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People, I come before you today to tell a story of a Servant of God, who lied to fill the church.
Has a pastor at Landover ever told you anything that was incorrect? Has a Pastor from Landover ever lied? Why would any Pastor tell you lies just to get you into church? Just to build up his flock? Is it not enough that God gives you eternal Life? Is it insufficient that all your sins can be forgiven? Was it not enough that Jesus cursed a fig tree?
If you want something totally amazing, go to church listen to the Gospels and be told unbelievable stories that make you gasp!
The Pastors at Landover are sworn never to reveal any of their military exploits in any war or other ‘situation’. It might be because of National Security or it might be because they are truly humble – it might be both.
Choose a Church that Protects the Nation and your soul - Choose Landover!
People, I come before you today to tell a story of a Servant of God, who lied to fill the church.
Has a pastor at Landover ever told you anything that was incorrect? Has a Pastor from Landover ever lied? Why would any Pastor tell you lies just to get you into church? Just to build up his flock? Is it not enough that God gives you eternal Life? Is it insufficient that all your sins can be forgiven? Was it not enough that Jesus cursed a fig tree?
If you want something totally amazing, go to church listen to the Gospels and be told unbelievable stories that make you gasp!
From the editors: After Osama bin Laden was killed, The Patriot-News reached out to find former Navy SEALs living in the midstate to tell our readers about life in that elite fighting force. Reporter Dan Miller, an Army veteran himself, was told the Rev. Jim Moats was a former SEAL, interviewed him and wrote the story for Saturday’s paper. It didn’t take long for some readers to label Moats a fraud. The Patriot-News regularly interviews veterans to tell their stories. We do not regularly ask those we interview for proof of their service, believing these men and women would not lie and dishonor those who have fought bravely defending our country. Unfortunately, this time we were deceived, and we will discuss steps to try and ensure that it does not happen again.
The Navy awards the gold Trident medal to those who have completed SEALs training and have earned the right to be called a SEAL. The same gold Trident can be bought at a military surplus store, and that’s where the Rev. Jim Moats of Newville got his.
Moats was never a Navy SEAL — even though that’s what he told The Patriot-News on Friday, and that’s what Moats has allowed his congregation at Christian Bible Fellowship Church in Newville to believe for five years.
Moats came to the newspaper office and acknowledged in an interview Sunday that he never was offered SEALS training in the Navy and that he never was accepted into the program, let alone completed it.
“I never was in a class, I never served as an actual SEAL. It was my dream. ... I don’t even know if I would have met the qualifications. I never knew what the qualifications were,” Moats said.
Several people emailed PennLive about Moats’ claim after the story was posted online.
Don Shipley, a retired SEAL who lives in Chesapeake, Va., said he is one of a few former SEALs who are entrusted by the Navy with maintaining the database containing the names of all SEALS. The database cannot be accessed by the public.
Moats was never a SEAL and never had set foot in Vietnam, Shipley said. The information can be verified through a Freedom of Information Act request from the Naval Special Warfare Command in San Diego, he said.
Shipley called Moats on Saturday night to confront him about the issue.
“We deal with these guys all the time, especially the clergy. It’s amazing how many of the clergy are involved in those lies to build that flock up,” Shipley said.
Shipley said Moats’ story about being re-assigned to kitchen duty and about being waterboarded were lifted from the Steven Seagal movie “Under Siege,” while his reference to being hit by SEAL instructors was vintage “GI Jane.”
The Navy awards the gold Trident medal to those who have completed SEALs training and have earned the right to be called a SEAL. The same gold Trident can be bought at a military surplus store, and that’s where the Rev. Jim Moats of Newville got his.
Moats was never a Navy SEAL — even though that’s what he told The Patriot-News on Friday, and that’s what Moats has allowed his congregation at Christian Bible Fellowship Church in Newville to believe for five years.
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Moats came to the newspaper office and acknowledged in an interview Sunday that he never was offered SEALS training in the Navy and that he never was accepted into the program, let alone completed it.
“I never was in a class, I never served as an actual SEAL. It was my dream. ... I don’t even know if I would have met the qualifications. I never knew what the qualifications were,” Moats said.
Several people emailed PennLive about Moats’ claim after the story was posted online.
Don Shipley, a retired SEAL who lives in Chesapeake, Va., said he is one of a few former SEALs who are entrusted by the Navy with maintaining the database containing the names of all SEALS. The database cannot be accessed by the public.
Moats was never a SEAL and never had set foot in Vietnam, Shipley said. The information can be verified through a Freedom of Information Act request from the Naval Special Warfare Command in San Diego, he said.
Shipley called Moats on Saturday night to confront him about the issue.
“We deal with these guys all the time, especially the clergy. It’s amazing how many of the clergy are involved in those lies to build that flock up,” Shipley said.
Shipley said Moats’ story about being re-assigned to kitchen duty and about being waterboarded were lifted from the Steven Seagal movie “Under Siege,” while his reference to being hit by SEAL instructors was vintage “GI Jane.”
Choose a Church that Protects the Nation and your soul - Choose Landover!
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