Saturday, August 14, 2010

The Preacher and the Prostitute


News finally appears in the local print media on the third day that Rev. Joshua Wisdom, 37, one of the pastors at The Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, was among nine people arrested Wednesday for sexual solicitation during a sting operation aimed at customers of local escortitutes, according to Bentonville Police Chief James Allen.

We are told that everything happens for a reason according to God’s plan, but are we to believe that He planned an online sting operation to nab one of the Pompous Pharisees looking for illicit nookie? There must be another explanation for this sad event, and there is. Rev. Wisdom should get the Benton County taxpayers to hire Asa Hutchinson for $600 an hour to write a brief that goes something like this:

May it please the Court, the Pompous Pharisee desired him that he would eat with him. And Rev. Wisdom went into Ronnie’s house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that rev. Wisdom sat at meat in the Church of Ronnie at Pinnacle Hills , brought a tube of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when Ronnie’s loyal lieutenants saw it, Andy Wilson, the executive leader of ministry and operations at First Baptist Church of Springdale and The Church at Pinnacle Hills, spake “This man, if he were a better youth minister, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. We are shocked at this news; however, we are looking to the Lord who provides us strength in the midst of a crisis, and we are demanding his immediate resignation.”

And Rev. Wisdom answering said unto him, Andy, I have somewhat to say unto thee. There were certain banks which had five debtors: John Nock, John David Lindsey, Brandon Barber, Hank Broyles, and Collins Haynes. And when they had foolishly spent the borrowed money and had nothing to pay, they either defaulted on loans or declared bankruptcy and were forgiven their debts. Tell me therefore, which of them will love the federal bankruptcy code the most? Which of them made off with more money than this troubled working girl? Who is the greater sinner?

And Wisdom turned to the woman, and said unto Andy, “Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

And Rev. Wisdom said unto the undercover cop pretending to be prostitute, “Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” However, Rev. Wisdom was not forgiven. The Church of Ronnie at Pinnacle Hills and First Baptist Church of Springdale didn’t buy his story about wanting to love the sinner while hating the sin, and they demanded his resignation, effective immediately. Bentonville Police Chief James Allen didn’t bite either, charging Rev. Wisdom with Sexual Solicitation, a Class B Misdemeanor. None of the morally bankrupt developers were charged with any crime for welching on their debts to the banks, but they might have been unable to read the notes they signed for multiple millions. Verily, this is a fundamental case of religious liberty, just as much as that self-ordained tree-sitting minister down in Fayetteville professing that selling mushrooms to undercover cops was a sacrament.


That should be enough for Rev. Wisdom to get off in Benton County.

11 comments:

  1. Not that I have much sympathy for the self-inflicted trials and tributlations of the Roman Catholic Church, but it is good to see folks pay attention to sex scandals in the Southern Baptist churches. Few churches and organizations are free from scandal from time to time, but certain ones really rack them up. I think it's because of their self-righteous attitudes, thinking they are some how better than everyone else.

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  2. "I've found that the world's second oldest profession bears a close resemblance to the first."

    .

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  3. Wisdom was actually a student pastor...

    If you're not from this area; let me say it's quite ornate and you can see the crosses they "erected" from a distance. The head pastor actually fly's a helicopter from the "6 flags over Jesus" church in Pinnacle Hills to the sister church in Springdale!

    I wonder if Wisdom, when represented by a publice defender think differently about "entitlements."

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  4. The helicopter thing is a local urban myth. Doesn't happen. But the massive crosses and over-the-top campus is, sadly, all too real.

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  5. In the Q'uran it is written:

    37:143 And had he [Jonah] not been of those who [even in the deep darkness of their distress are able to] extol God's limitless glory,

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  6. Josh Wisdom, when acting as a Youth Director in Trussville Alabama never took his job very serious. Even as an adult he had his little clicks and girls he liked to hang with and some of the parents treated him as a celebrity. There was something very strange about him and the relationships he had. He was no minister...We were glad to see him go back to Arkansas.

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  7. wow, I'm with you on a pastor that takes advantage of his position but doesn't it get a little old to keep bringing up the same ole developers week in and week out? It would be nice to see someone step up and develop in a way that would we be fitting of the approval of the Iconoclast, et al. Cheers.

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  8. Sad situation, what is the world, christianity, moral standards, coming too? How do these people gain the trust and faith of so many people and gain a position that makes the whole Church look bad when they do something like this! What makes them even think they can get away with it? I would be very interested to know how this person came to have this position in the Church? Was it his qualifications or did he know someone?

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  9. While this is a great scar on the cause of Christ, no real christian ever claimed to be perfect, so since they are not perfect they can fall prey to Satans temptations the same as anyone else. I feel bad for this mans family and those who trusted him. In bringing in Pastor Floyd and bashing him and the developers that have nothing to do with the mans infidelity, you have discredited yourself as a bitter man/woman who uses the internet to blab your senseless hate. Please grow up and use your pathetic corner of the internet to be relavent and positive. Your blog has a scarce few facts mixed with resentment, hatred, and negativity. Those who agree with you are the same as you, just less ambitious with there sorry lives to have their own blog so they read yours and say, "yeah what he said."

    While it is horrible that this man or any other man would portray himself a minister of Christ while falling prey to this type of sin that has so much ripple effect, you are no better than he as you hide behind your keyboard spouting about things you know very little about.

    Grow Up, Research Up or just Shut Up. You are the true meaning of a gossip.

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  10. Anonymous 10:50--

    Did the events involving Rev. Wisdom not really happen? His collapse into the arms of temptation-- which it appears he went out of his way to achieve-- is news. What is the knowledge that you think Jonah and his readership lack?

    Oh, it might be gossip if it were about the guy next door. But Rev. Wisdom had taken it upon itself to tell the rest of us not just how to behave, but how our behavior damns us in the eyes of his invisible sky-man. He did so from the heights of a hypocritically worldly Jeez-Mart in one of northwest Arkansas' glitziest worldly failures.

    As a public figure of particular interest, Rev. Wisdom is not immune from coverage in a blog such as The Iconoclast, which is known for its style. The tone of this post is no different from the tone of any other post here wherein Jonah shows disapproval of hypocrisy or shady dealings. If you don't like The Iconoclast or its readers, then don't read the blog or the comments.

    Better yet, pray for us. That's what good Christians do.

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