TAKE a perfectly ordinary English word and mash it up it to present a new meaning. Example: “Influence”, which in Christianspeak becomes “inflowance”. Not pretty, is it?
On the Virginia Beach Fellowship of the Inner Light site “Inflowance” is defined as:
The ability to gain someone’s attention so that they can hear the wisdom you have to impart to them.
The word appears too on the Godworthy Ministries Worship Centre in Bakersfield, California, headed by Bishop D’Anthony Towns. A banner on its site reads “Under the Inflowance”.
Bishop Towns
Inflowance, according to the bishop:
Is a spiritual concept that combines three words: Influence+flow+allowance. Influence means the power to produce an effect on the people and things around us. Flow means the continuous transfer of energy. Allowance means to grant permission. To fall under the inflowance is to surrender to the power of God and allow Him to change and empower you.
In practice though, “inflowance” at Towns’ church appears to have been a euphemism for ASSAULT – and last week, according to this report, the bishop was hauled before a judge, accused of paddling his parishioners, including 12-year-old Jo Jo Sepulveda.
The boy’s father, Joey Sepulveda, said that when the bishop learned his son had been playfully fighting with a cousin, Jo Jo was disciplined with a paddle hard enough to leave marks and bruises for a week.
Joey Sepulveda accuses Towns of paddling children and adults alike at both at church on Sundays or in parishioners’ private homes.
He told me that he had that right. He was their shepherd. He’s their pastor. He’s their leader. They’re the sheep, and he’s accountable for them.
A young woman and former church member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also accused Towns of paddling his flock.
If kids were playing around, he would take them up in the front of church and beat them — no, paddle them — really hard.
Former church members, such as Lorena Alderete, say the paddling has been going on for years. She recalled one incident where an adult woman got “disciplined” in front of the entire congregation.
And she turned around, and he just started spanking her, and I thought, ‘Wow!’
The bishop pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of willful cruelty to a child. A pretrial date is set for March 20.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:25 am
And again, proof that being a Christian doesn’t need to involve any discernible morality. Also, the implied assertion that shepherds routinely spank their flocks should be looked into by the RSPCA.
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:33 am
I detect some sexual undertones here.
The guy must get his jollies from disciplining his flock. I wonder if he keeps films of his assaults for private viewing, or has to run to the bogs for a w**k with the violence still fresh in his memory.
Social services ought to worry about the parenting skills of those who leave their kids alone with vicars, priests, imams and other such wizards.
By the way. That’s not a pic of Bishop Towns. Looks more like Marvin Hagler to me. I wouldn’t mess with him.
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:28 am
What we have here is that child abuse is excusable if done by a religious leader! This guy seems to have learned a thing or two from the paedophile priests. The parents of these children must be barking mad to allow this treatment; of course they are, they go to this guy’s church. This “Pastor” and some of his “flock” should be prosecuted.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:01 am
So child abuse is mearly a misdemeanor in California? I don’t know what to say to that really. The long term repurcusions of such a leanient (sp?) charge must by quite large for a society as a whole.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:24 am
‘Inflowance’ my arse. This is plain old pervbullydomination!
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:46 am
LD I’d be pretty careful saying ‘Inflowance’ my arse given the definition that they give. Don’t want too much energy flowing that way do we?
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Here’s a vicar that uses his bare hands, not paddles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-29u0e7Bo
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Such is the danger when people believe they can do anything and everything because they have “god” on their side. And of course god speaks directly to them so he can tell them all manner of things to say/do, and the Bible is always open to personal interpretation. There’s no objectivity to it at all despite claims to the contrary.
But don’t dare object or you’re guilty of “religious persecution”.
March 4th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Buffy
“god speaks directly to them so he can tell them all manner of things to say/do”
I love that.
Sounds disturbingly familiar.
March 4th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
The issue here seems to be partly about infantalisation. This guy’s flock are not only like sheep as in not very bright and willing to be fleeced, but also like children. Children don’t have to take responsibility for much of their own lives and rely on someone else to tell them what’s right and wrong. Children are sometimes unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality and in some families they get spanked if they misbehave.
March 5th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Children don’t have to take responsibility for much of their own lives and rely on someone else to tell them what’s right and wrong. Children are sometimes unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality and in some families they get spanked if they misbehave.
Isn’t that what the whole religion/god shtick is about? They need someone and/or something else to make their decisions for them and that’s where prayer, gods, holy books and holy men/women come in. According to Jesus:
Matthew 18:3
3And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Such an odd lot.