The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Siccing the FBI on Little Miss Attila?

Posted on | June 1, 2010 | 32 Comments

No, the Obama administration isn’t after our blog friend.

When she was a young teenager back in the 1970s, Little Miss Attila spent a few years in a church that she now describes as a cult. That has not endeared her to those who remain within the flock of minister R.L. Hymers Jr., nor has it endeared her to the son of aforesaid minister, who has reported her to the FBI, accusing her of using “religious ‘hate speech’ to harass and stalk my father.”

Yeah. That’s the Christian thing to do — report your former congregation members to the feds.

Being a fundamentalist myself, raised a Baptist and old enough to remember the era — I graduated high school in 1977, the year LMA left the Hymers church — I was shocked to learn some of the methods employed by the “Open Door Community Churches.” Here is a letter the church sent to LMA in December 1977:

You have been excommunicated from the church for sexual sins that you refuse to repent of, and for continually missing church, and for denying Christ.
You have violated your enclosed covenant with God. There is only one way you can get right with God. You must come back to this church, repent, and publicly confess your sins. You cannot go to any other church and be absolved, for, even if they accept you, God will not. You must come back here to repent, even it is fifty years from now. Otherwise you can never be forgiven.
You were excommunicated by a unanimous vote of the membership of the entire church.

“Excommunicated”? Protestants more typically “disfellowship” straying members. This eruption of Catholic terminology in a Baptist church, however, is not the weirdest part. LMA was “excommunicated” for “sexual sins” when she was 14 years old — and evidently after her “sins” (e.g., having been date-raped by a boyfriend) were discussed by the entire congregation!

Further note that the Hymer church claims that, unless the teeage LMA returns to the church that has just “excommunicated” her, she cannot be reconciled with God.

Whether this is kind of stuff qualifies Hymer as the leader of a cult, it certainly qualifies him as weird.

It’s important to place this in the context of the 1970s. LMA was “excommunicated” from the Hymers church about a year before Jim Jones and the “Peoples Temple” met their infamous end in the jungles of Guyana. In the ’70s, there were a lot of leftover hippies drifting around, looking for something to replace the whole peace-and-love ’60s trip. Those people didn’t feel at home in regular churches, and lots of them ended up in various cult-like fringe religions. And apparently Hymers’ church incorporated its share of ’70s-era kookiness.

Why did Hymers III have his attorney contact LMA to tell her that she has been reported to the FBI? It’s intimidation, pure and simple. They want her to shut up.

Trying to silence critics — isn’t that what cults do?

Category: Little Miss Attila, Religion

Comments

32 Responses to “Siccing the FBI on Little Miss Attila?”

  1. Bob Belvedere
    June 1st, 2010 @ 11:24 am

    1) You have been excommunicated from the church for sexual sins that you refuse to repent of….and LMA was “excommunicated” for “sexual sins” when she was 14 years old — and evidently after her “sins” (e.g., having been date-raped by a boyfriend)….

    How very, very Muslim of them.

    2) As I was reading 1977 letter, I was getting aJim Jones vibe off of it [please excuse the phrasing: I came of age in the 1970’s and some groovy terms still linger].

  2. Bob Belvedere
    June 1st, 2010 @ 6:24 am

    1) You have been excommunicated from the church for sexual sins that you refuse to repent of….and LMA was “excommunicated” for “sexual sins” when she was 14 years old — and evidently after her “sins” (e.g., having been date-raped by a boyfriend)….

    How very, very Muslim of them.

    2) As I was reading 1977 letter, I was getting aJim Jones vibe off of it [please excuse the phrasing: I came of age in the 1970’s and some groovy terms still linger].

  3. FilmLadd
    June 1st, 2010 @ 11:41 am

    I would be honored and humbled to let her on my show to discuss this. Please pass it on to her, McCain.

  4. FilmLadd
    June 1st, 2010 @ 6:41 am

    I would be honored and humbled to let her on my show to discuss this. Please pass it on to her, McCain.

  5. Little Miss Attila
    June 1st, 2010 @ 11:51 am

    That’s okay. One of the Open Door elders/ministers watched the Guyana debacle reported on TV and was shell-shocked. I read about it as a young quasi-athiest on the bus, reading Newsweek on the way to high school, thinking “there but for the grace . . . now, now.”

  6. Little Miss Attila
    June 1st, 2010 @ 6:51 am

    That’s okay. One of the Open Door elders/ministers watched the Guyana debacle reported on TV and was shell-shocked. I read about it as a young quasi-athiest on the bus, reading Newsweek on the way to high school, thinking “there but for the grace . . . now, now.”

  7. ak4mc
    June 1st, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

    Reading that, I had an overwhelming response of, “Those Hymerses really need to get over themselves.”

    Which, when you think about it, cult leaders tend to be prominent among those with a “get-over-yourself” deficiency.

  8. ak4mc
    June 1st, 2010 @ 7:24 am

    Reading that, I had an overwhelming response of, “Those Hymerses really need to get over themselves.”

    Which, when you think about it, cult leaders tend to be prominent among those with a “get-over-yourself” deficiency.

  9. I Stand with Little Miss Attilia « DaTechguy's Blog
    June 1st, 2010 @ 9:22 am

    […] had faith or truth they would not need to sic lawyers on a blogger in a cute hat, as Stacy McCain puts it: Why did Hymers III have his attorney contact LMA to tell her that she has been reported to the […]

  10. I Stand with Little Miss Attila « DaTechguy's Blog
    June 1st, 2010 @ 9:24 am

    […] had faith or truth they would not need to sic lawyers on a blogger in a cute hat, as Stacy McCain puts it: Why did Hymers III have his attorney contact LMA to tell her that she has been reported to the […]

  11. DaveP.
    June 1st, 2010 @ 2:37 pm

    “You cannot go to any other church and be absolved, for, even if they accept you, God will not.”

    So who handed YOU the keys of Saint Peter?

  12. DaveP.
    June 1st, 2010 @ 9:37 am

    “You cannot go to any other church and be absolved, for, even if they accept you, God will not.”

    So who handed YOU the keys of Saint Peter?

  13. Lipton T. Bagg
    June 1st, 2010 @ 10:10 am

    “…Trying to silence critics — isn’t that what cults do?”

    Forgive the political spin, but isn’t that just what Barry’s been doing?

    Coincidence? I think not.

    -LTB

  14. Lipton T. Bagg
    June 1st, 2010 @ 3:10 pm

    “…Trying to silence critics — isn’t that what cults do?”

    Forgive the political spin, but isn’t that just what Barry’s been doing?

    Coincidence? I think not.

    -LTB

  15. Stogie
    June 1st, 2010 @ 3:34 pm

    Fundamentalist fringe churches are very annoying. They pretend to have all the answers and to speak for God. They are “devoutly to be ignored,” to use an old phrase.

  16. Stogie
    June 1st, 2010 @ 10:34 am

    Fundamentalist fringe churches are very annoying. They pretend to have all the answers and to speak for God. They are “devoutly to be ignored,” to use an old phrase.

  17. Robert Leslie Hymers III: Pipsqueak / Weasel « The Camp Of The Saints
    June 1st, 2010 @ 10:38 am

    […] a young teenager, Little Miss Attila was a member of this group.  I’ll let Stacy McCain pick up the story: When she was a young teenager back in the 1970s, Little Miss Attila spent a few years in a church […]

  18. JakeG
    June 1st, 2010 @ 7:00 pm

    I would also wager that some of these lost 60’s hippies have taken up residence in the White House.

  19. JakeG
    June 1st, 2010 @ 2:00 pm

    I would also wager that some of these lost 60’s hippies have taken up residence in the White House.

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  21. Little Miss Attila
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 2:11 am

    I don’t know to what degree the forced sex act was discussed by the entire congregation. I do know that because of it I was not allowed to speak in tongues during a church service, when previously I had been allowed to do so. When I started, Bob Hymers led a loud hymn to drown me out, and then he announced that he would not allow people guilty of sexual sin to speak in tongues.

    So it was quite a public rebuke for something that I was not responsible for: the man was six feet tall, and as you know I’m quite a tiny person.

    But everyone acted like I was responsible for it, and so I took that guilt on myself. It took me another month to break up with the guy, and an additional 2-3 months to leave that “church.”

  22. Little Miss Attila
    June 1st, 2010 @ 9:11 pm

    I don’t know to what degree the forced sex act was discussed by the entire congregation. I do know that because of it I was not allowed to speak in tongues during a church service, when previously I had been allowed to do so. When I started, Bob Hymers led a loud hymn to drown me out, and then he announced that he would not allow people guilty of sexual sin to speak in tongues.

    So it was quite a public rebuke for something that I was not responsible for: the man was six feet tall, and as you know I’m quite a tiny person.

    But everyone acted like I was responsible for it, and so I took that guilt on myself. It took me another month to break up with the guy, and an additional 2-3 months to leave that “church.”

  23. R.L. Hymers threatens Little Miss Attila to suppress reporting on the Hymers cult -- becomes MUCH more famous — Cynthia Yockey, A Conservative Lesbian
    June 1st, 2010 @ 11:12 pm

    […] Stacy McCain of The Other McCain: “Siccing the FBI on Little Miss Attila?” […]

  24. J. Edgar Hoover
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 5:13 am

    The proof that this jerk is looney tunes is in the fact that he actually believes that the FBI is going to take his side! Chuckles and Chuckles Jr. are probably already on a half-dozen FBI “domestic extremist” watch lists – I’m sure they’re chomping at the bit to get both of them in a tiny, brightly lit room in an undisclosed location for some vigorous “questioning” without any lawyers present. If I was either of them, I’d try hard to attract less attention from the FBI.

  25. J. Edgar Hoover
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 12:13 am

    The proof that this jerk is looney tunes is in the fact that he actually believes that the FBI is going to take his side! Chuckles and Chuckles Jr. are probably already on a half-dozen FBI “domestic extremist” watch lists – I’m sure they’re chomping at the bit to get both of them in a tiny, brightly lit room in an undisclosed location for some vigorous “questioning” without any lawyers present. If I was either of them, I’d try hard to attract less attention from the FBI.

  26. ak4mc
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 1:26 pm

    I’m sure they’re chomping at the bit to get both of them in a tiny, brightly lit room in an undisclosed location for some vigorous “questioning” without any lawyers present.

    If so, the “report” would make an excellent pretext for it.

    FBI Special Agent: “Dr. Hymers, we’ve received your son’s report of Miss Attila’s stalking and bullying behavior and are most interested in investigating this matter fully. However we will require more detailed information. We would like to meet with you and your son together at our local field office at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Please note that because it is a federal building we will require that all cell phones and other metallic objects be surrendered at the entrance. See you soon.”

  27. ak4mc
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 8:26 am

    I’m sure they’re chomping at the bit to get both of them in a tiny, brightly lit room in an undisclosed location for some vigorous “questioning” without any lawyers present.

    If so, the “report” would make an excellent pretext for it.

    FBI Special Agent: “Dr. Hymers, we’ve received your son’s report of Miss Attila’s stalking and bullying behavior and are most interested in investigating this matter fully. However we will require more detailed information. We would like to meet with you and your son together at our local field office at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Please note that because it is a federal building we will require that all cell phones and other metallic objects be surrendered at the entrance. See you soon.”

  28. Joining the Fray at Haemet
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 3:07 pm

    […] fray: Stacy McCain ripped apart the young man; Bob Belvedere joined in; Da TechGuy is in full Sicilian fury; Dan Collins points out that one […]

  29. Little Miss Attila Investigated? | Mind Numbed Robot
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  30. nicholas
    June 3rd, 2010 @ 12:36 am

    I couldn’t resist joining in on this curious case of misguided numbskull wackiness on the part of Robert Leslie Hymers, III.

    By the way, J Edgar is cracking me up! The last thing this odd ball ought to be doing right now is raising the FBI’s awareness of him. Keep sending them letters as awful as the one shared with us and they will be the ones showing up with guns – at his house!

  31. nicholas
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 7:36 pm

    I couldn’t resist joining in on this curious case of misguided numbskull wackiness on the part of Robert Leslie Hymers, III.

    By the way, J Edgar is cracking me up! The last thing this odd ball ought to be doing right now is raising the FBI’s awareness of him. Keep sending them letters as awful as the one shared with us and they will be the ones showing up with guns – at his house!

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