Remember The Alamo

This might not be the battle that got its way into popular culture, but you’ll sure remember this case for all the elements that it contains. A crazy control freak, a submissive-near-stupid wife, child abuse, child pornography, violence, hypocrisy, a conspiracy theory, tax evasion, a southern state, and, of course, a man of god.

Pastor on trial gives defense witness a thumbs-up

TEXARKANA, Ark. — The woman considered to be the common-law wife of evangelist Tony Alamo told jurors at his sex-crimes trial Tuesday that she thought the wedding rings in his bedroom were gifts to the ministry, and that she didn't notice that younger and younger girls were living with them.

This first paragraph should be enough to blow one’s mind. The main actor in this tragicomedy is Tony Alamo, a Christian evangelist prominent enough to have his own Wikipedia page. There are also some links that depict Alamo as a very interesting man of god, such as his issues with tax evasion and child pornography. But there is a lot more than that.

Tony Alamo, 74, is accused of taking five young girls across state lines for sex between 1994 and 1995 after "marrying" them. Defense lawyers say prosecutors targeted him because the government is anti-Christian. Alamo, who has pleaded not guilty, has also said the Vatican is behind his troubles.

So, we have pedophilia, polygamy a conspiracy theory all in one package. And this was a man who had a church, a man who people followed and respected.

Sharon Alamo, 50, acknowledged to jurors that she had seen young women wearing wedding rings around the house.

"Didn't you notice the girls moving into the defendant's residence ... were getting younger and younger?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes asked.

"No, I didn't," she replied.

Besides the natural outrage, it only makes sense that such a man can only get such a retarded woman as a wife.

Sharon Alamo said she never formally married Alamo but lives with him, took his name and conducted business as his wife. She also said she allowed Alamo to call her "a weasel, a rotten bastard and a liar" to help him get his anger out.

Such love… does it come from Christ?

Another witness — the mother of an 18-year-old woman who said testified last week that she was "married" to Alamo at age 8 — spoke to jurors for 15 minutes before U.S. District Judge Harry F. Barnes ordered her remarks stricken from the record.

What kind of woman let’s her daughter get married at 8? Besides muslims, I mean.

In her brief remarks to jurors, the woman said Alamo had interceded with Christ on her behalf as she faced a medical emergency involving her heart.

Wow…

Over four days of graphic testimony, five women said they "married" Alamo as teens or preteens and were sexually assaulted by him. They said they traveled to other states for sex with him or responded to his call and returned to Arkansas and had sex with him.

It’s indisputable that this man, Alamo, is not a sane man. What I can’t understand is how such an insane person can have such power over people to get them to give away their underage daughters, teens and preteens, to a man who just “marries” them and takes them only to have sex with him? Is this really the power of god, to give a man such power to commit such horrible crimes without anybody noticing? If that’s so, what a dick of a god. This is why religion is dangerous, because it requires people to stop thinking and just obey that who claim to be a special person who has been given power and knowledge by god. Obedience and submissiveness are deemed as virtues so high that nothing can be questioned, even the most obvious and horrific actions if they are committed in the of god.

Prosecutors wrapped up their case against Alamo earlier Tuesday after playing recordings of telephone calls he made while being held before trial. On one, he told a girl who questioned one of his orders that he still ruled the Arkansas compound.

"Just because I'm in jail, you'll find out that I'm still in charge. OK, kid? You understand?" Alamo told the girl, who is not among those he is accused of abusing.

Unbelievable.


UPDATE: Alamo was found guilty and sentenced under the counts of taking minors across state lines for sex. Each count can be up to 10 years in prison, which means this guy will die in prison. When CNN interviewed him regarding authorities searching his property, Alamo compared himself to Jesus:

"Why were they after Jesus," he asked. "It's the same reason. Jesus is living within me."

It might sound like another christian zealot, but actually is the same thing most christian denominations preach: "Jesus lives in me, Jesus is with us, Jesus belongs to our team". And all of them think they are right. Just like Alamo.