Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Eating Humble Pie.
In response to the previous story out of Humble, a friend sent me this old item:
Church members claim local pastor ruined them financially
Called by God, or called by greed?
That's the question facing W. David Gilliam, pastor of the Houston Temple of Judah, in Humble.
It's a question being asked by both his former followers, and outside business vendors who all claim the preacher took them for thousands of dollars.
Gee, such a surprise. Because:
"And he said I promise you sister I'll pay it back, and I said OK, being a man of God I trusted him,” Bray said.
Yup. He claimed to be a 'man of God'. That right there should have been the tip-off. If not that, then this sort of shake-down should have done it:
Bray said it felt like the pulpit was being used for personal profit, especially when it came to the church offerings.
Gilliam required congregants to line up single file, and personally hand him over the envelopes with money.
And Bray said if Gilliam didn't like the amount, "He would take that envelope from you and say I'm going to put this amount on the envelope and are you going to be obedient to God?"
And what if members didn't have the money?
Bray said that didn’t matter.
"He says ‘I don't care what you have to do, shift some things around, challenge God’" Bray said.
But that so-called challenge went overboard, Bray said, when Gilliam brought a pamphlet of Bentley luxury automobiles, and told the congregation which one he wanted, a $150,000 model.
Nice!
Say, I wonder if those three teenagers in that previous story were in his church? Could explain a lot . . .
Jim Downey
(Thanks to ML for the tip.)
Bookmark/Search this post with:
I've been to Humble..
It's pronounced "Uhmbull" in the local dialect. It's a great town. Close to IAH airport, good commuter bus service, and home of a shopping mall that will let you re-live peak mall culture of the 80s. All classes, races, and cultres literally rub shoulders as the cram into Derbrook mall. It even still has a movie theatre.
I have to say, its
I have to say, its refreshing when the pretense is dropped and the essential nature of religion as a shakedown racket is revealed in all its glory.
All I can say
is "amen." ;)
Jim Downey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Science Fiction? Read *or listen to* my novel, Communion of Dreams, for free.
Post new comment