Casting Stones

Have you heard of Maury Davis? He's the pastor of a megachurch. According to his church auditor, he earns "an ample salary on a par with his peers," has a lovely home with a pool and volleyball court, and enjoys vacations in Florida and New Mexico. Oh -- one other thing -- in 1975, he slit the throat of Jo Ella Liles in Irving, Texas. He served only eight years in prison for his horrendous crime. Then, he began to make a living telling the story of what he'd done.

No one officially informed the Liles family that Davis had been released from prison. They heard it from a friend, then Jo Ella's son saw Davis's picture on a billboard for the church. Ron Liles said, "I'm seeing somebody who had great success at my expense, at my mother's expense. How can you not feel a little hostile?" Davis is prone to theatrics in his church -- fireworks go off indoors on the Fourth of July, and he once released live chickens to make a point. He says he doesn't believe in the death penalty. Referring to Jesus when the crowd wanted to stone the adulterous woman, he says, "I don't believe we have the right to throw the stone."

I'm tired of seeing that passage pulled out of context. Jesus did not deny the woman deserved punishment. The point he was making was that the hypocritical crowd who condemned her weren't really concerned about the sin and the law. If they had been, they would have taken her to the proper legal and/or religious authority, not Jesus. He had no earthly religious or legal authority to pass judgment. If they had been sincere, the man involved would have been in the midst of them, too. What they had in mind was tripping Jesus up. They should have known better!

If we abolish the death penalty on the basis that everyone has unclean hands, then we must abolish all penalties -- no more prison, no more fines, no more community service. After all, the Bible says, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Even Davis admits that some criminals, including himself, deserve to die. But, he says, "I don't believe we have the right to throw the stone." Irving Detective John Looper remembers the brutality of what Davis did. He says Davis is "either making a real good living and he's conned a lot of people -- or he is truly converted. And, it's not up to me to judge him." I beg to differ:

• I John 4:1: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
• 2 Corinthians 11:13-15: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Maybe Davis really has been changed. I don't know. What I do know is that whether or not he has, eight years was much too light a sentence for hitting, stabbing, slitting her throat, and leaving that poor woman to die when all she was doing was showing him a house her son had for sale. Let him do his preaching in prison where he belongs. A spiritual awakening does not bring Jo Ella Liles back. I think we better get out of this not casting the first stone mentality and start doing some judging!

"Pastor reborn, but his past still haunts." The Dallas Morning News; April 19, 2009; p. 1A.