Here’s a Saturday story for ya.
In 2014, a famous liberal Manhattan church found its first female pastor in mid-40’s Amy Butler. Pretty spiffy.
But the spiff didn’t last — Pastor Amy had to recently be let go, following a formal harassment claim against her.
She had a good shot: The non-legalistic church is known for its laid-back attitude toward homosexuality and left-wing political stances on illegal immigration and climate change.
Outside of sporting a MAGA hat, what’s a girl gonna do to get canned?
The divorced mother of three figured it out. She took two fellow ministers and a flock member on a field trip — to a sex shop. While there, she bought one of the Good News-bringers a vibrator. And they didn’t want it.
But oh, what a trip it was: The gang shot over to the Smitten Kitten while in Minneapolis for a religious conference. She reportedly pulled out the church credit card and joked, “Is this a church business expense?”
Nicely done.
Amy bought a blue, $200 bunny-shaped vibrator for her single-mom-of-two collared compadre who was celebrating her 40th birthday — “as well as more pleasure gadgets for the congregant and herself,” as per the New York Post. Ames offered to purchase a sex toy for the other minister as well — a gay man in a committed relationship.
He declined.
Fox News reports:
The sex toy incident was apparently the final straw amid mounting concerns from the Riverside Church Council about Butler’s judgment, as she was seeking a $100,000 raise. She has a $250,000 annual salary and $8,000 monthly housing allowance — on top of other cushy benefits.
Wow — no wonder she went for the 2-Benjamin bunny.
But wait — there’s more. As relayed by Slate, the firing may’ve been for something different entirely:
Supporters told the [New York Times] that the dismissal came after Butler accused a member of the church’s governing council of leaving her inappropriate gifts (including a T-shirt reading “Sweet Bitch”) and making suggestive comments to her and other female ministers. “There is absolutely no doubt that sexism played a role,” one supporter told the Times.
That church has some interesting things going on.
Either way, sometime around July 7th, Interim Senior Minister Michael Livingston announced via the house of worship’s website Ms. Butler’s departure:
“Rev. Dr. Amy Butler and the Riverside Church Council are announcing that after five years of leadership, Pastor Amy will not be renewing her contract as senior minister. The Council thanks Pastor Amy for her leadership and asks all congregants to pray for her continued ministry as a leader in the progressive Christian world.”
Progressive = Buying a blue bunny vibrator for your single-mom pastor friend and offering an anal device for your fellow gay minister while trying to shrug off your “Sweet Bitch” shirt from the church councilman.
Progress sure has changed since I was a kid.
So has — my gosh — so has church trips.
-ALEX
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