Yesterday, someone posting as “Gary” commented threatening a lawsuit against me. Wow. If true, that is sure to backfire. Click here and search the page for Gary to find the comment on March 28, 2016 at 2:49 PM.
Here is my response to this ridiculousness.
1. I’m not even convinced this comment is from Gary in the first place, but I will offer the benefit of the doubt for now. The phrase “church leadership” doesn’t sound like Gary, IMO, and I find it unlikely that he would ask his followers to suddenly read through thousands of comment that he says are false or libelous. But that’s just me. Nevertheless, in the spirit of love and good faith, the offer has always stood here to correct the record–either privately or in an open dialogue. There are a number of ways to facilitate that. Call or email me, brother.
2. If true, you realize that, although articles are my own, and are fact-based and as well-reasoned as I can make them–comments here are unmoderated. In good faith, I do make attempts to police name-calling from time to time, and other unloving attacks on individuals, but I do not have the time to read every comment. It is not my legal obligation to do so, but if you point out any factual error or libelous post, I will still do my best to correct the record, because that’s what brothers do. I have no desire to defame you or any other leader of the church. I have always and only wanted to deal in facts and scriptural reasoning. Anyone who has read my articles knows this. It doesn’t take much reading to see that I have never attempted to get into personal attacks, and have done my best to weed comments out by individuals who engage in them.
3. I’ve had an open invitation for you or any other leader in the church to correct facts and discuss differences of opinion on scripture. My email address is plainly listed on this site. Not one person in the church, except for my mom, has corrected anything, and the fact that she corrected was how old I was when my dad was withdrawn from. I thought I was 10 or 11, my mom says I was 6 1/2. I corrected it immediately. Neither you nor any of the church leadership have reached out to correct anything–in fact, teachers in the church have highly discouraged people from visiting this blog. So how do you know what’s here if you haven’t read it yourself and discouraged others from doing so?
4. I’ve tried to make contact with you for years, Gary, merely to discuss scriptural questions about Stanton, long before I ever got the idea of creating a blog to record the factual history of this sect. I found your email address from a forum you had posted in of Church of Christ preachers many years ago, and tried contacting you (two different emails, actually, both starting with “b4man”). I received no response. Not that you owe me one–but you have had plenty of opportunity to engage in a real conversation. I have even offered on these pages to have a private conversation over coffee sometimes, but have never been taken up on that.
5. Last I checked, brothers are not to take brothers to court. As noted above, I am perfectly open to removing factually incorrect information, and that has been the case since day one of this blog. As always, just send me a list of the exact comments and URLs by email privately so I can search and find them.
6. Not having read all the comments, let me just state generally that I do not give my approval to comments, but I would never seek to harm someone’s reputation with false information. Ever.
7. If your post is real, Gary, and you do create a lawsuit, understand that you’ll lose, and by losing, you’ll most likely have to pay my attorney’s fees. It’s called an “equitable remedy,” particularly in a frivolous lawsuit, which this would be. And let me just be clear that if I had wanted to organize legal opposition to the church, I have had plenty of people cheering me on. I avoided that, because this site has never been about attacking personalities, but about trying to lead people who have been oppressed by Stanton’s teachings out of the wilderness and into a loving relationship with their Creator. In addition, if I wanted to put out a call for people who have been wronged by the church as a result of following teacher’s counsel, I have no doubt I could assemble a list within a few days. That’s not who I am–and I certainly hope that’s not who you are.
God bless,
Kevin
Really Kevin,
You really think this is Preman. He's too smart and thickheaded to go this direction.
The post was probably from KF posing as him because he is obsessed with Gary from reading his insulting posts.
??? Way-off! I do not need to pose as someone I am not. "Oh Contraire" ma petite. But the ones who are obsessed if not possessed by GP are those who lurk in the shadows behind him as Anonymous posters. Seems to me that when a man is being ridiculed and challenged by other men or women, that any man would either answer or turn away in disbelief. But here we have Anonymous supporters of GP to keep him from exposing himself to his challengers. Even now there appears to be a lurking following of guardians of the cult. As… Read more »
I think u waisted a lot of energy on this. RU so gullibal to think this is the man.
To the Anons on March 29: you need to read Kevin's post again. He's not convinced it was really Gary, but is giving the benefit of the doubt to the poster. Personally, I believe it's the same person who posted that Kevin was dead. It's someone who is disturbed by this blog and wants to shut it down.
My dad is in this church and he is the worst person I have ever met. I can't imagine him in heaven with someone as amazing as Jesus.
I'm sorry for posting this while angry. His treatment of me has nothing to do with this blog. The other members of his church that I have met have been nothing but nice as far as I can tell.
Anon @ april 3, 2016 1:05 Why do you think your dad is the worst person you have ever met? Please email me at fellowhelper2015@gmail.com
@ fellowships too many things to list but physical and emotional abuse w/o ever apologizing for it. I try to forgive him but it's hard to forgive someone who is not sorry.
@ fellowhelper*
Anon @ April 4, 2016 10:54 What helped me to forgive and overcome was to realize first and foremost that I was not the only one to suffer abuse, it was church wide and not personal. You did not mention spiritual abuse but I saw it when mother Marilyn started teaching at the fellowships that all kids who die outside the COC go to hell and the young children started asking about their friend in the fourth grade who at age 9 died of cancer, did she go to Hell? If little Cindy got put into Hell that means I… Read more »
Thanks for your reply fellowhelper. Forgiving your enemies is definitely the hardest part of Christianity. I struggle with this more than any other sin and I gave up an addiction that I never thought I would never break free from. Thank you God for that and I hope he will help me forgive my enemies (even family).
Typed never 2 times*
I agree, as we forgive and are forgiven. I just pray for them almost every day that God will open their hearts and eyes to see the damages that have been done. We can deal with the forgiving and learning aspect of what has transpired. What needs to be dealt with and changed is the fact that these practices still exist and will continue hurting the people of God who look up to them for guidance.
I doubt that was GP, though it was a clever imposter if it was not. Funny how free speech is under assault in our nation from evil, wicked, and debauched Democrats, who are nearly communists, and their tactics of silencing dissent, which are totally opposed to the freedom and the the and fierce love of liberty our nation was founded upon. While I know God is over all, and that warfare, guns, and armies are not the solutions to problems, yet the war every human wages against the evil within determines the greatness of today, and the destiny of nations.… Read more »
Alexis De Tocqueville, A French Philosopher, said in the 1830's, In the United States, the influence of religion is not confined to the manners, but it extends to the intelligence of the people… Christianity, therefore, reigns without obstacle, by universal consent… I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors…; in her fertile fields and boundless forests; in her rich mines and vast world commerce; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution. Not until I went into the churches… Read more »
Is it unscriptual to pay a preacher or evangelist? What is the difference? Any ex scoc that are still Christian out here? I feel like I've been brainwashed and am finally seeing the truth. The bible says we must be lovers of truth.
It is scriptural to pay an evangelist WHO TRAVELS JL, but not a stationary preacher. I don't understand how you can call someone an evangelist when they sit put in the same congregation, and travel maybe three times a year. Their entire congregation won't go on trips because they think it is too "taxing". That is amazing, because practically every single bible class will have something on "pushing the flesh". One commenter on here was sincerely exhorted practically his whole Christianity on the necessity of "pushing the flesh". I agree slothfulness is bad. I still consider myself Christian, though I… Read more »
In SCOC they claim they are sinners only hope. Meanwhile they ruthlessly scorn, spurn, and ignore sinners, thinking it is their duty to be haughtily disdainful. They can't understand how they are the Pharisee Christ was describing who thinks he is so good, and thanks God he is not like the wicked publican. The Publican can't bear to lift his head to heaven, and pleads with God to be merciful on him. The publican is accepted and the Pharisee is rejected. And just as God says he resists the proud, he resists the Stanton Church of Christ. They get very… Read more »
When Stanton happens to find out any individuals sins, because the individual voluntarily confesses them as instructed in James 5:16, Stanton, instead of healing, breaks out the trumpets, to shout the sin all over creation, and make sure their righteousness is admired and the lowly sinner is properly disgraced. Stanton doesn't think we need to learn anything but the Bible, which I somewhat agree with, but since we have 10,000 teachers in Christ, I think we can learn a lot from many men. I think Les Miserables can teach an excellent lesson. A man who was a thief is redeemed,… Read more »
Martin, I was exhorted exhaustingly, but it was by no means done sincerely. This congregation is taught to overbear it's members with this practice rather than bear one another's burdens. It is easier for me to tell you to push the flesh than to take the time to console, support, encourage, or physically help Christians that suffering infirmities, disabled, or going through hard times. The "pushing the flesh" had become the got to response to use whenever a situation came up of where the congregation needed to take time take care of one its' own. NOT monetarily, but to be… Read more »
Brainwashed? A little strong I think, but yes the SCOC exerts a strong influence over members lives with their church spies watching you constantly, no privacy of any kind, and harsh doom and gloom preaching. Brainwashing was defined by Robert J Lifton in his 1951 book brainwashing and the psychology of totalism. It was about the methods the communist chinese used to produce a second personality in a person, the same methods used by all cults, religious, political, business, and education cults. Brainwashing requires three days of sensory deprivation or three days of sensory overload. Step two is a two… Read more »
I agree, anonymous 5/21/16 @ 610. It's not quite brainwashing. Of course, that a Christian is commanded to study God's word will be deemed "brainwashing" by pagans, even as they "brainwash" themselves with the nonsense of climate change, evolution, and sexual debauchery. Stanton has quite a number of biblical principles right, but where they err, they err bigtime. They think their own puny righteousness is pleasing to God, and the mercy they were freely given, they turn around and stingily deny to others. They also can't understand how a person who may have sinned and repented of sins worse than… Read more »
They are going to have a lot to answer for before God, but I forgive them. I'm not going to be damned by God for refusing to forgive others. IF they wish to inherit this punishment, they are welcome to it, because I want no part of it. Weren't the Pharisees rebuked so harshly because of the attitude they had towards sinners that they were worthless and that sins should be dealt with harshly, like the woman caught in adultery? Is this not what Stanton exactly imitates today? Pretty crazy how you study the bible all your life and yet… Read more »
So, Jesus sacrifice upon the Cross is of no effect upon them, because you can't save sinners when you think they have no hope and insist upon treating them as escaped convicts. You cannot truly love any individual when you have not first experienced God's love yourself, and God's love is not experienced in the legalistic, labyrinthine, rigmarole that is present in Stanton. No one can give, what they first don't have. So Stanton, never truly experiencing God's love and mercy when they did not deserve it, finds it impossible to extend that same love to the lost. Sinners respond… Read more »
The invasion of privacy greatly disturbed me. I was spied upon by church members, had my notebook read every time I set it down, and whomever I spoke with at any meeting was vigorously interrogated as to what I said; there was little the SCOC did not know about me. I had one "christian" roommate who timed me when I showered and reported it back to the teacher who used it for persecution because no one took six minutes to shower, implying I must be masterbating while I bathed. I was married in the church and found out the first… Read more »
I was first in the church back in 1983, for a few years. I left because of how people were treating each other. I cam back around 1999, until I left again, for the same reasons. When I came back I knew what to expect and kept to myself. One preacher started calling me Lone wolf Mcquade, after the movie. There is a reason I did this and when I my disability started getting much worse to where it affected my getting around the brethren started becoming the personal police I was trying to avoid. Soon it became more about… Read more »
Does the SCOC control this apostate blog? If you have noticed that most have stopped posting here and only a few of the die hard still remain, the you are not alone. I would be curious to hear from Kevin how many complaint emails he gets from active church members about the posts on here. A narcissist is the first one to dish out criticism but can't stand to be criticized themselves. When you ask yourself okay this person is criticizing me but before I can accept their criticism as valid I have to ask what kind of life do… Read more »
Apostate? What makes it Apostate?
Anyone who leaves their religion to go out on their own is considered an apostate. Jesus Christ would be an apostate of the jewish religion, as was all of the first generation christians who were jews and then converted to christianinty. All apostates will be persecuted by their "mother" religion". In the seventh century after the creation of the muslim religion there was the "war of the apostates" in which the apostates were hunted down and killed (which is still done today in the muslim religion) This blog is hosted and posted on by those who have left "the church"… Read more »
Yeah Anonymous, Even the Jack Ass Ballam rode spoke some truth but his name remained anonymous and he remained a Jack Ass.
Listen guys these complaints are getting old. Move on!
Learn from your namesake David. He too was hated by a King who was rejected by God. The Stanton Church of Christ has a lot of moral principles right, but they are rejected, and their are stagnant, static, and stale. They go into question like how many times can you break the unleavened bread for the Lords Supper, and spend hours on that nonsense in a May Trip. Hilariously absurd. Still straining at gnats, and swallowing camels. Meanwhile, every single one of the boys they raise gets into pornography and hides it, and they have no clue. They think if… Read more »
Ahh you reveal yourself David. I believe you also posted under the name "Brad" and "Jim" always treating other as inferiors by calling them names like crybaby, or jackass. You are the stereotypical COC teacher or preacher: knucle dragging neanderthal. Just beat them down until they go away. Not one word about how God loves each of his children, and that he also loves each person equally, (we do have a great God.) God loves me as much as he loves the evangelist in Spring Valley, we are of equal importance to God. Equality is what makes christianity great, large… Read more »
Balaam was mad with greed and lust as he beat his ass. God did use the Jack-Ass to suit his own purpose as he used a corrupt Sadducee and High Priest. God can hit a bulls eye with a crocked stick! And if you are not careful he just might hit your back side also. Would you rather be the Ass in this sinarrio or Balaam? Please, allow me to take the part of the ass. What Have I offended you sir/Maim. You conjure up a lot of accusations. Prove any of them. I never posted under those names. Your… Read more »
Good for you David. But David who?? Glad to see you got some cajones instead of the yellow bellies that occupy this site. I'm not a Christian, and my mom would kill me if I put my name. Keep up good work David.
You may wish to check Facebook: Terry Smith, He is a Boiler room mechanic in Texas. He runs a bible class on line as well in the boiler room where he works.
who is terry smith
Wow! your moms' a Christian and she will still kill you. What kind of Christian is that? Follow not that which is evil; but follow that which is good. In the book of Kings Nehu was declared by the prophet and told to slay all the kings children possibly just the sons and that woman called Jezebel. He did so. But his religious zeal took him well beyond the commandment of the man of God. Sometimes I wonder why Nehu just didn't send a message to the king of Judea informing him of his authority by God to rule the… Read more »
It is suppose to read…Nehu was declared king by the prophet…
KS and TC are in the same congregation now!!
Really? how do you know. that oughtta be grief for all
who is ks and tc?
Kim Smith and Tom Cornforth, however your information is a bit old… Kim is starting another congregation near Greenville, I'm not sure of the name of the city, possibly Anderson.