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Roy Moore’s Victims Are Just as Guilty as He is, says Evangelical Presbyterian Pastor Myron Mooney

myron mooney

Myron Mooney is the pastor of Trinity Free Presbyterian Church in Trinity, Alabama. Free Presbyterians are the Presbyterian version of Independent Fundamentalist Baptists (IFB). Staunchly Evangelical, Calvinistic, and separatist, Free Presbyterians believe women should be silent in church and wear head coverings. In 2017, Mooney made the news with his unwavering support of Roy Moore. When asked about his name being on the letter of support for Moore, Mooney stated:

I’m proud to have my name on that letter.I don’t put any stock in (these accusations) because of the timing.

According to Mooney, his wife said the recent coverage and outrage over Moore’s scandalous behavior with underage girls is akin to being raped:

Here’s what my wife has to say about rape right now. My wife says the state of Alabama is being raped by Washington and being raped by the country with these allegations.

According to the Decatur Daily, Mooney believes that Moore’s opponents have been working for months to orchestrate an attack against Moore. Specifically, Mooney blames the Democrats. I am always amused when Evangelicals resort to wild conspiracy theories to explain reports of immoral or criminal behavior. Does Mooney really believe that there is some nefarious force behind nine women accusing Moore of creepy, criminal sexual misconduct? Imagine how many people it would take to pull off such a large-scale left-wing conspiracy. Occam’s razor applies here. The shortest answer is likely the truth; and the truth is that 30-year-old district attorney Moore had a perverse, stalker-like obsession with teenage girls; and that this obsession resulted in inappropriate sexual behavior.

According to Mooney, if the sexual misconduct claims are true, then the girls making them should be held accountable for not coming forward sooner. Ever the Fundamentalist, Mooney has a proof-text to justify his slut-shaming:

If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:23,24)

Mooney is quoted in the Decatur Daily as saying:

She is then as guilty as the person that is said to have done the molestation The guilt is shared.

Pause for a moment and let Mooney’s abhorrent viewpoint sink in. Are you angry? Sick to your stomach? I know, I am.

Deuteronomy 22:23,24 teaches that if a woman is walking down the street in a city and a man rapes her, and she doesn’t cry out for help — meaning she must have really “wanted” it, then she should be executed along with her rapist. In other words, God says the rape victim is just as guilty as her rapist. Why? Because she didn’t scream loudly enough for someone to hear and come and rescue her.

Deuteronomy 22 is the same chapter of God’s inspired, inerrant, infallible Word that commands:

  • Women who fail a virgin test on their wedding night shall be labeled whores and executed (vs 13-21)
  • Women who wear “men’s” clothing are abominations (vs 5)
  • If a man has sex with a woman who is not engaged and they are found out, he must pay the woman’s father fifty silver shekels and marry her (with no possibility of divorce) (vs 28,29)

Mooney should roundly be condemned for what he said, but that’s not going to happen. He quoted the Bible, and dammit, God said it, and that settles it!  I wonder, as I conclude this post, if, in the picture above, the tie, shirt, underwear, and suit Mooney is wearing is made of “mixed” cloth. The Bible also says in Deuteronomy 22:

Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. (vs 11)

How dare Pastor Mooney sin against the thrice holy God and wear mixed material clothing. Surely, his fellow Presbyterians will demand Mooney be defrocked for wearing clothing God condemns. After all, God said it, and that settles it, right? If Fundamentalists such as Mooney are going to use the Bible to justify their slut-shaming, the least they can do is obey all 635 laws in the Old Testament, and not just the ones that prop up, support, and provide cover for anti-woman views.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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19 Comments

  1. Avatar
    ObstacleChick

    Another case of a fundamentalist picking whatever verse they think supports their chosen position. What is sad is that most in his congregation will believe this horrific teaching to be true.

    Get out your tinfoil hats because here come the Democrats and shameless hussies to take away your God-given Christian rights!

  2. Avatar
    khughes1963

    Roy Moore belongs to an IFB church in Alabama, so there’s no surprise about the abusive behavior coupled with misogyny. In their world, women are to blame for everything.

  3. Avatar
    mooneysucks

    Does he even HAVE a congregation? This old geezer is really a piece of work. First, this Judge is a predator. Second, none of these incidents happened in the city. Third, and what everyone keeps forgetting these were NOT women, these were CHILDREN! Fourth, it sounds as if Mr. Mooney actually believes the GIRLS and is making up excuses for the judge. On what planet do we blame the CHILDREN for the dirty deeds of adults that are supposed to protect them. From here, it looks like someone is trying to normalize his own skeletons. I feel sorry for his wife and that of the judge…. I’d be willing to bet this kind of crap ‘preached’ in the God’s name has created some messed up women. I wonder how this so called minister would feel if his daughter was the victim of this judge. I’m out of words over these stupid comments from this idiot.

    • Avatar
      Rachel

      This kind of crap has definitely created some messed up women. . .and some messed up men also! What a horrible man and a horrible message. Like you, I feel he’s trying to normalize his own skeletons or the skeletons of men he holds in esteem.. . .How would he feel if his daughter was the victim of this kind of behaviour? Going by what he says here, he would probably blame the daughter and be of no use whatsoever.

  4. Avatar
    Myron g Mooney

    Hello Bruce,
    So sorry to hear that you turned away from the only Savior. Thanks for all that you and your friends say about me! Gratefully,
    Myron Mooney

    • Avatar
      Sage

      Interesting, Assuming this is the same person mentioned in the post, and noticing this post was reposted on the 28th, then this question comes to mind- how obsessed does a person have to be to find a post about themselves on the very day it is posted and then reply? Does this person or his followers google his name daily? And doesn’t it seem a bit silly to respond in a way that simply reinforces the points made in this post?

      I remember some ancient story about shaking dust off your feet and leaving people to their fate. I guess pastors have to follow higher powers?

      🤔😉🙄😈

      • Avatar
        Neil Rickert

        “how obsessed does a person have to be to find a post about themselves on the very day it is posted and then reply?”

        I don’t think that’s what happened. Rather, he found an old post and replied to it. And that reminded Bruce that it was about time for him to update that old post. If you look closely, there are comments from 2017.

        • Avatar
          clubschadenfreude

          Bravely bold Sir Robin
          Rode forth from Camelot.
          He was not afraid to die,
          Oh brave Sir Robin.
          He was not at all afraid
          To be killed in nasty ways.
          Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Robin.

          He was not in the least bit scared
          To be mashed into a pulp.
          Or to have his eyes gouged out,
          And his elbows broken.
          To have his kneecaps split
          And his body burned away,
          And his limbs all hacked and mangled
          Brave Sir Robin.

          His head smashed in
          And his heart cut out
          And his liver removed
          And his bowls unplugged
          And his nostrils raped
          And his bottom burnt off
          And his penis

          “That’s, that’s enough music for now lads, there’s dirty work afoot.”
          Brave Sir Robin ran away.
          (“No!”)
          Bravely ran away away.
          (“I didn’t!”)
          When danger reared it’s ugly head,
          He bravely turned his tail and fled.
          (“I never!”)
          Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
          And gallantly he chickened out.
          (“You’re lying!”)
          Swiftly taking to his feet,
          He beat a very brave retreat.
          Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!

  5. Avatar
    Ben Berwick

    This argument that victims should immediately speak out fails to understand how it is never that simple, yet it is repeated ad-nauseum. Why do these fundies have no concept of coercion, intimidation etc? I mean, they should, given how practiced they are at such things.

  6. Avatar
    Troy

    Wow that’s a blast from the past. Roy Moore did do one thing I liked : He got Doug Jones elected in Alabama. It was only 2 years but better than nothing. (Also still amused at Roy in his cowboy costume, YIKES!)

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