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On Friday, Christianity Today reported that the Justice Department has opened a federal investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention over allegations that leadership hushed up allegations of sexual abuse.
"The SBC Executive Committee confirmed on Friday that the Justice Department 'has initiated an investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention, and that the investigation will include multiple SBC entities,'" reported Kate Shellnutt. "The general counsel for the Executive Committee — which oversees day-to-day business for the convention and was the subject of the SBC’s own abuse investigation — said the EC has received a subpoena, but no individuals have been subpoenaed at this point."
"“While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future,” said the SBC in a statement vowing to cooperate with federal investigators.
"An independent investigation by Guidepost Solutions into the EC, released in May 2022, found that over the past 20 years, its leaders had compiled a secret list of more than 700 abusive pastors and mistreated the victims who asked them for help," said the report. "The investigation, which cost over $2 million, spanned 330 interviews and five terabytes of documents collected over eight months."
The Southern Baptist Convention is one of several major Christian denominations facing such allegations.
For years, the Roman Catholic Church has been accused of shuffling around priests who abused children, with former Pope Benedict XVI even admitting — after years of denial — that he mishandled multiple abuse cases while he was archbishop of Munich, Germany. Another recent report revealed that leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was aware of child abuse cases and had a policy of keeping them concealed.
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Republicans 'have blood on their hands': J6 member says Cincinnati gunman is dead because he 'believed the lies'
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Republicans 'have blood on their hands': J6 member says Cincinnati gunman is dead because he 'believed the lies'
August 12, 2022
Toxic rhetoric by Republicans following an FBI execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago is responsible for the death of the Ohio man who allegedly attacked the FBI field office in Cincinnati, according to a member of the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Ricky Shiffer, 42, was reportedly at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and an account on Donald Trump's Truth Social website appeared to post between his attack and his final, fatal encounter with law enforcement.
"Well, I thought I had a way through bullet proof glass, and I didn't. If you don't hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the F.B.I., and it'll mean either I was taken off the internet, the F.B.I. got me, or they sent the regular cops while —" the post ended, apparently mid sentence.
The same account posted angry posts on Truth Social the day after the search warrant was executed.
"People, this is it," the account warned. "I hope a call to arms comes from someone better qualified, but if not, this is your call to arms from me. Leave work tomorrow as soon as the gun shop/Army-Navy store/pawn shop opens, get whatever you need to be ready for combat. We must not tolerate this one."
Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), a member of the select committee, spoke with Raw Story about the impact of the GOP attacks on the FBI.
"What I am worried about is the irresponsible language that elected officials who have a platform are using, that is causing — that caused people to show up here on Jan. 6 and engage in violence against law enforcement officers," Murphy said.
"I am concerned that the same language on the very same channels at the same level, maybe even higher this time, is going to result in people losing their lives," she said.
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Marjorie Taylor Greene rants about Jan. 6 as she announces plans to impeach Merrick Garland
"And we already saw that happen once, with the Cincinnati shouting," Murphy continued. "This person believed the lies that were sold to him by people in positions of power, he acted on it and committed crimes and as a result lost his life."
"I think that elected officials who have a platform also have a responsibility to be careful about their language. And so, perpetrating these lies, they have blood on their hands," Murphy concluded.
With additional reporting by Matt Laslo.
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House Republican says classified Mar-a-Lago nuclear material is available 'on your own phone'
August 12, 2022
United States Congressman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) suggested on Friday that the nuclear documents that the Federal Bureau of Investigation reportedly recovered from former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida during the execution of a search warrant on Monday are no big deal.
"I can tell you that there are a number of things that are classified that fall under the umbrella of nuclear weapons but that are not necessarily things that are truly classified," Turner, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters at a press conference. "Many of them you can find on your own phone as we stand here and if they fall into that category, they're not an imminent national security threat that would rise to the level of, you have to raid Donald Trump's home and spend nine hours there."
There are "two types of classification," according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's website. "The first type, known as national security information, is information that is classified by an Executive Order. Its release would damage national security to some degree. The second type, known as restricted data, is information that is classified by the Atomic Energy Act. It would assist individuals or organizations in designing, manufacturing, or using nuclear weapons. Access to both types of information is restricted to authorized persons who have been properly cleared and have a 'need to know' the information for their official duties. For additional detail, see Classified Information."
Watch below or at this link.
\u201cTurner: There are a number of things that are classified that fall under the umbrella of nuclear weapons but that are not necessarily things that are truly classified. Many of them you can find on your own phone\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1660314599
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