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June 8th, 2012
12:22 PM ET
Police arrest Georgia megachurch pastor after disturbance at homeBy John Murgatroyd and John Blake, CNN Atlanta (CNN)– Megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar was arrested in suburban Atlanta for an alleged assault on his 15-year-old daughter, police said Friday. Deputies in Georgia's Fayette County responded to a call about a domestic disturbance about 1 a.m. Friday. Dollar's daughter said she argued with her father over attending a party, said Investigator Brent Rowan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. The daughter says the argument got physical. She told the deputies that her father charged her, put his hands around her throat and began to choke her, according to a police report. She said he then slammed her to the ground, punched her and beat her with his shoe. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories Dollar's daughter was able to get away and dial 911, Rowan said. Deputies noticed a scratch on the daughter's neck and arrested Dollar on charges of simple battery, family violence and child cruelty. Deputies also spoke with another daughter, 19, who corroborated her sister's account of what happened. Dollar was booked into the Fayette County jail early Friday. A judge set his bail at $5,000 during a morning hearing, and he was released. Dollar said in a statement released to the media from his attorney, "As a father I love my children and I always have their best interest at heart at all times, and I would never use my hand to ever cause bodily harm to my children. The facts in this case will be handled privately to further protect my children. My family thanks you for your prayers and continued support." Dollar is a senior pastor of World Changers Church International in suburban Atlanta, which claims about 30,000 members and has an $18 million sanctuary that resembles a golden-domed spaceship atop a hill. He built an international religious empire, with broadcasts of his sermons beamed worldwide and speaking engagements in Europe. A barrel-chested man who favors impeccably tailored pinstripe suits in the pulpit, Dollar preaches the Prosperity Gospel, a message that says God will bless faithful Christians with wealth and debt-free living. Since he started his ministry in an elementary school cafeteria in 1986, Dollar has earned both praise and criticism. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Supporters say he has preached a message that's financially empowered his parishioners and challenged the idea that Christians should be ashamed to be rich. Critics call him "Cash-Flow Dollar," a pulpit prima donna who once refused to allow parishioners to touch him. They say his message perverts the Gospel. Dollar has had brushes with the law before, according to a lengthy 2000 profile in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was once cited for contempt of court for refusing to give a deposition during the divorce proceedings of boxer Evander Holyfield, who attended his church, according to the AJC. The AJC profile also said that 100 police officers were admonished for receiving $1,000 apiece from Dollar. Dollar sent the money to honor the officers' community service, but the act was criticized because it came a month after two traffic tickets Dollar received were downgraded to warnings, the profile said. |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. |
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Crook this self called pastors of this megarchurches living like kings and mansions. Driving expensive rides 3 or 4 girlfriends on the side plus a wife. Bunch of idiots and the ones following him even bigger idiots!!!!
the causians let their children cuss them out and hit them...we don't go for that..she should have gotten a whippin for back talkin...bet she won't do it again.
BigMo – AMEN! you said it!
tanya30134 – didn't read anything in this post about race
Exactly Tanya....
causians ?
Wow, I am shocked, SHOCKED I tell you. Who would ever have thought that a megachurch preacher would act this way? Oh yeah, we all did. I guess he couldn't stand to see a Dollar get away from him.
They believe money buys happiness and also buys off the cops.
He should tell the police if he can't raise her to take her and raise her themselves. Why is a 15 years old girl doing out this time of morning. Pastor Dollar you did nothing wrong, I don't believe everything your daughters told them were the truth. You just keep loving her and continue raising her like your mother and my mother raise us. They did not kill us when they whip
our behinds.
Did your parents choke and beat you? I suggest that is wrong, even if your parents did it.
The harder the strangle, the more love you show, right?
I know the bible promotes all sorts of violence, including violence against children, but I thought except for the gay bashing those were the parts modern christians ignored.
sorry R1983 but the law says otherwise, they call it assault you see.
*** Why is a 15 years old girl doing out this time of morning.
He sent her out for some crack, but she smoked it all.
She got a whoopin.
All nonbelievers should be put in concentration camp and be done with them. That way we will live in much better world. Proven!
Deluded! LOL
So the religious view corresponds to the Nazi view. Nice. ABout sums it up I think.
thanks for your opinion, hitler!
Astounding! Is that what Jesus teaches you???? You obviously missed a rung on the evolutionary latter!
You seem to be under the impression that we are a theocracy. We aren't.
I'm curious, when you come for us, to round us up, to fence us in, to kill us, do you expect us to go down easily? I wouldn't, if I was you. I hope you are ready for a blood-bath. This isn't 1939 Germany anymore.
It's all good baby, some day we're going to burn those churches of yours. Ask yourself, do you want to be locked inside, or not?
When was this "Proven."
*** All BELIEVERS should be put in concentration camp and be done with them. That way we will live in much better world. Proven!
Fix that for ya free of charge.
She needed beating she didn't need to go out at 1am anyway. Take your tail the bed chile. Where was Toffe Dollar?
He should have beat her a$$. First problem was the "argument". You don't argue with your father – period. Secondly, at 1 a.m. a 15 year old should have had her a$$ in bed. At 15 she is still a MINOR. Wanting to go to a party. I would party her too. And as for the 19 year old, I would put her out of my house. These free loading "wanna be grown kids" need to get their own house and run it, and not try to run the parents' home. This was DISCIPLINE. That's what's wrong with these kids today, no discipline. And when parents try to discipline their kids, they are attacked in the media as abusive. And regardless of what you proponents of this say, HE IS STILL RESPONSIBLE for whatever happens to her at 15 years old. She could not come back to my house and live on me. Megachurch pastor or not. I would send her to juvenile or foster care. Let her argue with them.
No wonder the crime rate and domestic violence is a problem. The kids learn the violence at home by the way their parents beat them.
mrsroyal, choking someone, slamming them to the ground, punching them and beating them with your she IS abuse.
"when parents try to discipline their kids, they are attacked in the media as abusive" He CHOKED her, you dumb cow. He's likely to go to jail. This isn't something you can 'pray' out of.
sorry mrsroyal but if he had done this to you it would be assault. it doesnt cease to be assault simply because the victim was a child.
Just raise the price to ten Dolla and everybody be happy.
Don't forget that a lot of false religions were prophesied about in the Bible. Matthew 7:15-20 says that you would know them by their fruits. Also Matthew 10:8 Jesus told the apostles to preach for free. Revelation 14:8 also talks about the fall of all false religion on a global scale which is coming soon. Don't be surprised if religion will be heavily taxed.After that Jesus will come a second time as a spirit not as a man.
all religions are false. all.
I believe Jesus was probably a good dude and actually existed, but citing your fairyland book to me means nothing. All religion is crap.
"Don't be surprised if religion will be heavily taxed" I'd be shocked. Churches have it made, despite Jesus' injunction to 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's." Jesus' dad paid his taxes, but Jesus' followers don't.
Don't forget that a lot of false religions were prophesied about in the Bible. Matthew 7:15-20 says that you would know them by their fruits.
Judging by the fruits of the catholic church, they forgot to put themselves at the top of the list.
Jesus was wise, you are not listening.
The catholic church is a false religion.
The day that religion is in the rear view mirror of humanity will be an awesome day. It's just people citing god as the reason for why their beliefs are right, and usually they are some of the most corrupt people out there. All religions are crap.
She is lucky that her father is not a Jamaican. At 15 I would not have even asked . Your father said no keep your ass quite! As for the 19 year old time to look for a new home.
When Nietsche said "God is dead," he meant as an answer to hard questions. Why do people die? "God kills them." Why does He do that? "God knows." I'm going to become a doctor and help people live longer. "We must kill you so you don't insult God." Come on, we live in the real world. We aren't typing these posts on Bibles, people. The world's not flat. Science works, and religion lives off donations from grannies.
Because praying accomplishes a lot. Prayer... what you do when you dont really want to lift a finger to *actually* do anything.
We have a local kid who was badly injured in a car crash. After weeks of surgery and therapy, it was announced that God had saved him. Yep, the doctors had nothing to do with it, or the EMS attendants, just good old God swooping in to take credit. Now, if he DIED, I bet they wouldn't go on the front page of the paper and announce GOD KILLS LOCAL BOY. Heck no.
People get a life. When your child disrespects you and the cops come arrest you I want to see what you say then. This has nothing to do with him as a minister. It is a family problem between a father and his daughter. No matter how you feel about him as a minister. You know as well as I do that if your child disrespected you and tried you would not have just sat their. The world is trying to take our kids already keep agreeing with crazy stuff after a while you will not be able to tell your kids anything .that is why she called the cops because the world is teaching our kids that they don't have to listen to us at all. Just call us we will take care of your parents. Then they let them out into a world that does not care one lick about them.. #thinkbeforeyoutalk
By the way everyone wants to talk about ministers. They are human just like you. None of us are perfect.
I never choked my kid, and I didnt build a global empire around "Christianity", convincing people to give me money and I will pray for them. Load of crap....
"the world is trying to take our kids already keep agreeing with crazy stuff after a while you will not be able to tell your kids anything .that is why she called the cops because the world is teaching our kids that they don't have to listen to us at all." You may have a small degree of dain bramage, lady. Wow.
Wow. So do you punch and choke and kick your children often?
and the church said, "AMEN!"
*** This has nothing to do with him as a minister.
----------------------
Yes it does.
You preach Jesus and assault a child.
Maybe you didnt get the message.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Mahatma Gandhi
That's a stupid response.... first of all, the child acted up. Children this days need a beating.. since when has disciplining your child a crime
"Children this days need a beating" Yeah, that's from Epistle to the Wifebeaters, chapter two, verse three. Very Christian stuff, I reckon.
Well to answer your question, simple battery has been a crime in Alabama since 1921, and choking your child was classified as simple battery in 1972.
Since when is strangling your child a form of discipline?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Children this days need a beating........
This line not only tells me about Christians, but also the education level they have.
Sad case of scamming ignorant people and he is a disgusting example of a false teacher. He should be ashamed but no doubt has such a ego he doesn't have an idea of what shame is all about. Disgusting!
All megachurches need to be sold, and the money used to feed the poor & hungry. The congregation can do their services in tents.
Really? Then all McMansions should as well be sold, along with all mega malls, mega restaurants, etc. to feed the poor.
Megachurches have been purchased by Christians.... and Christians do donate money to the poor and those in need, UNlike your nasty atheist people
Shan – Spoken like a true christian – a hypocritical moron.
"Really? Then all McMansions should as well be sold, along with all mega malls, mega restaurants, etc. to feed the poor." Because they are temples, too? Maybe you feel they are all owned by hypo-christians too? Help us out, now, "a mega-mall is the same as a mega-church because . . . " Because of the word "mega?" That's just mega-stupid, and I hope you choke on your nasty insulting lies about atheists.
What you dont realize is, its the mega churches that are supporting the less fortunate now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
***
Face
All megachurches need to be sold, and the money used to feed the poor & hungry. The congregation can do their services in tents.
Shan
Really? Then all McMansions should as well be sold, along with all mega malls, mega restaurants, etc. to feed the poor.
Megachurches have been purchased by Christians.... and Christians do donate money to the poor and those in need, UNlike your nasty atheist people
---------------------------------------------------–
Hey Shan, where in "face" post does it say he is an athiest ?
You christian love to accuse anybody you dont like as being "athiest".
How about, he is a christian tired of the BS ?
I am starting to think this.......................
Its the "uneducated" who cannot think for themselves who get brainwashed.
Most of you prove it with your post's.
The child did not need to be leaving at 1am to go to a party. He did the right thing. That's the problem these days. Children tying to live like they pay bills and are adults. She needed to be at home. She didn't want to obey her parents and she got her butt whooped. As well it should be. NOT NEARLY enough children are parented to this degree. I appauld the pastor, I WOULD DO THE EXACT SAME THING.
You'd choke and beat your child?.........FAIL!
You would choke your child, slam them to the ground, and beat them with a shoe?
You would try to strangle your kids too??? That's a truly great parenting technique I'm sure the experts have not even thought of. I'm sure it works like a charm.
Until all the facts are in we cant be completely sure as to what happened. However if he choked his daughter after knocking her down this would be completely unacceptable.
I applaud Creflo...if more of you spineless parents reared your children, we wouldnt have so much crime. SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD.
Although i agree this child shouldn't have been going out to a party at 1 am, violence is never okay. Especially with your children. And Especially if you worship and follow the teaching of the peace loving hippie Jesus. You sicken me! And so does this pastor...what a hypocrite!
I agree. and they use the word choke but clearly he didnt really choke her he probably grabbed her by the neck. if she was choked she would have marks around her neck instead of a "scratch". Kids these days want to be grown before their time. she is 15 I wasnt allowed to go to parties at that age either. She probably got slick at the mouth after he told her no and kept on talking. The parent pays the bills and is the adult not the child. SOME of you may let your kdis tell you to shut up and get out of my room and leave me alone but um for the rest of US we dont play that and our parent did not play the radio to that kind of talk. yes you caught the back side of a hand to the front side of your face. call it what you want. I grew up just fine. and it didnt take but one time fo rme.
I agree as well. Having dealt and dealing with my own teen daughter, as fathers we would go to many lengths to keep our daughters safe and away from perverts, and others that mean her no harm.
"I appauld the pastor, I WOULD DO THE EXACT SAME THING." I would kick your teeth down your throat and break all your fingers if I caught you strangling a child, and so would Jesus Christ. Every time I start thinking you Christians aren't so bad, I see something like this. Really, you'd actually strangle your own child to the point that police had to arrest you and think you were following Christ the whole time?
and jennie you too would be arrested for assault, see how that works?
Parents who raise thier children with respect
will get respect.
If you have to strangle your own daughter,
You are not a very good parent.
Atheists = Anti-American
This is one nation under God. Period.
Read what is says on the back of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Actually, "In God We Trust" is relatively new. " E pluribus unum" ("Out of many, one") was the saying that was used by the founders, and for many, many years afterward.
Awful judgmental of you, I thought you were supposed to leave that to the big guy.
Which God, dingbat? Yours, mine, or Allah? How about Elvis-worshipers, are they unAmerican? Are you saying we must kick out the Hindus too, and lynch the Bahais? How about we go after people with Turkish names first, they are obviously Muslim terrorists. It's a slippery slope, my friend, and we are united more by our freedom from religion than by any common religion in this country.
Placed on our money because of the paranoia over communism during
The McCarthy hearings in the 50's.
America is a secular nation, this slogan does not belong on our money.
This nation is NOT a Christian nation, it belongs to ALL OF US !
Christians are such violent animals. Of course so are the other two arms of the blood god, the muslims and jews.
Mao, Pol Pot, Stalin were all atheists are killed hundreds of millions of religious innocent people your id.iot
Amen.
Bill and Melinda Gates are Atheists who have done more for the world than all the churches and religions put together...for all human history.
bill gates is AGNOSTIC and Melinda is Catholic your n00b.... get educated
"Mao, Pol Pot, Stalin were all atheists" No, they weren't, but I'm sure your god is impressed by the way you lie in his defense. Communism is a religion, my Turkish friend, and if it ain't, why did two of those three end up mummified for the consolation of the faithful?
Like I would never go to a dentist named Dr. Payne, I would never send my $$$ to a reverend name Rev. Dollar.
This happens when religion takes first place againt a relationship with God
He aint did nothing!
Wait a man of god abused a child? I don't buy it. The bible says to beat your wife if she doesn't obey. Religion = cancer of the world
Thank God for the new testament 🙂
The bible never said to beat your wife.
I don't know about that, but you are required to kill any child that talks back to you.
First of all it's best to keep our comments civil and not be so judgemental. I am not a member of his Church nor do I live in Georgia. However, I hate for anyone to bash a Religious leader, keeping in mind that he (they) usually help THOUSANDS in their time of need. Now, I'm a single mother and I completely know how a child can push a parent. However, I'm sure his children have any and everything they want. For this altercation to allegedly happen around 1 am it's no wonder he went old school with a shoe. CPS wasn't active back in the day with extention cords, switches, shoes, rulers were used. This is sad and everyone should really PRAY AND KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT!!!
"I hate for anyone to bash a Religious leader, keeping in mind that he (they) usually help THOUSANDS in their time of need."
lol. I think you mean "they usually EXPLOIT thousands in their time of need".
How does a religious leader help people? He helps them remain pathetic sheep by telling them what to think and to donate to his own cause.
Kada – horsepooh. He's a player who has gotten a bit too big for his britches (and his betches). Know what I'm saying? Religion is a sham. Kudos to him for playin all those 30,000 people to give him cash money, tho.
Its hard o comment on what someone else should do in their home. Many commenting never had to encounter teens growing up and being rebellious and God forbid when their parents are in the public eye or worse PKs.
"CPS wasn't active back in the day with extention cords, switches, shoes, rulers were used. This is sad and everyone should really PRAY AND KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT!!!"
Reminds me of Good Will Hunting and the whole belt/stick/wrench scene.
That being said, I'm really glad CPS exists today. Not only that, but I am grateful that we have a robust CPS, where allegations of abuse are taken seriously. I just graduated college, and may very well end up working for CPS/DSS as a social worker. If that happens, I will listen to the children and be unafraid to make the tough calls that could mean the difference between them continuing to live with an abuser (like this guy), or moving on to a more supportive family structure.
BTW, if a husband smacks his wife in the face and gives her a black eye, should that woman just keep her mouth shut? Or should she do the right thing and report the guy? "Keeping mouths shut," as you put it, only helps the abuser; silence only encourages this type of behavior. Violence in the family should NEVER be tolerated, no matter whom it is directed towards. Only now are we beginning, as a society, to erase your ways of thinking in favor of a more healthy conception of the family.
"This is sad and everyone should really PRAY AND KEEP THEIR MOUTHS SHUT!!!"
Can we still sit out in front of the cabin at night and sing spirituals, Massa? Can we PLEASE? Oh Massa, you so kind.