UPC Pastor Convicted of Slander in Pulpit!

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by missourimary

From a new link on the spiritualabuse website (link to http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...6rssFeed%3Dsub ):


Bro Ben, I understand your frustration. I hope and pray that you haven't experienced-and will never experienced-anything like this in your life or in the lives of your family. I've seen it and experienced it. You are correct that nothing will stop some bad things from happening in the name of religion. But we have to continue to hope.

The link you gave goes to an article in the Daily Report (The Daily Report is Fulton County's official legal organ and Georgia's leading source for legal news and information.) sheds much more light on this case.

a couple of comments:

1) The husband admitted that he had never accused his ex wife of sexually immorality or cheating on him. It makes you wonder why he let the pastor call her a fornicator which allowed the church folk to think evil of her. But I suppose we have to give him credit for being honest in court.

2) This was interesting as well:

"During his work on the case, Kennedy said he discovered, to his surprise, that the United Pentecostal Church International carries insurance on its pastors, who have independence in setting standards for their congregations. Kennedy said the carrier, Church Mutual Insurance Co., provided the pastor with a $1 million policy. "A court can't make him apologize or make him retract. They can't force him from the pulpit. All a jury can do is award civil damages," Kennedy said."

If the pastor had to pay out of pocket he might be more careful with his tongue but it looks like the insurance company will pay. The rates will go up and then the entire UPCI ministerial fellowship will have to foot the bill for this pastor's slanderous remarks.

Also: " Kennedy said he took the case as a cause, unsure of where it would lead. "We were on a mission to clear her name," Kennedy said. He first requested an apology and a retraction from the church and from its corporate parent, United Pentecostal Church International, as his client had done already. When that request failed to produce results, he filed suit. Kennedy said the defense made a settlement offer that was less than the verdict, and he declined to be more specific."

Did the UPCI completely fail to take any action on this when the lawyer requested an apology and retraction? The article doesn't say but it is too bad that this had to go to court.

3) Dan, the article states that the Angela was younger than her ex husband.

"Angela Driver made an effective witness as well on her own behalf, Kennedy said. He said she never wanted to draw attention to herself. When he asked her on the stand why she was pursuing the lawsuit, she answered that she wanted to clear her name for the sake of her daughter, who is now 8.

The child was 3 when her father left on Mother's Day 2005, Kennedy said. The couple, who married when he was 21 and she was 17, were married eight years, according to Kennedy. Angela Driver has not remarried."

4) There was no mention of the bikini incident in this article.

[DAII]

If the org ministerial fellowship's insurance is footing the bill then this is an org-wide issue- as it is aGeorgia district board issue.

Yes, I realize that Angela is younger than first reported based on a preliminary search.

Kudos on James for setting the record straight in court as to why he divorced his first wife.

Sadly, this pastor and board will not set the record straight.

When the apologies do come, because they will, I still think any damages incurred are still just and fair.

This went on for four years steeped in pride, and apathy.

An internal ministerial judicial procedure ignored negligently or willfully when complaints are filed by members is dangerous and destructive.

This is a doctrinal and ecclesiastical debacle with ramifiications of a broader scope than the religious peanut gallery hopes to detract.

[DAII]

I also have no doubt that the emergency meeting that took place in HQ in the middle of June was linked to this case ... as a settlement offer appears to have been on the table.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by DAII

When the apologies do come, because they will, I still think any damages incurred are still just and fair.

It only took the jury two hours to decide this case. I think the award is more than fair and just. If it had been me, I would have been devastated by the unfair and untrue accusations (tantamount to lies) leveled against me.

What might have been the repercussions to Angela's daughter if these accusations were never cleared and brought to the light of day in court? Would she have started school and some other child might have called her mother an evil name?

What about Angela and her daily interactions. Did folks walk across the street to avoid her, did they whisper about her. The accusation of fornication caused by this, not to mention the divorce must have cost a great deal of mental grief and anguish.

[DAII]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

OK, you don't hate the UPCI, but Dan does.

You're a silly man, Dominic. I love everyone in the UPCI ... I have more years, tears, toil and invested in it than you will or will have.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

It only took the jury two hours to decide this case. I think the award is more than fair and just. If it had been me, I would have been devastated by the unfair and untrue accusations (tantamount to lies) leveled against me.

What might have been the repercussions to Angela's daughter if these accusations were never cleared and brought to the light of day in court? Would she have started school and some other child might have called her mother an evil name?

What about Angela and her daily interactions. Did folks walk across the street to avoid her, did they whisper about her. The accusation of fornication caused by this, not to mention the divorce must have cost a great deal of mental grief and anguish.

Heck, that happened to us just for leaving the church. I really wish digital camera's and camcorders were around back then so I could have caught the comic stylings of old church members as they hugged the walls of fast food joints in order to walk around us and keep as much distance as possible lest our rebellion rub off on them.

[Hoovie]

That Daily Report story is very revealing. It now makes me wonder what kind of councel Mr Driver during the dissolution of his marriage.

[DAII]

Kennedy said Fogarty gave explanations during the trial that included what he considered to be a form of spiritual fornication. He said Angela Driver was not submissive to her husband and exhibited a form of exhibitionism because she wore hemlines above the knee and sleeves that didn't reach the elbow.

This quote remains the most troubling .... is this Kennedy's interpretation of what was said or or is this part of Fogarty's actual defense?

If exhibtionism = fornication

and

if hemlines above the knee and sleeves that don't reach the elbow are exhibitionism/fornication ...

Does this allow for marriages to dissolve on the grounds of continual immodesty by an unsubmissive wife ... which in turn can be tagged as fornication?

A court transcript would help.

Can a woman file if her husband continues to wear shorts in public?

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Will ministerial dues go up if insurance premiums on the corporate insurance goes up .... simply because this wasn't handled during a 4 year window because of this nonsense?

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by DAII

This quote remains the most troubling .... is this Kennedy's interpretation of what was said or or is this part of Fogarty's actual defense?

If exhibtionism = fornication

and

if hemlines above the knee and sleeves that don't reach the elbow are exhibitionism/fornication ...

Does this allow for marriages to dissolve on the grounds of continual immodesty ... which in turn can be tagged as fornication?

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Will ministerial dues go up if insurance premiums on the corporate insurance goes up .... simply because this wasn't handled during a 4 year window because of this nonsense?

Ya, I saw the same quote and imagined taking it to its logical conclusion. Suddenly a woman "accidentally" showing a fraction of an inch of cleavage can now be considered grounds for divorce by her husband -assuming he has someone else in his sites.

[DAII]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Ya, I saw the same quote and imagined taking it to its logical conclusion. Suddenly a woman "accidentally" showing a fraction of an inch of cleavage can now be considered grounds for divorce by her husband -assuming he has someone else in his sites.

Yet if he mowed the lawn every Saturday morning in shorts and a tank top, or a t-shirt with sleeves above his elbows, would she be able to accuse him of fornication?

Let's deal with the double standard.

We are dealing with chauvinism and radicalism NOT HOLINESS.