William Branham and sexual abuse
Sexual abuse appears to be all too common in the message. We are aware of a number of cases that happened in message churches, that were brought to the attention of the pastor and nothing was done.
But what was William Branham's position on sexual abuse, particularly that of minors?
The Park
Pine Lawn Trailer Park (the "Park") in Prescott, Arizona was where Leo Mercer, Gene Goad and a number of William Branham's followers lived. William Branham visited the Park on several occasions.
Marietta Loker and her husband, Roger, lived in the Park. We understand, from a reliable source, that Gene and Leo used to take Marietta's husband and beat him so badly that his whole body would be covered with bruises.
When William Branham came by, Marietta spoke with him and asked him if her family should leave the "Park" because she was afraid for her boys.
William Branham apparently counseled her, "Stay here. Everything will be OK."
Unfortunately, everything was not "OK". Marrietta's son, Keith, was horribly abused and this took a terrible toll on him.
- Loker was convicted of two murders, committed during the course of the robbery of adult bookstore in Fontana [California]. The undisputed evidence was that Loker entered the store and began firing a handgun, striking four people. He stole two of the victims’ wallets, and forced an employee to give him money from a cash register. Two of the victims later died from their wounds.
- Loker fled to Arizona, driving a car he had stolen from an Arcadia store owner at gunpoint the day before. The day after the Fontana robbery-murders, Loker robbed a convenience store in Flagstaff, Arizona, shot one man and raped his wife. He was arrested three days later.
- At trial, he conceded responsibility and San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Clay M. Smith permitted the prosecutor to repeatedly refer to a psychological report concerning Loker, purporting to identify the document and characterizing its contents even though the report was not in evidence and no witness ever identified the report or laid a foundation for its admission.
- Writing for the unanimous Supreme Court, Justice Carol Corrigan ...concluded that based on Loker’s “brutal and terrifying crime spree,” Loker’s sentence was not disproportionate to his crimes, despite Loker’s mitigating evidence focused on his upbringing in a religious cult, immaturity, emotional problems, lack of prior criminal behavior, dysfunctional family background, and remorse for his crimes.
- The cases are People v. Wilson, 08 S.O.S. 4471 and People v. Loker, 08 S.O.S. 4497.[1]
Testimony given in Court
From testimony given in the Supreme Court of California in 2008, Case #S045060:
- "Leo Mercer, a self-proclaimed minister, ran the park. After Brother Branham’s death in 1965, Mercer gradually became more authoritative, employing various forms of punishment. He would ostracize people from the community and separate families. Children were beaten for minor infractions like talking during a march or not tying their shoes. Mercer would punish girls by cutting their hair, and force boys to wear girls’ clothing. There was also evidence that Mercer sexually abused children."
- In one instance, "...Mercer ordered that [a girl's] hair be cut off to punish her because he had had a vision from God that she was being sexually inappropriate with young children. [She] was beaten and forced to wear masculine clothes that covered much of her body, hiding her bruises. Her fingertips were burned so she would know what hell felt like."
What did William Branham see?
From a sermon titled "Godhead" preached by Lee Vayle on July 2, 2000"
- "At the same time Leo and Gene, two homosexuals, attached themselves to Bro. Branham's ministry, tape boys, which was allowed by God, and when they absolutely showed what they were, God warned Bro. Branham what would happen to them. And I saw the vision in the vision book. "Leave them alone. They will leave and go into false doctrine." Now watch: doctrine. People hate the thought of doctrine. They don't want me to teach doctrine. They despise it. "They will leave and go into false doctrine and destroy themselves." That's in the vision book. And they did it."
Obviously, William Branham didn't see the real important things relating to the Park.
Footnotes
- ↑ Metropolitan News-Enterprise, July 29, 2008,"S.C. Tosses Death Sentence Over Removal of Holdout Juror", by Sherri M. Okamoto, page 1