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Songs of Sacrilege: Baptize Me from The Book of Mormon

book of mormon

This is the one hundred and forty-sixth installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.

Today’s Song of Sacrilege is Baptize Me from The Book of Mormon.

Video Link

Lyrics

ELDER MCKINLEY:

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
Well, then, would you like to baptize me?

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Pbbbt, sure, yea, that’d be great

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
Okay, let’s do it

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
What you mean…now?

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
Why not?

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Well, to be honest, I’ve never done it before

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
That’s okay, neither have I

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Yes, that’s true

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
Do you know…how to baptize someone into the church?

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Sure, that’s something that we study over and over again at Mission Control Center

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
Then please, Elder Cunningham, I want to be baptized. I swear to dedicate my life to the church

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Huh, okay, I just need a second to get ready

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
Okay, I will get ready, too

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
I’m about to do it for the first time
And I’m gonna do it with a girl!
A special girl
Who makes my heart kind of flutter
Makes my eyes kind of blur
I can’t believe I’m about
To baptize her

[NABULUNGI]
He will baptize me
He will hold me in his arms
And he will baptize me
Right in front of everyone
And it will set me free
When he looks into my eyes
And he sees just how much
I love being baptized

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
I’m gonna baptize her

[NABULUNGI]
Baptize me!

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
Bathe her in God’s glory!
And I will baptize her

[NABULUNGI]
I’m ready

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
With everything I got
And I’ll make her beg for more

[NABULUNGI]
Oooh

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
As I wash her free of sin
And it’ll be so good
She’ll want me to

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM and NABULUNGI]
Baptize her/me again

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Excuse me, I’m gonna need another minute!

[NABULUNGI]
Never known a boy so gentle
One like him is hard to find
A special kind
Who makes my heart kind of flutter
Like a moth in a cocoon
I hope he gets to baptizing me soon!

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
I’m gonna baptize you
I’m through with all my stalling

[NABULUNGI]
You’re gonna baptize me
I’m ready to let you do it

[BOTH]
And it will set us free
It’s time to be immersed
And I’m so happy you’re
About to be my first

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Okay, you ready?

[NABULUNGI, spoken]
I am ready. So… how do we do it?

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM, spoken]
Well, I hold you like this –

[NABULUNGI]
– Yeah?

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
And I lower you down –

[NABULUNGI]
– Yeah?

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM:]
And then I –

(Splash)

I just baptized her!
She got doused by Heavenly Father!
I just baptized her good!

[NABULUNGI]
You baptized me!

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
I performed like a champ!

[NABULUNGI]
I’m wet with salvation!

[BOTH]
We just went all the way!
Praise be to God
I’ll never forget this day

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
I baptized you!

[NABULUNGI]
You baptized me!

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
I gotcha good!

[NABULUNGI]
Baptize me!

[ELDER CUNNINGHAM]
You want it more, baby?

[NABULUNGI]
Baptize me!

(spoken)
I’ll text you later

Songs of Sacrilege: Turn it Off from The Book of Mormon

book of mormon

This is the one hundred and forty-fifth installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.

Today’s Song of Sacrilege is Turn it Off from The Book of Mormon.

Video Link

Lyrics

ELDER MCKINLEY:
I got a feeling,
That you could be feeling,
A whole lot better then you feel today
You say you got a problem,
well thats no problem,
It’s super easy not to feel that way!

When you start to get confused because of thoughts in your head,
Don’t feel those feelings!
Hold them in instead

Turn it off, like a light switch
just go click!
It’s a cool little Mormon trick!
We do it all the time
When your feeling certain feels that just don’t feel right
Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light
and turn em off,
Like a light switch just go bap!
Really whats so hard about that?
Turn it off! (Turn it off!)

When I was young my dad,
Would treat my mom real bad,
every time the Utah Jazz would loose.
He’d start a’ drinking,
and I’d start a thinking,
How am I gonna keep my mom from getting abused?

I’d see her all scared and my soul was dying,
My dad would say to me, Now don’t you dare start crying.

Turn it off, (Like a light switch just go click!)
(It\’s our nifty little Mormon trick!)
Turn it off! (Turn. It. Off!)

My Sister was a dancer, but she got cancer,
My doctor said she still had two months more
I thought she had time, so I got in line
for the new I-phone at the apple store.

She lay there dying with my father and mother
Her very last words were “where is my brother?”

(Turn it off!) Yeah! (Bid those sad feelings a adieu!)
The fear I might get cancer too,

When I was in fifth grade, I had a friend Steve Blade,
He and I were close as two friend could be
One thing led to another, and soon I would discover,
I was having really strange feelings for Steve

I thought about us, on a deserted Island
We’d swim naked in the sea, and then he’d try and…

WOAH! Turn if off, like a light switch,
there its gone! (Good for you!)
My hetero side just won!
I’m all better now,
Boys should be with girls thats heavenly fathers plan
So if you ever feel you rather be with a man,
Turn it off.

ELDER PRICE:
Well Elder McKinley, I think its ok that your having gay thoughts,
just so long as you never act on them.

ELDER MCKINLEY:
No, because then your just keeping it down,
Like a dimmer switch on low, (On low!)
Thinking nobody needs to know! (Uh oh!)

ELDER PRICE:
But that’s not true!

ELDER MCKINLEY:
Being gay is bad, but lying is worse,
So just realize you have a curable curse,
And turn it off! (Turn it off, turn it off!)

(Dance)

Turn it off!

Now how do you feel!

ELDER PRICE:
The same

ELDER MCKINLEY:
Then you only got yourself to blame,
You didn’t pretend hard enough,
Imagine that your brain is made of tiny boxes,
and find the box thats gay and CRUSH IT!
Ok?

ELDER PRICE:
No, no, -I’m- not having gay thoughts

ELDER CUNNINGHAM:
Alright! It worked!

(Yay!)

(Turn it off!)

(Turn it off, Turn it off!)

(Turn it off, turn it off like a light switch just go click click!
What a cool little Mormon Trick! Trick trick!
We do it all the time!)

ELDER MCKINLEY:
When your feeling certain feelings that just dont seem right!
Treat those pesky feelings like a reading light!
Turn it off! (Like a light switch, shut it off!)
(Now he isn’t gay anymore!)

(Turn it, turn it, turn it, turn it…!)
(Turn it, turn it, turn it, turn it…!)
(Turn it…)

ELDER MCKINLEY: Turn it off!

Songs of Sacrilege: I Believe from The Book of Mormon

book of mormon

This is the one hundred and forty-fourth installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.

Today’s Song of Sacrilege is I Believe from The Book of Mormon.

Video Link

Lyrics

Ever since I was a child, I tried to be the best
So what happened?
My family and friends all said I was blessed
So what happened?

It was supposed to be all so exciting
To be teaching of Christ ‘cross the sea
But I allowed my faith to be shaken
Oh, what’s the matter with me?

I’ve always longed to help the needy
To do the things I never dared
This was the time for me to step up
So then why was I so scared?

A warlord who shoots people in the face
What’s so scary about that?
I must trust that my Lord is mightier
And always has my back
Now I must be completely devout
I can’t have even one shred of doubt

I believe that the Lord God created the universe
I believe that he sent his only son to die for my sins
And I believe that ancient Jews built boats
And sailed to America
I am a Mormon and a Mormon just believes

You cannot just believe part-way
You have to believe in it all
My problem was doubting the Lord’s will
Instead of standing tall

I can’t allow myself to have any doubt
It’s time to set my worries free
Time to show the world what Elder Price is about
And share the power inside of me

I believe that God has a plan for all of us
I believe that plan involves me getting my own planet
And I believe that the current President of the Church
Thomas Monson, speaks directly to God
I am a Mormon
And, dang it, a Mormon just believes
(A Mormon just believes)

I know that I must go and do the things my God commands
(Things my God commands)
I realize now why he sent me here
If you ask the Lord in faith, he will always answer you
Just believe in him and have no fear
(General, we have an intruder, He just walked right into camp)

I believe that Satan has a hold of you
I believe that the Lord God has sent me here
And I believe that in 1978
God changed his mind about black people

(Black people)
You can be a Mormon
A Mormon who just believes
(The fuck is this?)

And now I can feel the excitement
This is the moment I was born to do
And I feel so incredible to be sharing my faith with you
The scriptures say that if you ask in faith

If you ask God himself, you’ll know
But you must ask him without any doubt
And let your spirit grow
(Let your spirit grow)

I believe that God lives on a planet called Kolob
I believe that Jesus has his own planet as well
And I believe that the Garden of Eden
Was in Jackson County, Missouri

If you believe, the Lord will reveal it
And you’ll know it’s all true, you’ll just feel it
You’ll be a Mormon
And, by gosh, a Mormon just believes
(A Mormon just believes)

(Just believe, a Mormon just believes)
Oh, I believe
(Just believe, a Mormon just)
I believe
(Believes)

Songs of Sacrilege: Where to Now St. Peter? by Elton John

elton john

This is the one hundred and forty-third installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.

Today’s Song of Sacrilege is Where to Now St. Peter? by Elton John.

Video Link

Lyrics

I took myself a blue canoe
And I floated like a leaf
Dazzling, dancing
Half enchanted
In my Merlin sleep

Crazy was the feeling
Restless were my eyes
Insane they took the paddles
My arms they paralyzed

So where to now St. Peter
If it’s true I’m in your hands
I may not be a Christian
But I’ve done all one man can
I understand I’m on the road
Where all that was is gone
So where to now St. Peter
Show me which road I’m on
Which road I’m on

It took a sweet young foreign gun
This lazy life is short
Something for nothing always ending
With a bad report

Dirty was the daybreak
Sudden was the change
In such a silent place as this
Beyond the rifle range

I took myself a blue canoe

 

Quote of the Day: We Are Living in a Post-Christian America by Jason Isbell

jason isbell

The Trump presidency has convinced me that we are living in a post-Christian America. I could see how a lot of conservative right-wing Christian Americans would vote for someone like Mitt Romney, who seems like a stand-up guy. But Trump is obviously not a good Christian person. I think the fact that so many people voted for him means that there aren’t that many good Christian people left in rural America. God is gone from those people.

Jason Isbell, Rolling Stone interview, Issue 1293, August 10, 2017

Christians Say the Darnedest Things: Geri Ungurean Thinks Liberals Have Taken Over the Internet

brains fox news

Ever since the Internet was given away to ICANN by Barack Obama (basically in the hands of the U.N.) I have noticed that when I do a search using Safari, Google, and many other widely used search engines; I invariably land on the MOST left leaning websites. You too? Well, I found some information today that will make many Conservatives very happy.

No, it’s not duckduckgo.com or any of the “new and improved” search engines. What I found is this: 4Conservative.com Just go to the site and put in your search criteria. You will be amazed!

Example:

Today I went to 4Conservative.com and typed in “Israel, Temple Mount” Here are some of the top websites my search revealed:

Breitbart.com

Americanthinker.com

Jpost.com

Arutz Sheva (Israelnationalnews.com)

Canadafreepress.com

The 15 Best Conservative News Sites On The Internet and More (From the Conservative Read website)

Even though Right Wing News is an opinion site these days, I do still surf the web for news and to find material to write about. Some websites I read for columnists, others I peruse to see what particular bloggers have to say, but when I’m looking for news, here are the websites I check out in order.

15) Twitchy: Michelle Malkin’s Twitter based news site.
14) Doug Ross: Larwyn’s Linx is great.
13) Weasel Zippers: Not as much volume as other places, but quality work.
12) Free Republic: Better known for commenting than news, but still good.
11) Bad Blue: Outstanding Twitter based news
10) The Right Scoop: Videos, links, and heavily updated.
9) Daily Caller: The place to go for original conservative reporting.
8) Lucianne: Old reliable. When I have trouble finding something good, I go here.
7) Gateway Pundit: It’s unbelievable to me that any one person can be this on top of things.
6) Breitbart: The combined Breitbart collective is AMAZING for links and journalism.
5) Instapundit: Glenn Reynolds has been the best known linker in the blogosphere for more than a decade.
4) The Blaze: Beck’s news machine is already a must read.
3) Memorandum: What people are talking about right now on both sides of the blogosphere. (Not conservative per se, but still good)
2) Hot Air: Frequently updated headlines, plus the latest news stories.
1) The Drudge Report: Whatever Drudge links becomes what everyone is talking about.

….

Brethren, I hope that this helped someone out there. I know I’m so tired of rooting through the liberal rag sites to get to solid Conservative news sources!

— Geri Ungurean, Absolute Truth from the Word of God: Jesus Has Every Answer, Tired Of Landing On Liberal Websites? Have I Got A Search Engine For You!, July 28, 2017

Ark Encounter: Ken Ham’s Monument to Ignorance Bigger Than Imagination

Several weeks ago, Polly and I spent a few days vacationing in Kentucky.  We stayed at the Boone Tavern Hotel in Berea. On one of the tables in the main hotel lobby I found a 2017 Kentucky Travel Guide. On the back of the guide was a full-sized advertisement for young earth creationist Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter — a life-sized re-creation of the fictional Noah’s ark found in the Bible. There was also a one-sixth sized ad on the front cover.

Here’s the full-sized ad that was on the back cover:

ark encounter

Anyone want to take a stab at what “Bigger Than Imagination” is supposed to mean?  Perhaps Ham is suggesting that it requires a boat load of imagination to believe that Noah, his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law built a ginormous wooden boat in the middle of the desert; that this boat, filled with animals, floated for a year on a sea that engulfed the entire earth, killing all life save Noah, his family, and the animals on the Ark. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough imagination to believe such a fairy-tale.

How about you? What do you think Ken Ham meant with the advertising slogan: “Bigger Than Imagination.” Use your imagination in the comment section.

Black Collar Crime: Catholic Priest Scott Kallal Charged With Sex Crimes

scott kallal

Scott Kallal, assistant pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Overland Park, Kansas and St. Patrick Catholic Church, Kansas City, Kansas, was charged Friday with “two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.”

KCTV-5 reports:

Authorities say a Catholic priest charged in Wyandotte County with child sex crimes has been arrested in Maryland.

The Wyandotte County prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday that the Rev. Scott Kallal was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Online court records show the 35-year-old was arrested Monday in Rockville in Maryland’s Montgomery County.

Prosecutor’s office spokesman Jonathan Carter said he didn’t know whether Kallal had an attorney. No details were provided about the allegations.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas announced last week that Kallal was pulled from public ministry duties after two sources accused him of “boundary violations.” The archdiocese said its preliminary investigation “revealed violations of some of the archdiocese’s safe environment guidelines which all clerics, employees and volunteers are asked to observe when interacting with young people.”

The archdiocese said Kallal’s suspension was announced during Masses at Overland Park’s Holy Spirit Church and St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kansas. He served at both.

An initial statement from the archdiocese said Kallal “denies any moral misconduct or malicious intent and has agreed to undergo evaluation and counseling.” In a follow-up statement Tuesday, the archdiocese said that it would continue to “cooperate fully” with law enforcement, and that anyone with information about priests, deacons, employees or volunteers engaging in inappropriate conduct should report their concerns.

Fox-4 adds,  in a report that is quite sympathetic to the Catholic Church and its “rare” sexual abuse/misconduct/rape/sexual assault/pedophilia problems:

….

Parishioners at St. Pat’s and Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park just learned of the allegations the weekend of July 15-16, when it was announced during mass that Fr. Kallal had been relieved of his duties.

While incidents like this are relatively rare, the church says it remains committed to ensuring no child becomes a victim.

The inside of a Catholic Church is often beautiful, and a place where many find comfort. But allegations and criminal charges against church leaders like Fr. Scott Kallal can tarnish its prestige.

“The church is in the business of saving souls and in spiritual life. They’re experts in spirituality. But they’ve brought in experts now and worked together with them to ensure safety of children is a top priority,” said Carrie Cooper, director of the Office of Child and Youth protection for the Kansas City, Mo. Archdiocese.

Cooper’s job was created out of controversy. Nearly six years ago, the Kansas City, Mo. Archdiocese created the Office of Child and Youth Protection after Fr. Shawn Ratigan was sent to prison for child pornography. There is a similar office in KCK, with which Cooper’s office often works.

Cooper says a lot of good changes have happened in recent years to prevent abuse, and to report it, which includes getting police involved right away.

“The civil authorities are the most important. It is their job to sort those things through and do those investigations. So that’s definitely what we want to happen first,” said Cooper.

There are also more intensive background checks for every school and church employee and volunteer. Those individuals also go through intense trainings on child and sexual abuse. That training is also given to kids in parishes and Catholic schools.

“They’re offered training on what is a safe boundary, what is grooming, what is predatory behavior and what do I do to protect myself as a child,” Cooper said.

If anyone breaks a boundary, kids are asked to tell a trusted adult. And if that adult broke the rules, they should keep telling trusted adults until it is taken seriously.

“The goal of all these efforts really is to make sure children are safe. That’s absolutely the most important thing,” Cooper said.

There’s also an independent review board, composed of non-church members who look at every allegation made against someone within the church. The Kansas City, Mo. diocese also has an ombudsmen — a former prosecutor that looks closely at each case.

As for Fr. Kallal, he was said to be attending counseling before his arrest in Maryland. He will be brought back to Kansas within the next few weeks to answer to the charges here.

….

Christians Say the Darnedest Things: Lori Alexander Rages Against Women Who Dare to Have Careers

lori-alexander

Of course, careers for women came from a godless, heathen world! There is nothing in the Bible that encourages or instructs women to leave their homes for hours every day, their children with strangers to raise, and go to a job. [neither is there anything in the Bible that says women should wear bras and shoes.] If there is one, I have never read it.

….

Are older women, as written in the Bible, to be known for their careers? No! They should be known for bringing up children, lodging strangers, washing the saints’ feet, relieving the afflicted, diligently following every good work (1 Timothy 5:10) and teaching the younger women (Titus 2:4). There’s nothing about them having careers.

Widows are not commanded to go out and pursue careers. Their families are the ones who should care for them and if the widow doesn’t have family, then the churches are to care for the widows. (Notice 1 Timothy 5:4 states who in the family should care for widows; “children or nephews” not “children or nieces” – the female children would most likely be married and have husbands who would provide whereas the nephews should help provide, not the nieces.) This is how God set it all up for the provision of women.

Men are the ones in the Bible that God commands to be the providers. This is God’s perfect will from the beginning of time and He reminds us that His commands are not burdensome. Nothing is impossible with Him and if He wants women home with their families, He will provide a way. He instructs us to ask for wisdom and He will give it freely! [In other words, if you are a woman and find yourself destitute, don’t get job. Just wait on Jesus to come through with a pile of cash to meet your every need.]

There are several problems I see with women having careers, even when they are single. After spending all the time and money in pursuing their career, it’s difficult to give it up once the children come along, if and when they do. Also, many husbands like the money their wives make and don’t want them to stop so they insist on their wives keeping the job even when it becomes a strain on the wife. Married women who don’t have children still come home exhausted after working all day. They don’t have the energy to care for their homes or husbands like they would like to do, unless they are high energy women.

I believe one of the main causes of divorce today is due to women having careers. Women put all of their time and energy into their careers and neglect their husbands. [Pity those poor men who are being neglected by their wives.] They were created to be their husband’s help meet but they fail to do what God has called them to do because they can’t do everything and are too tired and exhausted to be helpers to their husbands. This is a recipe for failure and marriage is important to the Lord so it should be a priority for us; for marriage is an example to a lost world of Christ and His Church! Plus, when women have careers, they know that they have the freedom to divorce their husbands since they aren’t dependent upon their husbands for provision but God created wives to be dependent upon their husbands. [ Damn straight, Skippy. Women working means that they no longer are slaves to their husbands; that if their husbands don’t treat them well they can tell them to take a hike.] This is a good thing, contrary to popular opinion.

Women who have careers typically have to work for a boss and the boss is usually a man, therefore, she is living in submission to a man who isn’t her husband which is not God’s plan. Plus, women don’t have the physical makeup that a man has and God created women with a more sensitive and emotional nature in order to be home with their children and/or caring for others, not out in the workforce. [All I can do here is *sigh*.]

….

But what about the women who do remain single their entire lives and don’t get married? What if careers are causing many more women to not get married since they don’t “need” a man to take care of them? What if this pursuit by women for careers makes them unattractive to men since they become forceful and independent? God’s plan from the beginning is for men and women to marry. He created men to need a help meet.

Colleges and universities don’t help women acquire meek and gentle spirits. Quite the contrary! They teach them to be strong (apart from the Lord), independent (they don’t need a husband), speak their minds, and stand up for themselves which is completely opposite of what the Lord wants for women. They don’t teach them to be gentle, submissive help meets to their husbands or how to raise godly offspring. Neither do they teach them anything about godly womanhood; no, not even the Christian colleges and universities since they push careers on the women. [Can’t have women who are strong, independent, speak their minds, and stand up for themselves, right? Why, such women might think they are equal to men, capable of doing almost anything the penis crowd can do.]

There are many things women can do who aren’t married without getting a job. Culture tell us that there’s only option for young women today but it’s not. The young, unmarried Duggar and Bates women [ Ah yes, Duggar and Bates women. “Perfect” examples for the young women of today.] take courses on-line, serve their families, go on mission’s trips, assist midwives, serve their communities, find ways to make money from home, and many other things that help others instead of pursuing careers which take them away from their homes. This seems the way it should be, in my opinion [How dare Alexander speak when God has not spoken!].

Women working have taken many jobs away from men. Men NEED to work. God created them to have jobs and this usually defines them, whereas women define themselves by their relationships. Men don’t have to take off time when they bear children, their children get sick (if they have a wife at home), and they don’t feel guilt leaving their children all day long like women do because women know deep down that they are the ones who are supposed to be home with their own children.

— Lori Alexander, The Transformed Wife, Not One Bible Verse Instructs Women to Have Careers, July 25, 2017

Black Collar Crime: Pastor Walter Diggles Set to Stand Trial on Fraud Charges

walter diggles

Walter Diggles, pastor of Lighthouse Church of God in Christ in Jasper, Texas, was arrested and charged with fraud, as were his wife and daughter.

In December 2015, the Beaumont Enterprise reported:

The executive director of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments schemed with his wife and daughter to illegally divert more than $1.3 million in federal grant money intended for hurricane assistance, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Walter Diggles, Rosie Diggles and Anita Diggles were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Walter Diggles, 62, was charged individually with eleven counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft from a program that receives federal funding, and three counts of money laundering.

Rosie Diggles, 61, his wife, also was charged individually with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Anita Diggles, 39, faces only the conspiracy charge.

The government also seeks the forfeiture of $1.3 million, which approximates the amount of the Diggles’ theft.according to the federal indictment.

All three pleaded not guilty Monday in a Beaumont federal courtroom.

Attorneys for the Diggles family called the charges “sensational, but unsubstantiated.”

Walter Diggles has been DETCOG director since 1990 and pastor of the Lighthouse Church in Jasper County since 1980, the indictment stated.

He also ran the Deep East Texas Foundation, a non-profit created in 2005, according to the indictment.

DETCOG, though not a government agency, operates on behalf of an association of city and county governments. It received federal, state and local grant funds to finance and administer programs throughout a 12-county region.

According to the indictment, the Deep East Texas Foundation received about $4.4 million in Social Service Block Grant funding from 2007 to 2012.

The foundation continued to conduct operations even though the Texas Secretary of State forfeited its charter around 2007, according to the indictment.

Walter Diggles defrauded the federal government by inflating the amount his foundation needed for social service programs and taking the difference for personal use, the indictment alleges.

Walter Diggles had single-signature authority over the foundation’s bank account at First National Bank in Jasper, where he also received monthly payments for his service on the bank’s board, according to the indictment.

In a brief statement on the courthouse steps before the hearing, the Diggles’ attorneys characterized the indictment resulting from the government’s 2014 raid of DETCOG headquarters in Jasper and the two-year investigation as a “fundamental misunderstanding of how federal and state block grants work.”

Ryan Gertz, lead attorney for Walter Diggles, said the DETCOG block grants are given on a reimbursement basis rather than by contract and that “the entire indictment reflects a misunderstanding of this simple fact.”

….

According to a July 19, 2017 article in the Beaumont Enterprise, jury selection has begun, with opening arguments expected later today.