Aw, Give the Guy the Benefit of the Doubt...!
He's a guy! I know, his faithful parishioners saw him as a man of God; he was their trusted pastor for the past decade after all. Likely the most trusted individual in the town of Ripon, California was Randall Radic, religious extraordinaire. He knew his scriptures, he observed his obligations to his parish, to his flock; he volunteered as a youth swim coach at the local pool, after all.How were they supposed to know the real Randall Radic, after all! A man with a chequered past as a morally upright religious leader? Doesn't anyone do background integrity checks on these guys? A serial womanizer, it doesn't appear he preyed on parish women although if that had occurred it will doubtless be revealed, unless as a result of full disclosure of his fiscal villainy no women will come forward to reveal themselves as silly goats.
His earlier life, to be revealed through an already-commissioned memoir included no fewer than eight 'fiancees', and two former wives. This man thinks big. "You may think that a priest who commits fraud is beyond redemption but I know the passage of scripture which would negate this," his Web site claims. See, his god obviously knows all about human fallibility and forgives him, why won't his parishioners, why won't the law?
All he did, after all, was forge signatures to gain ownership of the parsonage where he lived rent free. And then took out $200,000 in loans against the property. He's a bad-ass cleric, that's what. Oh, that's not the whole story? He what? He sold the First Congregational Church right out from under the noses of his loyal parishioners? Get out!
Maybe God told him to?
There's a photograph of him puffing a cigar, enjoying a wine glass of ambrosia, and hovering below his photograph an angelic female form clad in nothing but high heels, looking out a window; presumably toward the heavens. The site is a promotional for his tell-all book. "He's a larger-than-life personality" claims Deanna Dahisad of Emphemera Bound.
Well with some of his ill-gotten gains from the church building sale price of $525,000 Mr. Radic bought himself a new black BMW, told parishioners he was resigning and motored out to Colorado. For his pains he was charged with several felonies and faced up to 16 months' incarceration. But this guys' guy wastes no opportunities and has learned well that God helps those who help themselves.
While in prison he extended toward a fellow inmate a kindly clerical ear, no doubt promising redemption to a registered sex offender accused of yet another crime in Ripon. This sterling citizen was accused of the murder of a 46-year-old woman whose body hadn't been recovered although her vehicle was found in a place incriminating her murderer.
Clever clever Mr. Radic will assist for the prosecution in testifying against the murderer - as the recipient of 'inside' information - in exchange for the lifting of his own sentence.
Labels: Human Fallibility
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, February 14, 2007
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