Yup. Anyone with the money, resources, personality , and werewithal can start a church or a place of religious worship. No education needed. Their success would depend on their ability to lead or to get people to "believe in them" and create a loyal flock.
In my opinion, this is how some preachers and pastors come to be. It is all about magnetic personalities and charisma (for better or worse) and has very little to do with having studied theology in any academic way.
No offense intended to anyone, but in my opinion, that is the gist of what I would see as the darker side of religion. There are always people that are ready to believe and people that are more than ready and willing to capitalize on that blind faith.
There is a lot of money and attention in it for the preacher/pastor and some (not all) are nothing more than snake oil salesmen. I'm not saying that his guy is or isn't but from what I am reading on his website regarding his church, I consider him a controlling extremist. (Every religion has them) And if there is one thing in the world I do not trust and am suspicious of it is an extremist. That applies to any extremist in any context and not just religion.
I would not be so quick to believe that this guy is innocently trying to "save" her or is so pious that he can see past what she has been accused of. He is getting something out of risking his reputation by hiding her there. It could be sex, a book deal, it could be money, it could even be aspirations of future fame. Narcissism and sociopathy can be behind it, the need for power and constant adoration. Who gives that more than a flock of loyal followers? Followers that could be "admonished" and thrown out of the community at anytime for transgressions that he has outlined from his perception of the bible.
Whatever it is, I am not inclined to believe that it comes from a place of enlightenment. I know my opinion sounds cynical but I am just not buying it for one second.
