Just as I was feeling particularly patriotic, this story appears, courtesy of Fark:
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – A preacher who has spent years using a bullhorn to rile at passers-by on college campuses about “fornicators,” “whores” and “sodomites” is accused by a 14-year-old boy of soliciting a sex act.
The boy told police that the Rev. C. Stephen White, 40, of North Philadelphia offered him money to perform oral sex on him. White declined to comment at his arraignment Thursday, but defense lawyer J. Michael Considine Jr. said his client maintains he only asked the boy for directions.
… White was taken to Chester County Prison on Thursday after failing to post $100,000 cash bail.
“Our concern is that because he is a reverend and deals with youth, there may be other victims out there,” West Chester Police Detective Stan Billie said.
Considine said White was in West Chester that day to discuss a lawsuit he has filed against the Philadelphia Police Department about several arrests for his preaching. Considine said the suit sought better training for police officers about how to handle that sort of situation.
This sort of story never surprises me. “Doth protest too much” is a phrase that holds much truth. For an “interesting” read, take a look at Rev. White’s website.
To comment on how this whole situation must feel to God is impossible. However, I know His glorious heart must be breaking. God loves us and wants to bless us abundantly. This can be proven by looking in the oldest history book in the world and the world’s best seller; The Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). By referencing John 3:16 and John 10:10, we can see how the Lord’s love for us in never-ending.
Many people do not like Brother Stephen because he is very graphic, loud and adament about preaching the word of God, because he loves God with all his heart and soul. That is the reason Brother Stephen chose to preach and pray without ceasing, despite the evil responses he would get from some of the people who heard the truth of God’s word. There were even times when Stephen had drinks thrown on him, people hit him, and spat upon him.
Yes, he was loud, and he showed the sin and punishment as defined in the Bible before he showed the Love and the sacrifice given for our salvation. God made allowed His only son to be tortured and killed, so that bloodshed would cover our sins. Because of this, a way to be released from our sins and gain eternal life in Heaven is a gift to all who are willing to receive it.
Yet some of us still choose sin. I’ve even heard people say, I’d rather go to hell, because hell will be more fun! How sad, as Hell is described as burning fire and brimstone where there will be unending weeping and gnashing of teeth.
However, Brother Stephen did get to that part of the message, it’s just that most who slander his name never stuck around to hear the end of the message. And those students and audience members who were truly curious and had the intellengence to wait for the full explanation of his message, were led to salvation through the understanding of God’s word and his gifts to us. Please don’t misunderstand, it is not Brother Stephen, or my husband, or myself, who get people to Heaven. All we do is show the path to Heaven. It is the Holy Spirit who takes a newly cleansed sinner by the hand and leads them to Jesus who embraces them as he leads them through heaven’s gates.
I have had the opportunity to personally meet Brother Stephen and his beautiful wife and three darling sons. I have seen his video taped sermons on campus, and although his approach to evangelism is a little different than mine, I have seen the Holy Spirit work through brother Stephen and bring many new souls to Christ.
I cannot judge whether Brother Stephen is innocent or guilty, because of two major reasons. # 1: The Bible says in Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged, do not condemn and you will not be condemned”. However, my children and Brother Stephen and Sister Laurie’s children have played together, we have shared meals. Never has Brother Stephen given myself(an evangelist) or my husband (who is a Pastor) any reason what-so-ever to even have a shadow of a doubt as to Stephen’s accountability.
And #2: The only people who know the real truth are the 14 year old boy, Brother Stephen and God. And the truth will never be hidden from God. He is the ultimate judge and His wrath will be one that will not compare to Man’s judgement.
So, I think all the people who come onto these message boards and condemn and judge and point fingers at people whom they have probably never even met. Matthew 7:4-5 says “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plan in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”.
We are all children of God, therefore, Brother Stephen, like it or not, is your brother and mine. We should be supporting him with prayer, whether he is guilty or innocent. Not judging, slandering and hating him.
Just another thought on this subject is in relation to the reason that we have our freedom as it stands today. Our fore-fathers fought and some died to break away from the Queen, form our country and give us a constitution to live by that would provide freedom along with three undeniable rights; Life, Liberty and the Persuit of Happiness. In that constitution, the accused were to be treated innocent until proven guilty.
However, in today’s age the accused is guilty and jailed until proven innocent. There is a long list of prisoners who have actually been executed minutes, hours, days or even years before they were actually proven innocent. In today’s world, society doesn’t want to help set up programs to prevent crimes, but just judge and sentence the first people they can find to take the blame for a crime. How disappointed would those founding members of our society be in today’s generation?
Stephen White has done plenty of judging himself, calling people “whores” and “sodomites”. If people want to call him “pedophile,” where’s the difference?
Oh, and why is it that self-professed “jesusfreaks” write incredibly long, rambling, and relatively incoherent missives all the time? That sort of thing is uncomfortably reminiscent of the ramblings of mental patients.
Oh, and when our country was founded, we were not “breaking away from a Queen.” It was King George.