Post: #1

Quote:Memphis Megachurch Stands By Pastor Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Teenager

Responding to a recent report that one of their pastors had allegedly sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl while serving as a youth minister at his previous church, leaders of a megachurch in Memphis, Tennessee, said they’d long known about the incident.

“This information is not new to me or to our leadership,” Chris Conlee, the lead pastor of Highpoint Church, said in a statement Friday. Earlier that day, The Wartburg Watch, a Christian blog, hadpublished the account of a woman who’d accused Andy Savage, teaching pastor at Highpoint, of sexually abusing her in the late 1990s when she was a teenager.

“On behalf of the elders, pastors, staff, and Trustees of Highpoint, I want to affirm that we are 100% committed to Andy [Savage] … and his continued ministry at Highpoint Church,” Conlee said, stressing his “total confidence in the redemptive process Andy went through” after the sexual encounter.

Savage, an author and podcast host, acknowledged the “sexual incident” in a statement of his own.

“I was and remain very remorseful for the incident and deeply regret the pain I caused her and her family, as well as the pain I caused the church and God’s Kingdom,” he said. 

Neither Savage nor Highpoint Church leaders immediately responded to HuffPost’s requests for comment. 

In the Wartburg blog post, the woman, identified as Jules Woodson, said the incident with Savage occurred in the spring of 1998 when she was a senior in high school. One night, Savage ― who was then the youth minister of her church, the Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church in Texas ― offered to drive her home after a church event, Woodson said, but took a detour without her consent or knowledge to a deserted forested area.

Woodson said that she initially “assumed we were going to get ice cream.”

After parking the vehicle, Savage “unzipped his jeans and pulled out his penis,” Woodson said. “He asked me to suck it. I was scared and embarrassed, but I did it. I remember feeling that this must mean that Andy loved me. He then asked me to unbutton my shirt. I did. He started touching me over my bra and then lifted my bra up and began touching my breasts.”

After about five minutes, Woodson said Savage suddenly jumped out of the vehicle and ran over to her. He fell to his knees and begged her to not tell anyone about what had just happened. “‘You can’t tell anyone Jules, please.  You have to take this to the grave with you,’” she quotes him as saying.

In the days that followed, Woodson said she was consumed by “fear, shame, anger and hurt.” She decided to tell church leaders about the alleged assault, but they engaged “in a cover-up to protect my abuser and the image of the church,” she alleged.

According to Woodson, Savage was not immediately punished for his behavior and the church’s leadership only took action after she told members of her all-women discipleship group some of what had transpired that night with the youth pastor.

Even then, however, the church never “came out with an official statement addressing what had happened and/or what was being done about it,” Woodsonsaid. “Instead, they held a going-away reception for Andy at the church in which he was allowed to simply say that he had made a poor decision and that it was time for him to move on from our church.” 

Inspired by the #MeToo anti-sexual harassment movement sweeping through Hollywood and elsewhere, Woodson said she decided to send an email to Savage last month with the subject line “Do you remember?” 

“Do you remember that night that you were supposed to drive me home from church and instead drove me to a deserted back road and sexually assaulted me? ... Well, I REMEMBER,” she wrote in the email, which she said went unanswered. 

In the blog post, Woodson said she had chosen to go public with her story in the hopes of reaching other sexual assault survivors.

“To anyone who has suffered from sexual abuse in the church and the subsequent cover up and pressure to remain silent, I want you to know that it is not your fault. Most importantly, I want you to know that you are not alone,” she said.

In his statement, Savage acknowledged that “as a college student on staff at a church in Texas ... I regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church.”

“I apologized and sought forgiveness from her, her parents, her discipleship group, the church staff, and the church leadership, who informed the congregation. In agreement with wise counsel, I took every step to respond in a biblical way,” Savage said. “I resigned from ministry and moved back home to Memphis. I accepted full responsibility for my actions.”

Savage, a father of five, added that “there has never been another situation remotely similar in my life before or after that occurrence. The incident happened before [my wife] Amanda and I were engaged and I shared every aspect of this situation with her before I asked her to marry me. I further disclosed this incident to Chris Conlee before coming on staff at Highpoint and have shared with key leaders throughout my tenure.” 

Woodson told WMC News on Saturday that Savage’s apology was insufficient.

“His apology isn’t enough because number one, he’s lying about how he handled it. He never came to me, the church told him he couldn’t talk to me and they told me I couldn’t talk to him,” she said.

Woodson, who said she’d recently filed a report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the incident, added that it’d taken her two decades to come forward because she’d felt “pressured by the church to be silent.” 

“It’s very hard to tell your story. It’s very hard to speak up,” she said.

As Wartburg Watch notes, this is not the first time that Highpoint Church has been embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal. In 2016, the church’s leadership was accused of covering up alleged cases of sexual abuse by Chris Carwile, a former youth pastor.

In December, Savage delivered a Christmas-themed sermon at Highpoint Church. Watch it below:

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5a51f...e14dbb79a8

I think both parties are at fault here. He did abuse his standing with the woman. On the other hand, her reasoning that she went ahead with it because "this must mean that Andy loved" her made it seem like it was consensual.

Post: #2

Of course his behavior is deplorable. However, I am happy to see a clergyman go after a female. Hopefully the altar boys don't come out of the woodworks on Andy Savage.

Aloha!

Post: #3

The goal posts have really moved. It's now sexual assault for a woman to comply when you politely ask her to suck your dick.

The only way this is sexual assault is if 17 is underage in Texas, in which case, she should have spoken up two decades ago.

Post: #4

What is the moral of this story?

The cynic in me says this: If you're in college and happen to get a 17-year-old high school girl to blow you -- just because you whipped it out (?!?!) -- make sure you call the next day and perhaps even take her to Waffle House and hang out a few times.

Because if you discard her instantly, you just might find yourself in the news twenty years later, when you're married with kids and she's likely still single and looking for things to be bitter about.

The incident in this story happened in 1998. The headline is deliberately misleading, and makes it look like an adult preacher molested a teenager. That's not what happened.

Finally, I need to ask a question here. Has anyone ever tried this guy's method of simply whipping it out in front of a girl?

Because this seems almost too easy. If that was all it took, we'd all just do it, right? But the reason we don't do this is because we know deep down that if a woman doesn't like you, she'll laugh at it (best case scenario) or bite it (worst case scenario). Either way, there will be no happy ending -- pun intended. The fact that this girl took the bait that quickly signals to me that something else must have been happening here.

Remember guys: Waffle House the next day. Or Bob Evans. Or something. Make some effort or pay the price in the Huffpost two decades afterwards.

Post: #5

Sounds like the church all felt it was consensual as well.

Post: #6

Quote:After parking the vehicle, Savage “unzipped his jeans and pulled out his penis,” Woodson said. “He asked me to suck it. I was scared and embarrassed, but I did it. I remember feeling that this must mean that Andy loved me. He then asked me to unbutton my shirt. I did. He started touching me over my bra and then lifted my bra up and began touching my breasts.”

After about five minutes, Woodson said Savage suddenly jumped out of the vehicle and ran over to her. He fell to his knees and begged her to not tell anyone about what had just happened. “‘You can’t tell anyone Jules, please.  You have to take this to the grave with you,’” she quotes him as saying.

Surely this is where it all went wrong and became sexual assault.

Frame saves lives.

Post: #7

The age of consent is 17 in Texas and if he was in College he was around 22-23 at most so no crime occurred.He wanted a blowjob from a girl of legal age and was worried about his position in the church , not criminal prosecution. He was a college guy and she was doe eyed because he was giving her attention, this is a 20 year old bullshit accusation of nothing burger.

Post: #8

Here's what really happened.

These two had been hanging out quite a bit. Because of his position in church leadership, it would have been against policy, so the two of them were sneaking in time together under the guise of "giving her rides home." This wasn't the first time he "gave her a ride home" or "stopped for ice cream." However, it's most likely that it was just conversation up until the fateful night.

The other part of the story that the article doesn't seem to mention is that no one goes from pulling over in a wooded are to straight up sucking dick. No, there was a heavy make-out session first and then things escalated.

Once things got to a certain stage, Mr. Savage realized that he'd crossed several lines that he shouldn't have because of his church position and religious beliefs and stopped the encounter.

And she's never forgiven him for not fucking her that night.

Post: #9

I would like to preside over a metoo tribunal. It goes on for a very long time, weeks and months. Every accuser is invited to tell herstory and she does at whatever length she wants, she is never interrupted and never questioned. Each accuser leaves the tribunal and yields to the next one, all expect justice to be served.

When it is over, they are all invited back together with the accused and I preside. I say only the following:

Each woman who has spoken and told her story in this court is sentenced to 10 years of hard labor with no possibility of parole or early release. Court is dismissed.

Post: #10

Mr. Savage with a savagely bad frame...

Post: #11

After some deep reflection, I think this girl is very lucky. When a priest takes a kid out into the woods to get ice cream it usually doesn't end well.

In fact, there was one priest who was walking a kid out into the woods one day. The kid stops and says " Father, these woods are scary." The priest looked at the kid and said " You're telling me, I gotta walk back by myself!"

Aloha!

Post: #12

(01-07-2018 11:01 PM)Suits Wrote:  Here's what really happened.

*snip*...

Once things got to a certain stage,

Yeah...the blowing his load in her mouth stage which leads immediately to the regret stage. Been there myself

Post: #13

(01-08-2018 01:21 AM)PapayaTapper Wrote:  

(01-07-2018 11:01 PM)Suits Wrote:  Here's what really happened.

*snip*...

Once things got to a certain stage,

Yeah...the blowing his load in her mouth stage which leads immediately to the regret stage. Been there myself

So he cries after he gets a blowjob, this happens all the time. He got a little embarrassed and now this bitch is holding it over him years later. Some guys are emotional, thats all.

Hey, haven't any of you guys ever cried after a blowjob?

Aloha!

Post: #14

She only sucked his dick. Why does she have to make this a sexual thing?

In any case, I can't help but think he would have been fine if he just put one of those Jesus crackers on the end of his pecker.

Post: #15

(01-08-2018 01:50 AM)Leonard D Neubache Wrote:  I can't help but think he would have been fine if he just put one of those Jesus crackers on the end of his pecker.

Speaking of which:

Do you know what priests and caviar have in common?

They come on little crackers.

Aloha!

Post: #16

This story is pretty weak. Memphis can do A LOT worse than this.

Post: #17

(01-08-2018 01:53 AM)Kona Wrote:  

(01-08-2018 01:50 AM)Leonard D Neubache Wrote:  I can't help but think he would have been fine if he just put one of those Jesus crackers on the end of his pecker.

Speaking of which:

Do you know what priests and caviar have in common?

They come on little crackers.

Aloha!

This is how you still pull a five star rating from your clients on a slow fishing day, isn't it?

Post: #18

(01-08-2018 01:44 AM)Kona Wrote:  

(01-08-2018 01:21 AM)PapayaTapper Wrote:  

(01-07-2018 11:01 PM)Suits Wrote:  Here's what really happened.

*snip*...

Once things got to a certain stage,

Yeah...the blowing his load in her mouth stage which leads immediately to the regret stage. Been there myself

So he cries after he gets a blowjob, this happens all the time. He got a little embarrassed and now this bitch is holding it over him years later. Some guys are emotional, thats all.

Hey, haven't any of you guys ever cried after a blowjob?

Aloha!

Actually, your humorous comment brings up a rather serious point that should be discussed here.

His emotions might have been sincere in intent, but that's not how she perceived them. He might have genuinely felt despondent, but all she could get from that is "Now that I gave him a blowjob he doesn't want meeee!!!"

This is very typical of women. They don't see the big picture. They only see things in relation to themselves. So, his tears were ultimately all about her. She took them as a perverse form of rejection: "How did he think his tears made ME feeeeeel?????" And we all know women can't handle rejection.

And so, once again, I stress the Waffle House. Go there, eat like a slob, tell bad jokes, and get on her nerves playing dissonant Captain Beefheart songs loudly on the car stereo. Then she'll "reject" you and you won't have her haunting you twenty years later. Works every time.

Post: #19

(01-08-2018 01:44 AM)Kona Wrote:  

(01-08-2018 01:21 AM)PapayaTapper Wrote:  

(01-07-2018 11:01 PM)Suits Wrote:  Here's what really happened.

*snip*...

Once things got to a certain stage,

Yeah...the blowing his load in her mouth stage which leads immediately to the regret stage. Been there myself

So he cries after he gets a blowjob, this happens all the time. He got a little embarrassed and now this bitch is holding it over him years later. Some guys are emotional, thats all.

Hey, haven't any of you guys ever cried after a blowjob?

Aloha!

Actually, your humorous comment brings up a rather serious point that should be discussed here.

His emotions might have been sincere in intent, but that's not how she perceived them. He might have genuinely felt despondent, but all she could get from that is "Now that I gave him a blowjob he doesn't want meeee!!!"

This is very typical of women. They don't see the big picture. They only see things in relation to themselves. So, his tears were ultimately all about her. She took them as a perverse form of rejection: "How did he think his tears made ME feeeeeel?????" And we all know women can't handle rejection.

And so, once again, I stress the Waffle House. Go there, eat like a slob, tell bad jokes, and get on her nerves playing dissonant Captain Beefheart songs loudly on the car stereo. Then she'll "reject" you and you won't have her haunting you twenty years later. Works every time.

Post: #20

These modern pastors, youth ministers and church elders are just like male feminists. They employ the same sneaky fucker strategy, because they were always the losers and never popular with women without the incidental position of authority, and always get slapped with rape accusations later.

Post: #21

What is bitterly ironic about all this is that SJWs and their media, like the Huffington Post, seem like they are trying to recreate Christianity from scratch.

And they are a harsh and unforgiving Old Testament God.

They act like gods, anyway. For them, everything is permitted, even celebrated, no matter how deranged or demented. They are the great "I AM" of the Old Testament, the god who just is, who owes no one any explanation for anything. They live in a world of complete license, they are anti-introspective, and their morality is completely relative, as in, it is assumed they are fine, because it goes without saying that they are better than all those evil Nazis and Deplorables out there.

On the other hand though, for the rest of us, they hold us to, unlike their own relaxed standards, the highest morality possible. Relative standards of conduct for them, and ABSOLUTE standards for the rest of us.

If you didn't do it today, what about yesterday? And if not yesterday, what about twenty years ago? And if not then, what were your ancestors like? And if neither you nor your ancestors did anything wrong, what about your thoughts?

And if your thoughts are okay, what about your unconscious thoughts? Oh, you don't know? Well lucky for you I have this little test you can take on a computer that will measure (don't ask me what evidence I have, you are on the hot seat fella.) your unconscious bias. Never heard of that term? Well get used to it, because it is your future.

They are no doubt rewriting Christianity, so who better to nitpick into notoriety than a Christian pastor? It proves that the old time religion is flawed, and their new one is squeaky and shiny.

A rational person, one outside this process, might be tempted to ask, well, why all the emphasis on judging others? Doesn't it say something about not judging others in the New Testament?

You are recreating Christianity and taking out two of the most beautiful parts of it, grace and forgiveness.

Are you really qualified to have this sort of colonial power over someone else's soul?

You never showed us any credentials, or your badge.

It almost makes us feel you are bluffing, going with the old best defense is a good offense strategy.

Why do you need a defense?

Not hiding anything yourself are you?

Because if you are, you might as well come clean. We are a lot more forgiving than you are. Not everyone is like you.

And it will be a lot easier than playing god.

Post: #22

I was going to leave a snarky comment at the bottom of the Huff Post article, but it appears that they no longer allow comments on any of their articles! I guess they were getting tired of "alt-right 4-chan trolls" ruining the narrative in the comments section.

Post: #23

(01-08-2018 05:15 AM)Leonard D Neubache Wrote:  

(01-08-2018 01:53 AM)Kona Wrote:  

(01-08-2018 01:50 AM)Leonard D Neubache Wrote:  I can't help but think he would have been fine if he just put one of those Jesus crackers on the end of his pecker.

Speaking of which:

Do you know what priests and caviar have in common?

They come on little crackers.

Aloha!

This is how you still pull a five star rating from your clients on a slow fishing day, isn't it?

This guy should have done like the other priests and just messed with Jesus Crackers. At least they keep it quiet.

But you're right it's all for my yelp reviews. "The captain wouldn't shut up about the Jews" always costs me stars.

Aloha!

Post: #24

(01-08-2018 01:23 PM)Kona Wrote:  "The captain wouldn't shut up about the Jews" always costs me stars.

Aloha!

Plus all the downtime sewing them onto (((their))) lifejackets.