Pastor Miller and his family
Posted on 01/28/2013 2:30:01 PM PST by NYer
Pastor Miller and his family
January 25, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "I have time for just a short note," wrote Mennonite pastor Kenneth Miller to his supporters as he awaited his inevitable arrest yesterday, "'...Whom having not seen ye love, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.' (1 Pet. 1:8-9) He is risen. His Kingdom reigns forever. All is well."
Hours later, Miller faced federal judge William Sessions III, and informed him that he would not testify before a grand jury against several acquaintances accused of helping the pastor arrange for the escape of Lisa Miller and her daughter, Isabella, from the United States in 2009. According to the Burlington Free Press, Kenneth Miller told the judge that testifying would be inconsistent with his religious beliefs.
After repeatedly urging the pastor to change his mind, Sessions found him in contempt of court and ordered him sent to jail for ten days, in an attempt to induce him to speak. "We can’t function as a criminal justice system without the grand jury," Sessions told Miller. "I appreciate your faithfulness to your religion and your moral beliefs, and perhaps there is an inherent conflict here."
Lisa Miller, who is not related to Kenneth Miller, decided to flee the U.S. after a Vermont judge insisted that she allow her daughter to have unsupervised visits with lesbian Janet Jenkins, with whom Miller had had a lesbian relationship before converting to Christianity.
Judge Richard Cohen ruled that Jenkins is Isabella's "mother," despite the fact that she has no biological relationship to the girl, and only knew her briefly after her birth before Miller ended the relationship. Jenkins' name does not appear on Isabella's birth certificate.
Judge Cohen refused to rescind his order despite testimony from Miller and several expert witnesses that indicated that Isabella was suffering psychological trauma from the visits. Following Lisa and Isabella's flight, Cohen issued a decision transferring full custody to Jenkins.
Pastor Miller has been convicted of helping Lisa and Isabella drive to Toronto, from where they allegedly flew to Nicaragua, to hide for several months. Their current whereabouts are unknown.
"These people they wanted him to testify against are fellow citizens of God’s kingdom," one of Miller's lawyers, also a Mennonite, told the Free Press. "And it’s like, you wanted me to be a rat, you know, to turn on my fellow citizens. That’s basically what it came down to."
The pastor's principled stand is shared by the Mennonites of the Nicaraguan Brotherhood, who initially sheltered Lisa and Isabella after they fled the U.S., and say they have been persecuted in Nicaragua for their actions.
The group wrote in letter last year that their battle to protect Isabella "is a war between good and evil, a battle between God and Satan. As congregations we stand united in this spiritual warfare against evil."
"The fact is that suddenly we find ourselves having to choose between obeying God and man made laws," they added. "We have chosen to obey God. We are willing to give up our rights, go to jail, or even die, for the cause of helping anyone become free from a sinful life and helping that person to live in obedience to God’s Word."
Pastor Miller has another date with a federal judge on March 4, where he will be sentenced to up to three years in prison for his role in the escape.
Related links:
Mennonite website supporting Pastor Kenneth Miller
Related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Mennonites: we are willing to die rather than betray girl to court-appointed lesbian ‘mother’
Experts testify to trauma experienced by Isabella Miller in sworn testimony now published online
Mennonite convicted of aiding ‘kidnapping’ for helping girl escape court-imposed lesbian ‘mother’
Homosexual’s ‘defamatory’ lawsuit seeks to silence pro-family groups: Liberty University attorney
Ping!
The end result is indistinguishable from it, though.
Political prisoner.
Plain and simply put - Pastor Miller is a political prisoner.
May God bless him and give him strength against his enemies.
He would have had a right to assert his privilege against self-incrimination, because testimony against his co-conspirators could have implicated him as well. But the Government gave him immunity for his grand jury testimony, so he has no 5th Amendment privilege.
Did this problem start when Ms. Miller demanded child support from her former partner?
Would visitation not been ordered if child support had not been demanded?
Correct. Miller demanded child support.
Wrong thing to ask of a homosexual.
Did Vermont ever get Jesica’s Law? Vermont is one screwed up evil state when it comes to child protection.
I will say it again. It is about domination and subjugation of others. If this woman truly loved and cared about this child or children in general, she would lovingly let this child and her mother go on with their lives without desperately and pathetically trying to impose her self into their lives. She would go her own way and accept the fact that she has no natural reason to be in the life of this child. Instead she follows ego with its need and desire to control others by force if the other won’t submit to the will of her ego. God Bless those who helped the mother and child escape the willful domination of a someone who has no natural relationship to the child. All I can think of is the story of King Solomon, the two mothers and the one living child. The mother did what was right for her child, the non-mother would allow the child to be harmed.
I can’t believe there are still men in this country willing to stand up like this. Thank God.
Yep.
Give Johnny immunity to rat out Billy and Freddy.
Give Freddy immunity to rat out Johnny and Billy.
Give Billy immunity to rat out Johnny and Freddy.
Convict Billy on Johnny and Freddy’s testimony.
Convict Freddy on Billy and Johnny’s testimony.
Convict Johnny on Freddy and Billy’s testimony.
Explain to my how the end result is different than if they had been compelled to testify against themselves.
She cannot let it go, because — in her mind — it isn’t about her; it’s about the whole LGB & tomato community.
Judge Richard Cohen ruled that Jenkins is Isabella’s “mother,” despite the fact that she has no biological relationship to the girl, and only knew her briefly after her birth before Miller ended the relationship. Jenkins’ name does not appear on Isabella’s birth certificate.
Thats the entire problem. This ruling was bs on its face.
I don’t even care how he came up with it its plain WRONG.
I hope this man will not be persecuted too much for this principled stand.
What you describe is a theoretical possibility but a practical impossibility, as the Government found out when it tried to prosecute Oliver North after he had given immunized testimony; it's impossible to show that the trial wasn't tainted by the immunized testimony. It can be done here only because this defendant was already tried and convicted before he was given immunity.
While jail is unpleasant, being persecuted for righteousness makes up for a whole lot. The more religious prisoners, and there are many, will be very respectful of him; because while they are in for crimes, he is in because of his faith.
I suspect that these judges and prosecutors are not going to get anywhere, and this nonsense will continue until they give up.
There are Mennonites all over the world who would be thrilled to host this woman and her child, and many more willing to pretend they are to leave a false trail.
Why not use the answer that was perfected by the democrats under Clinton, “I don’t recall”...
FMCDH(BITS)
Well, in your scenario, all three have immunity, so you couldn’t convict any of them. Once one of them gets immunity to testify, the others might make a deal too, but their testimony can’t come back and convict the first guy, as long as he fully disclosed his role in his own testimony.
FMCDH(BITS)
I find your faith in the integrity of the US legal system charming.
Bless your hearts.
(see also “use and derivative use” immunity)
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