Thursday, December 13, 2007

Church Shooter Raised a Gothardite

Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati

Photo courtesy of here.

A murderer who shot up Christians before getting killed by a church security guard was raised a Gothardite—a cult-like sect of ultra-evangelicals who follow the teachings of Bill Gothard.  These teachings, incidentally, have a secularized front designed to infiltrate social and political institutions (like police departments), known as “Character Cities.” We happen to have a Greater Cincinnati Character Cities organization—originally implemented by Phil Heimlich, with Anthony Munoz as a front-man for advertising.

In a piece written for In These Times by Silja Talvi, entitled ”Cult of Character,” Talvi highlights many of the troublesome aspects of the “character” movement.  And a few years ago, an I-Team in Indianapolis released a series of stories detailing the abuse kids experienced in one of these Gothardite training centers.

With direct connections to Bill Gothard, one must wonder how congressional candidate Phil Heimlich might respond to this most recent tragedy involving a young life led astray by these weird teachings.  One must also wonder about Anthony Munoz, generally respected in the community as a principled leader. 

The Greater Cincinnati Character Council has continued to plug away, with no real exposure about their strange connections to a character like Bill Gothard.

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funnelcake says:
13 Dec 2007  at  07:12 am | #

Anthony Munoz is respected principled community leader?  Don’t make me laugh.  I still recall the TV news coverage back when there was that huge broha over a Cincinnati priest performing commitment ceremonies for gays & lesbians.  Anthony Munoz was there in the front lines of the protest, red in the face, yelling & screaming trying to intimidate the hell out of the fags.  For a former linebacker trying to intimidate people in that manor really changed my perception of him.  I used to think he was a real stand up guy too.  But he showed himself for the hate filled monster that he is.  To this day, I refuse to step foot in a Furniture Fair store for that very reason.  Any business that would use a hateful bigot like that as a spokesperson doesn’t deserver my money.

Phan of Phil says:
13 Dec 2007  at  07:40 am | #

Maybe this explains the “gun happy” City Police?

LeMaster C says:
13 Dec 2007  at  08:06 am | #

Heimlich changed dramatically when he found religion.
So did Tom Gill, who has a “business of character”.

Phil chose to co-op with friends like Dick Weiland, Chris Finney, Neil Sundermann, Brian Tome to invest in lobbying efforts for Crossroads Church and their One City/CityLink efforts to flood the West End, Over-The-Rhine and Clifton Heights/ University Heights/Fairview (CUF)with well-meaning, save-the-world efforts at social services and social work. The area already holds a ton of such agencies that have been working there for decades. Sundermann even testified as an expert witness on real estate for Tim Burke during one court session, and someone should have questioned his memory of that Sundermann being President of the CityLink founding organization, OneCity. True Gothardism evangelical prodding along with a few clandestine efforts. This came after Phil’s sale of Drake. Or was that loan of Drake?

In process of making sure Croassroads’ received its Gothardite welcome while stepping over the little people and keeping communities uninformed on the matter Dale B. Mallory took pay to make sure he was part of the Co-Opting of neighbors and friends. After behind the scenes twisting (this is in God’s name so it’s okay for building permits to be issued if it’s god)of permits issuing personnel delas were struck without community consent. That got irate citizens involved,impeachment of Mallory, sent a major court case into motion on the topic of zoning and the community definition in zoning rules, laws and codes to become more understandable, if not able to fully stop the CityLink juggernaut led by true believer Tim Burke.

When a politician cannot win an argument or substantiate a stance based on facts, the easiest tactic is to pull out the billy club called God to beat the other person down.
How dare we question when a person invokes god?

Gothardism hurts many with its dictatorial pursuit of right; many covet Gothardism because they can find a place lower in the heirarchy where they can belong but do not have to think and have those in charge tell them what they need to know. One of the easiest ways to dumb people down....apathy and capitulation to be part of what’s in vogue.

Have we stricken the City’s membership in the Character Cities Organization by vote of council, yet? Or will God smite us if that were to happen? Who did vote for that besides Heimlich and Portune?

Stealth Bummer says:
13 Dec 2007  at  09:16 am | #

Midwest Christian Outreach, the Chicago-area anti-Gothardite organization which wrote the book whose cover was used in the above graphic, recently began operating a blog. Click here.

Freedom Fighters says:
13 Dec 2007  at  09:26 am | #

.

They certainly are teaching the right family values to attract all of those stable personalities.

.

B TO ME says:
13 Dec 2007  at  07:18 pm | #

B TO ME - Thinks Citylink is the answer ,as long as all those poor folks are kept away from his family and his flock. Continue to concentrate those in need where they are out of sight, except when you venture into our neighborhoods to feel good about feeding and preaching to them, kinda like going to a petting zoo in the hood.

Saddened by Cynicism says:
14 Dec 2007  at  04:29 pm | #

With direct connections to Bill Gothard, one must wonder how congressional candidate Phil Heimlich might respond to this most recent tragedy involving a young life led astray by these weird teachings.

It’s really sad, though not surprising, to see you stoop to the kind of cynicism that would use this tragedy to score points against your nemesis Phil Heimlich.

Vera Z says:
14 Dec 2007  at  10:02 pm | #

Thanks Dean, It seems my education is lacking.  This is the first time I ever heard of Gothardism.  I need to take a trip to the library.  I am aware, however, that there are various groups (religeous and other) that are intent in controling or micro-managing the lives and behaviors of every other living being.  I’ll return to this blog when I learn enough about it to make an intelligent observation. Vera Z.

Roto-Rooter Man says:
14 Dec 2007  at  10:43 pm | #

It’s really sad, though not surprising, to see you stoop to the kind of cynicism that would use this tragedy to score points against your nemesis Phil Heimlich.

Oh piffle. Heimlich brought the Gothard program into town and put the Character Cities proclamation through city council without informing other council members it was a Gothard front organization. Guess he missed the monthly “character trait” of honesty.

If Heimlich had any guts, he’d be speaking out against Gothard’s authoritarian programs because they abuse kids. But Heimlich is nothing but a cardboard leader; always has been. He’s utterly empty and believes in nothing but his own immediate self-interest.

Remember how he used to strut about like our own Little Napoleon, issuing edicts and ordering around anybody who was beneath him on the power scale? Anybody who had any dealings with him knows him as a facile liar and backstabber. Now it appears even all his old rats have fled the sinking SS Heimlich. Finney, Roberts? I don’t see either of them involved in “Heimlich for Congress.”

Looks like it’s all caught up to Heimlich and he’s circling the political drain which is exactly where he belongs. Poor Saddened by Cynicism can wring her/his hands.

I say keep flushing.

Loves Cincinnati says:
16 Jan 2008  at  01:13 pm | #

Cincinnati is an easy mark for scams like the Character Council and followers of Gothard.  In addition to Anthony Munoz, this town is packed with people who make their living off of selling moral superiority.  It isn’t about character, it all comes down to ego, money and power, not to mention marginalizing non-Christians.

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