Where in the World is Doug Phillips (Who is a Tool)? Part 11

[AnnaSofia]

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I’ve always liked the vintage clothing Faith makes. 

For the record, so do I (though I'm not quite sure if that one is Faith-made, or a vintage find).

My shock is more that I never thought I'd see Doug's daughters posing on the hood of a car with knees on display. It's such a very, VERY different vibe from the VF school of fundie-princessdom, or even image the Phillips' maintained the first few years after the Fall 'O Tool.

 

1 hour ago, thoughtful said:

Who is posting these? Is Doug (or some other VFer) actually trying to stage a comeback with right-wing support?

Well, nothing else (other than the service industry jobs of his wife and kids, and possible gifts from mommy) is paying the bills these days, so he's going back to the only audience that's ever reliably fallen for his bullshit. And much as I hate to say it, there have been more improbable comebacks.

In the current cultural climate, he might actually have a shot at convincing someone that he's the victim of a liberal conspiracy/SJWs/evil feminism/#metoo/etc.

 

*Yes, I know his case was years too early for the current incarnation of the #metoo movement (though the original concept goes back further), but critical thinking has never been a strong suit of Dougie's fans.

[hoipolloi]

It's gotta be Dougie who's posting this stuff, especially the VF video crap.

 

[FiveAcres]

10 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

Well, nothing else (other than the service industry jobs of his wife and kids, and possible gifts from mommy) is paying the bills these days, so he's going back to the only audience that's ever reliably fallen for his bullshit. And much as I hate to say it, there have been more improbable comebacks.

Ted Haggard?

[MamaJunebug]

Seems like time for a little (a lot) of grass-roots outing. Are there ways to link “Vision Forum” to Doug’s sins, varied & sundry?  To make satirical accounts that look like VF at first glance but tell the truth?

I’m honest  enough to admit I don’t even know how hashtags work, but I know there are plenty of us who do. Also, I’d be willing to learn, if it helped show this guy up for the criminal he is. 

Hoping The Wartburg Watch and Spiritual Sounding Board will keep his lack of remorse and lack of integrity front & center, too...?

[hoipolloi]

12 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

In the current cultural climate, he might actually have a shot at convincing someone that he's the victim of a liberal conspiracy/SJWs/evil feminism/#metoo/etc.

This seems to be a meta-theme of the recent posts on that AfterVF FB page. Apart from the post marking his father's birthday and the various pro-tRump posts, a number of them have to do with false accusations. 

I'd like to think he wouldn't succeed at a comeback, but that page has 17-18K followers, probably many of whom are still swilling the talibangelical koolaid he & Be-all peddled. Then, there are his former co-conspirators -- Voddie Baucham, James & Stacy McDonald, Matt & Jennie Chancey -- who were happy to make money off the sheeple at Doug's conferences or selling their books & other shite through VF but who are now absolutely silent. Could we count on them to speak out against a Doug Phillips comeback? I doubt it. 

Finally, a message for Doug & his sycophants who may lurk here:

Hey there, Dougie -- when you're planning your comeback, just remember that FJ has the receipts! 

Edited February 10, 2020 by hoipolloi

[DomWackTroll]

17 hours ago, Maxwell said:

Haiti Remembered...

Ugh, you can just read Doug's twisted mind: "Look exhausted, yet saintly and infinitely patient. And make sure the wedding ring is visible." The poor kid's "WTF?" expression will never get old for me. NEVER. 

[Maxwell]

2 hours ago, DomWackTroll said:

Ugh, you can just read Doug's twisted mind: "Look exhausted, yet saintly and infinitely patient. And make sure the wedding ring is visible." The poor kid's "WTF?" expression will never get old for me. NEVER. 

I don't think any of that went through DPIART's little mind.  I think he lives it so much that it's who he is -- he doesn't have to think at all.

[Hane]

2 hours ago, Maxwell said:

I don't think any of that went through DPIART's little mind.  I think he lives it so much that it's who he is -- he doesn't have to think at all.

I’m torn between agreeing with you, and remembering how he tried to reinvent himself as a mainstream Baptist after Boerne Assembly threw him out on his ear.

[AnnaSofia]

My fear with a Dougie comeback is that it won't *matter* what he did, who speaks out against him (unless they're extremely influential in that world), or how Google-able his antics are. The kind of audience he's probably cultivating simply doesn't care.

Look at all the supportive comments Trump gets on the VF posts about his impeachment. They know Trump's history, they know that the way he's lived his life is the antithesis of their stated beliefs. And they don't care. He pays them lip-service; picked Mike Pence as a running mate, puts in conservative judges, and most importantly, pisses off the smug liberals they passionately hate. For all the talk about snowflakes and safe spaces, the conservative Trump crowd are the most emotional voters out there. They support Trump (no matter what) because he validates their existence and makes them feel good.

Now, Dougie is of course far, far, FAR from having anything near Trumpian reach/influence, but in a cultural climate like that one we're in at the moment, casting his lot with that crowd might be enough. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who look at what happened to Doug and read it as "Attractive, manipulative young Latina woman worms her way into the home of this god-fearing family man, and look what happens. She ruins his life, makes off with a financial settlement, and isn't that what happens when we let *those* people (women, POC) have too much power." Doug's worst sin, from that perspective, is probably having been "naive" enough to allow the Torres family into the fold, or admit to any kind of inappropriate conduct. Add in that Lourdes was an adult (grooming her as a teen won't matter to them), and that her suit didn't allege penetrative sex, and a lot of them probably won't see wrongdoing at all.

(Note: I do not remotely agree with this assessment.)

So you're left with Dougie playing up the "Hasn't cancel culture gone TOO FAR?!?!" angle. Sort of ironic, considering that judging/shunning people is very much a fundie pastime, but that's why they rail against anyone else doing it. It's taking away the god-given right of white, cishet men to pass the final judgement on what's socially acceptable. Give anyone else ANY power, even if it's only basic legal rights/recourse, or the social capitol to call attention to bad behavior, and you've upset their entire worldview. If Doug can play off that, he's in.

 

[Howl]

On 2/9/2020 at 9:00 PM, thoughtful said:

Comments from under a VF post quoting one of Trump's speeches:

 

Off topic and political, but I follow Tom Joseph @TomJChicago on twitter.  There a deep history of dementia and Huntington's Disease in his immediate family (both parents) and extended family.  This is what he has to say about himself, his experience, and why he comments on Trump's likely dementia: here

The hagiograhic posts about Phillips senior are so f**king pretentious.  

[hoipolloi]

5 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

My fear with a Dougie comeback is that it won't *matter* what he did, who speaks out against him (unless they're extremely influential in that world), or how Google-able his antics are. The kind of audience he's probably cultivating simply doesn't care.

All this. These people are hopeless, like the trumpers many of them are. They worship tRump the way they worshipped Dougie and would do so again, given the chance. They'll be right there with open wallets when or if Dougie boots up his comeback.

As a further political aside: this is why I think it's largely futile for the Ds or anyone else to try to "appeal" to tRump voters. IMO, they shouldn't waste a dime or a nano-second of time. tRumpers are hopeless -- they are always going to love their white privilege, hating "others," and slavishly following a charismatic asshat more than anything else, including their families, their farms, and their social security or medicare. You can't reason with them. It's the same with the idiots commenting on the AfterVF FB page.

[Howl]

On 2/10/2020 at 9:34 AM, FiveAcres said:

Ted Haggard?

I'm of two minds about Ted Haggard.  He claims basically that he "didn't inhale" with the male prostitute. He saw the guy  on a regular basis; you know they were having sex because THAT'S WHY HE WAS THERE.  He also had some type of "relationship" with one or two of his original young male parishioners.  I don't know if there was a lawsuit or if they were just paid off. 

He went off and got counseling and he and his wife got counseling, IIRC some of it was secular. He's admits that he is bisexual, but claims he is now committed to and is faithful to his wife.  They'be started a second successful church; everyone is welcome! but hypocritical Ted does not believe in gay marriage. 

Ted (Pastor! Author! Public Speaker!) blogs up a storm these days at TedHaggard.com and runs St. James Church.  The "About Ted Haggard" section does not mention why he left his original church. 

I kid you not, this is the current blog post from Feb. 7: 

The Power of Emotions: If people believe one thing, but feel another, most of them will do what they feel, not what they say they believe.

Ted does not put this in the context of believing one thing (gay sex is BAD), but feeling another (I want to have sex with men!) and admitting that he did what he felt, rather than staying true to his beliefs.  He could have used that personal experience as a "teachable moment."  

[MamaJunebug]

I imagine Be-all is filing down her fingernails like a responsible personal health care aide  does, and dreaming of the day when she’ll once again have the long, lacquered-Red nails of the First Lady of VF.  

Wonder how Doug E will spin the time his dear helpmeet had to work outside the home in the lowliest* of occupations, and his comely, virginal daughters had to sell their blood plasma to literally keep busy & soul together, and said wife drove around Colorado in a car with the driver’s side window down & inoperable. 

[elsiedindin]

On 2/10/2020 at 8:49 PM, Hane said:

I’m torn between agreeing with you, and remembering how he tried to reinvent himself as a mainstream Baptist after Boerne Assembly threw him out on his ear.

Doug’s fundamental belief is in his personal greatness. The details are malleable and exist only as a backdrop for the real star. Baptist, Calvinist, nondenom, evangelical, whatever, it doesn’t matter. The thought of God doesn’t really enter into any of it, except insofar as the god-concept can enhance Doug’s own perceived power and authority. Many of the more peripheral teaching figures associated with VF seemed to genuinely (IMO) believe in God/Christianity or at least in something other than themselves, but this didn’t appear to be the case with Doug. He was and remains a narcissistic con man whose every action works (in his mind) toward his own self-glorification.

Beall got used to being admired, and no wonder because a even a little of that is addictive for nearly everybody. She’s still holding out for a comeback — maybe everything will go back to the way it was, fifteen years or so ago when she was the cult leader’s wife. Unfortunately, marriage to a self-obsessed delusional manchild has not prepared her for living in reality. 

[MamaJunebug]

7 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

Wonder how Doug E will spin the time his dear helpmeet had to work outside the home in the lowliest* of occupations,

I meant to add a * footnote noting that while personal care is lowly in the world’s Scheme of things, it is IMO some of the most important work ever done. Maybe “humble” or “unappreciated” would have been better words.  I truly apologize for possibly sounding heartless. 

Edited February 12, 2020 by MamaJunebug

[Howl]

12 hours ago, elsiedindin said:

Unfortunately, marriage to a self-obsessed delusional manchild has not prepared her for living in reality. 

I dunno.  I've come to have a somewhat different perspective these days. 

Back when,  VF had unraveled, she announced her big garage sale, vague booked on fb about "downsizing" and then moved to Durango, CO. 

Beall soldiered on in the face of  "reduced circumstances," lived in Durango in a tiny drafty old Victorian rental house with four kids, got an actual J. O. B. outside the home, and has never complained about it, at least on social media.  I do believe she truly loves and adores all of her children,  puts a good face on everything for them and works hard to keep a roof over the heads of the two still at home.  That's an important source of strength for her.  Of the two of them (Beall and Doug), she's the clear winner.  I honestly have no idea how she really feels about Doug or if he's even on the scene, but she obviously does not indulge in parental alienation. 

As I think about this, Doug may be telling her things will turn around financially when he gets his big show biz break and they'll be back in high cotton, like in the old days.  Meanwhile, she does what needs done, which is care for her children and keep them sheltered, fed and (hopefully) educated. 

One other way I give her credit: she reads.  She reads books by non-Christian authors and especially some women authors, like Brene Brown, whose work I like.  That lets some sunshine into the cracks and although she is still strong in her Christianity, I don't think her faith looks anything like it did in the VF days. 

I'm not saying I'd be in agreement with any of her politics or beliefs, just that she didn't crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head when things went south and the patriarch turned into a flake-triarch. 

 

[hoipolloi]

It's probably telling that it's been months since DPIART made an appearance on any of his family members' public social media accounts.  Think that the last time was his mother's birthday in August 2019.

Don't have access to Be-All's personal IG account so perhaps he's shown up there more recently.

He does seem to have paid the bill & renewed his domain for Cinema of Wonder:

Who the fuck won an Emmy? Dougie?

Edited February 12, 2020 by hoipolloi

[Howl]

Pardon me for being BEC about this, but I hate white text on black background.  I'm just not impressed by  the quality of his website.

Also, most of the photos feature...Doug...rather than focusing on the breadth of his actual work.  

 

 

[Petronella]

5 hours ago, Howl said:

flake-triarch

 

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[AnnaSofia]

Did we ever find out for sure if VF was officially dissolved after the Fall 'O Tool?

According to this, Vision Forum Ministries status is "Reinstated".

 

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0161396101

 

And Vision Forum, INC. is "active".

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0147109900

[hoipolloi]

2 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

Did we ever find out for sure if VF was officially dissolved after the Fall 'O Tool?

According to this, Vision Forum Ministries status is "Reinstated".

Verrry interesting, @AnnaSofia. It looks like Dougie is warming up the cold soup. Will keep poking around on the intertubez to see if there's more information out there.

In the meantime, I do not recall previously seeing or reading this fairly detailed article from 2014 about the sequence of events surrounding the Fall of the Tool. Among other things, there are quotes from James Leininger, and confirmation that he donated a shit ton to VF, including Doug's house:

Quote

 

In Phillips’ case, it’s at least clear that some wish they had known about the problems earlier rather than later. Horn—the provisional elder who also worked at Vision Forum for over eight years—acknowledged as a former employee, “I would have preferred to learn about Doug Phillips’ grievous sin sooner than I did.”

James Leininger said he also would have preferred to know earlier. The Texas conservative and billionaire businessman supported VFM for years: He said his donations included the building on Blanco Road and the home that Phillips and his family lived in while they worked for the ministry.

Leininger said he was particularly drawn to Phillips’ love of history and his work in the independent Christian film festival. Leininger funded and produced the film Alone Yet Not Alone, which drew national attention when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences suddenly rescinded the Christian film’s nomination for best original song in March. Both Phillips and the woman Phillips was involved with appeared in the film.

Leininger said parts of those short scenes will likely remain, and that he hopes they won’t detract from the film, slated for a June release. He hasn’t spoken with Phillips since the resignation, but called the developments sad: “It’s just very disappointing for what a long time looked to be a very promising witness for Christ.” He’s glad Phillips acknowledged his sin and stepped down, and hopes his repentance is genuine: “Time will tell.”

 

 

[Howl]

Dang, I despise James Leninger.  He's incredibly wealthy and has put a LOT of money into lobbying and supporting ultra-right wing causes here in Texas.  He's big into school vouchers. 

According to his WIKI, he gave VF $2.5 MILLION. 

Dang, I despise James Leninger.  He's incredibly wealthy and has put a LOT of money into lobbying and supporting ultra-right wing causes here in Texas.  He's a strong proponent of school vouchers. 

He also gave VF $2.5 million, according to his WIKI. 

[Palimpsest]

14 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

Did we ever find out for sure if VF was officially dissolved after the Fall 'O Tool?

We did.  Somewhere back in the archives we have either screenshots or links to the final Form 990 dissolving VFM.  There was a final balance of about 75 cents after all the bills were paid.

14 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0161396101

Hot damn.  And fuck.  This proves there is no God.  Or if there is he isn't good.

That was my first thought.  Then I thought:

• Who is on the new "reinstated" VFM BoD?  Surely not Scottie Brown and Don Hart as Douggie has failed to repent at all, let alone sufficiently.  So perhaps Be-all, J-Tits, Justice, Spanky Sproul is looking for a Job, and certainly Flo! 
• Who will come flocking back to VFM?  I've always thought Jen Epstein Fishburne would run back to Doug and drop her panties if he lifted his little finger.
• The Turleys and Bill Potter's noses will be out of joint if Douggie starts up those revisionist history events again.
• OMG. VFM still has the "Hazardous Journeys" trademarked!   Perhaps we will again be treated to manly young men documenting their tourist jaunts to bring Dominion to the ends of the earth.
• And the Titanic Society!   Bring that back.  I have so missed the snark.

Tighten your seat belts, people.  This could be interesting.  What will his line be this time?  

I guess rabid Trump follower.  That is no surprise.   I am almost impressed that the Tool thinks he can return to "ministry" at all.  But probably this time he's going to target a different part of the dark and ugly underbelly of extreme Fundamentalism. 

[DomWackTroll]

5 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

OMG. VFM still has the "Hazardous Journeys" trademarked!   Perhaps we will again be treated to manly young men documenting their tourist jaunts to bring Dominion to the ends of the earth.

"We're here in the Coachella Valley to study the fascinating history of these primitive, heathen, half-clothed, young women. They approached our van and sniffed at the frumpers we offered, but ultimately rejected them in favor of their traditional halter-top mini-dresses. We're hoping they won't do the same with the hundreds of JTV* Bibles we brought along." 

*Jive Talk Version

[Banyan]

5 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Who is on the new "reinstated" VFM BoD?  Surely not Scottie Brown and Don Hart as Douggie has failed to repent at all, let alone sufficiently.  So perhaps Be-all, J-Tits, Justice, Spanky Sproul is looking for a Job, and certainly Flo! 

Let's not jump to conclusions. There are other legal reasons why dissolved corporations are sometimes reinstated, included pending litigation, uncollected taxes and civil penalties. Also a court, the IRS, or any number of other agencies can order the secretary of state to reinstate a corporation for any number of legal reasons.

It's not uncommon to see corporate directors dissolve a corporation in order to try and avoid legal exposure, for example avoiding a nanny's lawsuit against the family patriarch for jacking off on her, or the nanny threatening to expose the family patriarch for snapping photos of his children's bottoms in the middle of the night. The nanny's attorney can petition the secretary of state to have the corporation reinstated so that it can be sued, and this can be done even years after the corporation was dissolved.