Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris, whoĀ 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 toĀ The Christian Post.Ā In that statement, he conceded that he engaged in ā€œinappropriate sexual behaviorā€ with a ā€œyoung ladyā€ when he was already married with a child in his early 20s.

Morris didnā€™t mention the girlā€™s ageā€”but his alleged victim, Cindy Clemishire, told the religious watchdog blogĀ 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 ā€œunder her panties.ā€

    • Doom@ttrpg.network
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      6 months ago

      Okay I agree there is a problem with people using pedophilia as a bludgeoning instrument politically.

      However I stand by what I said. Putin and Trump are pedos and so is any male involved in child pageants of any sort. Probably some women too

      • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        But thatā€™s the thing: most people involved in church, pagentry, etc are not. Thereā€™s issues with the institutions, but by claiming everyone involved is a pedophile you gut any actual criticism of the institutions - including their exposure to predators.

          • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            And because thatā€™s your claim, you instantly put the majority of people who are not on the defensive about everything.

            If someone falsely called you out as a pedophile, would you then listen to anything else they had to say about you, no matter how reasonable it is? No. Because they obviously donā€™t know you and are wildly ignorant about who you are and what you stand for. Also: fuck them for spouting off that bullshit about you and your friends.

            Thatā€™s whatā€™s been happening with pedophiles in the church. People claim *everyone is a pedophile, so they circle the wagons to defend themselves from false allegations, and the actual predators end up being better-defended.

            By falsely claiming everyone in the church is a pedi, people like you are enabling the pedophiles.

            Good job!