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	Dave Woods: Faith, Not Fashion, Drives Comments The Joplin Globe October 20, 2007 http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial/local_story_293090631.html It's been more than a year since the Globe's readers and online viewers first read about the allegations of child-sexual abuse involving leaders of the Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church. Investigators alleged that the church's pastor, Raymond Lambert, along with other congregation members, sexually abused young girls at the compound the church owns in McDonald County. One of the accused congregation members, Laura Epling, the wife of one of the church's deacons, is charged with second-degree statutory sodomy stemming from the alleged abuse of a 16-year-old girl. Epling is to stand trail on the charge in mid-November. Last week, her attorney filed a motion in court to keep members of an activist group, Bikers Against Child Abuse, from wearing their leather biker gear in the courtroom during the trial. Epling's attorney contends the gear is inappropriate for the courtroom and could be unsettling to some jurors. Each time an update on this story hits the pages of the Globe, a firestorm of comments soon follows. When the news of this latest motion to keep biker gear out of the courtroom was published, Globe viewers dashed to their computers and the debate on faith — not fashion — flared up again online at joplinglobe.com. "I thought it was our right to wear whatever we wanted. This is crazy. Everyone can wear what they want — that's their right. These people need to worry about if they are going to go to jail, not what someone is wearing. Whoever their lawyer is needs to find a new job. It's not a fashion show." — I can't believe I'm reading this story A contentious exchange "Just goes to show you, the only religious people we can trust are politicians." — curious "Hey, curious ... I am a very religious person. My husband is a preacher and we would NEVER do anything like that. Those people make me sick! So, you need to shut your mouth with comments like that! There are a few nut cases that hide behind religion, just like there are nut cases that hide behind all kinds of jobs. We see in the news all the time. The guys that go after kids hold all kinds of jobs. So, watch what you say!" — anonymous "You say you and your husband (who is a preacher) would NEVER do anything like this. The bottom line is that you can't trust anyone — ever. You swearing it doesn't make it so. Knowing this information isn't a bad thing, It just helps keep you safer." — C. Daniels "Wow, I don't even know where to begin! C. Daniels, yes, I know my husband and I would never do anything like that, we've been married for 20 years, and he has never done that and nor have I. I know myself, and children do not turn me on. I would probably kill someone if they did that to my child. Is killing wrong? You betcha. If one reads the Bible, you will find that if you murder someone — along with child molesters — you will go to hell. I am scared for my kids like all normal parents. My husband and I do not portray that we walk closer to God than others. The only difference is he tells folks what the Bible says that we all should be doing. We all are sinners. We do not think we are better than other people, we just have the hope and peace that when we die, we will go to Heaven. I think you would find that I am a normal person, and it breaks my heart that you are saying those things about me, when you don't even know me!
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