The Rev. Bruce MacInnes, senior pastor at Turner’s Chapel Church in Sanford for over 26 years, has been a voice in local media for a while, penning a regular column, “The Bible Speaks,” in The Sanford Herald.
MacInnes took to The Herald‘s opinion page this week, offering a lengthy letter in support of Roy Moore, the embattled U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama who’s been accused by five women of sexually assaulting them when they were teenagers. And yes, five women — a number that MacInnes, in his letter, refutes (as if two isn’t serious enough).
The letter is surprising. The line between religion and electioneering has always been blurred, but MacInnes — in steadfast support of a man running for office three states away — is “politics from the pulpit” at its worst. Then again …
MacInnes’ letter is also disturbing, and not just because it puts blind faith behind a man who actually might have done terrible things — dating underage girls while he was in his 30s and sexually assaulting at least one of them (allegedly). His words — “Who is for Roy Moore? I am.” — are strong. If Roy Moore is guilty of these allegations, they can’t be erased with an, “Oh, shucks. I guess I was wrong.” MacInnes has heard all the evidence and read everything we have. This is still his stance.
MacInnes’ letter victim shames and dismisses serious allegations as political attacks.
His letter is below. We respond with gifs.
Tell us what you think.
Don’t be so quick to judge Moore
I do not know Judge Roy Moore personally, but I have followed his career since he refused to take down the 10 Commandments in his courtroom.
He is one of the most courageous Christians I have ever known. A man of great integrity and commitment to the truth. He has suffered great political and career-ending consequences from his unwillingness to abandon the law and the truth.
Now, after nearly 40 years in public life, 40 years of impeccable character in public service, two women (not five) have accused him of sexual misconduct. They have no evidence and there are no witnesses.
There are holes in their stories, but it doesn’t matter to Moore’s enemies, because they are concerned only with his political demise. Moore has many political enemies who fear his arrival in the Senate. They know Moore cannot be bought and will not do what most politicians do, which is anything they have to, so as to keep their job.
Sen. Mitch McConnell and the establishment Republicans spent a lot of money in the primary to defeat him, lying about him in paid political ads, because they wanted Luther Strange, who was one of them. The left hates him ideologically and the Rhinos hate him because he will upset their power structure, and even conservatives are piling on because they don’t want to be perceived as soft on sexual predators.
Who is for Roy Moore? I am.
I believe in innocent until proven guilty, because the Bible informs me that no fact is confirmed without the testimony of two or three witnesses (Matt 18:16, Deut. 19:15; 1 Tim 5:19).
Anyone can lie about someone else, but the accuser is not to be believed based on his or her word alone. When there is a lack of witnesses, the one who is accused is exonerated. When it is a “he said, she said,” which this is, the person who should be believed is the one of character, not the one with an agenda.
Besides all this, the accusers said nothing for 40 years in which Moore has been in public life. The fact that they are coming forward one month before the election should say everything about who is lying and who is not.
Hopefully, time will tell, but time is not on Moore’s side, which is what his enemies intended all along.
The Rev. Bruce MacInnes
Sanford
pitiful bastard
I have crossed swords in the LTE column of the Sanford Herald a number of times with our very own Old Testment prophet, Bruce McInnes. He and his congregation at Turner’s Chapel are a nest of Christian vipers. Rev. McInnes and a number of his followers are what I call “public Christians”. They excel in telling you what excellent Christians they are. Their actions send another message.
You are absolutely right. I have interacted with members of Turner’s Chapel in a public setting, and they are incredibly rude to the people who wait on them. They are the kind of people who give Christians a bad name. And if anyone takes offense to these comments, they’d do well to examine their own behavior. Not loving, not kind. Unless you’re a Republican–then they’ll forgive pedophilia.
“Unless you’re a Republican–then they’ll forgive pedophilia.”
…..having by the Grace of God escaped Sandordians such as you, I’ll bet I could pinpoint within a few feet which part of town YOU hail from.
Disgraceful, how can he call himself a Christian, let alone a pastor? I just moved here and fervently hope there is only one church and pastor like this in Sanford. I think of all the young women who were not able to come forth with their stories, based on reports by so many people of Moore’s behavior toward young teenage girls..