http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57482557/pa-church-pastor-charged-in-fake-kidnapping/
Well now, I've seen it all.
Well now, I've seen it all.
Youth Pastor fakes a kidnapping
- Thread starter Silent Bob
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When you say stuff like that, the universe sees it as a challenge, you know.
Hostage training for missionaries is one thing, but some to those kids were not involved with the church. 
Also, let the professionals teach your missionaries how to survive those situations.
Also, let the professionals teach your missionaries how to survive those situations.
I really would love to be in some of these planning sessions. How the heck does that sound like a smart idea?
I like that a firearm was brandished about to add to the authenticity. Stay classy folks!
*facepalm*
*facepalm*
The lead guy didn't think it through, and nobody told him it was a bad idea. But on the whole, shit happens. Mistakes are occasionally made, and if you're unwilling to tolerate them, and seek to assign blame for everything that goes wrong, then pretty soon nothing gets done when people are more concerned about covering their own asses against failure than they are of doing what they are supposed to do.
That's the way things are nowadays, isn't it. If something goes wrong, fire people. Everyone knows there is a plethora of replacements out there, so why tolerate people who can't get everything right 100% of the time. Or at least fire the ones who own up to it instead of trying to make it look like it was someone else's fault, as those obviously lack common sense. Right?
Yes. Glad we're in agreement.
If you exhibit gross incompetence to the point that you're committing a federal crime (which kidnapping is) then you should feel lucky if all you lose is your job.
Alright, apparently I've crossed a line here. Ceasing and desisting.
I think once your actions delve into felony territory you have crossed most lines of common sense and deserve to be fired. I don't think the guy should go to jail (although I don't know all the particulars, if there really was a real gun/loaded gun then... maybe he should) over a really stupid mistake but just because it was a mistake doesn't mean there shouldn't be consequences. Severe consequences.
They made a girl think she was going to get raped...
As far as teaching the lesson goes. You don't need to shock the class to get the point.
He could have had a demonstration in the class with volunteers to simulate what some people go through when persecuted for religious beliefs. That would have gotten the message through just fine. The only message that came across with this stunt was: when you're kidnapped and threatened with rape, it's scary.
If the parents had signed off on this, if the kids had known they were going to encounter a "religious persecution simulation", if the simulation had ended with the trip across the parking lot (I.E, milk & cookies in the pastor's living room instead of interrogations), any number of "ifs" could move this from the "blatantly criminal" category into "well that was a bit much, don't do it again" category. None of that happened. I could not find the false imprisonment statutes for Pennsylvania, but I could kind the kidnapping statute, thought it might be a touch out of date, and I've highlighted the pertinent sections:
Literally the only part of this case that is even iffy on qualifying is the "substantial distance under the circumstances" bit. And, while their actual destination was just across the parking lot, I'd argue that "in a van with a bag over your head while held at apparent gun point" renders almost any distance pretty substantial, especially if they made the kids think it was further.
You're right that some things just qualify as excusable fuck-ups. Accidentally committing a premeditated felony is not one of them.
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