Posted on 03/08/2002 9:05:27 PM PST by craigoethe
Tonight on Dateline am old case from Gilmer, Texas was covered. It had to do with a missing teenage girl, allegations of child abuse, and Satanic Ritual Abuse.
What started out as a routine investigation by the local CPS mushroomed into a full blown witch hunt by some very well meaning people. A special prosecutor, two social workers, and two alleged satanic experts were left to investigate the case. They began to refer to themselves as "The Team". The Team believed they were on a mission from God to root out satanism in the small town. They determined that local adults had participated in a Satanic cult which included cannibalism in their activites. As the case wore on, no one was safe. The sheriff was eventually indicted as well because he produced evidence to the contrary of The Team's evidence.
There was no forensic evidence to back up any of their allegations. Nothing. A bone was found, which The Team announced as being human before having it examined by a forenisc anthropolgist. It turned out to be a pig bone.
Their case and all its lies and twists finally unraveled when the State's Attorney was called in. He disbanded the Team and dismissed all of the charges against the accused. It was discovered that the children of the alleged satanists had been physically and emotionally bullied by social workers and the satanist experts into "confessing" the crimes of the group.
In my opiniokn the Team was drunk with it's own power. And in ignoring traditonal investigative methods (forensics) they ruined the lives of many people and discredited Christians everywhere who know that Satan's hand can be felt. They made good, honest, Bible believing people look like loons, and ruined the life of a good man (the sheriff).
As Christian, we need to be aware that Satan's hand is involved in the world. But, we also must be careful not to fall into his trap ourselves as this team of experts did. Their pride and power trip blinded them from the truth.
Then, in the 90s it seemed to turn into some weird Christian/Liberal hybrid, where christian anti-satan forces would be in cahoots with left-wing CPS forces...
Wonder what it will be like this decade...
Or do you mean that because the folks in your story did this, all the Christian hospitals, Christian homeless shelters, food banks, universities/colleges, counseling, missionary work and the other zillions of Christian services over the centuries, have been harmed? Yeah, right. Your headline says more about your own bias than anything else.
Let me ask another version of my favorite question:
Who is safer?
1. A child alone in a Christian church
2. A child alone at a satanic ritual
These children were not involved in satanic rituals. They were victims of over zealous state workers looking to make a name for themselves.
And the story is not that old. And it is not that rare. The case Chad Fairbanks sited in Wenatchee.
As for how it hurts good, honest Christians is simple. It amkes us all look like nutcases out to accuse anyone whenever we get a hair up our butts.
The social workers in California who started the whole satanic child abuse hoax with the McMartin case weren't Christians and the ones in Florida under the guidance of Janet Reno weren't. Neither were the ones in Mass. who were responsible for the jailing of an entire innocent family. No Christian social workers there.
You see some story on a network news show and suddenly you feel the need to impose guilt on people you don't even know? Absurd. Grow up and save your indictments for the mirror.
2. A child alone at a satanic ritual
Of course, the answer is number two.
Because if he's in the Church, there could be a pedophile Priest hiding nearby, but if he's alone at a Satanic Ritual, that means all of the Satanists are somewhere else.
(Ask a silly question...)
Don't worry about it. This story aside, we'll always annoy somebody.......heck, they crucified our very first.
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