Palace of delusions

The rolling stone has gathered a lot of muck as it speeds down the hill.

This is really the first time in a long time that the story is leading me, instead of me trollling for leads for a story.

At this point, I can't even recall how I got started on the topic of troubled clergy. Possibly it was the Baylor study and its horrifying stats on clergy sexual misconduct.

But once I began talking to people, people started making suggestions and contacting me.

Now I'm like Ariadne, following the thread through the palace.

This palace is a disgusting place, full of creepy guys who think they are literally, God's gift to women.

But it's going to take a while. As I tell the stories of victims and perpetrators, I have a sense that maybe I'm making a small contribution to helping people understand how congregations can become dangerous places -- and what to do to help keep that from occuring.

I'm not sure if that's a delusion or not, but its part of why I'm continuing to follow the thread.

And increasingly wishing that, in a few weeks, it will lead me out of this building.

I never thought I'd look forward to writing about the Anglican wars again, but I much prefer the blood and gore of a good ecclesiastical fight to this shadowland, in which pretty much everything is not as it seems.