Southern Baptist Leaders Promise ‘Change’ After Report Uncovers Rampant Sexual Abuse
Article via HuffingtonPost
Almost 400 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct since 1998, according to a damning report.
Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest faith group in the U.S., have vowed real “change” in the aftermath of a damning investigative report by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News that uncovered decades of sexual abuse by hundreds of church leaders and volunteers.
According to the three-part investigation, the first installment of which was published on Sunday, about 380 Southern Baptist pastors, ministers, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers, deacons and church volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct since 1998. More than 200 of them have been convicted or took plea deals, the newspapers reported, and nearly 100 are currently in prisons across the nation.
The victims of the accused number more than 700, the report said. They include teenagers and children, some as young as 3, who were “molested or raped inside pastors’ studies and Sunday school classrooms.”
Many victims said their stories of abuse were ignored or silenced by church leaders. One victim, who alleged she was raped and impregnated by her pastor when she was a teen, said her church leaders had urged her to get an abortion. When she refused, they threatened her and her child, she said.
Dozens of pastors, employees and volunteers were reportedly allowed to return to work in Southern Baptist churches despite being dogged by sexual abuse allegations.
In the aftermath of the Chronicle’s and Express-News’ report, leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have promised to crack down on abuses in the church and to provide a safe space for victims to come forward.
In a multipart tweet on Sunday, J.D. Greear, SBC’s president, said he was “broken” by news of the rampant sexual abuse and vowed to “pursue every possible avenue” to “stopping predators in our midst.”
“We — leaders in the SBC — should have listened to the warnings of those who tried to call attention to this,” Greear wrote, though he did not indicate whether he had been approached personally by victims. “I am committed to doing everything possible to ensure we never make these mistakes again.”
“As a denomination, now is a time to mourn and repent,” Greear added. “Changes are coming. They must. We cannot just promise to ‘do better’ and expect that to be enough. But today, change begins with feeling the full weight of the problem.”
Russell Moore, president of SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said in a blog post on his website that “no church should be frustrated” by the newspapers’ reporting but should instead “thank God for it.”
“The report is alarming and scandalous, the courage and grace of these survivors is contrasted with the horrific depravity of those who would use the name of Jesus to prey on them,” Moore wrote.
Michael Criner, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Bellville, Texas, tweeted that he was “grieved” by the report and called for change in the convention. Hance Dilbeck, the executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, said in a statement that he welcomed the investigation’s findings.
“Jesus teaches us to be more critical of ourselves than we are of others. In as far as this article helps us to deal more honestly and clearly with sexual abuse in our churches, and more redemptively with survivors, I welcome it. We need strong voices from within our fellowship and from the outside pushing us to strive to do better,” Dilbeck said.
The SBC, which was also shaken last year by a series of sexual abuse allegations, is a fellowship of more than 47,500 autonomous Baptist churches. With 15 million members across the United States, it’s the country’s second-largest faith group after the Roman Catholic Church, The Washington Post reported.
In his blog post, Moore insisted that “church autonomy is no excuse for a lack of accountability.”
“Yes, in a Baptist ecclesiology each congregation governs its own affairs, and is not accountable to anyone ‘higher up’ in a church system. And yet, the decisions a church makes autonomously determine whether that church is in good fellowship with others. A church that excuses, say, sexual immorality or that opposes missions is deemed out of fellowship with other churches. The same must be true of churches that cover up rape or sexual abuse,” he wrote.
Justin Bieber says he had ‘legitimate problem with sex,’ saved himself for marriage with Hailey Baldwin
Article via FOXNewshttps://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-says-he-had-legitimate-problem-with-sex-saved-himself-for-marriage-with-hailey-baldwin
Justin Bieber revealed he had a “legitimate problem with sex” and explained why he and Hailey Baldwin saved themselves for marriage after rekindling their romance in June.
Bieber, 24, said in a Vogue interview published Thursday that he had been celibate for more than a year when he ran into Baldwin at a conference in Miami. The “Sorry” singer opened up about his sex addiction, saying abstaining from sex helped him feel closer to God.
“He [God] doesn’t ask us not to have sex for him because he wants rules and stuff,” Bieber told Vogue. “He’s like, ‘I’m trying to protect you from hurt and pain.’ I think sex can cause a lot of pain. Sometimes people have sex because they don’t feel good enough. Because they lack self-worth. Women do that, and guys do that.”
“I wanted to rededicate myself to God in that way because I really felt it was better for the condition of my soul. And I believe that God blessed me with Hailey as a result. There are perks. You get rewarded for good behavior,” Bieber added.
The singer said running into his now-wife in June made him realized how much he loved Baldwin despite their previous rough breakup.
“When I saw her last June, I just forgot how much I loved her and how much I missed her and how much of a positive impact she made on my life,” Bieber recalled. “I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is what I’ve been looking for.’”
Bieber and Baldwin, who said they saved themselves for their wedding day, tied the knot in a New York City courthouse in September after 12 weeks of dating. Bieber admitted that sex was one reason for the quick marriage, but the couple is still planning their wedding party.
Baldwin, 22, said the “common denominator” between she and Bieber was “always church.” She admitted she was lonely the first few weeks after becoming the singer’s wife because of the nasty comments about her relationship being posted on social media.
“I prayed to feel peace about the decision [to get married], and that’s where I landed,” she said. “I love him very much. I have loved him for a long time.”
Baldwin said she’s committed to her marriage with Bieber.
“We’re really young, and that’s a scary aspect. We’re going to change a lot. But we’re committed to growing together and supporting each other in those changes,” the model said. “That’s how I look at it. At the end of the day, too, he’s my best friend. I never get sick of him.”
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Lauryn Hill disappoints on Australian tour: ‘She should have cancelled her show’
Article via The Guardian
Clearly unwell, the groundbreaking artist arrived more than an hour late to an anticipated Sydney show many are demanding refunds for
Lauryn Hill’s solo debut was a defining album for people of my generation, and the artist’s Australian tour promised us pure, indulgent nostalgia: Hill would be playing the record in its entirety, to commemorate its 20th year.
Unfortunately on Thursday night in Sydney it was mainly the fans doing the singing – often at Hill’s request, when she couldn’t reach the notes.
What we mainly heard was noise, over a croaky, failing voice.
No stranger to tardiness, Hill’s tour has already drawn criticism in Europe for her late arrivals. This time, she arrived almost 90 minutes late; she was “feeling under the weather,” warned the DJ tiding us over. That turned out to be a euphemism: at times Hill looked close to fainting.
This Sydney show followed less than favourable reviews from the tour opener in Perth, where the Australianreported that her show was “plagued with production problems” and she “complained via hand gestures that her in-ear monitors were failing”.
In Sydney, many are demanding refunds. “She was clearly super sick and should have cancelled her show FULL STOP,” wrote one audience member on the event’s Facebook page. “If I wanted to see back up singers and hear musical coverage over a husky sick voice, I would have gone to the local pub.”
Sydney’s show also seemed to struggle with its production, with Hill wildly gesticulating to sound people throughout. But the big issue was her illness: she seemed to grow physically sicker on stage too, apologising repeatedly and vowing to return to Sydney and “sing like a bird” when her voice was better. “I don’t think I can do the next song,” she said at one point – but gave it her best shot. Calling in sick to work must feel almost impossible when you’ve got a packed out arena that might not be available for a postponed slot.
In one of the album’s uplifting singles Everything is Everything, Hill urges, “Now hear this mixture where hip hops meets scripture”, but live its mellifluous melody was sacrificed for shouty rap. Hill bridged so many gaps in her career: a woman in a rap world dominated by men, bringing a gospel flavour to a hip hop sound, bringing a welcome melody and emotional depth to rap, clearly influenced by Motown and doo wop. But the gap between what appeared to be laryngitis and singing was a bridge too far.
Hill had almost almost lost her voice completely by the time she croaked her way through Doo Wop (That Thing), but this was the moment some of the energy came back too – and we finally saw the Lauryn Hill we were hoping for. She gave it her all, but her throat was clearly in need of respite.
Hill is due on stage in Brisbane on Sunday, before two shows in Melbourne next week. Sending good vibes to her throat between now and then.
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Wendy Williams Show staff demand producers permanently replace her with Nick Cannon as they accuse her of not being ‘authentic’
Article via DailyMail
- Staff on The Wendy Williams Show are demanding producers replace the star with stand-in host Nick Cannon or Jerry O’Connell
- The 54-year-old TV host did not return to set after the holiday hiatus due to alleged health problems stemming from her Graves’ Disease
- But employees have accused Williams of not being ‘authentic’ with fans or staff and claim she actually took time off to deal with her ‘cheating’ husband Kevin
- ‘It’s time Debmar stepped up, said goodbye to Wendy and Kevin and hired Nick to take over, a source told DailyMail.com, adding: ‘We all want Nick to replace Wendy’
Staff at the Wendy Williams Show are calling on producers to permanently replace the star with stand-in host Nick Cannon claiming she has not been ‘authentic’ with her fans or her employees, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Cannon, 38, is among the rotating cast of temporary hosts filling in for Williams, who did not return to set after the show’s holiday hiatus due to alleged health problems.
Her extended break, however, has sparked outrage among longtime employees who say they were left ‘in the dark’ about her absence and now claim she actually took time off to deal with her ‘cheating’ husband Kevin.
One told DailyMail.com: ‘I mean it’s probably time Wendy steps away from the show. She’s not authentic anymore. How can she discuss hot topics when the biggest topic involves her husband publicly cheating on her for years?’
‘It’s really sad as you’d think that Wendy would have more respect for herself and she would stand up, dump her cheating husband, take control of her business and empower women who are going through the same thing,’ the source added.
This is her chance to be a role model, but she’s letting women everywhere down by not being the boss that she pretends to be on her show.’
‘Think about it – Oprah or Ellen never treated their audience and staff like this on their shows. So it’s time Debmar stepped up, said goodbye to Wendy and Kevin and hired Nick to take over. However, if he says no, we’d happily take Jerry O’Connell who is also a joy to work with,’ the source added.
In 2017, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Williams’s husband Kevin Hunter was having a decade-long affair with masseuse Sharina Hudson, who was wearing a massive diamond ring on her ring finger.
Although Williams initially said she was standing by her man, more reports over their marriage troubles have emerged, with the National Enquirer reporting last month that Williams was a victim of domestic violence.
Last week, the New Jersey-based host was seen in Florida, where her parents live, sparking speculation she retreated to the Sunshine State to spend time with her family while figuring out if she should divorce Hunter.
The insider told DailyMail.com: ‘With Wendy there is always drama, especially when Kevin is around. Now that they are away everyone feels they can breathe and do their best work,’ the source added.
‘We all want Nick to replace Wendy. He has been an absolute dream. Everyone on the team adores him and he’s such a professional.
‘Debmar needs to sign him up and make him the new host. He’s gracious and kind and he’s really fun to be around. We have a chance of surviving if he stays on as host.’
‘He’s also open about his life. He talks about everything. I suppose you can be when you’re not in denial about your life like Wendy.’
‘A few of us have a theory that the glue from her weave has seeped into her brain and she can no longer think rationally,’ the source added.
‘Nick can save the show. Women love him, Wendy’s fans love him and he’s really low maintenance.’
‘He also has ideas about how he can make each segment better and elevate what we’re doing. He’s not checked out like Wendy.’
Staffers had also branded Williams as ‘selfish’ and ‘hypocritical’ for calling Cannon during her absence but refusing to speak to her employees.
Cannon told her audience on Monday that he spoke to Williams, and her husband Kevin Hunter, and said shewas doing ‘amazing’ and praised her ‘family unit’.
Another staffer said: ‘For her to be talking about her ”family unit” to Nick, it’s an absolute joke. That ain’t no normal family unit.’
Meanwhile executives at Debmar-Mercury, the company that produces The Wendy Williams Show, have already been on pins and needles about Williams’ alleged health challenges.
Currently, her show is the only talk show the company has on TV right now and Debmar doesn’t have a backup plan in case they need to pull the plug on her series.
A source at the TV network told DailyMail.com the show fill-ins are being used as on-air auditions of sorts, with the network already having its eye on possibly developing one or more replacement show with several of the stand-in guest hosts.
Among those Debmar is looking at as replacement options, include actor Jerry O’Connell, who filled in for Williams in March 2018 when her health challenges caused her to take three weeks off.
Nick Cannon, KeKe Palmer, Michael Rapaport and Jason Biggs have also been announced as guest co-hosts throughout the month of February; but apparently Debmar is also looking at former The View co-host Sherri Shepherd as a possible replacement option as well.
The network source said: ‘The truth is, it’s become a s**t show behind the scenes and at any given moment, as we’ve already seen twice this year already, the working plans tend to change day to day, hour to hour, and minute to minute.
‘So everyone is holding out hope, and many are already seeking jobs elsewhere.’
A source at the The Wendy Williams Show added: ‘We’re worried, we have bills to pay – who says she is ever coming back. The last thing any of us want is for the show to be cancelled.
‘Just remember – the show is called Wendy. So it needs Wendy Williams back – but when she comes back, she better not bring Kevin back with her because we’ve all had enough of him.’
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Serial killer who stalked Toronto’s gay village to be sentenced Friday
Article via TheWashingtonPost
For years, members of Toronto’s gay community warned there was a serial killer on the loose, that vulnerable men were going missing, that the streets were not safe. They were right.
On Friday, Bruce McArthur, a 67-year-old landscaper and former mall Santa, will be sentenced on eight counts of first-degree murder, ending a trial that shocked a city — and a country — that likes to see itself as inclusive and safe.
McArthur was accused of killing and dismembering eight men between 2010 and 2017, hiding seven of the corpses in planters and the eighth in a ravine. He pleaded guilty last month.
At a sentencing hearing that ended Tuesday, Canadians heard how he lured and murdered men he met in Toronto’s Gay Village, then posed corpses in costumes, keeping pictures of each victim in labeled digital folders.
They learned McArthur was stopped when police raided his home, finding a man tied to a bed. He was a potential ninth victim, the court heard, and McArthur had a folder waiting.
In a city that prides itself on being gay friendly and welcoming to new Canadians, McArthur sought out men marginalized by their sexuality, ethnicity, immigration status or poverty. Most of his victims were refugees or immigrants. Several struggled with substance abuse. Some had not revealed they were gay.
The details of the case are so brutal, the crimes so depraved, that the headlines at times obscured the fact eight men — Skandaraj Navaratnam, Majeed Kayhan, Abdulbasir Faizi, Soroush Mahmudi, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman — were killed.
Now, with the trial over, advocates want to put the focus back on why so many died before police cracked the case. Some have argued the police response was slowed by homophobia and racism — that the force might have acted more quickly if different men disappeared.
Asked about allegations of bias, Meaghan Gray, a spokeswoman for Toronto Police, said the force launched two investigations, Project Houston and Project Prism, “to do everything possible to locate the missing men.”
“We will continue to do what we can to support the community and look for opportunities to improve our relationship,” she said in an email.
Haran Vijayanathan, executive director of the South Asian Alliance for Aids Prevention and a longtime advocate for the victims and their families, praised the team of detectives that caught McArthur, but expressed anger that it seemed to take the murder of a white man, Kinsman, to spur action.
“This is a real wake-up call for Canada,” he said.
Toronto’s Gay Village is a couple blocks of shops, restaurants and bars in the heart of the city. It was there, in the early 1980s, that police raids on bathhouses spurred Canada’s gay rights movement.
McArthur was a regular in the area. Kyle Rae, Toronto’s first openly gay city councilor, recalled seeing him around. “I remember seeing Bruce McArthur sitting outside Starbucks. He was a fixture,” he said.
The first victim to go missing was Navaratnam, a refugee who fled Sri Lanka and settled in Toronto. He was last seen leaving a village bar in September 2010.
In December of the same year, Faizi, originally from Afghanistan, vanished. By 2012, Kayhan, also an immigrant from Afghanistan, was gone, too.
The disappearances of the three men sparked an investigation called Project Houston, for which officers interviewed McArthur. Eventually, the effort was disbanded. The killing resumed.
In 2016, McArthur was interviewed for a second time after a man claimed McArthur had tried to choke him. Detectives did not press charges. The officer who handled that case, Sgt. Paul Gauthier, now faces professional misconduct charges.
The break in the case came in June 2017, when Kinsman, a white, Canadian-born activist with deep ties to the community, went missing. By July, Project Prism was launched to look into his disappearance and another recent case.
Many in the community say they were convinced a serial killer was on the loose, an idea the police dismissed about a month before McArthur was caught.
“We follow the evidence, and the evidence is telling us that that’s not the case right now,” Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters in December 2017. “The evidence today tells us that there is not a serial killer.”
Rae, the former city councilor, said the resistance to believing there could be a serial killer reflected the city’s need to believe it was safe. “This is part of the culture of Toronto and Canada. We are, ‘Toronto the good.’ That can’t happen here. But this type of murder can happen here,” he said.
In January 2018, they arrested McArthur on two counts of murder. After months of sifting through remains buried at a property where he once worked, police charged him with eight counts of murder.
At the time of his plea, one of the detectives who helped gather evidence of McArthur’s crimes said he hoped it would provide closure for the families. “People wanted answers,” Detective David Dickinson, told reporters. “I’m hoping we brought some of those answers to them.”
The city, though, is not done asking questions. A recent editorial in the Toronto Star expressed hope that an independent review of the investigations could shed light on whether systemic bias played a role in how the disappearances were handled.
“Why did the police seemingly not take the concerns of the LGBTQ community more seriously?” the paper asked.
“Would police have taken more and swifter action if McArthur’s victims had not been gay or people of colour, homeless or addicted to drugs?” the editorial read.
“Answers to those questions are what the broader community still needs for any real closure in this case.”
Mysterious, well-liked egg’s Instagram account is all about mental health
Article via ABCNews
An egg is usually beaten, but its Instagram account whipped up a lot of buzz last month and on Super Bowl Sunday, its purpose was revealed: mental health awareness.
Instagram user @world_record_egg posted a generic picture of a farmer’s brown egg on Instagram in January and ultimately became the most-liked photo on Instagram with 52 million likes. Previously, celebrity Kylie Jenner held the most-liked spot with her birth announcement in 2018, which received 18 million likes.
On Super Bowl Sunday, a year after Kylie Jenner’s birth announcement, the intention of the egg post was finally cracked with a game-time ad on Hulu.
The advertisement began, “Recently, I started to crack. The pressure of social media is hurting me.”
As pieces of the broken shell began to fall away, the advertisement urged, “If you’re struggling too, talk to someone.”
It ended with a link for viewers to visit for more information: talkingegg.info.
At the website, users are prompted to choose from a range of global resources classified under “useful mental health links below.”
Within the United States section, there are three links to Mental Health America, CALM: Campaign against Living Miserably and NAMI: National Alliance of Mental Illness.
Prior to the advertisement’s release, the egg’s Instagram account posted a preview.
Soon after the account was created and broke the Instagram record, the account told viewers to “stay tuned,” according to a statement released to ABC News.
It turns out the intention of the egg was all it was cracked up to be as it is now shining a light on mental health awareness and people there are resources available if they are struggling.
The advertisement even ended with a message of unity: “We got this.”
Beyonce, Jay-Z offer lifetime concert tickets for fans who go vegan
Article via Reuters
Music superstars Beyonce and Jay-Z are offering fans a chance to win free tickets for life to their concerts in exchange for adopting a vegan diet for a month.
The “Lemonade” singer announced the contest to her 123 million Instagram followers late on Wednesday in support of the Greenprint Project, which encourages people to reduce their environmental footprint by eating plant-based meals.
Beyonce pledged to eat plant-based breakfasts and go meatless on Mondays, while Jay-Z is promising to eat two plant-based meals a day.
The project is the brainchild of Beyonce’s personal trainer, Marco Borges, who published his “The Greenprint” book in December explaining his plant-based diet and exercise plan. The singer and her spouse wrote the introduction to the book.
A study in the journal Science last June concluded that avoiding meat and dairy products would be the biggest way to reduce the environmental impact on the planet because of reduced irrigation of farmland, animal emissions, food processing and transport.
Under the contest rules, one fan will get a pair of tickets to one official concert tour by Beyonce and/or Jay-Z for the next 30 years.
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jesse smallette late night attack
I’m going to be an asshole and have an opinion. Something about this attack does not sound right. I do hope that Jesse recovers and gets well. I know one thing I’m going to be keeping up with the story. Jesse may not have been looking for a late night snack in the food aisle. But he may have been looking for a hotdog and some nuts.
Nick Cannon stepping in for Wendy Williams
Article via CNN
Nick Cannon will temporarily sub for an ailing Wendy Williams on her talk show.
“The Wendy Williams Show” announced Tuesday on their official Instagram account that Cannon will guest-host for part of next week.
“Friend to the show and host of Fox’s The Masked Singer and MTV’s Wild n’ Out, @nickcannon will be guest hosting The Wendy Williams Show on Monday, February 4th, Tuesday, February 5th & Wednesday, February 6th,” the post read. “The new hour long episodes will include Wendy’s staple Hot Topics segment, ‘Ask Wendy,’ celebrity interviews and more!”
Williams shared last year that she was struggles with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid. She took a break from her show last February as a result. Williams continues to deal with medical challenges related to her condition and is also recovering from a fractured shoulder, according to her show team.
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Ariana Grande’s New Kanji Tattoo Is An Unfortunate Mistake
Article via kotaku.com
To celebrate her newest single “7 Rings,” pop star Ariana Grande got a kanji tattoo. Unfortunately, it’s wrong.
Grande posted a photo of her tattoo. In Japanese, it reads, 七輪 (shichirin). You can see the pic photo (via Grande’s official Japanese Twitter), which has since been deleted from her Instagram.
The kanji character 七 means “seven,” while 輪 means “hoop,” “circle,” “ring,” or “wheel.” However, when you put them together, the meaning is different! 七輪 (shichirin) is a “small charcoal grill” and not “seven rings,” which is written differently in Japanese.
Here is a shichirin:
A Google image search for 七輪 brings up these pics:
The most unfortunate thing of all is that Grande has people in Japan operating a Twitter account for her (next time ask them to check stuff!) and the video for “7 Rings” has the proper Japanese.
In the video, it’s correctly written as 七つの指輪 (nanantsu no yubiwa) or “seven rings.” It’s a shame she didn’t show that text to her tattooer.
How did this tattoo mistake happen? In a now deleted reply, Grande wrote, that she “left out ‘つの指’ which should have gone in between,” thus shortening the correct 七つの指輪 (seven rings) to 七輪 (small charcoal grill.” Whoops!
Continuing, she wrote that “it hurt like fuck” and “still looks tight,” adding that, she “wouldn’t have lasted one more symbol.” But those symbols have significance and unfortunately here, they totally changed the meaning of this tattoo.