Pastor: I punched a kid ‘as hard as I could’ for ‘not taking the Lord serious’

[progressoid]

Pastor Eric Dammann begins by saying that he met a young man in Calgary named “Ben,” who was “a nice kid, but one of those — he was a real smart aleck. He was a bright kid, which didn’t help things — made him more dangerous.”

“We were outside one day at youth group,” Dammann continues, “and he was just trying to push my buttons. He was just kind of not taking the Lord serious (sic).”

“So I walked over to him and went BAM! Punched him in the chest as hard as I could. I crumpled the kid. I just crumpled him.”

“Then I leaned over and said, ‘Ben, when are you going to stop playing games with God?’ I led that man to the Lord right there,” he concludes.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/pastor-i-punched-a-kid-as-hard-as-i-could-for-not-taking-the-lord-serious/

[trotsky]

1. Yes, fundies everywhere agree that intelligent people are a threat.

Even a lot of moderate believers get plenty upset with anyone who questions or criticizes belief.

[JDDavis]

2. Would that kid like some assault and battery along with his

serving of Jesus?

This is an amazingly honest account of the desperation felt and acted upon by devout believers when their beliefs are questioned.

Fortunately, we can observe that desperation on a message board here without fear of being punched. Instead, we just witness the usual amount of arrogant comments, avoidance of direct answers and/or ad-hominem insults from the usual suspects.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I predict

that "Ben" was not led to the Lord right there. In fact, I see a budding atheist if he wasn't there already.

Keep up the good word, Eric. We don't go door-to-door looking for converts so we need so way of recruiting new members.

[progressoid]

5. Yep, I wouldn't expect Ben to last long in that setting.

He's already smarter than the pastor.

[LiberalAndProud]

4. I noticed this one in GD.

And yea, the guy thinks beating youngsters for the sake of conversion to the one true faith is fine, but what about Stalin? or something.

[Gelliebeans]

6. We should be seeing Ben

Very soon at future pastafarian meetings. Thank pastor asshole!

[Kevin from WI]

7. How does his congregation sit there and watch this and not get up and walk out?

He "led that man to the lord"... well your lord must be an asshole if he advocates hitting kids at youth groups.

[amuse bouche]

8. Oh wow

a religious jerk. Imagine that

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Assuming that story isn't fabricated bullshit...

He's awful lucky he didn't flat out kill the kid. You can stop someone's heart by hitting them in the chest hard enough, without any warning.

What kind of dickhead bully sucker-punches someone like that anyway?

[Mariana]

10. Most likely, the story is fabricated bullshit.

Also likely, his congregation knows it's fabricated bullshit.

Has anyone called the police on this guy? He admitted to committing a crime in front of a bunch of witnesses. I think there should be an investigation, and if I'm wrong and he really did assault someone, he should be prosecuted.

[DetlefK]

11. Thank you, Pastor Dammmann: You just said that stupid kids have it easier at accepting God.

[wavesofeuphoria]

13. Second time this week I've read about a religious leader advocating punching folks.

Both men.

Women take note. I can see the justifications for spousal abuse forming here ...

[frogmarch]

14. from Snopes:

Although Dammann did relate this anecdote as a real-life incident in which he took part, no witnesses have stepped forward to corroborate his account of the event, so there is no evidence documenting it actually took place as described (or even took place at all) other than his 13-year-old recollection.

The video circulated so widely that the Bible Baptist Church addressed the controversy on Facebook and on its web site. A statement attributed to Dammann posted to the church's site on 12 January 2015 expressed his remorse for boasting about the incident:

I deeply regret my actions of 13 years ago. I do not condone abuse in any form. I chose a very poor example from my past and very poor wording to describe it and deeply regret using it. By viewing the clip it is certainly understandable how outraged people are. I acted out in one moment many years ago, it is not how I believe people especially a pastor should act. My actions were not reflective of Christ and the teachings of the bible. I was wrong, there are no excuses to be made. I was forgiven by Ben many years ago and can only ask the same from my church, community and the world.

Dammann did not deny the incident and apologized both for his part in it and the tone with which he conveyed his account of it. No one has corroborated the story, but neither has Dammann said anything that could be considered an attempt to downplay or recant any of his original claims.

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/pastorpunch.asp#zPFGU0Uew4gM5J5C.99