13 August 2017. Vladyki Lazar Puhalo on What the Church Is (and What It Is Not)

Beware the “Religious Right”… much of what they purvey isn’t “religious”… much isn’t “right” (correct) either! Have a care… the rightwing wolves array themselves in “Christian” vesture.

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Vladyki Lazar nails it…

A life lived in fear is a life that ended long ago, even though one is still breathing. A religion or other system that engenders fear detracts rather than adds to one’s life. Fear is a marketing device for autocrats, unsavoury businesses, destructive political ideologies, and commercialised religions. Any religion that has any aspect of truth brings peace, hope, and joy, not bondage to fear. Cults, even cults within the Orthodox Church, use fear as a tool for manipulating their victims. The Church is a spiritual hospital, not a court of law, or a chamber of terror.

This is why the Toll House heresy is so vicious. Vladyki Lazar learned his religion from Archbishop Averky Taushev… the Toll House nutters learned theirs from the Serafim Rose groupies… I seem to see a difference!

BMD

Lane County Circuit Court: Grand Jury Returns 10-Count Indictment Against Eugene Priest in Sex and Drug Case

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A Lane County grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against a Eugene priest arrested earlier this month for alleged sex and drug crimes involving an underage girl. On Wednesday morning, Daniel James MacKay, 42, pleaded not guilty to the charges (nine misdemeanours and one felony) in Lane County Circuit Court. Lane’s lawyer, Terri Wood of Eugene, said:

Fr MacKay maintains his innocence, and we ask that people not prejudge him based on the accusations.

MacKay faces four prostitution charges that accuse him of offering to pay for sex… four charges of endangering the welfare of a minor, for allegedly causing an underage girl to “witness an act of sexual conduct”; one count of sexual misconduct, for allegedly having sex with the girl; and one count of attempting to use a minor in the commission of a controlled substance offense, for allegedly trying to use the girl to help him traffic cocaine. All of the alleged crimes occurred in September.

Prosecutors initially filed four charges against MacKay after his 12 October 12. The original charging document included single counts of prostitution, endangering the welfare of a minor, sexual misconduct and using a minor in the commission of a controlled substance offense. MacKay spent one day in the Lane County Jail after police arrested him. He was bailed out on 13 October. He told The Register-Guard following his release from jail that he and his supporters were “concerned” and “praying for everybody involved” in what he characterized as a “deeply unfortunate situation”. After his court appearance Wednesday, MacKay was booked back into the jail, and released later in the day on his own recognizance.

MacKay became a priest at St John the Wonderworker Orthodox Church in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighbourhood in 2011. On 14 October (the same day MacKay spoke with the newspaper), the Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church announced in a press release that it suspended MacKay from church duties pending the outcome of his criminal case and a separate investigation being conducted by church officials. The release stated:

While everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Western American Diocese nonetheless takes allegations of misconduct in any form very seriously and must act accordingly to ensure the safety and security of all our Orthodox parishioners and others as we conduct our worship and ministries together. … Such misconduct is abhorrent and not condoned by the Holy Orthodox Faith.

They added that the church “stands ready to coöperate with the civil authorities” involved in MacKay’s case.

Eugene police arrested MacKay during a sting operation in which a detective arranged a meeting with him while posing as the alleged victim in his case. Police said that they’d arrested the girl in September for prostitution. Investigators suspect MacKay met with the girl on several occasions. In addition to serving with the church, MacKay worked before his arrest as a part-time instructor at Lane Community College. LCC officials didn’t immediately return a phone message Wednesday seeking information about MacKay’s employment status. MacKay began teaching English composition at the college in 2008.

27 October 2016

Jack Moran

The (Eugene OR) Register-Guard

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/34927620-75/grand-jury-returns-10-count-indictment-against-eugene-priest-in-sex-drug-case.html.csp

Editor:

All of the konvertsy on the web are jumping up and down about this jabronie’s innocence. That tells you volumes about their hyperclericalism and unhealthy clergy worship. Clergy are human… they’re capable of crime. Remember Seraphim Storheim… and remember Mr Justice Mainella’s scathing remarks on Storheim (which reflected on the tack taken by his asshat mouthpiece, Gindin). It tells you volumes about the konvertsy… and why bishops should NEVER ordain ANY of them.

Let the court speak. Watch the konvertsy shun this guy if he gets the drop… that’s the sort of slimeballs that they are. Have a care… rotters are afoot… not the abusers… their defenders.

BMD

18 October 2016. Press Release of Serbian Western American Diocese in re McKay… Clear It’s an INVOLUNTARY Suspension

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A friend was kind enough to send me the actual press release of the diocese about the priest arrested up in Oregon on kiddie sex charges:

Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church

1621 W Garvey Ave

Alhambra CA 91803

Telephone: 626 289-9061

Friday 14 October 2016

PRESS RELEASE

Statement from the Western American Diocese Regarding the Arrest of Fr Daniel MacKay

The Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church has been informed that Fr Daniel J MacKay, age 42, was arrested on Wednesday 12 October 2016, in Lane County, Oregon. Fr Daniel was contacted by police and arrested on charges stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor and possession of a controlled substance. While the criminal proceedings are pending and until the conclusion of ecclesiastical proceedings, Fr Daniel will be suspended from all pastoral duties to which he was assigned. While everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Western American Diocese nonetheless takes allegations of misconduct in any form very seriously and must act accordingly to insure the safety and security of all our Orthodox parishioners and others as we conduct our worship and ministries together. Such misconduct is abhorrent and not condoned by the Holy Orthodox Faith. We are deeply concerned and pray for all involved. The Western American Diocese stands ready to cooperate with the civil authorities. Further, anyone who might be, or knows someone that has been, a victim of sexual abuse by a member of the diocesan clergy, church employee, or volunteer should first call the police and then report the matter, confidentially, to the Diocesan ombudsman at 415 930-9069.

END

In short, the diocese did suspend the priest and made it clear that the cleric had no choice in the matter. This should clear up some of the online speculation on this. Now, it’s in the court’s hands. If the court finds him guilty, the diocese, no doubt, will defrock him. We shouldn’t shun him if he gets slam time… but he’s definitely out of the clergy. My thanks to my interlocutor who made this available to me in its original form.

BMD

Priest Accused of Patronising Prostitute Under 18 and Possessing Cocaine

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A Eugene man who works as an English instructor and serves as a priest at a local church faces prostitution and drug charges after police conducted a sting operation posing as a juvenile. Eugene Police said that the investigation started with the arrest of the juvenile for prostitution. Investigators determined that Daniel James Mackay, 42, had contact with the juvenile on more than one occasion, saying:

Police conducted a sting operation and exchanged information with Mackay, posing as the minor and arranged to meet him on 12 October.

Police met with Mackay and arrested him on charges of Purchasing Sex with a Minor, Sexual Misconduct, Patronizing a Prostitute, Endangering the Welfare of a Minor, Unlawful Possession of Cocaine, and Using a Minor in a Controlled Substance Offense. A police spokesperson declined to release the age or gender of the minor involved in the case. Lane Community College confirmed that Mackay is a part-time instructor in the English department and declined further comment. The website of St John the Wonderworker Orthodox Church lists Mackay as a member of the clergy. A person who answered the phone at the church asked a reporter to call back Friday. The church’s website says Mackay became a deacon in 2009 and a priest in 2011.

13 October 2016

KVAL 13 Eugene OR

http://kval.com/news/local/police-man-accused-of-patronizing-prostitute-under-18

Editor:

Andrew Damick runs around ranting how “normal” tithers are and how nasty we non-tithers are. Well… the HOOMies are tithers and a more screwball and goofy bunch doesn’t exist in Orthodoxy. For years, stories circulated about the nasty doings amongst the HOOMies… mostly told by those who escaped the stifling and lockstep atmosphere of this oddbod group. I’d encourage the bishops to dig deeper… I’d say that these people are a mortal cancer. They believe themselves better than the rest of us are, yet no one speaks of the sordid underside of this group… its hyperclericalism, their Stepford Wives mentality, its rigourism and akrivia of the most rancid sort… they withhold the chalice for no substantive reason. That’s not to mention their adherence to Far Right political ideologies at odds with the Church or idiosyncratic teachings not in sync with the Church’s official statements (such as the lie that artificial contraception is sinful… the Church said the exact opposite).

Frankly, I believe that these people aren’t Orthodox in the least and that we’d be better off without them. Good riddance to bad rubbish…

BMD