Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen

by Bill Cassada

©2004 The Lion's Heart Ministries, Inc.

[Editor's Note: This article was originally published to our email subscriber list on October 22, 2004]

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Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen
by Bill Cassada

© 2004 The Lion's Heart Ministries
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I had an eerie sense of foreboding as I read the email from a friend recently.  In the email message was a reference to a special bulletin on Rick Joyner's Morningstar Ministries Web Site, and as I logged on to the site and began to read the announcement, my sense of foreboding quickly materialized into a mixture of devastation, anger, grief, and pain.  The announcement was a special bulletin signed by Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Mike Bickle, alluding to the fact that it had been discovered earlier this year that Prophet Paul Cain had become an alcoholic, and had recently been involved in homosexual activity.  After admitting to these sinful practices, Paul was placed under discipline, and agreed to a process of restoration.  The bulletin went on to say that "Paul has resisted this process and has continued in his sin."  For that reason, Joyner, Deere, and Bickle have correctly chosen to bring the matter before the church publicly. [1]

I sat still, somewhat in shock, as I sipped my morning coffee and attempted to process what I was reading.  I admit that I was experiencing some paradoxical emotions as I pondered the far-reaching implications of this very dramatic and tragic revelation.  A distorted sense of vindication on the one hand, as the message of personal purity, holiness, repentance, and accountability before a Holy God has been at the core of everything we have preached and taught over the history of our ministry.  But this fleeting soulish satisfaction was far outweighed by the pervading sense of sadness I felt that, once again, the enemy of God had somehow managed to bring down yet another very respected leader in Christian circles. 

Immorality has troubled many godly ministries over the years.  The Apostle Paul prophetically warned the Church that this problem would be intensified in the end times. (2 Tim. 3:1-8) While the issue of alcoholism is in itself enough of a problem, the rising tide of homosexuality and other forms of sexual perversity are much larger concerns across all of Christianity.  The track record for the church in the area of sexual immorality is not a pleasant one to walk down.  Lest we forget how quickly sin can so easily beset any of us, consider these selected church headlines from recent years:

  • In March 1987, it was revealed that PTL minister Jim Bakker had a sordid love affair with Jessica Hahn, a former church secretary. Jim had given her $265,000 of the ministry's money to keep her silent.[2] Homosexuality was also rampant in his PTL studios. A leading evangelist in PTL was once caught giving oral sex to a man in a room in the Bakker's mansion.[3] Jim Bakker too may have been involved in this rampant homosexuality.[4]

  • Assemblies of God Pastor Jimmy Swaggart, who was at that time America's leading television evangelist, resigned from his ministry after it was revealed he had been consorting with a prostitute.  In front of a congregation of 7,000 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he sobbed and confessed to "moral failure." [5]

  • Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist leader and two-time presidential candidate, who gave President Clinton pastoral counsel during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, shocked supporters when he admitted to fathering a child in an extramarital affair.[6] The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson admitted on Thursday, January 18, 2001, that he had an extramarital affair that resulted in the birth of an illegitimate daughter that was then 20 months old. Jackson's spokesman said Jackson had had an affair with a woman who worked in the Washington office of Jackson's civil rights group, the Rainbow-PUSH Coalition. [7]

  • Singer and worship leader Kevin Prosch, widely recognized as one of the leading figures in contemporary worship, shocked many when he stepped down from ministry in April 1999 after admitting to having "committed adultery and used my gifting to manipulate the women involved...for my own selfish gain and personal pleasure." [8]

  • Melbourne, Florida's Tabernacle Pastor, Michael Thompson admitted "long-term, sexual sin due to sexual addiction," as well as "massive deception, manipulation and hiding," for which he said he was "truly sorry, broken-hearted and deeply repentant."  Thompson had admitted to two short-term affairs several years ago, and one that lasted six years.  One of the elders said that Thompson told them that "he'd lied so much, he didn't know what the truth is." [9]

  • Pastor and writer Roberts Liardon recently stepped down from ministry after admitting to "moral failure." He took a three-month leave of absence to seek "professional and church counseling related to a recent short-term homosexual relationship" [10]

Trouble In River City - "...that's trouble with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for Pornography"

I bring these articles up not to dredge up painful memories, and certainly not to cast any aspersions on any one single person.  The reason I write today is an attempt to broadcast in the most vociferous terms possible, that we have "Trouble in River City -- and that's trouble with a capital "T."  The lyrics from the song "Ya Got Trouble" go on to say..." Well, either you're closing your eyes...To a situation you do now wish to acknowledge...Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated..." [11] By trouble, I refer specifically to the issue of rampant sexual immorality within the church and the unwillingness of both leaders and membership to either discuss or forthrightly deal with it, and in many cases, refusal to admit there is even a problem.  Like the proverbial "rhinoceros in the living room," psychoanalysts characterization of problems we all have but choose to ignore, so also the church has its "elephant in the sanctuary," a representation of the issue of sexual sin among church leaders in particular, and across the broad spectrum of church in general.

As sick as I was to learn of Paul Cain's troubles, I suppose the most disturbing part of Morningstar's special bulletin was the statement "...we apologize to the body of Christ for our lack of discernment in promoting Paul's ministry while he had these significant strongholds in his life.  We failed to see them until this year."  Open admissions such as this do much to affirm leadership credibility, maintain integrity, and to establish a tough but necessary position regarding sin.  Unfortunately the problem of non-discernment has reached epidemic proportions across much of the church.  When we first began traveling in ministry, we were thrust into a global travel scenario that not only took us into many international churches, but a host of churches in the U.S. as well.  What we discovered in nearly every church we went into, was that we invariably had to spend time in the prayer and deliverance room with one or more members of the church staff.  What we discovered was both revealing and ugly.  God pulled back the curtain of denial, and showed us up front and personally that sexual immorality in many different forms was rampant throughout the church world.  While we at first thought God was just trying to teach us about some of the basic issues of deliverance ministry, we soon learned that we were being provided a much broader perspective on the condition of the global church.  And what we experienced evoked a mixture of sorrow and revulsion.  We met many pastors, elders, and church members who were addicted to pornography or compulsive masturbation, and often discovered issues of pre-marital sex among pastors and staff.  At first we thought it was just a few isolated instances, but we were to quickly learn that it was only the tip of a much larger iceberg.

Over the last seven years of our ministry, we have given forth in integrity exactly what God showed us.  We have taken the message of purity, holiness, and sanctification everywhere we've taught or preached.  But after years on the ministry trail, I am sorry to report to you that while there has been a surface acceptance of this kind of  teaching as being foundationally sound and biblical, the piercing truth of personal accountability to God in matters of sexual issues has largely been rejected.  What we have found is that when we get too close to the issues, the church begins to distance itself from any teaching on sexual issues that comes too close to home.  I recall one particular church several years ago, where the pastor had asked me to teach at a men's meeting about sexual immorality.  I did what I was asked, and the teaching was a between-the-eyes confrontation of the typical sexual issues that men face.  At ministry time, there was a terrific response as many came forward to deal with sexual fantasies, compulsive masturbation, and various pornographic addictions.  Later, the pastor said to me, "wow, that message was really strong!"  How strong he thought it really was became abundantly clear when we never heard from them again about future ministry.  Plans for participation with them in an international ministry trip evaporated, we were never invited back, and to this day have not heard from them.  Unfortunately, this response is a very typical one.  The message is clear -- "Oh yeah, come on in and give us a great conference weekend, but if you get too close to the issues of our hearts, you'll never hear from us again."  We slowly realized that many churches only want a high-energy weekend filled with teaching sessions, but not the life-changing power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

Adultery -- In Your Face

In another church, there was a very obvious relationship between two members of the worship team.  So much so, that after some time we concluded they were husband and wife.  To our surprise, we discovered that one of the two was still married to someone else but their spouse had been written off by the church, because she didn't like Charismatics.  Although there did not appear to be strict physical sin, the spiritual adultery that Jesus referred to in Matthew Chapter 5 was clearly occurring.  We confronted the pastors about the situation, but little was ever done.  Oh, they were both made to step down for a few weeks, but continued to exhibit arrogant and unrepentant attitudes.  They weren't sorry for their sin, they were just sorry they no longer had a platform.  In the midst of this scenario, one of the women in the congregation informed the pastor's wife that she was going to begin to date a married man.  Upon encountering surprise at her plan, her response (referring to the worship team couple) was, "well, if they're doing it, so can I!"  After a few weeks, this couple was allowed back on the platform, resplendent in their bad attitudes.  The pastors never seemed to understand the severity of the situation, or the spiritual implications involved, never showed any intestinal fortitude about dealing with it, and worse, failed to enforce biblical standards of discipline and continue confronting and educating this couple that what they were doing was wrong.  This church leadership's unwillingness to acknowledge or confront this issue constituted an endorsement of it, and unfortunately appears to represent the mainstream attitude within the church regarding sexual immorality.

These accounts are revealing in that they serve to illustrate the fact that no one likes to either discuss or confront sexual sin.  As such it has become a hugely ignored and ever-growing pachyderm in our sanctuaries.  Pastors for the most part are not only unwilling to confront these issues, but are often ignorant of their existence, and they themselves are frequently addicted to the very immoral practices that go on in their midst among their constituency.  Consider these statistics, which serve to confirm what I have personally observed within the church:

  • Joe E. Trull, co-author of the book Ministerial Ethics (1993), concluded that "from 30-35 percent of ministers of all denominations admit to having sexual relationships -- from inappropriate touching and kissing to sexual intercourse -- outside of marriage."  Mr. Trull estimates that "at least half" of that contact occurs in pastoral counseling. [12] 
  • A 1984 Fuller Seminary survey of 1200 ministers showed one in five theologically conservative pastors admitting to some sexual contact outside of marriage with a church member, while over two-fifths of "moderate" and half of "liberal" pastors owned up to the same. [13]
  • A Journal of Pastoral Care article summarizing a 1993 survey of Southern Baptist pastors showed 6 percent acknowledging sexual contact outside of marriage with someone in the congregation.[14]
  • Roy Wodruff, executive director of the 3,000 member Association of Pastoral Counselors, estimates that about 15 percent of pastors "either have [violated] or are violating sexual ethical boundaries. [15]
  • In a 1983 doctoral thesis by Richard Blackmon, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% admitted to other sexualized contact with a parishioner. [16]
  • 51% of Pastors say Internet pornography is a possible temptation.  37% say it is a current struggle. 4 in 10 pastors have visited a porn website. [17]
  • A 2000 Christianity Today survey revealed that 33% of clergy responding to having visited a sexually explicit web site.  Of those who had visited a porn site, 53% had visited such sites "a few times" in the past year, and 18% visit sexually explicit sites between a couple of times a month and more than once a week.[18]
  • These findings are confirmed by a 2000 survey by Leadership journal.  Of the 564 pastors responding, it was found that 40% of pastors online have visited a pornographic web site.  More than one-third of pastors had done so in the past year.[19] 
  • Focus On The Family statistics reveal that one in seven calls to their pastoral care hot line in the year 2000 dealt with Internet pornography. [20]
  • In the years following the 2000 surveys, the figures appear to be increasing.  In March 2002, Pastors.com conducted a pastor's forum poll of 1351 pastors.  According to the poll, 54% of the pastors had viewed Internet pornography within the last year, and 30% of these had visited within the last 30 days. [21]
In my own personal ministry experience I would estimate that pornography and other various secret sexual sins are problems among at least 50-60% of pastors, and that estimate is probably low. As might be expected, the conditions and atmosphere which produce this systemic problem spawn a host of other issues as well:
  • In separate denomination surveys, 48% of United Church of Christ female ministers and 77% of United Methodist female ministers reported having been sexually harassed in church. [22] 
  • Although the actual extent of the problem is unknown, the significance of clergy sexual abuse is acknowledged by the denominational leaders of all Christian churches. [23]
Unfortunately, for those victims of sexual harassment who did choose to come forward, the results were devastating.  In her 1992 address at the first national conference sponsored by The Linkup (Victims of Sexual Abuse), president Jeanne Miller stated that of the 3,000 persons who had contacted The Linkup, virtually everyone had gone to their church first for pastoral support and resolution.  Rather than help, they were further punished for breaking silence.  Examples of abuse by church hierarchy for reporting clergy sexual abuse have included: requiring people to confess their victimization as sin, excommunication, firing from church employment and threat of slander suits. [24]

Certainly no one is ignorant of recent revelations by the news media that numerous Catholic priests and Christian ministers have been charged with sexual misconduct and pedophilia.  The Roman Catholic Church was hit by a series of allegations, many substantiated, concerning sexual abuse of children under the legal age of consent by priests, nuns and people employed by the Church. Well-publicized charges that the Church in some instances deliberately covered up such crimes have fueled criticism of the institution and its leadership. While not every allegation stood up to scrutiny, an extremely large percentage did, resulting in apologies and restitution by the Church and the criminal prosecution of some of those who engaged in the acts." [25]

The Rev. Charles Fiore, a Catholic priest for 42 years, says "The problem is not clerical pedophilia, but homosexuality."  More than 90 percent of the cases Fiore observed, "involve the clerical molestation of teen-age young men."  In reporting clerical abuse," Fiore says, "the grand taboo in U. S. Culture is to focus on homosexuality." [26]

Others have confirmed Fiore's allegations.  "With the skill and determination of a modern-day Houdini, the mainstream media has been struggling to escape what appears to be an inescapable conclusion from the national scandal of sexual abuse among Catholic priests. Sadly, those chains just won't come off, but with enough misdirection, maybe we won't notice they are there. Maybe we'll overlook the inescapable conclusion that the Boy Scouts of America were right. They have been vindicated in their cautious policies that make it difficult for gay men to serve as respected leaders of young boys and young men. Based on what we now know about the scandal with priests, the concern that some homosexual men might seek access to young victims has been entirely borne out with tragic experience." [27]

Christian Apologeticists Bob and Gretchen Passantino wrote:  -- "When the Church allows compromised Christian leaders to explain away sin, compromise truth, and sin with impunity, we exchange truth for lies. We become no better than idolaters, people whose credulous adoration of compromised leaders fulfill what Paul calls exchanging "the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man . . . exchang[ing] the truth of God for a lie" (Rom. 1:22, 25)...Unfortunately, although most Christians sincerely want truth and want to follow biblical ethics, we too often listen to such lies from our leadership and instead of denouncing sin and demanding accountability, we parrot excuses like those given here and allow compromised leaders to continue in leadership" [28]

Beyond The Pulpit

Multiple surveys in recent years have indicated that between one-third and two-thirds of Christian men have some level of involvement with pornography.  In August 2000 Christianity Today surveyed its readership and 36% of laymen responding have visited such sites "a few times" in the past year. [29]

In 1995, psychologist Patrick Means, with Prodigal International ministries, surveyed 350 men from twelve denominations.  In his study, 64% struggle with sexual addiction or sexual compulsion including, but not limited to use of pornography, compulsive masturbation, or other secret sexual activity. [30]

The Hart Report, by Fuller Theological Seminary's Dr. Archibald Hart, reports on a 1994 confidential survey of 600 Christian men.  One in six Christian married men use pornography to stimulate themselves to masturbate.  He further reported that 96% of Christian males under the age of 20 masturbate regularly, and 61% of all Christian men masturbate regularly. [31]

Dr. Cheryl Taylor, whose statistics are quoted elsewhere in this article, says "the Church today exists in a sexually saturated society.  Within the space of one generation, America has moved from Leave It To Beaver to Sex In The City, or, more recently, Sex in Cyberspace.  Unfortunately, this changing morality is sweeping through the Church as well.  The statistics are staggering.  Internet pornography is a definite reality of American society.  And the problem exists on both sides of the Church's doors...and pulpits.  Internet pornography consumption is a growing concern for ministers, whether for themselves personally, or for those they love." [32]

The statistics concerning pornographic material on the Internet are shocking. Dr. Robert Weiss of the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, California, estimated about 60 percent of all Web site visits are sexual in nature, and "sex" is the most searched-for topic on the Internet.[33]  In a September 1999 study in the Journal of Cyberpsychology and Behavior, psychologist Dana Putnam reported that there are about 300,000 sex-related Web sites on the Internet.[34]  Yet, perhaps even more frightening than the amount of pornographic websites, is its accessibility to people of all ages.

According to the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families (NCPCF), computer users—including children—can download "soft-core nudity, hard-core sex acts, bestiality, bondage and domination, sadomasochism (including actual torture and mutilation of women for sexual pleasure), scatological acts (defecating and urinating on men or women for sexual pleasure), and child pornography. Types of textual pornography include detailed stories on the rape, mutilation and torture of women, sexual abuse of children and graphic incest."[35]

In 1998, The San Jose Marital and Sexuality Center and MSNBC.com conducted a sexual addiction survey of Internet users. The researchers found that of the 9,265 users surveyed, almost 80 percent used their home computers for sexual purposes. In addition, one percent of respondents could be classified as cybersex compulsives (used the Internet for sexual purposes for 11 or more hours per week).[36] The following are more results from the survey.

  • 7 of 10 participants in survey keep online sexual activities a secret
  • 1 in 5 men and 1 in 8 women use computers at work to access sexual material
  • 6 times as many men engage in online sexual pursuits as women

In addition, the study suggested that as many as 17 percent of respondents that were not at risk before the Internet may now be vulnerable to sex addiction that interferes with their daily lives.[37]  Sexual addiction is a growing problem in our society.  Explicit X-rated porn that once was available only in sleazy side street shops is as easy to get on a PC as ordering pizza.[38]

Sexual Immorality Has Risen to the Highest Office

Although the United States Constitution establishes three branches of government, the Executive branch, characterized by the Presidency and the White House, has long been an extremely visible representation and focal point of our government.  As such, the White House is seen by most Americans as "the highest office in the land."  In 1998, as a result of issues surrounding personal indiscretions with a young woman White House intern, then President William Jefferson Clinton was the second U.S. president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. He was tried in the Senate and found not guilty of the charges brought against him. He apologized to the nation for his actions and continued to have unprecedented popular approval ratings for his job as president.  Clinton's disgraceful legacy of sexual misconduct, lying under oath, and using the office of the presidency for his own personal gain was borne out in his statements to the grand jury, that he had not slept with Monica Lewinsky and therefore had not committed adultery. What he did with Monica Lewinsky -- including fellatio, fondling, and phone sex -- was not, by Clinton's narrow definition, sexual activity. "The president hotly denied both charges, famously declaring: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky." [39]

Kathy Bernier of In The Light Ministries, offers this observation in a prelude to an online message; "This message...will be on a subject which is touched on very briefly but rarely ever dealt with in depth in the church today. The Bible speaks of it quite frequently and consistently, and although it is rampant both within and without the Body of Christ, it seems as though those who are in the leadership positions would rather bury it than bring it out to the light. The subject is sexual immorality, a multi-faceted problem which plagues our homes and our churches from the children on up. It is a cancer that is destroying the very fabric of our society, having crept into every avenue of life including the highest office in the land, that of President of the United States." [40]

Paul Cain is considered to be one of the greatest of the modern day prophets by many Charismatic Christian leaders and has led a life marked by a touch of the supernatural from his birth.  Having personally witnessed his prophetic gifts in operation, I can certainly vouch for the amazing clarity with which he hears the voice of God.  He is also no stranger to controversy and both his office and giftings have been largely rejected by some elements of conservative Christianity.  Charismatic Christianity, on the other hand, has long recognized Paul's place in the Prophetic Office, and as such he occupies a strategic position in the five-fold legacy of leadership gifts that Jesus gave to the Church.  I do not intend to suggest that any kind of leadership parallel exists between the Office of the United States Presidency and the Office of the Prophet in which Paul Cain stands.  What I am saying, however, is this -- Bill Clinton's involvement in sexual immorality in the highest office of the land was simply a culmination of an end state condition resulting from years of moral decision-making by the citizenry of this country.  His act of impurity in the oval office was simply the bubbling over of an attitude of society not only obsessed with sex per se, but along with it a sort of laissez-faire attitude attached that says 'hey, who's going to know...and if I'm discovered...I'll just lie about it."

The recent blockbuster trial of entrepreneur and business icon Martha Stewart culminated in her being found guilty on four counts of obstructing justice and lying to investigators about a well-timed stock sale.  In a statement posted on her Web site, Stewart said, "Dear Friends: I am obviously distressed by the jury's verdict but I take comfort in knowing that I have done nothing wrong.... "[41]  The jury seemed to think the evidence was conclusive enough to convict her, yet she continued to maintain her innocence.  We've tolerated this attitude in the Presidency.  And we've tolerated it in the corporate world.  But now we have a major ministry figure in the church who "has resisted the process of restoration," and chosen to continue in a lifestyle of sin.  Has our tolerance of improper moral attitudes in society finally overtaken the church as well?

In like manner, the declining sexual mores of the North American church have spiraled downward virtually unchecked for many years by a leadership largely unwilling to admit its reality or to confront it head on.  The addictions, the obsessions, the secret sins, have all finally worked their way through the pews, across the platform, through the worship teams and staff, has thoroughly permeated the pastors and leaders, and have now reared their ugly heads in one of the highest and most respected offices within the Church, that of the Prophet of God. 

This is a warning sign that we, as Christians, can no longer ignore.  This is not an issue that will go away by Christian counseling.  This is a spiritual problem and a big one.  Spiritual problems call for supernatural solutions.  In all my years of praying with people I have never encountered any unwillingness or inability on the part of the Holy Spirit to totally and completely set a person free from any kind of sexual bondage -- as long as that person was willing to repent truly from the heart, and to demonstrate a genuine attitude of repentance before God.  This problem will not go away by wishful thinking; it certainly will not go away by instituting another program, and it certainly will not go away by continuing to keep our collective heads buried in the sand.  No, this problem will only go away when our approach to the problem is toward the achievement of total annihilation of the forces of darkness as well as complete and total victory and freedom for the person or persons involved, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, completely demolishing any spiritual strongholds which may hold them captive. 

George Otis, Jr. warned of the wrong thinking that Christians are somehow "immune" to these attacks.  In his book Twilight  Labyrinth, he wrote, "...many Christians today hold the view that the enemy is best ignored.  I can still remember the indignity of one Pentecostal man who approached me after I had concluded a teaching on spiritual warfare.  Calling my accounts of demonic assaults on Christian workers "lurid," he asserted that Satan can only be empowered by such attention.  The best approach to dealing with the enemy, he insisted, is to dismiss him." [42]

Dismissing the enemy as merely a poetic symbol of evil and not a real entity has gotten us to where we are.  In his book, Quenching The Spirit, William DeArteaga said, "Many Christians make an altar call and/or a born-again commitment but do not follow up with persistent seeking after holiness.  They have only presented the intellect to the Lord and not brought under conversion the deeper levels of the mind (heart)." [43]  Across the church we have presented a cheap gospel that requires no godly sorrow or remorse, no repentance, no sense of guilt for our sins, and of a certainty, no metamorphosis of character.  We have made Christianity a social club as easily joined as the local Moose lodge.  But the very dangerous by-product of this "Wal-Mart Christianity" has been disdain for and abandonment of the significance of the spiritual realm.  DeArteaga sums it up for us -- "We have somehow lost hold of the basic principles of life, the good will of God revealed in the Bible.  Men who have better sense than to violate business or engineering principles, somehow think they can hop into bed with any man or woman with impunity..."[44]

I have purposely included a host of references with this article in order to provide convincing proof that we have a very serious problem in the church.  We have substituted man's doctrines' for God's Word -- temporal and ever-changing rules instead of God's immutable and unchanging standard.  When men elevate their rules above God's Word, or replace God's standards of conduct with their own agendas and programs, the result is a sliding scale of sin which constantly changes according to which way the political breeze is blowing.  How many more of our leaders have to bite the dust before we figure out we've got to deal with these issues head-on?

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Bill Cassada

Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen

©2004 The Lion's Heart Ministries
http://www.thelionsheart.org
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Endnotes
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[1] Special Bulletin by Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle, and Jack Deere, October 19, 2004, Number 36, Internet http://www.morningstarministries.org/pages/special_bulletins/oct_2004/SB36_Oct_19.html

[2] Gardner, The New Age, p232; quoted in Sex In The Evangelical World, Paul N. Tobin, Internet, 2000 http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/sexevangelist.html

[3] Miles, Don't Call Me Brother; p248, quoted in Sex In The Evangelical World, Paul N. Tobin, Internet, 2000 http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/sexevangelist.html

[4] Paul N. Tobin, Sex In The Evangelical World, Internet, 2000 [http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/sexevangelist.html

[5] Article, TV evangelist quits over sex scandal, Internet February 21, 1988  http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/21/newsid_2565000/2565197.stm

[6] News Brief, Jesse Jackson Admits Extramarital Affair, Charisma Now, January 18, 2001 edition, Internet, [http://www.charismanow.com/a.php?ArticleID=2793

[7] Article,  Audit Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow-PUSH "Charities", Jesse Jackson Should Come Clean, Internet, 10/21/04 http://www.fraudfactor.com

[8]  News Brief, Kevin Prosch Restored to Ministry, Charisma News Service,  April 18, 2002 edition, Internet, [http://www.charismanow.com/a.php?ArticleID=5845

[9]  Lead Story, Celebrated Florida Revival Church Rocked By Pastor Sex Scandal,  Charisma Now, June 14, 2000 edition, Internet [http://www.charismanow.com/a.php?ArticleID=2011

[10]  News Brief, Roberts Liardon Steps Down From Over "Moral Failure", Charisma News Service, December 21, 2001 edition http://www.charismanow.com/a.php?ArticleID=2362

[11]  lyrics from the song "Ya Got Trouble," from the musical The Music Man  which opened at the Majestic Theatre on December 19, 1957 with Robert Preston, who reprised his role in the 1962 film version.

[12] Lynn Vincent, Article "Breaking Faith," The Linkup - Survivors of Clergy Abuse, Internet http://www.thelinkup.org/abuse-women/worldmag2.html

[13] Ibid

[14] Ibid

[15] Ibid

[16] Richard A. Blackmon, unpublished Ph.D. dissertation (1984).  The Hazards of Ministry, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA. quoted by Frances Park, article Cease Sexual Abuse, originally published in the Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Incl, Newsletter, July 1996, Internet http://www.advocateweb.org/cease/cas.htm

[17] Christianity Today, Leadership survey, Dec 2001; excerpted from THE DANGER, Internet http://www.covenanteyes.com/addictionsigns.php

[18] Christianity Today, March 5, 2001, pp 44-45

[19] Pastors and Internet Pornography, Leadership, Winter, 2001, p89

[20] Focus On The Family's Web site Pure Intimacy, December 2000, Internet http://www.pureintimacy.org

[21] Pastor's Forum Poll, on the Saddleback Ministries Web Site Pastors.com, March 2002. Internet [http://www.pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=1971, 10 July 2002]

[22] Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence (1992), Clergy Sexual Misconduct: Sexual Abuse in the Ministerial Relationship, Seattle, WA;quoted by Frances Park, article Cease Sexual Abuse, originally published in the Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Incl, Newsletter, July 1996, Internet http://www.advocateweb.org/cease/cas.htm

[23] Elizabeth Stellas, "Training Trainers One Year Later," Working Together, Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, Fall 1992, p.3;quoted by Frances Park, article Cease Sexual Abuse, originally published in the Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Incl, Newsletter, July 1996, Internet http://www.advocateweb.org/cease/cas.htm

[24] Jason Berry (1992) Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children, Doubleday, NY; Dee Ann Miller, How Little We Knew, and Jeanne Miller and Panel Discussions from "Breaking The Cycle of Silence" Conference recordings (1992); quoted by Frances Park, article Cease Sexual Abuse, originally published in the Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Incl, Newsletter, July 1996, Internet http://www.advocateweb.org/cease/cas.htm

[25] Roman Catholic Church sex abuse Scandal, Internet, 2004, Fact Index, http://www.fact-index.com/r/ro/roman_catholic_church_sex_abuse_scandal.html

[26] Toby Westerman, 'Gay' Culture in Catholic Church Grows, Priest says scandal really about homosexuality not pedophilia, Internet http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=26940

[27] Jeff Lindsay, Study of Catholic Priests and Child Abuse: The Boy Scouts Were Right about the risks of Homosexual Youth Leader,  Feb. 28, 2004, Internet http://www.jefflindsay.com/snippets/gay-priests.shtml

[28] Bob and Gretchen Passantino, Article, Truth and Consequences: Exposing Sin in the Church, Answers in Action, Internet
http://answers.org/ethics/exposing_sin.html

[29] Cheryl Taylor, D. Min., D. Min. advisor, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Internet Pornography, Enrichment Journal, Internet http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200402_internet_porn.pdf

[30] Patrick Means, Men's Secret Wars, Grand Rapids, MI, Revell, 1996, p. 255

[31] Archibald D. Hart, The Sexual Man, Waco, TX, Word Publishing, 1994, p.95 and 119

[32] Cheryl Taylor, D. Min., D. Min. advisor, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Internet Pornography, Enrichment Journal, Internet http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200402_internet_porn.pdf

[33] Jim Dyar, "Cyberporn held responsible for increase in sex addiction," The Washington Times, 26 January 2000, A2.; quoted by Catherina Hurlburt and Marian Wallace, in Pornography on the Internet: The Red-Light District of Cyberspace, Concerned Women For America, May 1, 1999, Internet http://www.cwfa.org/printerfriendly.asp?id=2001&department=cwa&categoryid=pornography]

[34] Ed Edelson, "Fleeting Thrills or Cybersex Addiction? Experts Warn of a New Affliction," APB News, 8 February 2000, quoted by Catherina Hurlburt and Marian Wallace, in Pornography on the Internet: The Red-Light District of Cyberspace, Concerned Women For America, May 1, 1999, Internet http://www.cwfa.org/printerfriendly.asp?id=2001&department=cwa&categoryid=pornography]

[35]"Children, Pornography and Cyberspace: The Problem, Solutions & the Current Debate," Cincinnati, OH: National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, 1996, quoted by Catherina Hurlburt and Marian Wallace, in Pornography on the Internet: The Red-Light District of Cyberspace, Concerned Women For America, May 1,  1999, Internet http://www.cwfa.org/printerfriendly.asp?id=2001&department=cwa&categoryid=pornography]

[36] Charlene Laino. Cybersex addiction widespread; quoted by Raymond Chan, Emily Reyna, Matt Rubens, and Annie Wu in Online Pornography: More Than Just Dirty Pictures, Stanford University Class Project, Internet http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-00-01/pornography/addiction.htm

[37] Cyber-porn taking a toll: Study finds addiction to Internet sex has spread even to the workplace. By Alison MacGregor. Montreal Gazette. March 2, 2000, Page C3. Lexis-Nexis; quoted by Raymond Chan, Emily Reyna, Matt Rubens, and Annie Wu in Online Pornography: More Than Just Dirty Pictures, Stanford University Class Project, Internet  http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-00-01/pornography/addiction.htm]

[38] Kenneth Maxwell. A Sexual Odyssey: From Forbidden Fruit to CyberSex. p. 252; quoted by Raymond Chan, Emily Reyna, Matt Rubens, and Annie Wu in Online Pornography: More Than Just Dirty Pictures, Stanford University Class Project, Internet http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-00-01/pornography/addiction.htm]

[39] Article, Sex, lies and impeachment, BBC News Online Network, Tuesday, December 22, 1998, Internet http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/12/98/review_of_98/themes/208715.stm

[40] Kathy Bernier, Article, "Go and Sin No More," Into The Light Ministries, Internet, http://www.intothelight.org/adultery.htm

[41] Special Report, Stewart convicted on all charges, CNNMoney, March 5, 2004, Internet, http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/05/news/companies/martha_verdict
Article, Martha Stewart vows to appeal, CNNMoney http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/05/news/companies/stewart_response/index.htm

[42] George Otis, Jr., Twilight Labyrinth,, Chapter Nine, Raising Stakes, Elusive Targets: Enhancing Battlefield Protection, Chosen Books, p. 243

[43] William DeArteaga, Quenching The Spirit, Creation House, Orlando, FL 1992, p. 199-200

[44] Ibid p. 197

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"Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen" Copyright © 2004 The Lion's Heart Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. You are permitted to forward, copy, download, print and/or otherwise distribute verbatim copies of this document, but altering, changing, or modifying it in any way is not allowed. Please include source credit.

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