Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris, who Donald Trump once named as a spiritual adviser to his administration, announced he was stepping down from Gateway Church amid allegations he molested a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.

The resignation comes days after Morris, 62, seemingly admitted to molesting the girl in a statement to The Christian Post. In that statement, he conceded that he engaged in “inappropriate sexual behavior” with a “young lady” when he was already married with a child in his early 20s.

Morris didn’t mention the girl’s age—but his alleged victim, Cindy Clemishire, told the religious watchdog blog The Wartburg Watch on Friday that she was only 12 when she was first sexually abused by Morris on Christmas Day in 1982. She claimed that he invited her into the room he was staying in at her family home during a visit, and touched her inappropriately on her breasts and “under her panties.”

  • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    “It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,” Morris said of the relationship to the Christian Post.

    Is it really an allegation still when you are quoting him in the article admitting to it?

    • ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I don’t think you’re giving normie white American evangelicals enough credit. Aside from kids and very old people, most join megachurches for community and status reasons. It doesn’t matter at all if the pastor preaches the exact opposite of what the Bible says — prosperity gospel, for example — it’s about showing up, seeing friends, and being part of a community. They aren’t being duped.

      I don’t want to say no Evangelicals are sincere in their faith because, obviously, that isn’t true. Plenty people practice their faith by doing good works and helping the poor. But as that Niebuhr quote says: “Religion makes good people better and bad people worse.” A lot of white American Evangelical churches are about giving bad people excuses to be worse. Trump hasn’t been good for much but he did create a big “mask off” moment for lots of American “Christians.”

      • snooggums@midwest.social
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        3 months ago

        It doesn’t matter at all if the pastor preaches the exact opposite of what the Bible says — prosperity gospel, for example — it’s about showing up, seeing friends, and being part of a community. They aren’t being duped.

        Yeah, it isn’t like people in the US where megachurches are located have multiple other churches to choose from.

  • treefrog@lemm.ee
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    3 months ago

    Trump’s spiritual advisor resigns after admitting he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old child.

    Much better headline in my opinion.

    • Hux@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      Convicted felon Donald Trump’s spiritual advisor resigns after admitting he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old child.

      Minor edit.

    • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Repeatedly sexual assaulted a 12 year old child. The abuse happened over a 5 year period.

      • treefrog@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        I hope there is no statute of limitations on child sexual assault in his jurisdiction.

        • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
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          3 months ago

          There isn’t now, but there was then. He isn’t likely to face any charges. Civil trial is more possible, but still difficult.

          He sexually assaulted a 12 year old over and over for years, became a millionaire pastor, and now is retiring while his church does damage control, “both sideing” their support for both him and his victim. The church leaders claim they “just didn’t know” how young she was when he was assaulting her, even though hes been publically talking about his "redemption for his sin " for 30yrs+.

          As usual with church sexual abuse, everyone walks away unscathed but the victim, who takes all the pain and has to deal with all the shame.

    • Snowclone@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Do you mean Mary, the mother of Jesus? It really doesn’t make sense to think that, God is not presented as having sex with her in any theology, kind of contradicts the whole virgin birth claim.

      • exanime@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        well, I think putting a child in someone without their consent is a kind of rape even if it did not include sexual intercourse