Latest On 3abn - Round 3, Kay Kuzma Response to L Shelton Story Options

[tarduke]

Why do you guys keep on speaking as if there is anything like spiritual adultery?

No one around here believes there is such a beast, I gather, that's why we either use it in quotation marks (as I did) or refer to it tongue-in-cheek as Steve did. It is Danny's terminology.

[Guest_statrei_*]

I wonder if I need to go back and read the recent Review series about the attack on marriage to see whether they included trumped up charges of spiritual adultery as one of the recent attacks against marriage.

[Panama_Pete]

I am responding to these points:

1. The only thing honest about this letter is that she insists it's her "story." And story it is.

Answer:

Linda is a songwriter and a musician. Other musicians will understand:

This is my story,
This is my song,
Praising my Saviour
All the day long.

2. She was not accused of "romantic notions" but of "spiritual adultery" and "adultery."

Answer:

Kay Kuzma, in her note to Calvin, has claimed that the mystery doctor and Linda toured Europe. The remark leads one's imagination to those old movies, such as "Roman Adventure" with Troy Donohue and Suzanne Pleshette, or "Roman Holiday" with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, where two actors bounce throught the European countryside and fall in love.

3. The misuse and abuse of Scripture by Linda should disturb any believer.

Answer:

I don't belong to the Scripture Patrol, so I can't respond to this one.

4. What kind of mother fights over Friday night activities and meat eating for her 15-year old child?

Answer:

The opposing lawyer in Nathan's custody fight used standard, Adventist beliefs to influence the judge. The judge assigned custody to Nathan's non-adventist father as a result. Linda lost custody of Nathan. Nathan, apparently, ended up travelling some very dark roads. Hence, the apparent need for the Norwegian clinic. I'm sure Linda believes this entire, dark, medical episode could have been avoided if she had been given custody of her son when he was 15.

5. She signed a severance agreement so she can't talk..what kind of trash is that?

Answer:

Settlement documents often have gag orders in them.

6. Linda got her millions to keep quiet--about what? Time will tell? The IRS hasn't finished with them yet.

If she was fired, and I think she was, then any severance payment might not have been her idea. I think she would opt to avoid the humiliation, rather than accept a severance check.


Panama Pete

[princessdi]

I am glad to see both of theses posts. To Ginge I would first like to say welcome.

These posts cleared up a few more things. One in particular is that I was curious about Danny's omission, he never even mentioned Nathan. Now it is clear, Nathan is not his child. From the first time I heard that this revolved around treatment for Nathan, I was struck by Danny's distance.

4. What kind of mother fights over Friday night activities and meat eating for her 15-year old child? Of course she was a fanatic! Poor kid!

Trevor, this is a common strategy in custody battles when one parent has religious affiliations and the other does not, or they don't share the same ones. She wasn't fighting over that, these are the reasons given as her being unfit to raise the child. She had to defend raising Nathan according to SDA beliefs. They were accusing her(and Danny) to be religious zealots. Her fears were obviously realized, however, God in still in control. This is something she could not do for Nathan, he has to walk this road himself.

5. She signed a severance agreement so she can't talk..what kind of trash is that?

Exactly the kind of trash we see now. With Danny and 3ABN being the only ones out there doing the talking, telling only one severely skewed side of the story. Yes, there was a monetary settlement, since it looks as if they had her over a barrel, departure from 3ABN would have also meant the termination of her own income. Danny and 3ABN held the power here. Linda should have insisted upon an agreement with both parties abiding by a "gag order". As it is they can(and have said) say whatever they want, and she can say almost nothing to defend herself.

[pmorris68]

I think we all just need to agree that there is 3 sides to every story....

His Story
Her Story
The Truth

[Clay]

While we can agree that there are multiple "truths" in this story, the part that bothers me is Mr. Shelton's posturing. What would God have you to do in a situation like that? Where is the "Christian love?" I am sorry, I don't see Mr. Shelton taking the high road, and that is my issue. Regardless of what she did, he has a duty to take the high road. The story of Hosea is in the bible for a reason..... Just my perspective though....

[princessdi]

While we can agree that there are multiple "truths" in this story, the part that bothers me is Mr. Shelton's posturing. What would God have you to do in a situation like that? Where is the "Christian love?" I am sorry, I don't see Mr. Shelton taking the high road, and that is my issue. Regardless of what she did, he has a duty to take the high road. The story of Hosea is in the bible for a reason..... Just my perspective though....

I agree, Steve, this would not even be out here like this if it weren't for Danny and 3ABN Board tatics. Not Christ-like at all!

[Clay]

It is messy just messy.... and it soooooo similar to what the Jews were willing to do to kill Jesus. I mean they were willing to plot and plan, arrange to catch a woman in adultery just to trap Jesus.... The way this 3ABN thing is unfolding, don't tell me someone somewhere wasn't plotting and planning how to destroy the reputation of not only Linda but the doctor in question.....

I wish Mr. Shelton would be kind enough to reappear and state his case as well as answer some burning questions. He could bring along Ms. Kuzma cause some of us (okay me) have some questions for her too....

[Clay]

Trevor mentioned it as did Panama Pete, so I am wondering what role does money play in this? Why is the IRS scrutinizing (if they are) 3ABN? What questionable activity might be occurring that would even interest the IRS?

[Guest_statrei_*]

It is really the Illinois tax authorities wanting property taxes. Unless something new has come up, 3ABN has no IRS issues. They have been certified by the IRS as being a religious non-profit organization.

[awesumtenor]

Trevor mentioned it as did Panama Pete, so I am wondering what role does money play in this? Why is the IRS scrutinizing (if they are) 3ABN? What questionable activity might be occurring that would even interest the IRS?

Offhand, if I had to guess, I'd say 501c3 violations...there are very stringent tax and income reporting guidelines for tax exempt organizations, especially those that solicit and receive donations and there are draconian penalties for noncompliance.

If any settlement for her termination was paid from funds donated under 501c3, then 3ABN could have real issues; it's the double whammy. If they lose 501c3 status, they have to pay taxes and penalties plus the monies donated to the ministry are no longer tax deductible ( ever wonder what happened to the Christian Coalition? There you go; they got hit for 501c3 violations and paid through the nose... they may still be paying )... and we know the greatest reason for charitable deductions is the tax break

And that's just at the federal level; I believe they were already in some trouble with the state of Illinois for tax related issues.

In His service,
Kevin Josey

[Clay]

Thanks Kevin for that info and it could be that the financial piece is just another unrelated to the problems at 3ABN

[mema]

Well, it is safe to say that we now have a soap opera before us. We will have to wait to see how this plays out.

[Clay]

Yes it is definitely drama..... but it didn't have to be like this... this was planned... and that's the part that is scary... someone planned this mess.....

[HUGGINS130]

Ok I may be a little off topic of what has been discussed lately but if I am not mistaking wasn't there a report made that Linda made choices that were not in line with where the 3abn ministry was going. The problem I had with that first report was that unless Linda had renounced her faith in Jesus Christ, then and only then could I see the need to report her departure from the mission of the Gospel Ministry. I don't know all the details nor do I need to know them all, but I agree with Steve, and Di, that this is just messy. To top it off like Steve said, Adultery doesn't constitute divorce, unless there is a hardness of heart, and this spiritual adultery charge is something else. From the beginning of this whole mess, it looked to me as if the cards were being dealt, to the point where a major blow would be issued to the one standing alone. As you see Linda refused to accept certain counseling, and other things too. I agree with Steve, I think this was planned and I can't say if Linda cheated or not, but she is still calling on the name of her God, through letter, so I am happy at least to know that through her letters if nothing else, she has her faith in God.

Looking from the outside in, this seems just like another case where the Adventist elite are downtrodding the lesser in this case. I have heard of countless cases where Advent lawyers, doctors, and those in high positions have pulled this number before. Whether it was against another spouse or a lowly member of this church, this type of thing has happened before. For some reason I don't think Linda is in this just for money, but because she had no other choice but to accept her termination, she was compensated what was due her.

This whole thing has saddened me, because ya'll I am tired of lies, and I am tired of Christians acting like they don't have any common love for another. It's time that Christians act in love and abide by that principle where if sin abound grace abound more. There was nothing graceful about this from the start, and there will never be anything graceful about this situation. So messy it just makes me sick...