read the article the other day, it did not surprise me. Abuse, sexual and otherwise, runs rampant in the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) group. What generally happens is that it is kept quiet and the families of the abused get paid off, while the abuser moves to a different church. The fact that the deacon board discussed it amongst themselves and then went to the pastor before going to the police is very telling and proof enough to corroborate my claim that they like to keep things "hush hush". I dare say that had this not been such a large church and had he not been such a prominent figure, this abuse too would have gone under wraps with just a few people knowing about it.

As someone who is not religious (I am agnostic), but believes in freedom of religion, I find it difficult to find that balance when I know that abuse in this particular cult happens rather frequently. The damage that it causes the women is irreversible no matter how much time has passed. It is detrimental to their psyche due to the psychological aspect of it all especially if they get out and realize that their importance as a woman is just the same as a man's.

With regards to the above, I am curious as to what you, my fellow thinkers, think should be done, if anything, to curtail this abuse in these cults. I am typically for less government intrusion and more for personal freedom, but in cases like this, I just wish we could throw out religions entirely. Of course, I realize that that is a bit extreme, but I am fairly angry right now and the situation is too personal for me. Perhaps some clarity and wisdom from some of you can set me straight.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to your comments. If any moderator would like to throw this in the "current events" forum, that would be much appreciated as it's a bit heavy for this forum.

I hope the mods move this thread into the appropriate forum rather than closing it. Welcome to being active on ATS and finally a church has made a move to not support their criminals. It's a start.

Edit - I just realized that the age of maturity in sexual matters in many places is 16. Although usually a person in a position of power like the church is likely to fall under other restrictions, just as Police and Doctors do...

I still wanted to strike the first sentence I typed.

A pastor dated a sixteen year old? I fail to see how this has anything to do with child abuse.

--Reversed Closure & Moved thread--

Please carry on.

Originally posted by boncho

Edit - I just realized that the age of maturity in sexual matters in many places is 16. Although usually a person in a position of power like the church is likely to fall under other restrictions, just as Police and Doctors do...

The age of maturity in Indiana is indeed 16, which is too low, in my opinion. However, he was counseling her as she was already a victim of sexual abuse and as the pastor/counselor he should be convicted based upon those laws. Unfortunately, I am unsure as to what those are in Indiana, if they have them at all.

Thanks for the reply, and yes, I am glad that this came out and that the church is dealing with it.

Originally posted by ManjushriPrajna
A pastor dated a sixteen year old? I fail to see how this has anything to do with child abuse.

It actually has a lot to do with child abuse even though the age limit for sexual relations in Indiana is 16. She is still considered a child by any other right. If you had a 16 year old daughter, would you not consider her a child? Would you be okay with your 54 year old married pastor dating/having sex with her.

You seem to be trivializing the issue. Either that, or I am just in such a rage over this that I am being overly sensitive, which could be more likely.

I would say that we need to back up and ask ourselves whether this is really about religion, or is it about the kinds of abuse that go on when any group is insular, clique-ish, and extremely secretive?

I heard about this sort of thing plenty from the football teams in high school. I heard about it plenty from the fraternities at my school. Hazing, sexual abuse, etc.

These religious groups are just one more in a long list of people groups.

Just one more piece of evidence that shows that EVERYTHING has been infiltrated including the church.

I am convinced that many Fundamental Baptist churches are NOW pastored by Jesuits and Opus Dei agents. Many deacons and Sunday School teachers are now inside the Baptist movement teaching doctrines of Rome. You need to read the following articles so that you can watch for the signs that you too have an hireling planted in your church by the Vatican.

LINK

"Some of the most famous church "leaders" and evangelists on the planet are Illuminati operatives who use religion to manipulate and brain-wash their followers while engaging in Satanic rituals that beggar belief. That is not to say everyone is involved in these horrors, of course not. Most of the advocates of these religions would be as outraged as the rest of us if they realized what was going on." Source

"...he said we control some parts of the political world, some parts of economic world. He said we control all the churches except The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said we have them in our control and he said that when we have political and economic control of the world we will then be able to establish our total spiritual program."

We Control all the Churches

"90% of the Southern Baptist hierarchy are Freemasons. There is also a high percentage of Christian leadership from the Lutheran and United Methodist churches are Masons. This would explain why Ecumenism has spread so easily.

Written by Freemasons in 1908, the goal is to infiltrate it with their compromising philosophies and attempt to destroy the Church from within."

FREEMASONS ARE INFILTRATING CHURCHES

The Real Conspiracy the Jesuit infiltration of Christianity

"Every major religion in the world has been manufactured or infiltrated by the Illuminati to enslave and brainwash society. In essence, religion was the first form of mind control. The indoctrination of the masses by a "Trojan Horse" false religion has allowed the Illuminati to take control and work in secret for many, many years."

S&F

From my experiences growing up; I saw that the church covered up and enabled child sex abuse by their members because it is a direct reflection on the church. My dear grandmother was one such person whose standing in the church and community caused her (in my opinion) cover up the sex abuse that she saw herself. She never told anyone which led more abuse and others being abused....

church members have such a streak of false pride in them that they can not admit there is a problem in their blinded by faith cults!

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck
I would say that we need to back up and ask ourselves whether this is really about religion, or is it about the kinds of abuse that go on when any group is insular, clique-ish, and extremely secretive?

I am certainly not saying that abuse only occurs in religious circles; however, it is rather prevalent in said circles and it generally will get covered up.

In your opinion then, should we have stricter laws regarding groups that are otherwise detached from society leading us farther away from personal freedom? Or, should we let them govern themselves, which they often do by their relocated of abusers, and hope for the best for those who were abused? I'm caught in this quandary and my heart breaks for the abused.

reply to post by fnpmitchreturns

Originally posted by fnpmitchreturns
From my experiences growing up; I saw that the church covered up and enabled child sex abuse by their members because it is a direct reflection on the church. My dear grandmother was one such person whose standing in the church and community caused her (in my opinion) cover up the sex abuse that she saw herself. She never told anyone which led more abuse and others being abused....

church members have such a streak of false pride in them that they can not admit there is a problem in their blinded by faith cults!

edit on 4-8-2012 by fnpmitchreturns because: sp/syntax

I also know of several people who are guilty of knowing about abuse, but have not stepped forward in order to "protect the church". It really is upsetting when people put a man or a church higher than a morality that they should have instilled in themselves. This is probably a big reason why I have such a distaste for the IFB cult. They care more about their demi-god pastor and what he does and says than what their God, that they supposedly worship, would do or say.

Thank you for sharing such personal information. It's really difficult sometimes to go back in the past and I trust it wasn't too painful for you.

Pastor should have known better. Praying he repents and seeks forgiveness.