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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two children and their mother lived for about two months with the decaying body of a 90-year-old woman on the toilet of their home’s only bathroom, on the advice of a religious “superior” who claimed the corpse would come back to life, authorities said Friday.
The children — a 15-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy — cried hysterically Wednesday after a deputy who came to their Necedah home looking for Magdeline Alvina Middlesworth ordered them out because of the stench from her body.
When Deputy Leigh Neville-Neil arrived at the house, she encountered Lewis, also known as Sister Mary Bernadett, the complaint said. Lewis, 35, initially refused to allow the deputy to check on Middlesworth, telling her that Middlesworth was on vacation and saying she had to check with her “superior” first.
Lewis told the deputy that Middlesworth had died about two months earlier, but that God told her Middlesworth would come to life if she prayed hard enough.
She said she couldn’t say anything more until she spoke with her “superior” — Bushey, 57, also known as Bishop John Peter Bushey.
She said she propped Middlesworth on the toilet and left the room to call Bushey, who told her to leave the woman alone and pray for her, the complaint said. He said he had received signs that God would raise her from the dead with a miracle.
Bushey and Lewis are scheduled to make an initial court appearance May 19. Aside from the felony counts, Lewis also was charged with obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor.
This is really unbelievable. Read the whole story.
Found by MJ.
So, being stupid is now a felony in Wisconsin?
Anybody know what the charge actually was?–I missed it in two quick reads.
I’d give them 1 year probation with a warning not to prop dead people up on the crapper. More is beating a dead horse. Years ago I would have said make them take a high school science class, but I hear there is very little science being taught in those classes these days===all with the result we see here.
[“…two felony counts of being a party to causing mental harm to a child.” – ed.]
A miracle that didn’t work… I’m stunned.
I should have known that religion played a part in this.
Is stupidity a prerequisite for being religious, or a result of it.
Christ. Today’s incessant religion-bashing here on dvorak dot org slash blog is getting somewhat tiresome. Slow news day, or what?
#6 – Mr. Hot Dog Condiment
It’s sad that we’re telling you as it is…
What could be the motivation for the “bishop” to tell them to pray? How did he think anyone could benefit from leaving the dead woman on the toilet? I don’t get it. There is something more to this story we are not getting.
What’s on earth is so “unbelievable”, about a cult that hears voices in their heads, doing something like this? Belonging to an organized religion is a sure sign of a serious mental disorder. Things like this are to be expected…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjMRgT5o-Ig
Jaegermeister: good video.
Religion seems to come to some pretty weird conclusions as to the nature of reality.
The people who believed this “bishop” about their dead grandmother are just as deluded as their bishop was.
Pope Benedict: Sex can become ‘like a drug,’ implying somehow that deity he worships really didn’t give people genders and that babies don’t come from sex.
More wars seem to be fought over religion than over territory, money, or even oil. I strongly suspect that Iraq isn’t about oil; it’s about loony American fundies that were trying to start the battle of Armageddon so Jesus will come back. If I were Jesus, I’d be so disgusted with my followers I’d never come back.
>>It’s sad that we’re telling you as it is…
That was cute. The guy’s a little hard to understand at some points, but very humorous.
“Two children and their mother lived for about two months with the decaying body of a 90-year-old woman on the toilet of their home’s only bathroom”
How is this any different then the stupid stoners who claimed to dig a corpse up to smoke pot out of it’s skull?
Idiots.
I’m dying to see some trial that proves religion is imaginary. If it’s real, let’s see some miracle take place in the courtroom. If not, abolish all religions as fraudulent. Wouldn’t happen of course, because the corrupt and criminal churches pay the system off, in order to keep operating and ripping off the poor ignorant, uneducated masses.
When a family is in grief over a death of a loved one, it’s VERY EASY to dupe people into doing shit like this if they think the person will come back to life. John Peter Bushey should be smack up side the head for this. Jesus should fire him.
>>There is something more to this story
>>we are not getting.
Yer darned tootin’.
This case is just another example of Church sanctioned child abuse.
#11 – floyd – Jaegermeister: good video.
Thanks.
…loony American fundies that were trying to start the battle of Armageddon so Jesus will come back.
I just finished watching JPV’s video link (#9 Good link, JPV!)… it’s spooky that these people actually believe in this stuff and are willing to drag the rest of us through war and shit in order to keep the story going.
#11 – Mister Mustard
Well, you didn’t question its content… we’re making progress.
#12 – JPV – …because the corrupt and criminal churches pay the system off, in order to keep operating and ripping off the poor ignorant, uneducated masses.
Exactly. They got connections throughout the power structures. Your video (#9) definitely proved it.
#13 – FRAGaLOT – John Peter Bushey should be smack up side the head for this. Jesus should fire him.
No, he should serve time, just like any other fraudster.
For the record, this did not occur in Madison. Madison is in Dane County, and this occurred somewhere in Juneau County, 80 miles north of Madison.
I only say this because, well, I don’t want my alma mater to be associated with this stupidity.
Then again, UW has plenty of stupidity to go around, but I digress.
[Comment deleted – Violation of Posting Guidelines. – ed.]
>>Well, you didn’t question its content…
>>we’re making progress.
Hey, Syrup Man, far be it from me to deny that the religious flock is rife with nincompoops, hatemongers, murderers, frauds, and imbeciles. Same goes for the adherents of Atheism. That makes no nevermind to me vis-a-vis my spiritual beliefs. As long as nobody tries to make me eat a fish pie, they can believe whatever the fuck they like.
As to the fruitcake Bishop BOOSH-aye, I’m still waiting to read what “church” he is affiliated with.
#19, Mustard,
As to the fruitcake Bishop BOOSH-aye, I’m still waiting to read what “church” he is affiliated with.
Sound out his name. Does it remind you of a (in)famous person? Yup. That’s him. The Church of Bush. where god (not Gawd) talks to the mentally unstable.
>>The Church of Bush
“God would tell me, ‘George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan’. And I did. And then God would tell me ‘George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq’. And I did.””
I don’t belong to that church. But hey, at least the Chimperor-in-Chief is on a first-name basis with the Big Guy.
Do you know who else was religious and died on the toilet?
http://tinyurl.com/3thquv
Actually, a fan told me that Elvis was found in a sort of kneeling fetal position on the floor of his bathroom.
Before all the godless dems gets in an uproar over some hicks who don’t get the official religion just right, maybe they should take a look in their own backyard. I’m referring, of course, to Lenin’s Tomb in the Kremlin. Stupid commiesdems.
#23 – Yes, that is correct. Apparently praying to the Tidy Bowl Man.
Isn’t that a photo of Jonathan Winters pretending to be a bishop?
I think it was Willy Nelson that told Don Imus that Elvis’ last word was “Corn?”
#19 MM – I am amazed again. You must be slipping because it took you up to 19 comments before you started slamming President Bush.
Simply amazing you can live with yourself. Bush is President now repeat it with me.
Get over it already and look forward to the next one you can do nothing but bitch about. No wait, your tin-foil hat indicates a mouse will fart somewhere in the south and Bush will declare a national emergency and invoke powers to stay in office thereby giving Mister Mustard more time to bitch about Bush. Perfect
#27 – Read it again, he merely pointed out the pronunciation of the Bishops name. That had nothing to do with Bush. I think MM’s a douchebag too but the least you could do is try and pay, the fuck, attention to what is going on here so we don’t have to correct your whining, stupid ass.
Disclaimer: I’m not associated with the editorial staff here but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
[That’s Holiday Inn Express. – ed.]
It’s a fearless forecast :).
What? Praying that a dead body would reanimate did not work? I know I’m shocked. Perhaps you have to be scheduled for crucifixion in order for the magic to work.
You’re correct. I shouldn’t knock Mister Mustard because the fucking wing nut assholes like me are just too fucking stupid to understand that anyone could possibly hate that lowdown, asswipe, god conversing, useless piece of shit in the Oval Office.
My apologies.