Vision Forum Now Closing, Doug Phillips Still a Tool-Part 2

[Anny Nym]

So what exactly DOES Peter Bradrick do for work? Does anyone know?

[marmalade]

So what exactly DOES Peter Bradrick do for work? Does anyone know?

I believe someone said that he works for Scotty in some capacity. Given how quickly poor Kelly was saddled with a passel o' kids, I'd think Daddy wants to ensure his daughter doesn't live like the grifting Shraders, or even worse, the Pearl spawn whose husband decided to quit his job and devote his life to Bible study. You know, the guy who couldn't pay to heat his home, leaving the family to walk around in the snow to keep WARM.

[WonderingInWA]

So what exactly DOES Peter Bradrick do for work? Does anyone know?

He has posted some short videos of him taking his kids (one at a time) to "work" with him and I think he has an office at Scott Brown's office. What he does for Scott isn't at all clear. David Brown, Scott's son, is also employed by Scott, and his position is more of a administrative assistant, I think. What Petey could possibly be doing for Scott is research and editing and maybe even writing his sermons -- who knows? Somehow, he is able to support his wife and 5 kids, so he's making money somewhere.

[Anny Nym]

.... the Pearl spawn whose husband decided to quit his job and devote his life to Bible study. You know, the guy who couldn't pay to heat his home, leaving the family to walk around in the snow to keep WARM.

What.the.fuck?! :evil-eye: This makes me sad and angry the same time... Everything involving the Pearls makes me sad and angry, actually.

@marmalade, @WonderingInWA

Thank you. So basically he is mooching off of his father-in-law. Now that was not really suprising!

[TheLurkingFrumper]

"The male epicurianism (sp) of the man cave . . . . he acts like he's such a strong man but in reality it makes him nothing; he's boasting of ridiculous things."

"Building you image as a strong man on something that's absolutely stupid: on bravado."

From the sermon around 49:45

[formergothardite]

I saw that they are shutting down Vision Forum Ministries because of Doug's "serious sins". That right there is an admission that there is more than just an emotional affair. How long with Vision Forum Inc. make it? Not long I bet.

[zandria]

The Browns own a big property in NC, and I was under the impression they had a working farm and raised beef cattle. Maybe Peter manages the farm or something. I know he grew up in a farming family.

[mnwnwmwmn]

I'm kind of stumped as to what Doug could possibly be hiding that is more damning in his world than adultery. In fundamentalism, murderers are given more grace and leniency than adulterers. Nothing moves you to the back of the bus faster in that camp than sexual sin.

Was he cooking the books? It's very possible. Canon Mark III"s, world travel, and pseudo-historical military drag don't come cheap. This is a very niche market of fundamentalism, and VF has never really focused on evangelism and growing their customer base (their hyper-Calvinism is showing.) The pocketbooks of the few "true believers" must be running thin at this point. However, this could all be very easily spun to make Doug into a hero.

A few years ago, another fundamentalist figurehead, Kent Hovind, went to prison on tax evasion charges. He claimed that the reason he never paid his taxes was because the IRS had no biblical authority over him. Many of his followers still consider him to be a hero despite a pile of evidence that this man was just motivated by pure greed. Accounting regulations are mind-numbingly boring and opaque to your average person. Laymen won't bother looking very closely. Doug simply has to claim persecution by an illegitimate government agency, and any financial indiscretions will be swept under the rug by his followers. At most, he'd do a short stint in a Federal minimum security prison, and be given a hero's welcome up his return because he earned his persecution brownie points battling the Marxist state.

The Scott Brown sermon has me wondering about Doug's real spiritual condition. The title "The Smell of Apostasy" speaks volumes. He could have gone with a much more flattering title, like "Compromises that Lead Christian Warriors into Sin", but..... he didn't. That sermon was absolutely written as an admonishment of Doug Phillips. Scott has conscientiously proclaimed that Doug is an Apostate, a spiritual traitor.

One thing that has always stuck out to me about VF is how very little Christ is mentioned. When I think of the VF brand, I think of dominion over others, the cult of masculinity, a focus on Old Testament Hebrew laws, and the worship of Founding Fathers Who Agree With Doug. What evidence exists that Doug is actually a Christian, and not just a man in the business of selling a lifestyle of white, neo-con dominionism with a side of historical revision and female submission? Has evidence been uncovered that Doug is the ultimate fraud? Was he ever "saved" in the first place?

Still, I can't see the unknown third party(ies) in this mess sinking Doug on something so petty as his personal salvation. Who cares as long as there is money to be made, right? So, I remain stumped on just what exactly Doug did that is so horrific as to require him to torch his entire life's work. Something or someone has scared Doug shitless.

This story beats every soap opera EVER.

[Marian the Librarian]

I saw that they are shutting down Vision Forum Ministries because of Doug's "serious sins". That right there is an admission that there is more than just an emotional affair. How long with Vision Forum Inc. make it? Not long I bet.

Wow. From the VF Ministries page, dated today:

The Closing of Vision Forum Ministries

In light of the serious sins which have resulted in Doug Phillips’s resignation from Vision Forum Ministries, the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interests of all involved to discontinue operations. We have stopped receiving donations, and are working through the logistical matters associated with the closing of the ministry. While we believe as strongly as ever in the message of the ministry to the Christian family, we are grieved to find it necessary to make this decision. We believe this to be the best option for the healing of all involved and the only course of action under the circumstances.

[WonderingInWA]

"The male epicurianism (sp) of the man cave . . . . he acts like he's such a strong man but in reality it makes him nothing; he's boasting of ridiculous things."

"Building you image as a strong man on something that's absolutely stupid: on bravado."

From the sermon around 49:45

I didn't last that long on the sermon. Is this something Scott Brown said? Wow. It's amazing how this description could so easily be used on his own son-in-law, Peter Bradrick. Peter Bradrick and Doug Phillips are cut of the same cloth. I'm sure that scares the shit out of Scott.

[danniesgirl]

Wow. From the VF Ministries page, dated today:

And all because two people did not "know" each other. Riiiiight.

Still, I'm thrilled. The less shilling and money made on this crap, the better. :cracking-up: :cracking-up: :cracking-up:

[DomWackTroll]

Wow. From the VF Ministries page, dated today:

Not "sin," SINS. Plural.

SO! MUCH! MORE!

[danniesgirl]

[Not "sin," SINS. Plural.

SO! MUCH! MORE!

How did I miss that?!?

[mnwnwmwmn]

DAMN DOUGIE!!!! What did you do?! I smell criminal charges brewing.

[WonderingInWA]

Yep, he didn't just have an affair. I KNEW that was a decoy for something far more serious. He's been embezzling or something.

And you know, where is Tait Zimmerman in all this? You know, the guy that was begging everyone for money for his son's medical bills incurred over 5 years ago that Dougie posted a plea for on his blog? I wonder where that money really came from? Hmmmm. Tait is being awfully quiet (and his FB page is normally quite vocal). Guess he's probably shaking in his boots a little given that he, too, was aligned with Dougie.

[marmalade]

"The male epicurianism (sp) of the man cave . . . . he acts like he's such a strong man but in reality it makes him nothing; he's boasting of ridiculous things."

"Building you image as a strong man on something that's absolutely stupid: on bravado."

From the sermon around 49:45

Thanks for the direct quote. I could only stand a couple of minutes of bloviating before I turned it off. That quote is tailor-made for Dougie. Everytime he announced a new manly romp, the first thing that came to mind was false bravado. I suspect I'm not alone in this. :lol:

eta: HOLY SHIT!!!! on the fall of VFM. Can VFI be far behind?

At least now it's evident why Voddie, Scott, and likely Geoff have all visibly distanced themselves from Dougie over this past year or so. If he resigned as elder in February, this has been brewing under the surface for quite some time.

I wonder how Stacy McDonald will take THIS news? Not so sanctimonious anymore, mehtinks.

[WonderingInWA]

Oh, where are our parody writers? False bravado = Desperado (the Eagles). And....GO!

[Mary C Doates]

Wow. From the VF Ministries page, dated today:

!!!!!!!!!!!!

And here I was pondering what to buy with the Vision Forum coupon they sent me just this morning.

Apparently, Doug Phillips is much more of a tool than he would lead you to believe.

Drinks for everyone!

[danniesgirl]

Second round's on me!

[galaxy]

It's got to be financial related. I mean, there could have been an affair, don't get me wrong. But maybe he's going public with the affair at this point to distract from the fact that he's been swindling financially or cooking the books and that it's all about to come to a head.

[marmalade]

Now that I've had a few minutes to digest this, I find it interesting that the original announcement was made on media-dump Friday afternoon, and this announcement follows on a Federal holiday.

Way to try and bury your "serious sin," Dougie. :roll:

I have a feeling that that 2011 tax return got some scrutiny after Jen Epstein posted it.

[DomWackTroll]

Oh, where are our parody writers? False bravado = Desperado (the Eagles). And....GO!

"You're out climbin' fences/ With girls in long skirts"

[yewnique]

visionforumministries.org/issues/news_and_reports/the_closing_of_vision_forum_mi.aspx

The Closing of Vision Forum Ministries

In light of the serious sins which have resulted in Doug Phillips’s resignation from Vision Forum Ministries, the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interests of all involved to discontinue operations. We have stopped receiving donations, and are working through the logistical matters associated with the closing of the ministry. While we believe as strongly as ever in the message of the ministry to the Christian family, we are grieved to find it necessary to make this decision. We believe this to be the best option for the healing of all involved and the only course of action under the circumstances.

[formergothardite]

On Doug's blog he says that he is going to remain owner of Vision Forum, Inc. but since he wants to lead a "quite life serving as a foot soldier" he won't be speaking or running any conferences. I don't think VF will last long at all.

[Marian the Librarian]

Thanks for the direct quote. I could only stand a couple of minutes of bloviating before I turned it off. That quote is tailor-made for Dougie. Everytime he announced a new manly romp, the first thing that came to mind was false bravado. I suspect I'm not alone in this. :lol:

eta: HOLY SHIT!!!! on the fall of VFM. Can VFI be far behind?

At least now it's evident why Voddie, Scott, and likely Geoff have all visibly distanced themselves from Dougie over this past year or so. If he resigned as elder in February, this has been brewing under the surface for quite some time.

I wonder how Stacy McDonald will take THIS news? Not so sanctimonious anymore, mehtinks.

The silence of the elders (apart from Scott Brown's sermon referenced upthread) has been deafening. Nor have we heard from the Niednagels, the Reins, the Servens, the Loomii... And - just checked Stacy's FB page - she's too busy plugging her essential oils business.

I have no doubt the truth will emerge, and that it will be about financial impropriety and sex, not necessarily in that order. It's the oldest story in the book.