Prevailing Winds "For the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom . . ." 2 Cor. 3:17, TNIV

July 25, 2012

The Real Evils Around Us And "Conquering" Sexual Behavior

Filed under: Uncategorized — keelyem @ 12:44 am

Rosemary Huskey writes:

Most of us remember the explosion following the community scrutiny of Doug Wilson’s infamous pamphlet, Southern Slavery As It Was. In many ways it was a defining moment both for Doug Wilson and those of us who recognized (from specific academic training or an informed interest in the subject) the egregious historical and the profound biblical errors in his argument.  Whatever his motivation for choosing to write as an apologist for race-based slavery (possibly a lucrative foothold for his products in the former Confederate states?), it set all of us on a trajectory that remains contentious and unresolved.

A key element in the interactions between those of us who Doug Wilson has baptized as “Intoleristas” is Doug’s overwhelming need to dive deeply into pompous pronouncements deliberately intended to incite and upset others.  Much in the manner of a self-indulgent 16-year-old punk, he chortles with delight at his deliberately outrageous statements while metaphorically making an obscene hand gesture to the world. And now his latest foray, arguably the vilest of his life:  “the sexual act cannot be made into an egalitarian pleasuring party,” but instead “a man penetrates, conquers, colonizes, plants” while a woman “receives, surrenders, accepts.”

He continues, “This is of course offensive to all egalitarians, and so our culture has rebelled against the concept of authority and submission in marriage. This means that we have sought to suppress the concepts of authority and submission as they relate to the marriage bed ” [Doug Wilson’s Fidelity ].  Wilson’s own words set up the locker room (we’re all fellows together, nudge, nudge, wink, wink) atmosphere that permeates the first Chapter of Fidelity, cunningly titled “A Blunt Instrument”:

“This book was written for men and their sons.  I suggest that wives read this only when their husbands give it to them, and not the other way around.  The introduction mentioned the issue of “straight talk” – and this means, in part, a rejection of euphemism.  Some of what is said here may be offensive to some Christian women, but the point is certainly not to give offense.  The point is to provide Biblically specific and pointed help to Christian males.”
The “help” that Doug provides is the kind of positive stroking self-talk that talk show psychologists offer men suffering from a plethora of self-doubt and perceived inadequacies… “Just keep repeating to yourself, ‘I am a warrior, I get to take what I want, the woman who serves me dinner also serves me in bed, I am in charge, kill the dragon, get the princess, I am a success, I am a leader . . . . .etc. etc. etc.’ ”
This sentiment leads to the heart of this message.  Whatever claptrap Doug writes , i.e., happy slaves, submissive wives and daughters, bed-wetting feminists, nasty Intoleristas, when asked to clarify his sources, he dodges (ignores) the question, refuses to admit error, rephrases his original argument and NEVER apologizes.  In short, he is not an adult — he is an  ill-mannered, apparently raised-by-wolves, immature boy in old man’s pants.  That said, it is important to consider a singular example of his hubris.  Because actions speak (in this instance SHOUT) louder than words,  please consider the following example of Doug’s behavior and let it guide you in future interactions with him.

On page 85 of Fidelity, Doug explains how pedophiles should be dealt with: “But when we are dealing with young children who are abused by adults (pederasty, child porn, etc.) the penalty for those guilt of the crime should be death” (pg. 85) —  except when it is inconvenient or might prove personally embarrassing. 

Here’s an example of Wilson’s convenient, loathsome inconsistency regarding pedophilic behavior in his midst.

Steven Sitler moved to Moscow in 2003 to attend Doug Wilson’s college, New Saint Andrews.  Like many students attending NSA, Steven Sitler boarded with a Christ Church family.  Unbeknownst to anyone in Moscow, he brought with him a history of pedophilia.

He molested children in his Moscow boarding home until he was discovered in March 11, 2005.  The parents of the victims notified Doug Wilson, who immediately expelled Steven Sitler from New Saint Andrews College and rushed him out of town.  Civil  authorities were notified after Steven Sitler was safely  home, across state lines, in Colville, Washington – thus assuring that local authorities never interrogated him.

The victim’s family retained Christ Church member and attorney Gregory Dickison, who accompanied them to report the crime the morning after it occurred.  Steven Sitler’s family retained Dean Wullenwaber, who is also a member of Christ Church.  In short, the aggrieved and the aggravator  were handled within a small church community which Doug controlled.  (Controlled, you ask?  Of the eighteen Kirk elders, including Doug, twelve rely substantially on Christ Church and its associated industries for a paycheck.  It would be wrong to think that loyalty can’t be purchased.)  Over time, Steven Sitler confessed his crimes to Doug Wilson — but we have no way of knowing if all his victims were named — in exchange for a guilty plea that included a single count of “Lewd and Lascivious Conduct With a Minor Under the Age of Sixteen.”  According to his letter to Latah County Superior Court Judge John Stegner, Wilson had a total of  “about six counseling sessions” with Sitler during the months between the discovery of his crimes and his guilty plea. 

Nevertheless, after only six counseling sessions, Wilson, who has received no formal training in the treatment or counseling of sex offenders, assured the judge that Steven Sitler “was completely open and honest with me.”  Indeed, based on Doug Wilson’s appraisal of Steven Sitler, Wilson had “good hope that Steven has genuinely repented.”  The arrogance of a man who believes he can competently tackle any problem is the most compelling proof of Wilson’s utter incompetence to address the horrendous nature and sheer numbers of Steven Sitler’s crimes.  Indeed, he claims in the letter that Sitler’s crimes were rooted in “underlying issues of his discontent.”

Court documents make clear that the only known victims in this case are those whom Steven admitted to Doug.  Perhaps Steven Sitler’s attorney put it best in one of his briefs that refers to “the volume of Steven’s offenses over the years.”   On September 26, 2005, Sitler was sentenced to life in prison, which included only a few months in a state non-violent offenders’ prison camp and one year in the county jail.  If he reoffends (he will have to be caught doing so), he will go to prison for life.

Doug Wilson elected not to share this horrendous crime with his parishioners “for fear of violating the privacy of the family of the victim.”  His elders may or may not have been aware of these events.  If they were aware, they carefully maintained the secrets he guarded.   Two months after Steven Sitler received his sentence Wilson delivered the news (through another elder at Christ Church) during the “heads of households” meeting that a pedophile had been at work in their community.  Wilson waited eight months to inform his congregation that a serial pedophile had lived amongst them.  Moreover, when he finally decided to notify the flock, he failed to alert anyone to the possibility that unknown predation may have occurred, i.e. that there may be other victims. Rather, he framed it to leave the impression that this matter simply concerned a sex offender returning to the covenant community — and not the damage he wrought and the constant danger he posed.

Afterwards, when called to account for his dereliction of duty by the general public, Douglas Wilson dismissed his failure as a good shepherd as his enemies’ failed attempt to get “handles on him.” The absence of a trial assured that the general public and also many church members would be unaware of any of these events.  Following completion of his jail time, Steven Sitler rented and then purchased property owned by members of Christ Church, transferred to the University of Idaho, and was gradually reintegrated into the Christ Church and Trinity Reformed Church family.

Verification of this tragic story may be found in court documents available here:
http://www.tomandrodna.com/CR_2005_02027/   and here http://www.co.stevens.wa.us/sheriff/sexofflist/sitler%2012-21%20thru%2027th.pdf

Fast forward four years.  My friend, Keely Emerine Mix,  shared on her blog the unbelievably, nasty event that took place with the blessing of Doug Wilson and faculty of New Saint Andrews in June of 2011.  http://www.keely-prevailingwinds.com/2011/05/marriage.html and http://www.keely-prevailingwinds.com/2011/05/marriage-part-2-with-letter-to-ed.html
http://www.keely-prevailingwinds.com/2011/05/marriage-part-3-open-letter-to-ed.html

(Keely writing:  I stand by every word of these three Prevailing Winds posts and others before and after them and believe they are sufficient in describing the horrific judgment demonstrated by Wilson against yet another vulnerable young person).

Of course the wedding took place.  Despite being made fully aware of the nature of this marriage, both by the receipt of court documents and by a personal and lengthy phone call by Keely, the local Nazarene Church pastor, Ed Eby, defended the use of this church for the Travis–Sitler wedding because of  rental contract responsibilities and the “motives” of Wilson’s critics.”  (Rosemary Huskey, July 23, 2012, with thanks).

I’m going to let this sink in; I’m going to go have a good cry to wash the filth from my heart as I remember and bear witness to the ugliness that Wilson presided over last June and the machinations he engaged in to keep the work of a pedophile from becoming fully known.

As I said earlier, sometimes it’s just too much.

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