When a dog bites a man, that is not news. But when a man bites a dog, that is news."
Aaron Craig Gleason is a 39-year-old Florida man who hails from the heart of the Redneck Riviera. He earns his daily crust by teaching Bible Studies at the Rocky Bayou Christian School, where he is also the soccer coach. Gleason is now on a two-week paid leave while the school tries to figure out how best to deal with his felony arrest for sexually abusing a child under 12.
School Superintendent Mike Mosely acknowledged the snake in their grass when he sent out an email to parents in which he wrote:
“I regret to inform you that one of our Middle School teachers was arrested today by local law enforcement officers. The teacher has been on paid administrative leave and off campus for two weeks. RBCS is fully cooperating with authorities in this matter until authorities have concluded their investigation. Please pray for our school and students during this difficult time.”
The sexual abuse of children is a big part of Gleason’s mental bandwidth. Not only is he arrested for it. He sees it when there is no evidence for it. According to Mediaite,
“In June 2023, Gleason quote-tweeted a video of Pride marchers – some of whom were in drag – and accused them of “grooming” kids. The marchers chanted, “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re not going shopping.” During one of the chants, a person off camera says, “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children.”
“No grooming going on here, they’re just coming for our children,” Gleason wrote (caveat Twitter link).
Perhaps someone is keeping count of the number of religious types arrested for the sexual abuse of kids. But even absent an exact number it is safe to say it’s a lot. Certainly enough to put this kind of report in the “dog bites man” news column. But Gleason added to his religious hypocrisy by celebrating the story of a man notable in MAGA Christian circles for rescuing the child victims of sex traffickers.
Gleason has written numerous movie reviews for the conservative propaganda outlet The Federalist. One of those reviews featured The Sound of Freedom. This movie was based on the exploits of Tim Ballard, founder of and former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). MAGAs and political Christians flocked to see the account of Ballard’s career rescuing the victims of sex trafficking in Honduras. To no one's surprise, the movie relied more on magical thinking than facts. Ballard’s role was overstated and the age of many of those rescued was fudged.
So be it. No one should expect a conservative movie to be historically accurate. Hell, conservatives don’t even expect history classes to be historically accurate.
Despite, or because of, the fantastical nature of the movie, Gleason wrote a glowing review titled: Sex Trafficking Drama ‘Sound Of Freedom’ Is A Heartbreaking And Hopeful Call To Action. In it, he wrote:
“The children are by far the best and worst part of this film. It’s about the children—lost, invisible children who suffer in the depths of hell every single day. While the rich and powerful try to indoctrinate us with critical race theory and other ideological moralisms, true victims suffer in literal cages and chains.”
Gleason wanted his readers to know Ballard’s actions were inspired by faith. He wrote:
"Ballard’s mission to seek and save lost children is a distinctly Christian value based on the theological principle that each child is uniquely beloved by God."
Dear God, is there such thing as a conservative Christian acting as their words demand the rest of us do? It turns out that Gleason is not alone in his turpitude. His hero is also short of the moral mark.
Adding to the litany of no surprises, Ballard himself turned out to be a monstrous shit. O.U.R. launched an investigation into their CEO after multiple women accused him of sexual assault. Any hopes Ballard could hide his odious behavior evaporated after employees and donors of the organization received an anonymous letter claiming the firing stemmed from his habit of grooming and manipulating women affiliated with the organization.
It is telling that O.U.R. did not dispute the claim.
In addition, the Mormon Ballard was ejected by his co-religionists. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publicly denounced him after authorities said he had used the name of church leader M. Russell Ballard (no relation) for personal gain. They also called his conduct "morally unacceptable". Utah’s Governor, Spencer Cox, called the sexual misconduct allegations "disturbing" and "unconscionable" if true.
Unsurprisingly (there’s a pattern here), Ballard denied the accusations, saying, "They are baseless inventions designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children." Yet, as far as I know, he has taken no legal action to clear his ‘good’ name.
I do not know if religion makes people sinners or merely attracts them. But it is indisputable that God is doing a poor job of instilling morality in the members of His fan club. Their determination of a person's civic worth is not based on their behavior but on their politics. It’s how America ended up with Trump — twice.
