[Vision2020] DOUGLAS WILSON AND THE MORTON STREET CASINO SCANDAL

Thu, 17 Apr 2003 11:53:36 -0700 (PDT)

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DOUGLAS WILSON AND THE MORTON STREET CASINO SCANDAL
In December 2001 Dr. Roy Atwood’s 21 year old son, Ethan, was caught managing an illegal black jack casino/wet bar in his garage. Dr. Atwood was a teaching elder at Christ Church and is the dean of New St. Andrews College (NSA).

The Morton Street Casino was a well-financed, well-equipped gaming operation designed to earn money for “the house.” The age of the players ranged from their late teens to early twenties. There was a $100 limit per hand, money was credited by “the house,” books were kept, and at the end of each month the players settled their accounts. The Morton Street Casino violated both state and federal laws. Moreover, it was carefully concealed: Dr. Atwood’s son charged one player, “Don’t tell anybody about this, not even your parents—especially your parents—not even if it was your mother on her deathbed.”

In October 2001, the first month of high-stakes gambling, the Morton Street Casino “house” lost about $1,000; and “the house” faithfully paid its debt. In November, however, the tide turned. Casino management served free liquor to the players, and as inhibitions lowered, wagers increased. By the end of the month, “the house” won about $4,500. In December 2001, when the casino was discovered, Douglas Wilson and the Christ Church Session cancelled all debts and instructed the players to get back to the status quo ante.

Three weeks after the Morton Street Casino was discovered, Dr. Atwood submitted a letter of resignation to the Christ Church Session, as per constitutional procedure, because his son was in high rebellion. In January 2002 the session presented the letter to the heads of households (HOH), according to procedure. However during the February 2002 HOH meeting, Douglas Wilson recommended, contrary to procedure, that the elders return Dr. Atwood’s letter of resignation because, according to Wilson, Dr. Atwood’s son had “permission” to manage the casino. Though never fully explained to the church, this “permission” was nothing more than another Christ Church officer’s knowledge that Dr. Atwood’s son once patronized a legal casino. But everyone knows that visiting a legal casino is not “permission” to manage an illegal casino. Dr. Atwood’s son never had permission, and Wilson knew it. And this was the birth of the Morton Street Casino scandal.

During the February 2002 HOH meeting, Wilson put Scripture to the rack and contended for a “higher standard to remove an elder” than ordain one, arguing that the “must be” requirements of 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:7 were applicable to “candidates for elder,” not necessarily existing elders. This was a new position for Wilson; it was a complete contradiction of his ten-year written record; and it was biblically untenable. Douglas Wilson twisted Scripture.

It’s difficult to understand why Douglas Wilson would lie and twist Scripture; but the embarrassment factor seems most likely. In 1999, less than three years before the casino scandal, Dr. Atwood’s son was involved in the NSA drug ring, and instead of disciplining Dr. Atwood, Wilson gave him a six-month LOA. Wilson referred to the LOA as a “wisdom call.” In other words, his “wisdom” overrode Scripture, and who wants to admit that their “wisdom” isn’t so wise? But wisdom is justified by all her children.

NSA stood to be embarrassed by the Morton Street Casino scandal as well. The dean, Dr. Roy Atwood, was the chief figure for NSA at two critical points—money and accreditation. At the time of the casino, NSA was trying to buy the Verizon Building (later in 2002 they bought it for about $750,000), and they were also in the process of accreditation. A casino scandal could hurt both the money flow and the accreditation process. Moreover, who would send their child to a school where the dean’s son was caught managing a casino, getting people drunk, and gouging them out of thousands of credited dollars?—especially if the school’s motto is “Truth, Beauty, Goodness.”

In the end, it doesn’t matter why Wilson did it, the fact is he did it. He lied, he twisted Scripture, and he did not discipline Dr. Atwood or his son for their sin.

Douglas Wilson kept Dr. Atwood in office as dean of NSA and teaching elder of Christ Church by inventing “inactive status”—ex cathedra—for Christ Church officers. Dr. Atwood was placed on “inactive status” as an elder. “Inactive status,” however, was another lie. Douglas Wilson did not tell the church that Atwood was still “active” at the very place specifically prohibited by Scripture—“ruling” (1 Tim. 3:4, 5.) Dr. Roy Atwood retained disciplinary, voting, and ruling authority, despite his son’s role as instigator of the Morton Street Casino.

But Douglas Wilson still had one lingering problem: the Morton Street Casino “house” was down $1,000; and since Wilson did not discipline Dr. Atwood or his son, he could not discipline the players who were in debt to the “house.” He had no leverage; worse yet, the “house” had leverage on him. He was completely compromised.

Therefore, on May 30, 2002, Douglas Wilson and the session took $1,000 from the Christ Church General Fund and paid it to the Morton Street Casino “house.” Douglas Wilson and the session stole $1,000 from the tithes & offerings to pay off felonious gambling debts. Douglas Wilson and the session robbed the Lord’s treasury. And Dr. Roy Atwood was a ruling/voting/disciplining member of the Christ Church Session when the theft occurred. As Scripture says, “Money answers everything,” and it’s always easier to play with someone else’s chips. (Eccles. 10:19.) But the $1,000 payoff was not revealed to the members of Christ Church; it was covered up.

In July 2001, three members in good standing brought charges against Dr. Atwood for failure to rule his house well. These men did not know about the payoff; but they did know that men with unfaithful children are prohibited from serving as elders. Douglas Wilson responded by threatening the men who brought the charges. He said, “There’s going to be some shootin’ in the bushes . . . people are going to get splattered.” “Families are going to be destroyed.” “Lives are going to be undone and ruined.” “There’s going to be big-time lawsuits.” “There’s going to be firestorms in your households,” etc. But rather than stand down, the men charged the session to the CRE.

On July 18, 2002, the day that the Christ Church Session was formally charged to the CRE, three officers resigned their positions. However, these resignations were beside the point. It was no longer a question about Dr. Atwood’s household or the legitimacy of “inactive status.” A much larger issue emerged—Douglas Wilson. A profound disconnect between Wilson the preacher/writer and Wilson the individual was discovered. This discovery revealed that the summer’s events were the latest installment in a well-established pattern of lawlessness. Practically speaking, Douglas Wilson is an antinomian.

In 1989 Wilson borrowed money from CEF (Christ Church) to pay his taxes; in 1992, while the loan was still outstanding, the elders checked the books and discovered that Wilson had a regular habit of “borrowing” money from the church. These personal “loans” were not made with the elders’ knowledge; they were self-designated. He simply took the money for his own “personal business.” When confronted by an elder, Wilson did not confess his sin; he merely described it as “in appropriate,” and his primary concern was about getting caught—not the impropriety.

In 1993, the CEF session disciplined Wilson because he abandoned the doctrinal standards of the church. But Doug did not submit to his elders; he rebelled against their lawfully constituted authority. He politicked, garnered support, and undermined the session. Half of the session resigned shortly thereafter.

In October 1999, officers’ children were using illegal drugs and hallucinogens, and participating in immorality (NSA drug ring). But Wilson did not uphold the confessional and constitutional standards of the church; he rewrote law and granted those elders leaves of absence in lieu of biblical discipline.

In 2001, in a matter of “public judicature,” Wilson did not acknowledge or submit to the lawfully constituted authority of the OPC; he subverted it. And when called to account, he disrespected it.

In 2002, officers’ children from the 1999 NSA drug ring resurfaced in the Morton Street Casino scandal. Once again, rather than “sort this out” and apply biblical discipline, Wilson blamed it on his brother, circumvented Holy Scripture, invented “inactive status,” and took $1,000 from the church to pay off the casino “house.” He stole from the tithe to pay off felonious debts incurred at an illegal casino—a casino that was managed by a Christ Church elder’s son.

In the end, the bottom line of the Morton Street Casino scandal is this: When Douglas Wilson refused to discipline the sin, he had to buy it. Bizarre indeed.
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<H3 class=FM3Level align=center>DOUGLAS WILSON AND THE MORTON STREET CASINO SCANDAL</H3>
In December 2001 Dr. Roy Atwood’s 21 year old son, Ethan, was caught managing an illegal black jack casino/wet bar in his garage. Dr. Atwood was a teaching elder at Christ Church and is the dean of New St. Andrews College (NSA).
The Morton Street Casino was a well-financed, well-equipped gaming operation designed to earn money for “the house.” The age of the players ranged from their late teens to early twenties. There was a $100 limit per hand, money was credited by “the house,” books were kept, and at the end of each month the players settled their accounts. The Morton Street Casino violated both <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Statutes.htm" target=_blank>state and federal laws.</A> Moreover, it was carefully concealed: Dr. Atwood’s son charged one player, “Don’t tell anybody about this, not even your parents—<A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Oath.htm" target=_blank>especially your parents</A>—not even if it was your mother on her deathbed.”
In October 2001, the first month of high-stakes gambling, the Morton Street Casino “house” lost about $1,000; and “the house” faithfully paid its debt. In November, however, the tide turned. Casino management served free liquor to the players, and as inhibitions lowered, wagers increased. By the end of the month, “the house” won about $4,500. In December 2001, when the casino was discovered, Douglas Wilson and the Christ Church Session cancelled all debts and instructed the players to get back to the status quo ante.
Three weeks after the Morton Street Casino was discovered, Dr. Atwood submitted a letter of resignation to the Christ Church Session, as per constitutional procedure, because his son was in high rebellion. In January 2002 the session presented the letter to the heads of households (HOH), according to procedure. However during the February 2002 HOH meeting, Douglas Wilson recommended, contrary to procedure, that the elders return Dr. Atwood’s letter of resignation because, according to Wilson, Dr. Atwood’s son had <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Permission.htm" target=_blank>“permission”</A> to manage the casino. Though never fully explained to the church, this “permission” was nothing more than another Christ Church officer’s knowledge that Dr. Atwood’s son once patronized a legal casino. But everyone knows that visiting a legal casino is not “permission” to manage an illegal</!
 I> casino. Dr. Atwood’s son never had permission, and Wilson knew it. And this was the birth of the Morton Street Casino scandal.
During the February 2002 HOH meeting, Wilson put Scripture to the rack and contended for a <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/HigherStandard.htm" target=_blank>“higher standard to remove an elder”</A> than ordain one, arguing that the “must be” requirements of 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:7 were applicable to “candidates for elder,” not necessarily existing elders. This was a new position for Wilson; it was a complete contradiction of his <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/WrittenRecord.htm" target=_blank>ten-year written record</A>; and it was biblically untenable. Douglas Wilson twisted Scripture.
It’s difficult to understand why Douglas Wilson would lie and twist Scripture; but the embarrassment factor seems most likely. In 1999, less than three years before the casino scandal, Dr. Atwood’s son was involved in the NSA drug ring, and instead of disciplining Dr. Atwood, Wilson gave him a six-month LOA. Wilson referred to the LOA as a “wisdom call.” In other words, his “wisdom” overrode Scripture, and who wants to admit that their “wisdom” isn’t so wise? But wisdom is justified by all her children.
NSA stood to be embarrassed by the Morton Street Casino scandal as well. The dean, Dr. Roy Atwood, was the chief figure for NSA at two critical points—money and accreditation. At the time of the casino, NSA was trying to buy the Verizon Building (later in 2002 they bought it for about $750,000), and they were also in the process of accreditation. A casino scandal could hurt both the money flow and the accreditation process. Moreover, who would send their child to a school where the dean’s son was caught managing a casino, getting people drunk, and gouging them out of thousands of credited dollars?—especially if the school’s motto is “Truth, Beauty, Goodness.”
In the end, it doesn’t matter why Wilson did it, the fact is he did it. He lied, he twisted Scripture, and he did not discipline Dr. Atwood or his son for their sin.
Douglas Wilson kept Dr. Atwood in office as dean of NSA and teaching elder of Christ Church by inventing <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/InactiveStatus.htm" target=_blank>“inactive status”</A>—ex cathedra—for Christ Church officers. Dr. Atwood was placed on “inactive status” as an elder. “Inactive status,” however, was another lie. Douglas Wilson did not tell the church that Atwood was still “active” at the very place specifically prohibited by Scripture—“ruling” (1 Tim. 3:4, 5.) Dr. Roy Atwood retained disciplinary, voting, and ruling authority, despite his son’s role as instigator of the Morton Street Casino.
But Douglas Wilson still had one lingering problem: the Morton Street Casino “house” was down $1,000; and since Wilson did not discipline Dr. Atwood or his son, he could not discipline the players who were in debt to the “house.” He had no leverage; worse yet, the “house” had leverage on him. He was completely compromised.
Therefore, on May 30, 2002, Douglas Wilson and the session took $1,000 from the Christ Church General Fund and paid it to the Morton Street Casino “house.” Douglas Wilson and the session <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Theft.htm" target=_blank>stole</A> $1,000 from the tithes &amp; offerings to pay off felonious gambling debts. Douglas Wilson and the session robbed the Lord’s treasury. And Dr. Roy Atwood was a ruling/voting/disciplining member of the Christ Church Session when the theft occurred. As Scripture says, “Money answers everything,” and it’s always easier to play with someone else’s chips. (Eccles. 10:19.) But the <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/PayoffLetter.pdf" target=_blank>$1,000</A> payoff was not revealed to the members of Christ Church; it was covered up.
In July 2001, three members in good standing brought charges against Dr. Atwood for failure to rule his house well. These men did not know about the payoff; but they did know that men with unfaithful children are prohibited from serving as elders. Douglas Wilson responded by threatening the men who brought the charges. He said, “There’s going to be some shootin’ in the bushes . . . people are going to get <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Splattered.htm" target=_blank>splattered.”</A> “Families are going to be <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Destroyed.htm" target=_blank>destroyed.”</A> “Lives are going to be undone and ruined.” “There’s going to be <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/BigTime.htm" target=_blank>big-time lawsuits.”</A> “There’s going to be <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Firestorms.htm" target=!
 _blank>firestorms</A> in your households,” etc. But rather than stand down, the men charged the session to the <A href="http://www.crepres.org/" target=_blank>CRE.</A>
On July 18, 2002, the day that the Christ Church Session was formally charged to the CRE, three officers resigned their positions. However, these resignations were beside the point. It was no longer a question about Dr. Atwood’s household or the legitimacy of “inactive status.” A much larger issue emerged—Douglas Wilson. A profound disconnect between Wilson the preacher/writer and Wilson the individual was discovered. This discovery revealed that the summer’s events were the latest installment in a well-established pattern of lawlessness. Practically speaking, Douglas Wilson is an antinomian.
In 1989 Wilson borrowed money from CEF (Christ Church) to pay his taxes; in 1992, while the loan was still outstanding, the elders checked the books and discovered that Wilson had a regular habit of “borrowing” money from the church. These personal “loans” were not made with the elders’ knowledge; they were self-designated. He simply took the money for his own “personal business.” When confronted by an elder, Wilson did not confess his sin; he merely described it as “in appropriate,” and his primary concern was about getting caught—not the impropriety.
In 1993, the CEF session <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/DisciplineLetter.doc" target=_blank>disciplined</A> Wilson because he abandoned the doctrinal standards of the church. But Doug did not submit to his elders; he rebelled against their lawfully constituted authority. He politicked, garnered support, and undermined the session. Half of the session resigned shortly thereafter.
In October 1999, officers’ children were using illegal drugs and hallucinogens, and participating in immorality (NSA drug ring). But Wilson did not uphold the confessional and constitutional standards of the church; he rewrote law and granted those elders leaves of absence in lieu of biblical <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/NSA.htm" target=_blank>discipline.</A>
In 2001, in a matter of “public judicature,” Wilson did not acknowledge or submit to the lawfully constituted authority of the OPC; he subverted it. And when called to account, he <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/OPC.htm" target=_blank>disrespected</A> it.
In 2002, officers’ children from the 1999 NSA drug ring resurfaced in the Morton Street Casino scandal. Once again, rather than <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/SortThisOut.htm" target=_blank>“sort this out”</A> and apply biblical discipline, Wilson blamed it on his <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Slander.htm" target=_blank>brother</A>, circumvented Holy Scripture, invented “inactive status,” and took $1,000 from the church to pay off the casino “house.” He <A href="http://www.geocities.com/solemncharges/Theft.htm" target=_blank>stole</A> from the tithe to pay off felonious debts incurred at an illegal casino—a casino that was managed by a Christ Church elder’s son.
In the end, the bottom line of the Morton Street Casino scandal is this: When Douglas Wilson refused to discipline the sin, he had to buy it. Bizarre indeed.</OBJECT></LAYER>
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