Outline
-
Introduction
-
Conclusion
Black
Collar Crimes: A Moment to Savior?
Introduction
It is interesting to see how far some atheist would go in applying
twisted logic against the faith. Sometimes the best thing to do
is to turn their logic against them and demonstrate how stupid they
can be. For example, in the November 2005 edition of Freethought
Today, the self-boasting “Northwest Florida’s favorite agitator?
Norman LeClair argues against Christianity and attempts to discourage
people from being religious given its danger by arguing from “Black
Collar Crimes? which is simply immoral acts by those who are pastors
or priests. It was with this saved complied files of his that LeClair
collected over the years that he gives this account of the most
amusing and memorable moment in his life in his article as follows:
…we met at McDonald's and, after introducing myself to the
small group (why do they always show up in numbers?), I told
them that I had a present for 'em. Without fanfare I dropped
the bundle of Black Collar Crimes on the table and spread them
out so everyone was immediately confronted and inundated with
the abhorrent behavior of their leaders.
They were struck dumb--and while their jaws were still hanging
slack, I impressed upon them that because less than 10% of the
crimes committed by clergy are ever reported, the pile of clippings
should actually be 10 to 12 inches in height rather than the
two-inch pile now before them. Only by picturing this bundle
as being a foot tall could they really begin to appreciate the
magnitude of the problem.
They were mesmerized by page after page of cold hard facts.
Their discomfort was painfully apparent, and after a few furtive
glances at one another they got up en masse and, without so
much as a single word being uttered, made a hasty withdrawal
from the premises.
It was a moment to savor. I couldn't resist the temptation to
call after them with the offer that I'd be more than happy to
make copies of all these crimes and violations just so they
could become better acquainted with what's really going on in
the faith and fraud business. Can you believe not one of those
ingrates took me up on my offer?
The incident was one of the more amusing and memorable moments
of my life?Endnote 1
The fact that anyone committing any crime and especially those
that have victims should be something we mourn about and yet he
sickly “savors?it to the point that it was one of the most amusing
moments in his life. If indeed it is true by his own self-admission
that this was the most memorable moment in his life, than indeed
he lives a sad pathetic, trivial and pitiful life. Not only is he
pathetic but his reasoning here as well.
Breaking it down, his argument is as follows:
- Religion and Churches are a problem.
- There are Crimes and bad things done by the Clergy and
church leaders.
- Therefore, Man needs to leave religion (or, in his words, “extricate
itself from the primeval slime of superstition, credulity and
self-deception.? and Church.
To begin with, the Christian acknowledge that there can never be
such a thing as a perfect church. One who is familiar with the Bible
realizes that the people of God (whether the Jews or the early Church)
was not without sin. Just from the readings of First Corinthians
in the Bible reveal how the church can be unbiblical and not God-Centered.
These evil are in addition, an account a man’s sinfulness and depravity.
Any evil acts committed by those in the church and by its leaders
would go against the Christian faith and the moral conduct demanded
by those who know Jesus as the Lord and Savior.
But this absurdity of the charge by LeClair can further be illustrated
with using the same form of the argument he posed with a different
situation:
- Education and School poses a problem.
- There are crimes and bad things done by Teachers and School
leaders.
- Therefore, we need to leave and get rid of Education and Schools.
Do we then, no longer go to school? Should atheists start pulling
out of their children and themselves from educational institutions?
Should education be dismissed and abandoned as no longer needed
for today?
Perhaps LeClair need to be met at McDonalds with some of his group
of Freethinkers to be shown a booklet titled, “Black Chalk Crimes?
And this would be a partial listing of teachers who have committed
sexual crimes with students recently as follows:
Kimberly Merson and two other teachers making sexual advances on
students Endnote 2
Debra Lafave Endnote 3
Teacher Mafa Chauke attempts to sign student’s bottom Endnote
4
Principal Ed Rohrbaugh emailing pornography to students Endnote
5
And the list gets bigger from World Net Daily News:
Adrianne
Hockett: Accused of having sex with a 16-year-old special-needs
student in a Houston apartment she rented for the get-togethers.
The boy has testified the pair would "have sex, drink beer
and smoke weed."
Amber
Jennings, 31: Initially charged with having sex with a 16-year-old,
the counts against the Sturbridge, Mass., woman were reduced to
a single charge of disseminating harmful materials to a minor. She
reportedly admitted e-mailing naked photos of herself to a former
student.
Amber
Marshall, 23: Northwest Indiana woman allegedly had sexual contact,
including intercourse, with several students, and turned herself
into authorities, telling police she knew what she did was illegal.
Amira
Sa'Si, 30: Clayton County, Ga., woman remarked she didn't think
her relationship was inappropriate based on her Internet research,
learning the Peach State's age of consent is 16.
Amy
Gail Lilley, 36: Inverness, Fla., woman and softball coach at
Lecanto High School charged with a lesbian relationship with a 15-year-old
girl. She received no prison time, being sentenced to two years
of house arrest and eight more years of probation.
Angela
Comer, 26: Middle-school teacher from Tompkinsville, Ky., fled
with her alleged lover, her 14-year-old male student, before being
tracked down in Mexico where she planned to marry the boy. She was
indicted for illegal sex acts with a minor and returned to Kentucky.
Angela
Stellwag, 24: Delran, N.J., woman accused of having sex in her
apartment with a 14-year-old boy she met in school.
Beth
Raymond, 31: Private-school employee from Pownal, Maine, charged
with risk of injury to a minor and second-degree sexual assault
of a juvenile male.
Bethany
Sherrill, 24: Daughter-in-law of school-board president is charged
with molesting a middle school student when he was 14.
Carol
Flannigan, 50: Boca Raton, Fla., music teacher reportedly slept
with 11-year-old former student, and also had a simultaneous sexual
relationship with the boy's father.
Cathy
Heminghaus, 46: Special-education teacher from Ferguson, Mo.,
charged with statutory sodomy involving at least three of her students
at Ferguson Middle School. She reportedly told friends she had performed
oral sex on the children on several occasions.
Celeste
Emerick, 32: Police in Huber Heights, Ohio, say she hosted a
party where students were shown porn.
Christina
Gallagher, 26: Jersey City, N.J., woman ordered to pay more
than $1,000 in fines, sentenced to a lifetime registration as a
convicted sex offender and ordered to attend therapy for having
sex with a 17-year-old student.
Deanna
Bobo, 37: Arkansas teacher allegedly had sex twice with a 14-year-old
boy in his own bed while his parents were not home. She has denied
the charge, and has since been charged with assaulting a second
boy.
Donna Carr Galloway, 33: Married mother of two found naked in a
car with a 17-year-old student.
Elisa Kawasaki, 25: Officials say ex-biology teacher had sexual
relations with a 16-year-old student on up to 20 different occasions.
Elizabeth
Miklosovic, 36: Grand Rapids, Mich., woman pleaded no contest
to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female student she "married"
in a pagan ritual.
Elizabeth
Stow, 26: Woman from Fresno, Calif., area convicted of having
sex with three of her students was sentenced to nine years, but
the judge suspended that sentence and gave her one year, possibly
on house arrest, as well as faces five years probation.
Ellen
Garfield, 43: Former student says teacher took him into an empty
classroom where she worked, partially disrobed, and coaxed him into
having sex with her in 1998. Garfield was acquitted of all charges
in September of this year.
Emily
Morris, 28: Alabama woman faced a possible 20-year sentence,
but received one year in jail for having consensual sex with a 15-year-old
student.
Erica
Rutters, 29: York, Pa., woman allegedly wrote erotic messages
to a 17-year-old student and had sexual intercourse with him four
times in her apartment.
Georgianne
Harrell, 24: Sylvester, Ga., woman charged with performing oral
sex on a 9-year-old boy, allowing students to gaze down her blouse
and slashing her wrists with glass in front of her students. She
pleaded not guilty.
Gwen
Ann Cardozo, 33: Colorado woman charged with having sex with
a 17-year-old male student.
Heather
Ingram, 30: Mathematics, science and business teacher in British
Columbia had sex with a 17-year-old student.
Janelle
Marie Bird, 24: Accused of having a two-year affair with a 15-year-old
student from East Hill Christian School, in Pensacola, Fla. She
was charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery and two
counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
Jaymee
Wallace, 28: Basketball coach in Tampa, Fla., charged with having
an 18-month lesbian relationship with a student.
Joan
Marie Sladky, 28: Redwood City, Calif., woman sentenced to six
months in county jail for having sex with a 16-year-old student
after pleading no contest to four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse,
oral copulation and penetration with a foreign object.
Katherine
Tew, 30: Married English teacher from Greenville, N.C., arrested
for having sex with a 17-year-old boy. She was convicted of taking
indecent liberties with a child, but found not guilty of the more
serious sex charge. She was not given prison time, and lost her
teaching license for at least two years.
Kathy
White, 39: Charged with having sex with a 17-year-old student
in Lumberton, Texas. Victim alleges: "She just started grabbing
me and hormones were on and it just happened."
Kelly
Lynn Dalecki, 28: Woman from St. Augustine, Fla., pleaded no
contest to charges she had sex with a 13-year-old boy.
Kristen
Margrif, 27: Michigan woman accused of having sex with a 16-year-old
male student in her car or at his summer workplace.
Kristi
Dance Oakes, 32: Former Tennessee high-school teacher allegedly
had sex with a 16-year-old boy who was in her biology class the
previous year.
Lakina
Stutts, 40: School-bus driver admitted to cops she had sex with
a 14-year-old student in her home and in a car outside the boy's
home.
Laura-Anne
Brownlee, 26: Former music mistress at a top private school
in Belfast, N. Ireland, was sentenced on six charges of indecently
assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
Laura
Lynn Findlay, 30: Middle-school band teacher in Buena Vista
Township, Mich., charged with having sex with at least 5 students,
one as young as 14.
Margaret
De Barraicua, 30: Sacramento, Calif., area woman arrested after
police found her having sex with a 16-year-old male student in her
car while the woman's toddler was strapped into a seat in the back.
Maria
Saco, 28: Passaic, N.J., woman sentenced to a year in jail for
an intimate relationship with a teen student who was 14 when they
first met.
Mary
Kay Letourneau, 34: Des Moines, Wash., woman did prison time
after having an affair with a sixth-grade student, and had two children
by him. The couple recently married.
Melissa
Michelle Deel, 32: Bristol, Tenn., woman pleaded guilty to crossing
the state line into Virginia to have oral sex with a 13-year-old
male student.
Michelle
Kush, 29: Ohio woman allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old boy
several times during summer break.
Nicola
Prentice, 22: British woman from Sheffield, England, given a
12-month suspended jail sentence after she seduced a 16-year-old
student and began a 19-month affair.
Nicole
Andrea Barnhart, 35: Colorado woman reportedly told police she
loves the 16-year-old boy with whom she was having sex. She pled
guilty to felony sexual assault on a child, resulting in a two-year
prison sentence and a minimum of 10 years in a sex-offender probation
program.
Nicole
Long, 29: English teacher at Ayersville High School in Ohio
resigned her teaching post after being accused of raping a 17-year-old
boy. She pleaded guilty Jan. 23.
Nicole
Pomerleau, 31: High-school English teacher in Charlotte, N.C.,
accused of having a sexual relationship with her 16-year-old student.
Pamela
Smart, 22: Media-services director at Winnacunnet High School
in Hampton, N.Y., had convinced her 15-year-old lover to murder
her husband. The Nicole Kidman film "To Die For" is based
on her story.
Pamela
Turner, 27: Former model and beauty-pageant contestant accused
of having a three-month sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy.
Rachelle
Vantucci, 32: Ex-substitute teacher in western New York admitted
having sex with a 16-year-old boy.
Rebecca
Boicelli, 33: Redwood City, Calif., woman gave birth to a baby
last year and DNA test results gave prosecutors enough evidence
to prove the father is Boicelli's former student, who was 16 at
the time of conception.
Rhianna
Ellis, 24: New York City teacher who allegedly had a 10-month
affair with an 18-year-old, and allgedly gave birth to his baby.
Robin
Gialanella, 26: Elementary teacher in Toms River, N.J., engaged
in kissing, and inappropriate conduct and conversations with two
sixth-grade boys, ages 11 and 12. She was sentenced to 364 days
in jail.
Robin
Winkis, 29: York, Pa., woman allegedly had sex with a 17-year-old
boy after giving him alcohol.
Samantha
Solomon, 29: Fired after school bosses learned she was having
sex with a teenage boy. She denies the charges.
Sandra
"Beth" Geisel, 42: Albany, N.Y., woman was fired from
her job at an private all-boys school after police in found her
in a parked car with a 17-year-old. She pleaded guilty to a single
count of rape and was sentenced to six months in jail.
Shelley
Allen, 35: East Texas teacher's aide accused of sexual assault
and faces a possible 20 years behind bars.
Shelley
White, 24: Geography teacher in Britain had been engaged to
be married before she kissed a 15-year-old student on at least three
occasions. She avoided jail, but received 12 months community service.
Sherry
Brians, 41: Middle-school language-arts instructor in Buttonwillow,
Calif., originally arrested on suspicion of engaging in lewd acts
with a 12-year-old male student, a felony that involves sexual contact.
She pleaded not guilty to two counts of annoying or molesting a
child under 18.
Stephanie
Burleson: Volleyball coach and teacher at Floresville High School
in Texas six years ago, pleaded guilty to all charges for molesting
a 16-year-old female student. She was sentenced to 10 years probation,
and required to register as a sex offender.
Susan Eble, 35: Former teacher's aide is accused of having a sexual
relationship with a 14-year-old boy.
Tara Lynn Crisp, 29: Police allege she had sex with a student at
least three times beginning when he was 14.
Toni
Lynn Woods, 37: The Braxton County, W.Va., woman confessed to
having sexual intercourse with three juveniles a total of four times
and oral sex with one of those juveniles and another juvenile a
total of four times. She resigned. Endnote 6
In addition to this short sampling list, there are hundreds more
that have been studied by psychologist researcher Stephen Rubin
of Whitman College. Endnote 7
On top of all of this, is it necessary to further mention all the
amount of sexual harassment that goes on within the institution
of education which happens to be more prevalent than assaults? According
to USA TODAY,
Analysis of previous research shows that offenses such as sexual
touching and grabbing and forced sex probably are endured by
1 in 15 students some time in their school careers. Endnote
8
If such immoral acts are so prevalent within schools, and using
the logic of LeClair, why are there no protests? Whereas churches
might have a significant portions of the American people attending,
how much more is the danger of an institution that nearly EVERY
SINGLE AMERICAN at one point in their lifetime are required to attend?
Using LeClair’s logic, if he and his fellow atheist are really concern
about such victimization and crime, why are they not championing
the cause against public schools and speaking out against teachers?
The menace by schools and education (again, using LeClair’s logic)
are more dangerous than the churches in America. If LeClair should
really hold the form of his reasoning as valid then he should disregard
education, flee from school and be a moron.
Conclusion
The Bible teaches that the fool says in his heart, “There is no
God?(Psalms 14:1, 53:1). People would go to any extent and use
twisted logic against the faith. The Bible makes it clear that all
men are without excuse in their rejection of Him. Whatever forms
this rejection manifest, this is a sin and God would judge. Therefore,
repent from this and come to Christ in accepting His mercy and forgiveness.
--Jimmy Li
Endnotes
- LeClair, Norman. “A Moment to Savor.?Freethought
Today. Nov. 2005. Freedom From Religion Foundation. 15 April 2006
<http://ffrf.org/fttoday/2005/nov/leclair.php>
- Barrett, Greg. “Schools redraws the sexual lines
Teacher-student sex has more attention, butfew solutions.?USA
TODAY. 6 Sep. 2001. USA TODAY. 15 April 2006 <http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/79914825.html?did=79914825&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Sep+6%2C+2001&author=Greg+Barrett&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Schools+redraw+the+sexual+lines+Teacher-student+sex+has+more+attention%2C+but+few+solutions>
- “Debra Lafave.?a name="3"> Wikipedia. 14 APR. 2006. Wikipedia
Encylopedia. 15 April 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debra_Lafave>
- “Teacher Sentenced for ‘Bottom Signing.? Sunday Times. 1 Feb.
2006 Sunday Times. 15 April 2006. <http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimesNEW/newsst/newsst1138787565.aspx>
- Barrett, Greg. “Principal Accused of Sending Pornographic E-mails.?
WSBTV. 14 Feb. 2006. Action News WSBTV. 15 April 2006 <http://www.wsbtv.com/news/7036397/detail.html>
- “Sexy Subsitute Teacher ‘has relations with boy??WORLD NET
DAILY.COM 25 Jan. 2006. WorldNetDaily News. 15 April 2006 <http://worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48502>
- Barrett, Greg. “What To Look For When You’re Suspicious.?USA
TODAY. 6 SEP. 2001. USA TODAY. 15 APR. 2006 <http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/79916795.html?did=79916795&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Sep+6%2C+2001&author=Greg+Barrett&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=What+to+look+for+when+you%27re+suspicious>
- Barrett, Greg. “Students At Risk for Sexual Abuse.?USA TODAY.
1 Jul. 2004. USA TODAY. 15 APR. 2006. <http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/657720981.html?did=657720981&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&date=Jul+1%2C+2004&author=Greg+Toppo&pub=USA+TODAY&desc=Students+at+risk+for+sexual+abuse+%3B+Study+finds+inappropriate+behavior+more+widespread+than+thought>
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