APreacher Tony Alamo in cuffs
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merica has a doctrine that very clearly separates our government from our various religions, a definite separation of Church and State. Our founding fathers wrote about the need to keep the two institutions detached way back in 1791 when adopting the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Being a career journalist I especially like the First Amendment. You know, the one that guarantees free speech and makes it illegal to infringe on freedom of the press? It’s also the amendment that includes language guaranteeing the “free exercise of religion” and prohibits the government from taking steps to prohibit it.
The amendment does not guarantee a citizen’s right to abuse children in the name of God, marry multiple wives, withhold taxes from the government or use deadly snakes in services. But all of that - and more - has occurred in the name of religion.
Consider characters like 74 year old Tony Alamo who runs a Christian ministry headquartered in tiny, isolated Fouke, Arkansas. Federal agents moved into the compound last week to rescue several young girls. The FBI arrested Alamo a few days later at a motel in Arizona on suspicion of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes.
Alamo (who was born Bernie Hoffman to a Jewish family in Missouri) first began to wrap himself in the constitutionally protected church cloak 40 years ago when he started his Christian street ministry in California. He’s been controversial ever since.
In 1988, law enforcement seized three young boys from Alamo’s property and returned them to their father’s custody. An 11 year old said Alamo ordered four men to hit him with a paddle 140 times for some minor offense. The preacher dodged child abuse charges.
In 1991, Alamo was acquitted on a charge of threatening to kidnap a federal judge. In 1994, he went to prison for evading 7.9 million dollars in taxes stemming from his fancy denim jacket business. During trial the prosecutor hinted at Alamo’s misbehavior with married women and young girls in his congregation. Former members of his church claim they saw girls as young as 13 forced to marry men decades older.
Flash forward to September 2008. After a two year long child pornography investigation Alamo’s Arkansas property was raided and six girls were taken into custody. The girls, between 12 and 14 years old are suspected of being forced to participate in a pornography business. Alamo, who has said that “consent is puberty” when it comes to sex, denies anything untoward happened.
“I’ve kicked a lot of people out of the church,” he said, “And they’ll say anything to get back at me.”
The doctrine of separation of Church and State sounds great on its face but today there are lots of people who willy-nilly declare themselves head of a “church” and then hide behind that designation to get away with crimes.
Members of law enforcement have told me they have had deep suspicions about what goes on at all sorts of cult-like compounds, like the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Texas. Or at the smaller scale but just as disturbing property of the self described messiah Wayne Bent in Northern New Mexico where its alleged Bent groomed young girls by “laying naked” with them.
Officials across America have said they’ve wanted to move in on properties to investigate suspicions of polygamy, incest and child abuse but were told by town lawyers that without very specific criminal complaints their hands are tied.
I’m pretty sure that in 1802 when Thomas Jefferson wrote about the “wall of separation” between religion and government he didn’t have the protection of these charlatans in mind.
I have no answers but I wonder if the specter of that first amendment protection is one of the reasons child sex abuse by Catholic priests flourished for as long as it did. Did it have something to do with Jim Jones and his People’s Temple being allowed to flee America to the jungles of Guyana where 900 of the faithful died? I wonder to what extent the doctrine continues to cripple authorities from rescuing children trapped in polygamist compounds where girls are forced to wed.
You or your next door neighbor wouldn’t be allowed to marry multiple, simultaneous spouses. You’d certainly be carted off to prison if you tried to marry a 12 year old girl. If you ran a lucrative business and camouflaged it as a church to avoid taxes you’d likely find yourself in a courtroom. Yet the century old “wall” Jefferson referred to continues to protect what we know is criminal behavior.
Separation of Church and State allows Americans to worship as they please - or to not worship at all. It must never be changed. But the first amendment should stop being used to shield criminals from justice, especially when the victims are children.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Diane, when I moved to NW AR in 1977, we pulled our U-Haul into a restaurant off of I-40 in Alma before the climb up the mountains. The eatery was part of the Alamo enterprises. Tony happened to be there that night. Because of that, I followed the news. During my years here, so much was written about abuses within the operation; unfortunately, little resulted in making corrections. Uncorrected problems don’t solve themselves; they just get worse. Labor violations, mistreatment of ex-felons, tax evasion, hiding behind religion or whatever else is bad enough; when children and the helpless become victims, it’s time to take action. Thank you for continuing to be a voice for those who can’t defend themselves.
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In the late 1980s, I became acquainted with a recent ex-wife of Alamo’s. She was a beautiful woman, always well-coiffed, nicely attired, expensively bejeweled — even for casual backyard gatherings of friends. She didn’t talk about him much and I didn’t know Tony Alamo from Adam. But I gathered that he was quite a beast. I inferred him to be controlling and abusive with a kegpowder temper. She feared he was having her followed and watched. And from what I’ve learned about him over time, I long ago came to realize her concerns were well-placed. I say LET TONY ALAMO GET HIS DUE. We cannot tolerate his kind in our society.
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Diane Reply:
September 28th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Wonder where that ex-wife is now … and wonder what kind of stories she could tell! You know after one of Alamo’s wives died he carted her body around for months waiting for her resurrection, didn’t return the body to her family for years.
Maybe there is real mental illness at work here too. ~ DD
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Thomas Jefferson would roll over in his grave if he could see how the First Amendment was being used by predators to harm children. As a practicing Christian and the daughter of an honest, hard-working minister, it’s my belief that the hottest part of Hell is being reserved for individuals such as this. Children in these cults suffer a double violation.
Not only do they lose their innocence, they lose their faith. My experience as a crime victim and advocate for victims of childhood sexual abuse has taught me that sexual predators don’t stop their crimes until they’re locked up - permanently.
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Diane;
I agree with all of the comments but especially with Polly. I am the son of a preacher. One whom I and my sister have had to forgive for sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. I am a minister, married 31 years with a beautiful family.
We’ve been through the sexual and emotional abuse thing and for years it was covered up by a circle of ministers in our church headquarters.
One reason is that the hierarchy protects ministers. Second, we were afraid to uncover it. The thing that motivates preachers is that if they repent they are forgiven and can do it all over again. The only thing that will change some of them is pain from the very crime they commit.
The consequences of both my sister and my procrastination and not disclosing the abuse for so long was she has been through 4 marriages, multiple state residences, and is disabled with an emotional breakdown in just her early 50’s. I moved away and lost myself in work but when I came home it was there and I had to face it this week once and for all. I am now ostracized from family.
Preachers who commit crimes think just because they ask the Lord to forgive them their sin is forgotten. Actually, not true. God forgives sin but the other side of the coin is man’s law that has to be satisfied and these preachers need to pay up.
Jim Jones’ sociopathy and murder, Swaggart’s prostitutes, Baker’s swindling, and Alamo’s penchant for raping little girls is not forgiven until they have satisfied God’s law and man’s law.
It’s time for eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, and life for a life.
Until the law and officials can see inside these pervert’s head and heart they will not stop them. I say string them up in a cell with Bubba for an hour a day and see that pain therapy can do more than a court room and I believe we’ll see these so-called charlatans start keeping it in their pants.
Bests;
Jim
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Just a short comment. I’d be one of the first in line to begin writing, faxing, and lobbying our State and Congressional senators and representatives for change as to how these issues are viewed anymore.
Yes to freedom of speech. No to “pulpit rape.”
Jim
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Lyn Reply:
September 27th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Wow, Jim I agree with you wholeheartedly and Diane once again, thanks for a very interesting insight into this “horrifying” behavior that goes on all the time. Until I came to the United States I had never even heard of such “incidents” and disgusting behavior in my life. Don;t get me wrong, the UK has had the Priest/Little Boy thing going for years, which is in itself disgusting…beyond disgusting actually. Alamo needs to get his “wotsits” (I know!!) cut off for this - as does Jeffs and his slimy posse. When the recent polygamy thing in Texas was on Nancy’s show a few months ago….I was horrified to see some of the kids go back to that “sex ranch” to be with their “robotic/stepford wives” mothers and sex starved fathers, most did not know and do not know who their father is!!! I do not understand how, in this day and age, that these behaviors are allowed to happen..I just don;t get it at all. What is wrong with these morons? Yikes, I will shut up now because my blood is boiling…..
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Diane Reply:
September 28th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Pulpit rape … what a good phrase!
~ DD
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All of the above comments are all well said. And I do fully agree with
them. My feeling of justice on issues like this, is to castrate each and
every one of these clowns. If judges have to throw them back into socitey, as they usually do, the little children should then be safe with
their sex lives in the future put to an end forever.
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John, a great big Amen.
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Has anyone ever noticed that these perverts seem to have more than abuse and rape in common?
Their bright tie dyes, flowing robes, loud clothing, and Jim Jones sunglasses.
In their perverted and reprobate (void of judgement) minds they are suffering persecution by the system.
They actually take scripture out of context, fabricate a “feel good” doctrine and shape it around their demons, and really think they are right.
That’s why a court house will not change any of them.
Only external stimulus like pain for a long, long, time will work.
Lock these scums away from our children for good.
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This guy (I won’t even refer to him as a minister) is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He gives legitimate ministers a bad name. I feel bad for the families and children and the ruined lives this guy has left in his trail.
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This pathetic excuse for a human being should be thrown in prison until he meets his maker. Too bad the practice of tarring and feathering an individual has gone by the wayside…because this person more than deserves it!
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I have no idea why…oh why….is this sort of thing ALLOWED to happen in our so-called Western Civilization (my a*) - I don;t get it - how do they get away with it??? Most of them for years and years. Got to stop again…I am feeling rather “vomity”. Sorry!
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Thanks, Diane;
As far as I know I’ve never heard the phrase. It came to me as I was studying this issue.
I’m going to coin it and begin an activity using it.
“Stop Pulpit Rape.”
I’ve begun a yahoo group called “Daddy, Please Stop” about abuse.
What a great fan group.
It would be nise to see us all begin a fan site for Diane.
I am honored to have her column on my site and I tell others about her who are grappling with the issues of abuse, death penalty, and the latest crimes like Casey Anthony. Anyone noticed the pictures/drawings relating to the anti death penalty sites she has researched lately? Seems that without meaning to she has allowed us a peak into her inner workings.
Seems she has unwittingly made what I would say was a confession or silent statement of guilt. Sorry for the side track.
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Tony, I can’t agree more. But I think another step and castrate the pervert will at least get his attentin maybe a little especially if special interest judges are going to turn him loose in our society among our children again.
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Janet Turner Reply:
September 29th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Unfortunately, Jim, there is still their mouths and hands so I, for one, say save the taxpayers money for a good purpose, like therapy for these children, and take him out back and shoot him. One bullet behind the ear should do.
Putting him in a cell with Bubba would in all intense purposes only bring him pleasure.
Little children, little crime. The children are the easiest preys.
We are living in this nightmare with a neice and an upstanding member of their church…so I really have no sympathy.
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Hey Jan
You bring up a good point (you have always got better solutions than I ever have) - you are right….hands and mouths can do plenty of damage. Amen! What say you Diane???
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Diane Reply:
September 30th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Child molesters (like rapists) are guided not by their castratable parts but by their need to feel powerful. Often they’ve been molested themselves and spend their lives feeling weak and insecure. I don’t think castration is the answer. Life in prison? That makes me feel better for the children’s sake. ~ DD
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