Well, I’ve put off writing this post for weeks. Honestly, it seems silly to dignify the accusations by refuting them here, but I guess the rumors have spread far enough that I should address it, especially for people who might be new here.
As you may remember, in the fall, Teen Mania commissioned a lawyer, who then commissioned a private investigator to investigate me. This investigator called my friends and harassed them in a pathetic attempt to dig up dirt on me. Since they were unable to find something true to smear me with, they have resorted to lies instead.
For many months now, Heath Stoner has been telling people (including the entire intern class and people who call to ask about the truth in my blog) that I serve alcohol to underage minors. This is patently untrue and actually quite laughable.
This story first originated in Heath’s first interrogation of Hannah (you may remember she was routinely interrogated after he discovered her friendship with me.) This was the same interrogation in which she was forced to call me and cancel her plane ticket go back home (read about it here). Exasperated at the continued questioning and pressure, and after a full day of isolation in an office supervised by HA personnel, Hannah felt the need to make something up in order to satisfy Heath and get him off her back. So she told him that I gave her alcohol.
Of course, this wasn’t true, but at that point, I don’t blame her for trying to do whatever she could to get out of the situation. There is a reason there are proper procedures for legally admissible interrogations – its easy to manipulate someone into saying things that aren’t true when you know the right techniques.
So, just a few days later on September 16th, 2010, Hannah sent this email to Heath Stoner and Dave Hasz:
To Heath Stoner, David Hasz, et al,
I have at no time been offered any alcoholic drink from anybody related to the Recovering Alumni movement after it was discovered that I was slightly underage. I have not consumed alcohol since I began involvement with Teen Mania and at no time has any alcoholic beverage been given to me. Any statement or implication from you or the Teen Mania Ministry that I was/ I have is patently false. Any prior statements that I may have made otherwise were under coercion of the Teen Mania leadership. I am not being forced to send this AT ALL
Well, far be it from Teen Mania to let a little thing like the truth stand in their way. Even after receiving this note from Hannah, and even after confronting me to my face about it in which I told them their facts were incorrect, THEY CONTINUE to spread this untrue rumor about me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and steer the focus away from the wrongs they are committing.
And now, I’m not sure if its just the rumor mill at work or if Teen Mania purposely enlarged the lie, but the current rumor is that I lure interns off campus and give them drugs and alcohol so that they will be dismissed.
When I heard this, my first thought was, couldn’t they come up with a more believable lie? I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to come up with some sin that I might actually commit – but drug use? Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t even have the first clue where to get drugs, much less how to smoke them….This is just so stupid that its absurdly preposterous. And I’ve never even finished an entire alcoholic beverage on my own – I don’t like the taste! I have a few hard lemonades in the fridge for when we have company. That’s pretty much the extent of my alcoholic “lifestyle.”
But again, Teen Mania doesn’t let the truth get in the way of their plans.
I don’t know which is more absurd – thinking that I dole out illegal substances or that I want interns to get dismissed. I’m against nearly the entire “dismissal” system because I think it tells interns that they are rejected by God. This fallout from that abhorrent message is the chief reason I am motivated to tell interns that they are loved by God, not rejected!
So yeah, the whole thing is absurd, and of course its not backed up by facts – because there are none.
So what is the bottom line?
1) Teen Mania has zero facts to base their allegations on. Only one coerced testimony which was later retracted. (And if they really believe I give drugs to kids, why didn’t they report me to the police?)
2) Why does Teen Mania lie and attempt to smear my reputation? BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID. They do not want people finding out the truth and avoiding the Honor Academy. They need the money and the free labor. If it dries up, Teen Mania will cease to exist.
3) EVEN IF everything they said was true – how does that change the fact that they have abused people?? It doesn’t. No matter what sins I may commit – they are the ones that are still abusing people.
Even if my credibility were impaired by such an offense, you cannot deny the countless voices testifying here and elsewhere. Literally dozens of other interns have shared their stories both in blog posts and in the comments. Just read the “true stories” category on the right sidebar to see for yourself.
______________________________________________________
Of course my first reaction to all of this was anger, but now that I’ve had time to reflect I believe this is actually a very good sign. If this community was not effective in sharing the truth about Teen Mania, they would not bother lying about me.
So, for those of you that are long time readers and fellow recovering alumni, don’t let this get you down or angry. Let it encourage you to keep speaking out and sharing your story. The truth cannot be silenced.
31 comments:
I have long been troubled that the standard they say they expect from teenagers is not the standard they themselves live up to. While not angry at them (I more choose pity that they are the way they are. ) I am angry that they think tarnishing your name is a way to show anything good about God. We all know what the bible says about spreading lies after all, they use the scriptures on those (WRONGLY) all the time.
Lemonade? They’re the ones who are drunk on power.
Recommended antidote: Tom Waits on full volume. Little Drop of Poison.
This is upsetting on so many different levels. But, it is not surprising in the least.
The ol’ alcohol to minors ploy. I’ve started to view Teen Mania as a spoiled, upset child trying to get the “adults” to put the cool kids into time-out.
You wont get you’re way by lying and acting out, darlin’. They may not want to play with you, but that doesn’t mean you get to lie about them.
(hint…we are the cool kids).
Teen Mania – Fighting truth with lies since the beginning of the cult.
(note to Hasz, statements of truth aren’t attacks. How can you expect to squelch the truth of this blog by claiming this kind of crap?)
Has anyone here noticed that every time Stoner/Hasz/Luce say that they are being attacked by satan that these supposed “attacks” are actually satements of truth? This is just more more of the same for these cult leader$.
mouse
Y’know…
I like to keep an open mind when I hear about preachers and teachers who may have accidentally stepped over the line and just need to have their b.s. pointed out to them so they can apologize.
I like to think that even in a large, influential church group that top leaders can be decent people who have made mistakes as we all have.
I like to think that ministers are better people than those who grab power and influence at the expense of honesty…..
But these turds might as well be leading ANY political group who don’t mind attacking young women who have been abused and lie to many people to maintain their control.
And to think, parents trust their kids to these bastards…..
From wikipedia comes this gem….
“Machiavellianism is one of the three personality traits referred to as the dark triad, along with narcissism and psychopathy.”
I spoke with Heath Stoner about this site, and one of the first things he told me was the whole, serving alcohol to a minor thing. I’m glad you set the record straight…keep up the good work.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4518
just an FYI….
RA, always a shoulder here if you need one. You remain in my prayers. Thank you again for your courage and strength. Keep speaking the truth about the abuses that go on at HA. Truth does set all free. Love you!
Melissa
Thanks, Melissa. 🙂 It would be impossible for me to have continued this long without the wonderful supportive comments and emails from this community.
What is amazing to me is that Heath Stoner still tells people lies that we serve alcohol to minors. Heath Stoner, have you _NO_ integrity? This isn’t a rhetorical question. Respond with evidence or stop breaking the ninth commandment.
I have to say RA, that I think you have handled this particular issue with a lot of class and good sense. And thinking about how you had the patience to let this develop and get your sources right, especially the graceful way you handled things with Hannah seems exemplary to me. 🙂
After some consideration as to my first comment in this thread I do believe I regret comparing the Teen Mania leadership that coerced a misstatement out of Hannah and then propagated the lie to just another political group that would willing so abuse one young lady to attack another.
First of all, I feel I should probably have to apologize to a lot of political organizations for the comparison. I am sure that their are many of them who would never stoop to such disreputable and underhanded tactics.
And for some of the rest of them who might, given the right circumstances, do such a thing…I’m certain they would at least recognize the shear stupidity involved in this particular incident if nothing else.
And above all this, I’m certain that many politicos are aware of these types of shenanigans but also happen to be decent enough people to truly be ashamed and even perhaps afraid of such things happening within any church. I have to appreciate that many would have the common sense and decency to just know that such actions and “church” do not really belong in the same universe together.
Heath/Dave/Ron are able to sleep at night because they truly believe that they are being attacked and that God would have them lie. Who else remembers the whole “it is okay to lie in circumstances such as smuggling Bibles into closed countries” bs?
They equate this “attack” as one of those situations were God looks past the sin of lying for the great good of the community.
Good point Shannon. I didn’t think about it that was.
And I totally get where their coming from now. I on several occasions have mistaken RA with a Communist threatening to squash ‘the people’. Oh, wait that’s that other blog I read. Wow that’s embarrassing.
Thank you, RA – thank you for being honest, transparent, sincere and open with us. Those character traits have helped bring about the healing of so many wounded hearts.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use some of those adjectives to describe the staff at TM? Alas…
lol!!!!! these guys are only one rung above westboro baptist church!!!!
RA – what are you talking about?! That last keg party at your house was AMAZING! I haven’t smoked pot that good since before I went to my first ATF!
Thank you for getting me dismissed.
p.s. I am not a dismissed intern – and this post is a joke. 😉
I think the influx of comments like these is due to graduation. Everyone is so ready to implement what they’ve learned at the internship (be a douche for Jesus) and take on the real world!
Starting with their mortal enemy… criticism on the Internet.
Unable to see past their Teen Mania boners, their fingers hit the keys faster than they can think about what they’re typing! “The more zealous and close-minded I appear, the more brownie points I get with Jesus! I am taking His Gospel to the ends of the earth, starting with that damned RECOVERING ALUMNI group!”, they think as they continue to regurgitate the lessons they’ve been forcefed for the past year.
They hit “post comment”, a satisfied smile on their face. They have made a difference in the world, and any comment they get in disagreement is simply persecution for doing what Jesus would have done- causing a flame war on the Internet for posting an arrogant, ill-founded comment.
This concludes my thesis.
(I understand that the comment above may be too vulgar to publish)
I would agree NH! I love the analogy, btw.
They have certainly changed my perspective on TM and I shall now go and repent to the Flying Spaghetti Monster for ever thinking that my experiences at the HA were damaging, cultish, and abusive.
NH, you should write a book of some sort (not just a comic book). You have a way with words that makes it interesting, entertaining, and engaging to read regardless of the topic.
NH, write a mockumentary of Teen Mania. You’d make a killing when the story about TM breaks into the public.
you criticize tm for lying, and yet you know you are not completely representing the truth about tm. you were hurt by them, and for that, i’m sorry. but i was there for 3 years, and we both know, you have portrayed a very skewed view of tm. there are moments when i would argue that you have outright lied.
CZ – Please show me exactly how/where I have lied.
Even if I have lied (which I have not), how does that absolve Teen Mania of their lies?
A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.Flights to Kathmandu
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