Doug Wilson 2: Christian Nationalism, Dominionism and Excuses for Abuse

[bea]

That's the first thing I thought of when I saw where the murders had taken place - "wonder if there's a connection."
I tend to forget there's anything in Moscow ID other than Wilson and his "school."  Can you imaging having to live in that town while this church is actively trying to take it over? 

[Howl]

1 hour ago, CTRLZero said:

A suspect has been arrested for the murder of the four college students. 

THANK YOU FOR THIS! The town of Moscow, Idaho can rest easier tonight.  

Edited December 30, 2022 by Howl

[Howl]

1 hour ago, bea said:

I tend to forget there's anything in Moscow ID other than Wilson and his "school."

Yes, there are two major universities: University of Idaho is right there in town and  Washington State University is 9 miles away in Pullman. 

Actually, google listed three colleges/universities in Moscow: Univ. of Idaho, New St. Andrews "College" and Mr. Leon's School of Hair Design (not necessarily in order of importance). 

For perspective, 150 students are enrolled in New St. Andrews full time and 70 part time.  University of Idaho Moscow had 11,500 students enrolled for Fall 2022.  Enrollment at Wazoo (WSU) is a bit less than 28,000.

That doesn't diminish Wilson's sometimes successful attempts to get influential Kirk members infiltrating all aspects of city and even county government. 

Edited December 30, 2022 by Howl

[Hane]

33 minutes ago, Howl said:

Actually, google listed three colleges/universities in Moscow: Univ. of Idaho, New St. Andrews "College" and Mr. Leon's School of Hair Design (not necessarily in order of importance). 

@Howl, you made me howl!

[Howl]

The murder suspect is (now was) a grad student studying criminal justice (!) at Washington State Univ. who fled to Pennsylvania after the murders.   The police put out a call for tips on a white Hyundai Elantra seen in the area of the murders.  This car is what may have led the police to Kohberger.   His DNA was also found at the scene. 

From CNN: 

"[Bryan] Kohberger is a graduate student at Washington State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, according a now-removed university graduate directory."

[Columbia]

Doug Wilson’s former deacon has been sentenced to a whole whopping two years for CSAM. I don’t know what sentencing usually looks like for CSAM, but two years seems like absolutely nothing. It makes me wonder if Doug wrote another “get out of jail fast” letter on behalf of his parishioner. No word, too, in the article of the Kirk is going to do an investigation into whether or not this guy hurt children in the church, but given the Sitler case that seems highly unlikely. 

[Cults-r-us]

19 minutes ago, Columbia said:

Doug Wilson’s former deacon has been sentenced to a whole whopping two years for CSAM. I don’t know what sentencing usually looks like for CSAM, but two years seems like absolutely nothing. It makes me wonder if Doug wrote another “get out of jail fast” letter on behalf of his parishioner. No word, too, in the article of the Kirk is going to do an investigation into whether or not this guy hurt children in the church, but given the Sitler case that seems highly unlikely. 

Bet Josh Duggar would like the name of his lawyer.

[Howl]

Two years in prison, 20 years probation, $5,000 fine.  Plea deal? Seems like a slap on the wrist, but at least it's Federal prison, not state. 

Any recent comments about Alex from Doug Wilson? 

[neuroticcat]

He was too busy blogging about how dare ExamingMoscow call him to task for his lead misogyny. Blah blah he uses rhetorical devices blah blah he’s right blah blah evil feminists get what they deserve. Yawn. 

[katilac]

On 12/30/2022 at 4:37 PM, Howl said:

The murder suspect is (now was) a grad student studying criminal justice (!)

An excellent way to prepare for a life of crime, but most lack the dedication required. 

[hoipolloi]

Big article in Religion News Service on Christian nationalism in ID, co-starring Doug Wilson:

Quote

Far from shutting down, Wilson’s congregation has doubled over the past four years. “A lot of the fomented discontent of the last two years, I would say, is 80% of the reason people come here,” said Wilson in a recent interview in his office. The pastor himself, while claiming his take on pandemic rules is more nuanced, has made dismissive fun of masking and argued in favor of fake vaccine cards for the unvaccinated.

Summary Twitter thread here.

Edited February 23, 2023 by hoipolloi
Fixed formatting

[Howl]

Wanna bet that Wilson & wife are Covid vaxxed and boosted and current on flu and shingles vaccines that are urged for seniors?

Quote

“A lot of the fomented discontent of the last two years, I would say, is 80% of the reason people come here,” said Wilson. 

That sentence if phrased in a very interesting way.  So, WHO exactly, does Wilson think is fomenting this discontent?  

[hoipolloi]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

Wanna bet that Wilson & wife are Covid vaxxed and boosted and current on flu and shingles vaccines that are urged for seniors?

I'm sure Wilson and his family have taken every advantage of all medical care available to them, including vaccines. 

[Columbia]

23 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

The pastor himself, while claiming his take on pandemic rules is more nuanced, has made dismissive fun of masking and argued in favor of fake vaccine cards for the unvaccinated.

The only nuanced view Woug has ever held to is whether or not child molesters really should go to jail. I was disappointed that the article didn’t touch at all on the abuse cases coming out of Christ Church. Those should be at the forefront of discussions around Wilson and Christian nationalism, because that’s the kind of world he’s going to build if he gets the chance, where children are prey and men are protected at all costs. 

[neuroticcat]

Not sure where to put this, but this person on twitter has had some amazing threads re: what it is/was like growing up on purity culture evangelicalism. Her thread today includes cameos by Doug Wilson and other names familiar to us here: 

 

[Ozlsn]

On 12/1/2022 at 11:44 AM, neuroticcat said:

Too bad no one there cares about wives being treated well. Or lets women preach. Lies all.

Every snippet I read out of DW's Moscow makes me so upset, but the way the men cloak their abuse in faux pompous "mirth" and "joviality" is extra gross. 

As long as no one can see the bruises and your hair looks good you're reflecting the image the church wants of its men.

Also a long but interesting thread with links about the Christian Nationalism scene:

 

[neuroticcat]

If it were anywhere else but Canon Press, they'd be getting fired. 

[Antipatriarch]

Well yeah, Adams' racist views would fit right in at the Wilson empire. They'd welcome him as a martyr in the culture wars.

[Howl]

There's a very active facebook page called Examining Doug Wilson & Moscow (EDWAM) that's been referenced upthread. 

Today there's a link to an interview on Sheila Gregoire's Bare Marriage podcast, with Alyssa Wakefield.

Text of facebook post: 

“Alyssa Wakefield’s Testimony of Escaping a Sex Cult After being Groomed Into an Abusive Marriage”

For those who don’t remember, Alyssa Wakefield’s family was close to the Foucachon family (Francis Foucachon is a Christ Church elder).

To the Moscow wives:

Was Alyssa Wakefield characterized to you as a terrible,

rebellious, shameful person?

If so, listen to Alyssa’s story and see if you still believe that after hearing her side. After all, “the first to state his case seems right until another comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17).

Does Alyssa’s story resonate with you?

Perhaps you were also groomed for an abusive arranged marriage?

If so, we will try to help. Please remember that our DMs are always open.

- EDWAM Admins

Part 1: 

 

[Columbia]

3 hours ago, Howl said:

For those who don’t remember, Alyssa Wakefield’s family was close to the Foucachon family (Francis Foucachon is a Christ Church elder).

Oooh, I didn’t know that. I know they were tight in IBLP and Vision Forum, but I guess I should just assume that all those big name families are all tied together.  

[hoipolloi]

4 hours ago, Columbia said:

Oooh, I didn’t know that. I know they were tight in IBLP and Vision Forum, but I guess I should just assume that all those big name families are all tied together.  

I didn't know that either. I mostly associated the Wakefield-Welch group with VF. 

 

[stylites]

Latest two episodes of "A Little bit culty' features Tia Levings - who had the misfortune to end up in both the IBLP and then the CREC, in the second episode she talks briefly about how the CREC church in Tennessee were into 'wifely discipline'. 

[hoipolloi]

5 hours ago, stylites said:

Latest two episodes of "A Little bit culty' features Tia Levings - who had the misfortune to end up in both the IBLP and then the CREC, in the second episode she talks briefly about how the CREC church in Tennessee were into 'wifely discipline'. 

 Spanky Sproul's* former church in Bristol, TN (RC Sproul Jr) joined the CREC at some point and still seems to be part of it. The current "pastor," Laurence Windham, was one of Spanky's drinking buddies and an "elder" during Spankyʻs era. When Spanky got out of Dodge due to tax fraud and abuse of his congregation left to go to FL to teach at Sproul U, Windham took over. There is a lot more on these matters at the Spinderella Sproul blog.

*Spankyʻs nickname comes from the well-sourced rumors that he abused his late wife, Denise, by inflicting physical discipline upon her.

[hoipolloi]

Sarah Stankorb, the reporter who wrote the Vice article on abuse in the Doug Wilson cult, is coming out with a book in August, Disobedient Women: How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Ignited an Evangelical Reckoning:

Quote

 

Meet the Disobedient Women
Millions of American women have abandoned their faith because they were made to shrink themselves, feel shame, question their value, and question God. Others clung on, salvaging faith despite the darkness. A brave group of women spoke up, shared their stories, and mobilized online, including

• Christa Brown, a Southern Baptist sex abuse survivor who assembled a database of known abuse cases on her blog Stop Baptist Predators because the church would not
• Rachel Frost and others who stepped forward on the blog Recovering Grace to describe how they’d been raised to trust and admire influential pastor Bill Gothard, only to have that trust betrayed
• Rachel Held Evans, a beloved figure in an online movement that made her a bestselling author, is remembered by readers with the intimacy of a spiritual mentor and an online friend

The stories of these and other women show the transformative power of women raising their voices within and concerning evangelical culture—and the work still needed.

 

Looks like it includes the Wilson cult. 

[Columbia]

It seems like more and more negative attention is being shed on Wilson and his cult (though I'm sure that for him all attention is good attention) and it makes me hopeful that he'll be gone in about 5-10 years, though I'm terribly frustrated that it's taking this long. Hopefully his hubris and casual disregard for CSA land him in jail sooner.