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Nancy J. Erickson taunts Pastor
Ovadal at the Mazo Beach parking lot on May 28, 2001. |
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On May 28, 2001, Pastor Ralph Ovadal preached a short
message to a lewd-acting woman on the parking lot of the tax-funded nude
beach near Mazomanie, Wisconsin during a WCU ministry event there. The
incident began when the woman, a regular beach-goer named Nancy J.
Erickson who delights in mocking Christians doing ministry in the beach
parking lot, got out of her car and began to loudly direct obscene
language toward Nicolas Bergum, a young Christian man who had offered her
a gospel tract. When Pastor Ovadal walked over to the scene, the woman
then faced him and engaged in a lewd dance with her tongue hanging out. At
that point, Pastor Ovadal preached for several minutes to her and also
several minutes to Department of Natural Resources wardens who were
insisting that he not use the word whore in his preaching. Pastor
Ovadal used the word whore with Proverbs 23:27-28 in mind and
never once told the woman that she was one but only that she should not
act like one by stripping naked at the beach in front of hundreds of men
and a number of young children seen being taken to the beach that day.
Pastor Ovadal's message, which ended up being a total of five minutes in
length, was mostly delivered from a distance of twenty feet from the
woman, and he was never closer than eight feet to her. When the woman
walked away toward the beach making more obscene remarks, Pastor Ovadal
did not follow her. Although law enforcement on the scene never told him
to stop preaching or intimated that he was committing a crime, six weeks
later Pastor Ovadal was charged with state disorderly conduct which
carries a penalty of up to ninety days in jail and $1,000 in fines. During
Pastor Ovadal's subsequent trial, Judge Higginbotham exhibited open animus
toward both Pastor and his attorney Jim Donohoo. In a number of instances,
the judge even forbade Donohoo from entering relevant testimony and, on
the reverse side of the coin, ignored obvious perjury by Pastor Ovadal's
accuser.
On April 24, Judge Higginbotham issued a written
decision on the case, finding Pastor Ovadal guilty. In the decision, Judge
Higginbotham admits that Erickson directed "expletives" toward
the young man who attempted to hand her a gospel tract and admits that
Erickson threatened to expose herself to him. He also admits that she did
a suggestive dance in front of Pastor Ovadal and that all of this happened
prior to Pastor's message. However, Higginbotham blames Pastor Ovadal for
these acts rather than blaming Erickson. For example, he writes,
"Erickson had previously witnessed Ovadal's ardent 'preaching' and
these experiences with the Defendant militated her response to Bergum,"
and, "The Defendant maintains he did not direct his 'preaching'
toward Erickson until she started her jig. The Court responds, 'So?' In
light of the circumstances beget by Ovadal and his devotees, the Defendant
as the leader of the group should have retreated and encouraged the others
to do likewise when he saw Erickson's reaction to them. . . . The impact
Erickson's alleged words and deeds had on the Defendant is irrelevant . .
. The wolf has no defense when he cries fowl to the chickens as they
squawk and flap their wings as he pounces upon them in surprise."
In his decision, Judge Higginbotham also violates rules
of evidence by using a criminal complaint as evidence. He also clearly
misrepresents the undisputed, documented facts of the incident in question
and makes a number of totally false statements concerning Pastor Ovadal's
behavior on May 28, 2001. Further, the judge writes that his guilty
verdict is based, in part, on Erickson's contention that Pastor Ovadal's
preaching scared her dogs and somehow caused her to leave one of them in
her hot car while she was at the beach. Concerning that matter, the judge
states, "Furthermore, it appears rather ironic that the Defendant
places little or no value on animal life and welfare," and, "He
interfered with and endangered chattel." Pastor Ovadal is even taken
to task by Higginbotham for commending another Christian who had also
shared a very short biblical exhortation with Erickson. "The
Defendant can be heard telling various individuals involved in the
engagement that they were exhibiting 'good preaching.'" In his
decision, Judge Higginbotham quotes as authorities Sigmund Freud and the
Nineteenth Century utilitarian John Stuart Mills!
A few excerpts from Judge
Paul Higginbotham's decision which show clear contempt and animus toward
Pastor Ovadal, his Christian faith, and those with whom he ministers:
"Ralph Ovadal . . . has for a number of years
carried on a campaign that eschews societal mores and norms regarding
the treatment and respect offered to others."
"The erstwhile agrarian turned pastor . .
."
"Ovadal and his devotees . . ."
". . . Nicolas Bergum, a young adherent to
Ovadal's sect . . ."
"Ovadal and his clique's pronouncements, driven
by deep-seated and somewhat captious [easily offended at trivial things]
convictions . . ."
"In bringing his truculent [fierce, cruel,
savage] message to the 'wicked,' Ovadal and his coterie have pushed the
limits of protected speech."
"He also came to spread his version of the
'gospel' to beach goers."
". . . what he and his group claim to be a
gospel message."
". . . repeatedly spewed out his short litany .
. ."
"If a group of angry fundamentalists surrounding
an individual is not intimidating, the Court is unsure what is."
"His actions directed toward Erickson did not
benefit society whatsoever."
". . . the Defendant's preaching has generally
leaned toward confrontation rather than traditional sermonizing."
"By relying on terms such as 'whore,' 'harlot,'
and 'jezebel' to describe Erickson, the Defendant exited the protective
confines of the First Amendment and exposed himself to state
prosecution."
Judge Higginbotham has set May 29 to sentence Pastor
Ovadal. In the meantime, Attorney Jim Donohoo will be filing a
motion for a new trial with a different judge based on Higginbotham's open
contempt for Pastor Ovadal and his unethical, and even unlawful, handling
of Pastor's case.
Excerpts from
Pastor Ovadal's Preaching on May 28, 2001:
"Ma'am, you're acting like a whore. . . . Why
don't you repent, ma'am? Give your life to Jesus Christ. You are acting
like a Jezebel. You need to repent. What kind of a woman goes to the
beach and strips naked in front of men? A whore, that's what. . . . Give
your life to Christ. . . . You need to repent. How many young men are
corrupted by whores that act like this? How many? How many children are
destroyed? How many young boys get their start on the path of slavery
because of this sort of woman who acts like a whore? . . . Don't act
like a whore, ma'am. Give your life to Jesus Christ, and He'll make you
a new creature. He'll give you a fresh start; He'll clean you up. He'll
help you; He'll do a godly work in your life. You won't have to be
ashamed of yourself. Listen to your conscience, ma'am. You need to start
over. . . . All the poor young men that will be caught in this woman's
trap. Their minds destroyed; their bodies used up."
Related Articles:
Nudity in front of children, a tax-funded "right"?
Public preaching a crime?
DNR
Chooses Lewdness and Nudity: Pastor Ralph Ovadal charged with a crime for
preaching on the Mazo Beach parking lot
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