Each party come into full control over its mental faculties and you may thoughts, and remain 100 % free moral representatives. He’s free constantly to say, “No” versus concern about retaliatory outcomes; or if perhaps once they said “Yes” he or she is liberated to later on say, “We generated a blunder. It is not right. It is moved past an acceptable limit. I would like aside.” Finally, and most importantly right here, an enthusiastic “affair” is only able to happens the spot where the one or two parties enjoys relatively equivalent “power” on relationship. Not one ones something took place the brand new Doug Phillips/Cassandra case because the, since the You will find informed me inside my prior blog post, Boerne Religious System is actually a spiritual sociological cult and you will Doug Phillips is the cult chief.
Why don’t we only call it exactly what the Bible calls it: adultery up against his spouse. Doug Phillips certainly reveals their insufficient guilt (which diminished repentance) when he trivializes the new the law of gravity regarding their offenses in Clinton-esque i don’t go right conditions. Also Doug Phillips’ most powerful followers didn’t order it for long.
Doug Phillips characterizes his experience of Cassandra just like the an enthusiastic “incorrect relationships”, however, this strains every credulity
Cassandra was in the new Phillips house daily for at least 12 age, and most likely expanded. They come at that time she is a young adolescent, all together with her parents’ concur and you will encouragement. She along with her family unit members had been people in Doug Phillips’ spiritual sociological cult, masquerading because the a chapel, Boerne Christian Installation. Cassandra rapidly turned very valued by Doug Phillips, exactly who said out of this lady, “Actually, i imagine this lady become a member of the household, along with her moms and dads to be the brand new dearest out-of loved ones.”
For example a love is certainly one where both sides was fully willing to engage – in which there’s no coercion, manipulation, or manage, and you can where you will find a good presumption one any guarantees generated would be rationally met
Cassandra first started serving region-amount of time in the fresh new Phillips’ family whenever she is 15, and you can are indeed there full-big date throughout the period of 17. Even though Cassandra originated in a very poor friends, Doug Phillips did not shell out the girl. Not one person, except that Doug and you will Cassandra, know precisely in the event the intercourse began but, at the best, Cassandra are barely Black Sites dating service within age of court agree (17 inside Texas). Particular has debated this likely already been when she are around the age of agree. To have Doug Phillips’ sake he would don’t did one thing from the most of the “inappropriate” if the she are beneath the chronilogical age of consent. Tx has no law from restrictions every so often from intimate serves with a minor beneath the ages of judge agree. The guy as well as don’t enjoys reduced the woman from the get the girl quiet, for this also will have onerous courtroom consequences. But even if the intercourse become during the 17 so it would not necessarily log off Doug Phillips free from the potential for criminal prosecution, in Tx and you can under federal law.
On account of her age, additionally the BCA cult degree, and this trained BCA female to help you “submit” to dads and you will elders (i.elizabeth. passive obeisance), she’d was indeed extremely vulnerable to Doug Phillips’ improves. This new every day get in touch with, combined with Doug Phillips’ charm, will have softened their right up.
BCA may have been a fairly healthy and you will regular chapel when it had been began because of the Doug Phillips and you will around three other chapel elders. Discover legitimate pastoral accountability and you may an effective divergence out-of viewpoints certainly one of the parents. But as those people most other elders already been making to begin with their places of worship closer to their particular family urban centers, fundamentally leaving simply Doug Phillips so you’re able to rule the newest roost, they remaining vacuum pressure regarding responsibility and you can variety away from doctrine. The power soon decided to go to his head and you may Doug Phillips was leftover unchecked to help you code since a keen autocrat. The latest authoritarian Hyper-Patriarchy doctrines he constantly taught out-of unquestioning respect and you may submitting from spouses and girl so you’re able to husbands and you will dads, and each ones consequently in the complete subservience on their church elders (where Doug Phillips is the only person for almost all regarding BCA’s records) served because a strong version of attention handle, since evidenced in the most common all of the spiritual sociological cults.