60-Year-Old Pastor Marries Teenager He Impregnated With Wife’s Support

[KamaAina]

Not The Onion!!

http://www.alan.com/2015/12/02/60-year-old-pastor-marries-teenager-he-impregnated-with-wifes-support/#

Thom Miller, an Ohio-based pastor, has married a teenage woman and is having a child with her, all with the support of his 44-year-old wife Belinda.

The 60-year-old, who spent time earlier in life behind bars as a member of the mob, says that all three are satisfied with the arrangement, According to Barcroft Media.

“The whole situation works for all three of us,” Miller said to Barcroft. “I am the only one who is allowed to have more than one partner — and both of my wives understand and appreciate that.”

He refers to the two women as “sister wives.”

[Thinkingabout]

1. Pervert, both he and his wife shoild be charged.

[itsrobert]

3. What would be the charge?

The teenager is 19 years old; above the age of consent. Polygamy?

[Spider Jerusalem]

62. Bigamy, it's illegal (under Ohio law this second marriage is not valid)

[-none]

2. Sure, why not?

The Bible says it is OK.

[kelly1mm]

4. Consenting adults should be able to make whatever decisions they wish about

whom they form relationships with IMO. I personally would do away with state recognized marriage totally and go to straight contract based rights between as many consenting adults or whatever gender wished to enter into such arrangements.

[TheFarS1de]

5. True

But in this case it would appear that the Pastor was in a position of power over the person from a young age , making it creepy beyond words . In these circumstances someone should investigate how far back this goes .

[pnwmom]

7. Yeah, and consenting adults are free to be disgusted by this, too. n/t

[kelly1mm]

20. Just as consenting adults are free to be discusted by same sex or interracial marriage too I guess

(but would certainly not share those thoughts). I prefer to not care who consenting adults decide to hook up with but to each their own I suppose ....

[pnwmom]

22. This is a behavior, not an orientation or a fixed physical condition. So they're not comparable. n/t

[kelly1mm]

23. The emotional state of being disgusted by whom some other consenting adult decides to be

with without respecting their agency is what I find troubling. If She, He and She are happy with the arrangement why does it bother you so much? Is their marriage somehow damaging yours (or your potential marriage)?

[pnwmom]

24. Because I think the 19 year old, barely out of high school, is being taken advantage of. nt

[DLevine]

26. I'm with you on this. nt

[kelly1mm]

28. I don't strip consenting adults of agency. They all seem happy and I congratulate them on their

marriage.

[pnwmom]

30. We don't know anything about how happy the women are. Only the man is talking

and he's obviously happy.

“The whole situation works for all three of us,” Miller said to Barcroft. “I am the only one who is allowed to have more than one partner — and both of my wives understand and appreciate that.”

[kelly1mm]

32. There is a picture in post 18 of this thread. In it they all look happy. If the arrangement

they have is that he can have more than one partner and they (the wives) cannot and they all agree to that what is the problem? People do lots of things for those they love that I find kooky but if it works for them then I am all for it!

[pnwmom]

33. Anyone can smile for a picture. That means NOTHING. n/t

[kelly1mm]

36. You seem to have derived that these women are somehow unhappy or being taken advantage

of based on your projecting yourself into (what you know of) their situation and stripping them (especially the 19 year old) of agency. Do you have ANYTHING besides your own projection to back up your position?

At least I have a picture! lol!

[pnwmom]

39. A 19 year old doesn't have a fully developed brain.

Legally. we've made 18 year olds adults, but that was an arbitrary decision. Before that, the legal age was 21. The previous age was actually closer to recognizing the reality of brain development.

http://www.livescience.com/7005-brains-young-adults-fully-mature.html

At an age when Americans are first considered adults, their brains are still maturing, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Dartmouth College scanned the brains of nineteen 18-year-old students who had moved more than 100 miles to attend school.

SNIP

A group of 17 older students, ranging in age from 25 to 35, served as a control group for comparison. The results showed that the freshmen students' brains underwent significant changes and were very different from that of the older adults.

[kelly1mm]

42. So what? Are you suggesting that 18 year olds should not be able to marry? What about consent to

an abortion? Should 19 year olds be able to do that? What about consent to sexual relations at all?

While I do agree the age of 18 being set as being 'adult' is arbitrary and it could for some individuals be much higher (or lower)age when they reach 'brain adulthood' we as a society have made 18 the age for basically everything save alcohol consumption. I am OK with that as a bright line rule and think that the vast majority of 18 year olds are legally competent and while I may not make some of the same decisions they do it is their life to live.

I just think that it is odd that many jump to the conclusion without any evidence that this particular trio is not happy and/or being taken advantage of. But it would not be the first (or last) time I was not in the majority!

[mythology]

48. Those of us against it also have history

Polygamist groups are at the very least nearly universal in being misogynistic, with all power in the hands of men and having bad outcomes for women.

My favorite bit from the article is "Ethnographic surveys of 69 polygamous cultures “reveals no case where co-wife relations could be described as harmonious,” Henrich writes, with what must be a good dose of understatement."

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/01/the_problem_with_polygamy.html

[kelly1mm]

51. I would agree that the vast majority of Polygamist groups are misogynistic and I would support

assisting any of the three of these people if they wanted to leave the relationship. That being said if a consenting adult makes the choice to enter into such a relationship then who am I (or anyone) to judge for that person?

[Fantastic Anarchist]

53. I don't know - I mean, it could be said that we are all predisposed to have more than one partner.

I'm not necessarily making that argument, just sort of playing devil's advocate. I'm not an evolutionary biologist, so I don't know the merit of my claim.

Also, why are only fixed physical conditions or orientations permissible? There are a lot of "behaviors" that we do not outlaw. A condition may not have to be inherent to be permissible, and going further, wouldn't a consistent pattern of behaviors be a condition, though not necessarily inherent? I'm not trying to play the semantic game; I'm genuinely asking for the sake of discussion. Where is the line drawn to which we regulate behavior vis-à-vis condition or orientation?

[pnwmom]

61. To say that we are all predisposed to it is not an argument in its favor.

All of us can decide how many partners to have. But that doesn't mean all the arrangements we might make must be legally recognized.

I am not talking about outlawing polygamy or prosecuting consenting adults. I am talking about whether the government has to legally recognize polygamous marriages. And I don't see why it should have to -- under our current constitution. Everyone, no matter what their background, is entitled to one legally recognized marriage with the attendant legal obligations and benefits.

If people want more than one, they can have it -- but not with the legal ramifications.

Unless we, as a democratic country, pass legislation setting up a legal framework for polygamy. Which is doubtful, at least for the foreseeable future.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

63. Oh yeah, I agree. I'm not advocating making it legal ...

... but certainly wouldn't advocate making it illegal, either.

Thanks for your input.

[kcr]

45. Comparing 60 year old men with teenagers

with same sex and interracial marriage? What next, Santorum?

[kelly1mm]

49. I was not 'comparing' the people being judged (interracial/SS/MM Marriages) but rather commenting

that LOTS of people are 'disgusted' by relationships they would not personally be involved in and project their own prejudices on others while stripping those they judge of agency. In other words, it is not WHY someone is disgusted but rather that someone is disgusted at all at someone else's choice of life partner(s) that baffles me.

I will not strip the men or women in this relationship of agency like so many here seem to want to.

and thanks for the insult.

[CoffeeCat]

56. The age disparity is creepy...

...and given that he is a pastor who had a sexual relationship with one of his "flock", that would be unethical and may be illegal.

In my state, it is illegal. A pastor was charged with having a sexual relationship with several of his female parishioners.

It's similar to the laws that teachers and therapists/psychologists must follow. A teacher may have a student who is 18--the age of consent--but the relationship has a power disparity. People can easily be taken advantage of, due to the inherent nature of the relationship.

When you add in the fact that she is 19 and he's 60--this whole thing is abusive.

[kelly1mm]

58. Untill I hear she is not a willing participant in this marriage I will not strip her of her agency

and I wish all of them well and congratulations on the coming baby. If any of these participants want to leave the relationship I would be supportive of assisting them to do so. However if it works for them who am I to judge? Who are you to judge?

[CoffeeCat]

60. Because of the age...

...and power disparity.

It's abusive.

As a pastor, he maintains leverage over her, because she is one of his parishioners.

There are laws against this for good reason.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

52. I don't disagree but his rule that he alone can have more than one partner is troubling at the least

This isn't about freely engaging in consensual contracts with other parties that are not coercive. This is about power and dominion. If he isn't going to allow his wives the right to do what he himself claims as his right, then that's not something I would support.

If, however, he and his partners all have equal say in the rules of their relationships, I have no problem with it - as it is not my business.

[kelly1mm]

54. For me it is an agency issue. I will conceede that many (most probably) of these relationships

are one sided and generally misogynistic. However if one is OK with that and makes a decision that the benefits of the relationship outweigh the costs then more power to them.

Thus I suppose my difference would be that all partners do not have to have equal say at all in the rules of the relationship but rather something akin to informed consent. Basically if one party says "these are my rules and it is my way or the highway!" and the other(s) agree then I am OK with them doing it (even if I would not) as to do otherwise would strip them of their agency.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

57. Fair enough.

I cautiously agree - but I'd imagine that this "informed consent" caveat is anything but informed or consent, and are more than likely directly or indirectly coercive. But, that's conjecture on my part, and so, I suppose, in principle, I do agree, but reservedly so.

[kelly1mm]

59. True, what would be considered informed consent would be open to interpretation for sure! I guess

my default would be that a competent adults stated choice absent actual fraud would be enough (to me). I have a problem with 'coercive' as I find almost all relationships between individuals (romantic, friendship, work related) at least minimally coercive. In romantic relationships this is almost built into the cake from the beginning! Humans in my experience use people to get what they want (be that money, power, sex ......) universally and those we consider 'good' are just more concerned with making it a mutually beneficial situation.

[LittleBlue]

6. That is ermmm, quite an age gap

The 19-year-old is the biggest loser in this. Squandering her youth on this weirdo cultist.

Hopefully she comes to her senses.

[Ilsa]

8. i bet Belinda is glad she doesn't have to "service" him any more. nt

[Dorian Gray]

29. ding ding ding

Sure, go ahead and mary the young dingbat, you old codger. I'll happily NOT have to deal with you anymore!

[MrWendel]

9. There has to be...

A Kim Davis link in there somewhere.... now excuse me while I go back to vomiting.

[valerief]

10. Sister wives and ASSHOLE husband. nt

[struggle4progress]

11. Isn't that just .. um .. the most .. er .. special .. uh .. love story

Emma Henderson Wednesday 2 December 2015

... former Mafia enforcer .. met his first wife .. who had seven children from a previous marriage, eight years ago ...

... after Mrs Miller suggested finding another woman .. the couple bumped into <19-year-old Reba Kerfootruba> ...

Mr Miller said: “I’ve known Reba for a long time ... When she hugged me, it wasn’t a normal hug ...

The pair married at his church .. seven years after Thom married Belinda. Mr Miller is now fighting to have his marriage recognised by the state ... Reba's family were initially against the relationship ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/thom-miller-the-man-who-married-his-pregnant-girlfriend-with-the-consent-of-his-wife-ohio-america-a6755536.html

[olddots]

12. we are DEVO

[panader0]

13. He should use his hands as "sister wives".

[smirkymonkey]

14. Gross.

[951-Riverside]

15. Shes 19, whats the problem?

[kelly1mm]

21. People love to strip those that make decisions they would not make of agency, especially if the

person is female (or to a lessor extent a minority). It is one of the main hallmarks of my own personal distinction between 'progressives' and 'liberals'.

[hifiguy]

16. Time for the satire sites to throw in the towel.

[Photographer]

17. Amazing what people do when they believe all they have to do is ask forgiveness.

People like this make me sick.

[oberliner]

18. Here's a photo of the trio

[kelly1mm]

25. They look pretty happy together. Congratulations to the three of them! nt

[kcr]

46. Excellent ability to read people, there

How did you get so good at that?

[kelly1mm]

50. Do they look miserable to you? If so how did you get so at reading people? Do you tend

to shit on everyone's wedding photos or just those who's lifestyle choices you personally disagree with?

Big smiles and hugs all the way around is what I am seeing, am I wrong?

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

65. Just another way to rebel against parents

I don't see that young woman hanging around for more than a couple of years.

[Jesus Malverde]

19. Kinda weird age gap and not into religious nuts but

monogamy is overrated and itself a religious construct. Consenting adults should be able to do what they want with their consenting personal relationships.

[2pooped2pop]

27. wife number one is probably glad to get him out of her bed.

lol

[madinmaryland]

31. I know where you are going, Kama...

I DON'T live anywhere near Mansfield, though there used to be a Dutch Pantry that my family would stop at for lunch on the way up to my grandparents back in the 60's and 70's. It's been replaced with a Gentlemen's Club.

Yeah. It really has been.

[KamaAina]

41. Nice post, Jerrah!

[choie]

47. Dutch Pantry!!

My parents used to take me and my sister there (in PA) when we were coming home to ny from Florida in the '70s!

[NightWatcher]

34. Funny how many messiah types and holy men use their job to screw young girls

[DLevine]

35. Yup. nt

[restorefreedom]

44. a freakin men to that. nt

[pnwmom]

37. Since she's over 18 they can do this. But we don't have to support it with our taxes

by allowing him to have a multiple marriage.'

Straight people can only have one spouse. Gay people can have only one spouse. Transgender people can have only one spouse.

The law doesn't discriminate.

[Nye Bevan]

38. Did I miss when bigamy became legal?

[Aerows]

43. Apparently the moment two women, of all things

could get married, or heaven forfend, two men, everybody is pushing the envelope.

I couldn't care less what consenting adults want to do with their lives, I'm just glad that when I meet the woman of my dreams, we will be able to marry each other .

[rurallib]

40. Religion is so flexible

someone would almost think we were making it up as we go.

[SamKnause]

55. I am totally confused.

Is it not against the law to marry someone if you are already married ???

(Bigamy definition; the act of going through a marriage ceremony while

already married to another person.)

Have the laws changed ???

[Initech]

64. Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!