Story Archive

Moral Outrage of the Month

When Tina Anderson was 15 years old and pregnant, the minister of Trinity Baptist Church in Concord, N.H., brought her to the front of the congregation to ask for forgiveness. Pastor Chuck Phelps read from Deuteronomy about a virgin who has sex with a man and “did not cry for help” — and then the man and woman are stoned to death. Phelps expelled Anderson from the church’s school, and helped her move out of town to live with a family he knew in Colorado. Police in Concord couldn’t reach her, which made it impossible for investigators to follow up on her accusation that she was raped by another church member. It wasn’t until 14 years later that Anderson contacted police back home. When confronted, Ernest Willis, now 52, confessed to a “thoughtless act of sexual misconduct.” Anderson says when she told him she was pregnant, Willis offered to punch her in the stomach to cause a miscarriage. Anderson testified she had refused his suggestion of an abortion because she had “been taught growing up, the church believes that’s one of the worst things you can do.” The baby was put up for adoption in Colorado. Anderson didn’t press things because Pastor Phelps had told her “good Christians forgive and forget” when she told him her stepfather had abused her. Willis was convicted of two counts of rape, and sentenced to 15–30 years in prison. His public defenders plan to appeal the sentence. (RC/Concord Monitor) ...So do I: why isn’t Phelps being sentenced too?