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Child-Raping, Wife-Murdering Preacher Allowed to Finish Sermon Before Being Arrested

Posted by PZ Myers, Pharyngula at 4:02 PM on August 1, 2008.


Preacher commits horrible acts, is allowed to finish sermon on love and redemption before arrest.
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Also in PEEK

Jon Stewart Takes on Israel's Attack on Gaza
Holly Feministe

In Defense of the Sanjay Gupta Appointment
Jane Hamsher Firedoglake

Report: Obama Prepared to Talk to Hamas
Faiz Shakir Think Progress

You've probably already heard this one, since it is all over the news: a preacher, Anthony Hopkins, murdered his wife after she caught him sexually abusing their children and stuffed her in a freezer -- with the daughter's assistance. This happened four years ago and the children's mother has been kept in the freezer in this house ever since. The pastor of Hopkins church reports that "the children were so respectful, just so easygoing", and that they "loved their dad. They were very close to him." Right. Rape, murder, and incest are just ordinary events in the Abrahamic family tree.

What I find disturbing about the whole story is this. Anthony Hopkins spent all this time since as an itinerant preacher, traveling about and preaching the 'Holy Word of Jesus Christ'. His daughter moved out of his house, finally, reported what he'd done to the police, the police went into his house and opened the freezer, and then they went off to the church where he was preaching that day. What did they do then?

Police allowed Hopkins to finish his sermon before arresting him.

Wait, what? Was this an example of Christians showing respect, that they allowed a child-raping murderer continue mouthing words of love and redemption in their church, words that clearly meant nothing to this monstrous psychopath? If only he'd crumbled a cracker, perhaps then they would have been less tolerant.

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Tagged as: rape, murder, crimes against humanity, psychopath, preacher hopkins

PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris. He runs the science blog, Pharyngula.


Return to PEEK  » Post Tools: email EMAIL print PRINT 43 COMMENTS PERMALINK
Also in PEEK
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I understand the critiques launched by Paul Krugman, John Conyers and others -- but I think Gupta is an inspired choice.
Post by Jane Hamsher. January 9, 2009.		 Report: Obama Prepared to Talk to Hamas
Barack Obama is reportedly planning to ditch President Bush's strategy of isolating Hamas, and will instead move to open contacts with the group.
Post by Faiz Shakir. January 8, 2009.
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Comments closed.
The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated. 		View:
Respectable
[Report this comment]
Posted by: QQOblivion on Aug 1, 2008 4:11 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Ever watch Cops (even though it is on Fox)? The police are ALWAYS arresting meth addicts or whomever without letting the suspects even put on their pants. I guess the preacher in this story, however, is a more "respectable" kind of fellow, deserving better treatment by the police.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

the silence of the lambs...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: lexicon on Aug 1, 2008 5:39 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
preacher's name was Anthony Hopkins. What'r the chances of THAT???????


lexicon

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Making a scene
[Report this comment]
Posted by: YogiBear on Aug 1, 2008 8:27 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Child-Raping, Wife-Murdering Preacher

If I used this headline for a newspaper, I'd be sued. He's a suspect. Cops probably didn't want to alarm the congregation. Maybe they were worried about a weapon and did'nt want to risk the safety of the parishioners.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Making a scene Posted by: huricane
» RE: Making a scene Posted by: harryf200
» RE: Making a scene Posted by: john mont
» RE: Making a scene Posted by: harryf200
» RE: Making a scene Posted by: Kcanadensis
» RE: Making a scene Posted by: YogiBear
» RE: Making a scene Posted by: harryf200
» RE: Making a scene Posted by: Ian MacLeod
» MSNBC does it, too Posted by: Dankhank
» RE: MSNBC does it, too Posted by: YogiBear
This comment has been removed from the site due to non-compliance with AlterNet's community policies.
Why turn it into a further problem?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: dancerkc on Aug 1, 2008 10:14 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Remember how the FBI could have just waited and approached David Koresh when he was isolated? Did they do that? No! They created a gawd-awful mess and death for the residents of the compound. Usually the cops are too eager to show their arrest testosterone and mayhem and deaths follow. That is usually the headline we read, not this one. I don't know the cops' actual reason for waiting until the sermon ended, but think of the problems they would have created had they just walked in with brute force.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Why turn it into a further problem? Posted by: AMERICAN VETERAN
Admitedly the headline is
[Report this comment]
Posted by: bitsfick on Aug 2, 2008 4:41 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
more Fox news than alter-net, but it seems that every time you turn on the TV, or pick up a paper your reading about some sexual abusing hypocrite member of the clergy getting caught.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Home sweet home!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: carbon-based on Aug 2, 2008 5:52 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
By the sounds of this he could have lived in Vt. - 60 days for the child rape and maybe a few years for the murder followed by some therapy.

How on earth does someone like that become a preacher. The more someone preacher religion, the more one has to be aware!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Home sweet home! Posted by: harryf200
» RE: Home sweet home! Posted by: pappy1
Exposing the 'Religious right' to their own Sins & Demons
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Purple Girl on Aug 2, 2008 6:05 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This guy, Jim Jones, Keresh,adkinsson Clinic bombers,FLD, numerous Catholic Priest....
Then consider the sociopathic Teachinngs of such meglomaniacs as Hagee, Dobson, Parsley...
How many more deaths must occur before Faithful finally realize the 'Beasts' reside and recruit out of their 'house of Worship'- when will they come to recognize they have been being Used by 'Deceivers' who want nothing more than to be 'Idols' and to instill fear to perpetuate hatred & obedience- to THEIR WORD!
they are Snake Oil Dealers- at the least. But far more appear to have allegience to something which requires mere mortals to help IT in it's stratedgy to destroy 'Peace on Earth'. When the reference to people turning away from God- it is Not an exclusive statement about Atheists- it' about those who are willing to follow those who use the 'Word' to manipulate.Hasn't some of these 'Religous folk' ever considered that by 'Praising Jesus, or Mohammad or David' THEY are practicing Idolatry? And conceeding that these Idols are more worthy of Defense then God? is that not one of the Major Sins? So killing each other over Whos' idol is 'Better' is Heretical and Blasphemy? When fighting over these Idols and their Relics (or patches of dirt) are they not actually doing the Devil work for Him? why do they let this 'Wall', Cavern or Rock delude them and lead them away from the words and commandments of God?
These 'Religious' followers need to look at who they are Worshipping and who they are Serving.it is not the Divine, nor an almighty, and certianly Not a Creator, Not a God!

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ONE good thing came of this
[Report this comment]
Posted by: willymack on Aug 2, 2008 6:11 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A sub-human beast was arrested, and won't murder or rape anyone else.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: ONE good thing came of this Posted by: drsivana99
Due process?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: davewuxi on Aug 2, 2008 7:55 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Has the guy been convicted of the crimes? If not, shouldn't the title read that he is an "alleged" child raper, etc?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Due process? Posted by: harryf200
MEDIA: JUDGE, JURY, EXECUTIONER
[Report this comment]
Posted by: chiefwanadubie on Aug 2, 2008 9:53 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Television/ media, is all about the ratings, and entertainment!!! It's all done with mirrors to get us to look away from the real news!!! Television/ media has never been about the truth, only about trivial pursuit, and mass propaganda!!! Martin, Bobby, and John... were all executed, live on T.V., for impact, and ratings!!! Elana Bobbitt, played out a scripted part, bobbitt, means: to cut off, like a bobbed tail cat!!! In order to have a reason to say "penis" on prime time television, in order to place some more divisionary propaganda, in the minds of the viewers, and of course for ratings!!! The main reason that they do this, is to give us anything other than what we really need to know, like the truth, of what the government is really up too, so they keep our minds in the gutters, and afraid of everyone!!! I would not put it passed the media to frame/ setup "ANTHONY HOPKINS" JUST BECAUSE OF HIS NAME, after all, he most always plays the bad guy in the movies!!! More mediatainment, to silence the lambs, and feed the masses a sacrifice, nicely wrapped, and delivered, to keep us believing that the system works, and that everything is under control... their control...don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain!!! I even have to believe the conspiracy theorist, when they say that the moon walk was done in a Hollywood basement, because, if we really do go to the moon, there would have been McDonald's there in the 70's, they have been in Vietnam for about 20 years now, and we lost the war!!!

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» MEDIA Posted by: harryf200
Alleged...C'mon people!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Ahimsa on Aug 3, 2008 11:34 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
C'mon, people
Your wife disappears for four years, then she is found bundled up in your freezer, at home! (did the kids tell the police about the sex abuse? did the pastor confess?) Also, your kids helped you stuff her there.
Isn't this beyond reasonable doubt?
What argument are you trying to make?
Now, I don't have any problem with letting the guy finish and arresting him discreetly. That should be the norm, no? I would think we are done with brutality...
And yes, some of these stories and their headlines sound more like the kind of trash that we thought Alternet would be an alternative to.

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» RE: Alleged...C'mon people! Posted by: YogiBear
» RE: Alleged...C'mon people! Posted by: drsivana99
Crumbled a cracker?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Joni50 on Aug 3, 2008 4:37 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Re:
If only he'd crumbled a cracker, perhaps then they would have been less tolerant.

What's that supposed to mean?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Crumbled a cracker? Posted by: drsivana99
» RE: Crumbled a cracker? Posted by: YogiBear
Amen
[Report this comment]
Posted by: modeler on Aug 4, 2008 11:28 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Preaching Jesus Christs gospel while not even observing the 10 commandments, especially thou shalt not kill? If that is a religious belief I am pleased not to belong to any church. Humanism is better. Who in hell ordained this animal?

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