Jay Sekulow’s Christian Nonprofit Under Investigation by 2 States for Paying Family Millions

Filed under ‘birds of a feather, flock together’.

President Donald Trump’s attorney and prominent Christian conservative lawyer Jay Sekulow is now being investigated by top lawyers in two states after a report surfaced this week claiming that millions of dollars were steered from his Christian nonprofit to himself, family members and related entities.

On Tuesday, The Guardian reported that tax records indicate that Sekulow, the chief counsel for the American Center for Law & Justice who joined Trump’s legal team amid an investigation of possible campaign ties to Russia, used a little-known Christian nonprofit called Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism to direct about $60 million to himself, family members and organizations owned by Sekulow family members through salaries and donations since the year 2000.

Headed by Sekulow, CASE is the sister organization to ACLJ, a well-known Christian conservative law firm founded by Pat Robertson that is dedicated to protecting religious and constitutional freedoms and does not charge for its services.

The Guardian reported that CASE was founded in 1988 by Sekulow after he was successful in defending the group “Jews for Jesus” in the United States Supreme Court, which gave him a platform to promote himself as a defender of Christians in the courtroom after an earlier career as a real estate attorney.

CASE has been able to raise tens of millions of dollars per year through phone and email marketing campaigns. Telemarketing contracts obtained by The Guardian indicate that fundraisers warned donors about the effects of the political left’s agenda and the efforts to “undermine traditional Christian values.” A telemarketing script obtained by The Guardian shows how fundraisers were used to pressure callers who claimed they were poor to give “sacrificial” gifts.

According to a Washington Post analysis of tax records, the ACLJ finalized an arrangement in 2011 in which donations made to the ACLJ are routed to CASE, which is solely controlled by the Sekulow family. The Post stated that the ACLJ relies on CASE for almost its entire budget, which was $53 million in 2015.

According to an infographic published with The Post’s analysis of tax filings, CASE raised over $229 million in donations from 2011 to 2015.

During that time, CASE paid Sekulow about $467,000 in salary and other compensations as its CEO and director. Meanwhile, his brother, Gary, was paid $2.6 million as the CASE COO and CFO; his wife, Pam, earned $54,000 as its secretary and treasurer; his nephew, Adam, earned $518,000 as CASE’s director of development; his son, Logan, earned $471,000 as a director; and his son, Jordan, earned $137,000 in salary as a director for CASE during those four years.

The infographic also shows that CASE made about $4.4 million in payments to Regency Productions, a private business run by Sekulow, during those four years. Meanwhile, CASE made $3.1 million in payments to PFMS, a business owned by Sekulow’s sister-in-law.

From 2011 to 2015, CASE gave the ACLJ $78 million, according to the infographic.

Etc.

Grifter.  And, by the way, stop giving your money to parachurch organizations.  Either tithe it at your local church or find a REPUTABLE charity to give it to like St Jude’s Children’s Hospital.  But don’t throw it to rich families who laugh behind your back because you’re a sucker.

Obbink is Back in the News

An Oxford academic suspected of involvement in the alleged theft of ancient Gospel manuscripts stands to gain from a government appeal to purchase an important artefact for the nation.

Dr Dirk Obbink, associate professor in papyrology and Greek at Christ Church, is the owner of the artefact – a unique book dating from around 1414.

The arts minister, Helen Whateley, has announced a temporary export bar on the precious Myrowr of Recluses, or “Mirror of Recluses”, a Middle-English volume of advice addressed to female anchorites and religious hermits.

This guy…  geesh.  Read the whole, depressing essay.  Greed is as much a part of academia as it is business and politics these days.  Sellouts are everywhere.  And money is the god they worship and serve.

‘Free Will’ Is A Term Fabricated out of Nothing – Calvin

Calvin writes

Free will [is a] term fabricated out of nothing. Scripture everywhere declares that man is captive, servant and slave of the devil, is carried away by all his inclinations into vice, and is unable to understand what the things of God are, let alone perform them.

He’s not wrong.  You’ll not find the notion of free will in Scripture.

GOP Party Member Matt Shea- Domestic Terrorist

Six-term Washington state Rep. Matt Shea is accused of participating “in an act of domestic terrorism against the United States,” according to a report released Thursday.

Independent investigators commissioned by the Washington State House Representatives found that Shea, as a leader of the Patriot Movement, “planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three armed conflicts of political violence against the United States government” between 2014 and 2016.

The report also concluded, Shea was involved in training young people to fight a “holy war.” He created a pamphlet called Biblical Basis for War and advocated replacing the government with a theocracy and “the killing of all males who do not agree.”

Chat messages showed Shea, a lawyer who was first elected in 2008, condoned intimidation of opponents, political activists, government officials and Muslims. He also offered to conduct background checks on political opponents.

Following the release of the report, Shea was suspended from the House Republican Caucus — a serious form of discipline.

He was also stripped of his position as the ranking member of the House Environment and Energy Committee and will be removed from two others.

Good job, voters of Washington.  Good job…  You’ve out Kentuckied Kentucky with your ability to send the worst people to Washington.

#ICYMI- ‘Transable’ – People Who Cripple Themselves Because they Don’t Feel ‘Right’ in their Bodies…

Not The Onion…

What madness. What next…

I’m Already Sick of Hearing About ‘Baby Yoda’…

So of course it won’t be long till mega churches have ‘baby yoda Bible studies’ and I can commence with imprecatory prayers.  After all, the New York Times announces ‘Baby Yoda is your God Now…’

Nope.  He may be your god, you feckless vile pagan wretches, but to me he’s an prat.

Evil Knows Know Age Limits, Up, or Down

The murderer of Tessa Majors has been arrested.

The NYPD has arrested a 13-year-old boy in connection with the stabbing death of Barnard freshman Tessa Majors.

Why did he do it?  Revenge?  Personal grudge?  Nope.  Money.

Police are still looking for up to two other young men. Sources say that the 13-year-old made statements linking himself to the murder.  He is expected to be charged with murder, robbery, and weapons possession. More information is expected later Friday.  At Barnard College, Tessa Majors’ classmates are calling for added security.

How does a society protect itself against knife wielding murderous 13 year olds?  It doesn’t.  Because evil always finds a way.

‘Youth Minister’ Tommy Callaway: Has He Been Fired Yet?

Because he needs to be.

A youth minister who slapped a female reporter on the behind while she delivered a live report during a combined half and full marathon has been banned from running in future events.

Georgia man Tommy Callaway was seen on video running up behind reporter Alex Bozarjian of WSAV and taking the swipe during the Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run.

Bozarjian posted the video to Twitter, with the caption: ‘To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning. You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better’.

The video, which has more than 8 million views, prompted outraged Twitter sleuths to track Callaway down.

He needs to be banned from ministry.  If you’re a parent and your child attends this guy’s youth group, you have some pondering to do.  Or perhaps you wouldn’t mind your daughter being treated so badly.

If he slapped my daughter he’d draw back a stump.  He has daughters of his own.  Who with daughters, and is a supposed Youth Pastor, acts like that?  So disgusting.

Give Me $120,000 And I’ll Duct Tape a Banana to a Wall Too…

Modern art is the playground of the rich and stupid.

Banana duct-taped to a wall has sold for $120,000 (£91,550) at one of North America’s most prestigious art shows, with another version of the artwork expected to sell for $150,000 (£114,460).

The prized installation, by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was unveiled at the Art Basel Miami Beach on Wednesday by the Parisian contemporary art gallery Perrotin.

It is not the first time Cattelan’s work has made headlines. An infamous 18-carat lavatory, entitled “America” drew huge crowds when it went on display at New York’s Guggenheim museum in 2016. It was installed at Blenheim Palace in September but stolen just hours later.

Despite it being Cattelan’s first contribution to an art fair in 15 years, the gallery appeared taken aback by the popularity of the artist’s latest piece.

What a bunch of doofuses.

Ugh… It Just Never Ends

A Claiborne County middle school teacher has been charged multiple charges involving receiving and sending sexually explicit photos with a 13-year-old student. Aaron James Ellison was charged with 16 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of solicitation of a minor to observe sexual conduct.

The charges result from an investigation by the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office. Between August and November, Aaron James Ellison, a teacher at H.Y. Livesay Middle School, solicited five images of a sexual nature from a 13-year-old girl, according to an arrest warrant. Ellison is also alleged to have sent 11 sexually explicit images of himself to the girl, the arrest warrant said.

Here’s an idea- LEAVE KIDS ALONE.  And if you feel compelled, seek help.  And if nothing helps, STAY AWAY FROM KIDS FOREVER.

Utter Blasphemy

Making a cross out of two bullets, and placing a skull and an inscription over it which offers adulation to a human document?  Pure and utter blasphemy.

Just Absolutely Ghastly

Ghastly.  Just when I thought I couldn’t be shocked by human behavior-

 A 23-year-old Memphis man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for hitting an 11-year-old girl with his vehicle, then raping her. But the girl’s family is not at all satisfied with the sentence.  That 40 years is much less than what prosecutors pushed for 23-year-old Larry Ward to receive.

In 2016, Ward hit the 11-year-old while she was walking to Geeter Middle School with his SUV, forced her inside, threatened to kill her, then raped her.  The child was found crying on the side of the road by a woman who called police.

Ghastly.

That’s Not Evangelism

It has never been, is not now, and will never be evangelism.  It is a cheap escape from authentic evangelism which, according to Jesus, is going into the world and making DISCIPLES.  Not audiences, not the entertained, not the amused, and not lovers of money.

This is, though, how low theology among ‘evangelicals’ has gone.  The ‘Queen of the Sciences’ has become the court jester for today’s ‘Christians’.

No one has ever become a disciple because of cheap gimmicks wrongly called ‘evangelism’.  And if your evangelism is ‘easy’, it’s fake.

So, as Peter said to Simon Magus- ‘to hell with you and your money’.  Or as Luther translated it in 1545,  “Das du verdampt werdest mit deinem gelde!” (Acts 8:20)

There’s Never a Day in America When a Pedophile Isn’t Arrested

Visit the Department of Justice’s ‘Project Safe Childhood’ page and scroll through the justice news section.  It’s simply appalling that so many in this country are involved in such perversity.  And these are just the ones caught and who make the news.

America?  A ‘Christian Nation’?  Nope.  It isn’t even a nation of Christians.

Luther’s Dark Side and its Horrifying Consequences: Kristallnacht

Many Germans were able to justify the barbarity and inhumanity of Kristallnacht because centuries before Martin Luther, the Reformer of Germany, said these words:

I had made up my mind to write no more either about the Jews or against them. But since I learned that these miserable and accursed people do not cease to lure to themselves even us, that is, the Christians, I have published this little book, so that I might be found among those who opposed such poisonous activities of the Jews and who warned the Christians to be on their guard against them. I would not have believed that a Christian could be duped by the Jews into taking their exile and wretchedness upon himself. However, the devil is the god of the world, and wherever God’s word is absent he has an easy task, not only with the weak but also with the strong. May God help us. Amen.

So commences Luther’s most disgusting and disreputable book, On the Jews and Their Lies.  He continues further on

The sun has never shone on a more bloodthirsty and vengeful people than they are who imagine that they are God’s people who have been commissioned and commanded to murder and to slay the Gentiles. In fact, the most important thing that they expect of their Messiah is that he will murder and kill the entire world with their sword. They treated us Christians in this manner at the very beginning throughout all the world. They would still like to do this if they had the power, and often enough have made the attempt, for which they have got their snouts boxed lustily.

And

Finally I wish to say this for myself: If God were to give me no other Messiah than such as the Jews wish and hope for, I would much, much rather be a sow than a human being. I will cite you a good reason for this. The Jews ask no more of their Messiah than that he be a Kokhba and worldly king who will slay us Christians and share out the world among the Jews and make them lords, and who finally will die like other kings, and his children after him. For thus declares a rabbi: You must not suppose that it will be different at the time of the Messiah than it has been since the creation of the world, etc.; that is, there will be days and nights, years and months, summer and winter, seedtime and harvest, begetting and dying, eating and drinking, sleeping, growing, digesting, eliminating—all will take its course as it does now, only the Jews will be the masters and will possess all the world’s gold, goods, joys, and delights, while we Christians will be their servants. This coincides entirely with the thoughts and teachings of Muhammad. He kills us Christians as the Jews would like to do, occupies the land, and takes over our property, our joys and pleasures. If he were a Jew and not an Ishmaelite, the Jews would have accepted him as the Messiah long ago, or they would have made him the Kokhba.

Luther may not have written those things had he been gifted with the ability to see into the future and observe how his words would be used against human beings who deserved, and deserve, far better than that from a Christian theologian.  But he did write them.  And the law, the ruthless horrifying law of unintended consequences used those words as justification for what Germany did to the Jews from Nov 9, 1938 on.  And Luther is in part responsible.

Be careful what you write.  It can be used in a way you never imagined in 10,000 years.

via.

Paul Pressler, SBC Fundamentalist and Architect of the Fundamentalist Destruction of the SBC is a Pedophile

Long-time Southern Baptist lay leader Paul Pressler used religion to sexually abuse a boy in the 1980s, and when that no longer worked began paying him as an adult to keep their relationship a secret, according to a new petition in the Texas Court of Appeals.

A brief filed Nov. 4 in the 1st District Court of Appeals in Houston claims that a district judge wrongly dismissed a lawsuit last year against retired appellate judge Paul Presser due to statute of limitations.

During the very period of time when Pressler and Patterson and the rest of the fundamentalists who had taken over the SBC were gutting Southeastern Seminary and turning it into a school of fundamentalism, Pressler was molesting a young boy.

Lawyers representing Gareld Duane Rollins say the lower court ignored expert testimony that their client was mentally unfit to sue for sexual assault until 2015, when with psychiatric help he finally confronted repressed memories of sexual assault in an “outcry” statement while serving time in prison.

Attorneys from Baker Botts LLP, a Houston-based international law firm recognized as one of America’s top law firms, say that Harris County District Judge R.K. Sandhill instead relied exclusively on a confidential settlement between Pressler and Rollins stemming from an altercation in a Dallas hotel room in November 2003.

The lawsuit settled in 2004 was over simple assault, lawyers say, but Pressler regarded the $1,500 per month he agreed to pay Rollins as money to buy his silence about three decades of sexual abuse.

Read the rest.  These fundamentalists are vile.  They destroyed my school and they destroyed boys lives.

If You’re an Instagram ‘Influencer’…

You’re probably a jerk.  This girl is.  Don’t be this girl.  She’s a jerk.

Anti-Vaxxers are Insane

Especially Australian ones…

An anti-vaccination mother took to social media on Wednesday to share her decision to give out tainted lollipops for Halloween.

The Australian mother, who identifies herself online as Sarah Walker RN, shared in the private Facebook group “Stop Mandatory Vaccination” that her son, whose name has been redacted, contracted chickenpox and that she planned to “help” other children in the community by spreading the virus through candy.

“So my beautiful son [redacted] has the chickenpox at the moment and we’ve both decided to help others with natural immunity this Halloween!” Walker wrote. “We have the packaging open and closing down pat and can’t wait to help others in our community.”

The moral of the story- don’t take candy from strange, totally depraved Aussies.

The Rank Hypocrisy of the ‘Why Doesn’t God Do Anything About Evil’ Crowd

Every time something awful happens and some wretch does something terrible to innocent folk there is always a chorus of voices raised in protest, complaining that God ought to do something, and why, by the way, doesn’t he.

David Hume was the loudest of these screechers, opining at the end of the day that ‘if God is good he is not God; and if God is God, he is not good’.

What the poor syphilitic Scotsman failed to admit, or recognize, along with all of his modern disciples, is that God has granted ALL of us free will.

Our exercise of that free will is the problem, not God.  And we love our free will, when it’s ours.  We just don’t like it when someone besides us exercises theirs.

So, for instance, Bob wants to go out and get drunk and drive home, and does so because he’s free to do so.  And on the way home he runs Randy down.  Randy was minding his own business but Bob was exercising his free will to be an absolute piece of human garbage.  And so he was.   Randy suffered the consequences of Bob’s free will.  But of course Randy too is a friend of free will, since only hours earlier, he had followed a girl from her dorm room to a park where she was going to jog.  Overcome with desire, because he had seen her many times before, Randy raped her and left her for dead.  Because, you know, free will.

Free will… it opens the door to every evil and is the worst and best of all God’s gifts to wretched selfish humanity.  Or more precisely, the use of free will is the greatest gift God has given to wretched humanity.

Free will exists because God wishes us to be free, and not puppets.  How we choose to use our freedom is completely in our hands.  But the minute someone uses theirs in a way contrary to our wishes, we blame God (whilst enjoying our own free will to the fullest).

It is hypocrisy.  It is rank hypocrisy to denounce God whilst exercising the freedom he has granted.  Instead of denouncing God, denounce the one who exercised her or his free will to do evil.  Denounce yourself.  Because when all is said and done, you’re the one who has taken the good gift of God and destroyed it.

The next time some piece of filth guns down a bunch of folk remind yourself that he has distorted a good gift of God: choice.  And when you’re screeching about ‘a woman’s choice’ remember your own opposition to choice in the hands of the terrorist and recall that your own choices haven’t always been what anyone outside your own head would call good; and stop blaming God, and start blaming the totally depraved wretch who did the deed you despise.

More on the Dirk Obbink ‘Sure I’ll Sell You Some Old Stuff For Your Museum Right out of My Office’ Scandal

Ugh.

For the field of papyrology this may be a moment of reckoning. One of their most distinguished luminaries—a MacArthur “genius grant” winner, no less—is alleged to have sold antiquities that he did not own. When I spoke to Nongbri in June he told me “If this isn’t a one-off thing, and there are more records of sales, it becomes harder to believe that other scholars who work closely with Dirk Obbink didn’t know this kind of thing was going on.” The scale of the problem, as Nongbri notes, is still undetermined. If items were illicitly leaving the Oxyrhynchus collection and being funneled through Baidun it’s possible that other items (and indeed dealers) are involved. Perhaps this is the tip of the iceberg. It’s also possible that other Oxyrhynchus papyri were sold to different U.S. buyers. Regardless of the scale of the problem, the fact that items could leave the collection at all demonstrates that there is a need for greater transparency in the administration of shared intellectual and cultural heritage.

Scholars…  Some of you need Jesus.   Your egos and your sense of entitlement are astonishing.