Jesus, Nixon, Paterno, and...

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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    While Scratching the Surface of Genesis was scheduled for release today, we're taking another detour/deepening dictated by yesterday's revelations from unHappy Valley in Pennsylvania.

    It seems the iconic coach knew about the dirty details for over a decade and, uh, did nothing; or as Sarge Shultz pretended, "I know nothing.  I hear nothing.  I see nothing."

    Sadly, evidence has been, uh, disclosed to confirm what many have suspected.

    Children's bodies and souls were raped for years and years and years despite the "saintly" coach, AD, VP, and P knowing about it because the reputation of the "saintly" coach, football program, and university were deemed more important than children's bodies and souls being raped.

    What's that chant?

    We are...

    Yeah, right.

    I mean wrong.

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    I don't need to catalogue the sins in an anti-Pauline kinda way.

    You know the sick story.

    Yet I've been thinking about a thread through it all that brought Nixon back to mind in what seems to me to be a striking parallel that repeats itself over and over and over again like it just did in unHappy Valley.

    Remember Watergate?

    Nixon could have preserved a better place in history for himself if he wouldn't have conspired to cover-up the sins of those burglars being managed by underlings.

    Get it?

    Paterno could have preserved a better place in history for himself if he wouldn't have conspired to cover-up Jerry's sins.

    And before anyone suggests any kinda nobility on Paterno's part for not, uh, disclosing the darkly despicable behavior of one of his coaches/friends, keep in mind that we're not talking about an indiscretion or political dirty trick or momentary lack of judgment.  We're talking about a conspiracy to cover-up the rape of children's bodies and souls in deference to the fans/boosters who idolized-some-still-idolize-him-anyway the coach and his football program and his university!

    Sick.

    Sick.

    Sick.

    And anyone who tries to rationalize away any of it - even Jay who can be almost excused as, uh, a child of... - is sick, sick, sick.

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    Now read John 3:19-21.

    O.K.

    Now read it again slowly.

    Now think back to Nixon, think now to Paterno, and think about...

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    True, as the misguided Marine said, some people can't handle the truth.

    So they hide it.

    They don't talk about it.

    They don't do anything about it.

    Ergo, they are accomplices with it.

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    I've been accused of being too open with the officers and members of His-not-my church about, uh, uh, uh,...everything.

    I've been accused of answering direct questions with direct answers.

    I've been accused of indiscretion by forwarding e-mails that people have written about other people that are...

    I've been accused of talking about things that people don't want to talk about like apostasy, meanness, hypocrisy, and other sneaky, irascible, irregular, and irreconcilable behaviors in me as well as others.

    I've been accused of taking the Lion of Judah thing too seriously; and moving from the strong calm sanity of watching the pride/family to the ferocious, unrelenting, and pursuing foe of anyone like me who poses Christianity while giving comfort to the enemy in an Ephesians 6:10ff. kinda way.

    I've been accused of telling too many insiders/outsiders what's really going on in the franchise, government, His-not-my church, and all of the below.

    I've been told I write too much, say too much, get involved in too much, and...

    I am guilty.

    I praise God for this admission.

    I praise God that I don't have a secret password on my computer; so I'm not tempted to...

    I praise God that I don't keep secrets; and, remember, secrets and personal/pastoral confidentialities are different things despite some folks pretending otherwise.  Secrets, more often than not, are not redemptive.  Usually, they hide pejorative behaviors.  Personal/pastoral confidentialities are part of a redemptive discipline.

    I praise God that I admit I've inhaled and looked...

    I praise God that I know I have sinned, sin, and will...

    Now read 1 John 1.

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    I have mourned for the Nixons for a long time because Richard did not understand the wisdom of Jesus in John 3:19-21.

    I mourn for the Paternos and Nittany Lions because JoePa along with the AD, VP, and P did not understand the wisdom of Jesus in John 3:19-21.

    I mourn for churches and governments and businesses and clubs and...who do not pray and try to live by the wisdom of Jesus in John 3:19-21.

    I mourn for my parents, sister, wife, children, friends, and anyone who has ever suffered because I have not understood the wisdom of Jesus in John 3:19-21.

    And that mourning makes me want to obey His wisdom in John 3:19-21.

    Simply, if we want to keep keepin' those secrets and walk in darkness because we don't want anyone to turn the light on our...

    Well, I hope we know what He meant in John 3:19-21.

    If not, we've learned nothing from the Nixons and Paternos and me and...

    BTW, my password is 1952.

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Blessings and Love!