Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...

By Guerilla (Guerilla@voyager.cris.com)

Bob Larson's Talk-Back is heard daily on over 170 stations in North
America. The Denver-based ministry that Larson heads is supposed to be
the "cutting-edge" in Christian broadcasting (or that's what Larson
would like you to believe ). But the real Bob Larson, and the real
motives of his work with the ministry is becoming more apparent as
critics are now taking a probing look into the radio show, the ministry,
and Bob Larson himself.

This is a collection of files that discuss the perceived problems
with Bob Larson's ministry.

readme Description of this file collection
larson1.txt Christian or Charlatan?
larson2.txt CPR review of Ken Smith
larson3.txt Looking out for Number One
larson4.txt Bob Larson (sort of) Talks-Back
larson5.txt Sex and the Sinful Minister
larson6.txt Bob Larson: The Cowering Inferno
larson7.txt Twenty Questions: Ken Smith Talks Back
larson8.txt Bob Larson: The $64,000 Question
larson9.txt Patterns of Fleece
larson10.txt Sex, Lies, and Audiotape
larson11.txt The Lyin' King
larson.zip Bob Larson collection - updated as new files are added

The archive may be retrieved by sending an email request to:
server@garg.campbell.ca.us
Include in the body of the message the command:

get \religion\garg\misc\larson\larson.zip
quit

Also, the files may be retrieved from the alt.atheism.moderated
FTP site as well.

FTP to ftp.mantis.co.uk

cd pub/alt.atheism/larson

get (whatever files you want)
quit

========================================================================
Scott Thomas Mikusko
"But the truth DOES matter!!"
Internet Guerilla
smikusko@nyx.cs.du.edu -Bob Larson
21922sm@msu.edu
mikuskos@student.msu.edu
========================================================================

* * * * *

Subject: Re: Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...
From: Guerilla@voyager.cris.com (Guerilla)

Hello all.

(Guerilla looks around)

This is a really cool newsgroup. I'll admit, I am ignorant of the way of The
Church of the SubGenius. Do I kneel or something when I post? :)

Some people might know of me from my postings of the exposes of Bob Larson,
that "Weally Wild Webel of Chwistian Wadio..." huh huh huh huh...

I received a post from Modemac saying how much you appreciate the struggle to
expose false Bobs. Well, I'm just the "postman", the real crdit goes to
Kenneth Smith, the writer of the Larson articles, and the man who's engaged
in a lawsuit with Bob Larson Ministries.

I've posted the FTP sites where one may get the internet articles, and I
could post them here if anyone bothers reading 500-900 line articles.

Has anyone ever had the thrill of calling Bob up on "Talk-Back" and getting
lambasted by his tongue? It's quite an experience. I'm sure if members of the
Church of the SubGenius would like to join the struggle, you may ask Bob
about his troubles at 1 800 821 TALK, and demand an explanation for his
heresy!

I'll have to read more posts in here in alt.slack to "learn the ways" of your
sect. I think I after years of agnostcism, I have found a comforting place!

In search of the true Bob...

-Scott Mikusko
The Internet Guerilla

* * * * *

Subject: Re: Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...
From: wbarwell@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM (William Barwell)

Guerilla <Guerilla@voyager.cris.com> wrote:
>Has anyone ever had the thrill of calling Bob up on "Talk-Back" and getting
>lambasted by his tongue? It's quite an experience. I'm sure if members of the
>Church of the SubGenius would like to join the struggle, you may ask Bob
>about his troubles at 1 800 821 TALK, and demand an explanation for his
>heresy!

Larson Lies! about two years ago he got into an on the air arguement
with a SubGenius that was taped. In this tape, Larson specifically
sneered that he had tried to get some SubGenius Head honchos on air to
find out what these creeps were really up to. This tape was sent to
Dallas and excerpts were heard on the Church's Hour Of Slack radio show
tapes. Icalled Larson's people the next day and got his private address
straight to his office. I wrote him a nice letter giving him the
information on how to get ahold of Stang, and offered myself that if
Stang was not available to explain the Church and "Bob" and Slack to
him. He apparently has not replied ever to Stang, nor myself. I was ...
most disappointed. I think he realized that we in the church are not
yer average teenaged Satanists or metalheads. I think he realized that
the Chuch Of The SubGenius was too dangerous to take a chance with on
the air and he chickened out.

He is no longer on the air here in Houston apparently. I think his
third rate Limbaugh imitation and Smith's exposes did him in. Last few
shows I heard were full of mostly screeching, hysterical Clinton bashing
that made him sound really bad and quite frankly, mentally unbalanced.

* * * * *

Subject: Re: Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...
From: nenslo@teleport.com (NENSLO)

The Nenslo Music Archives contain recordings of the two most agonizing
songs from an album of "humorous" "christian" tunes written and
performed by earnest young Bob Larson before he Found Satan and a
profitable career.

The Chewing Gum Song is about how people DON'T BEHAVE PROPERLY in church
- "Chewing gum and gossipping, looking when someone walks in," etc. and
The Little Green Pill song is about not LIVING PROPERLY, i.e. according
to how Bad Bob thinks you ought to Live For Jeezuss. They are just the
sort of smirking fascist diatribes you'd expect from that
demon-possessed hitlerette. Real nasty to have to hear.

Thought you ought to know.

-N-

* * * * *

Subject: Re: Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...
From: Guerilla@voyager.cris.com (Guerilla)

Talk-Back with Bob Larson had be heard live Monday through Friday from
4pm - 6pm EST, so subtract whatever hours for whatever timezone. The
call screeners are fairly sharp in filtering out "real" critics of Bob
Larson, so you might have to "tone-down" your comments, and then pray
(&#^!!) that you get on the air with the Bobster.

Larson has the the (almost) quickest "panic-button" in the West, so
don't be surprised to to hear dead-air if someone swears or rips into
Bob about his finances or court troubles.

Just a little advice from a person who knows the scene... :)

-Scott
The Internet Guerilla

* * * * *

Subject: Re: Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...
From: hattan@fohnix.metronet.com (John Hattan)

I just got off the air with the Bobmeister! Whatta rush! I was the first
caller on Monday's show (just before the guy who said he was gonna cut off
Bob's head). The topic-du-jour was "do you want me on or off the air". I
told the screener that I want him off the air because he hates
homosexuals.

Unfortunately, my entire segment was tape-delayed out of existance (Bob's
infamous "dead air"), so I'll have to transcribe it for you here. . .

Bob - "John from Fort Worth, do you want me on or off the air."
Me - "I want you off the air."
Bob - "Why do you want me off the air."
Me - "Because I read the stuff that Ken Smith wrote about you on the
internet. <CLICK>"

>Larson has the the (almost) quickest "panic-button" in the West, so don't be
>surprised to to hear dead-air if someone swears or rips into Bob about his
>finances or court troubles.

It's amazing that he'll air a guy who wants to kill him, but he
tape-delays my voice off the air.

I was also surprised how easy it was to get on the air. I simply listened
to the show until I heard what the daily topic was, then I called up the
screener with a related comment.

John Hattan High Popeness for life of the First Church of Shatnerology
The Code Zone Sweet Software for a Saturnine World
hattan@metronet.com Pbatenghyngvbaf, lbh xabj ubj gb hfr ebg guvegrra!

* * * * *

Subject: Re: Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...
From: sphill@teleport.com (Caligula)

I wondered if anybody has thought about the possibility that Bob Larson
(and others of his ilk) might be an unsaved SubGenius? I mean, could a
pink really rant like Robert Tilton? These guys *are* living examples of
bulldada. It's like bulldada oozes from every pore, yet they're totally
unaware of it. Maybe if Bob Larson was sent a copy of Pamplet #1...

* * * * *

Subject: Re: Bob Larson. "Beware of false Bobs"...
From: hattan@fohnix.metronet.com (John Hattan)

Even though most of the cash from his 'ministry' goes directly into his
pocket (a highly Dobbs-approved activity), he vigorously denies doing so.
Until he cheerfully admits to the VictoryClub that they have made him a
very rich man, he'll be pinker than Kathie Lee Gifford.

Also, those rants of his are written down on a little computer screen in
front of him. Little of his material actually comes from his brain
(apparently his books too). If there were a molecule of Slack under his
hairpiece, he would be able to rant like he was smacked by the flaming
testicles of WOTAN!

John Hattan

* * * * *

Subject: Bob Larson: A Cry for Help
From: Guerilla@voyager.cris.com (Guerilla)
Date: 21 Feb 1995 09:52:23 -0500

Smith v. Bob Larson Ministries - A Cry for Help

As some of you know from my recent 'press release' on the subject, I sued
Bob Larson for libel in January of 1994. I have strictly avoided public
comment on the proceedings as they developed, for reasons which should
be obvious to any attorney in the audience.

We estimate that Larson has spent almost $250,000 in sacrificially-
given Ministry money in defense of this lawsuit -- despite my standing
offer to take our dispute to binding arbitration, settle out of court,
or find some less-destructive way to resolve it. In public, Bob kept
haranguing his listeners about how they were robbing God by not giving
to his ministry, but in secret, he was spending "God's money" on legal
fees like a sailor on furlough. And now, he's asking listeners to put
abuck in an envelope and send it to him....

But Bob Larson wasn't satisfied with letting the matter die a natural
death; we're still battling it out. And this poor third-year law
student isn't in the position to spend $600 per hour on experts, $100+
per hour on private investigators, and $10,000 in Westlaw charges. I
need a little help in the 'discovery wars'; all I can do is turn to my
friends on the Internet (and other places), in the hope you might have
useful information.

I'm Your Wicked Uncle Bobby???

In connection with the Larson lawsuit, I recently attended the deposition
of Fred Wheeler. At the end of a deposition, the "defending" party can
examine the witness; I wanted to determine if Gayril Gibson's charge
that Larson was a child-molester would surface at trial. Since Wheeler
had repeated the charge to me, he was the man to ask on the record. I
expected opposing counsel to object to my line of questioning on grounds
of relevance, but to my surprise, he reopened his examination:

EXAMINATION (OF FRED WHEELER)

BY MR. WOOD (Larson's attorney):

Q. So Mr. Gibson told you that Bob Larson was a child
molester?
A. Correct.
Q. Did he tell you why-- Did he tell you the basis for
that allegation?
A. Yes.
Q. What was it?
A. He said that he had been working on a pornography
thing on the radio program, anti-pornography in Hattiesburg
and that they had to check out tapes, these, whatever they
are, you know, I don't know how many X rated they are, but you
know, X rated, and anyway, he said that he had-- he had, you
know, some reservations about doing it because of his position
as Christian radio station owner in Hattiesburg and what
people might say so he said he contacted his attorney William
T. Abbott who had also been Bob Larson's attorney we found out
and Bill Abbott had told him, well, don't worry about it, Bob
had a problem with pornography and that, you know, if you just
keep your mouth shut and it will just pass. So he said that's
what he did. . . .

Q. Okay. So Mr. Gibson related to you that he was
doing-- Mr. Gibson was involved in doing a show on pornography,
right?
A. Uh-huh.
Q. And Mr. Gibson related to you that in connection
with that he had to view X rated videotapes, is that right?
A. At least one.
Q. At least one. Okay. And Mr. Gibson told you that
he was concerned about that?
A. Correct.
Q. And Mr. Gibson told you that he talked to Bill
Abbott about it?
A. Correct.
Q. And Mr. Abbott related to Mr. Gibson that Mr. Larson
had also had a problem with pornography but had overcome it?
A. No.
Q. No. Okay. Why don't you clarify that part of the
statement?
A. He stated that Mr. Larson had had a problem with
pornography and if you just kept quiet and just let it bypass,
you know, if somebody says something they'll forget about it.
Did not say he would overcome it.
Q. So he said Mr. Larson had a problem with pornography?
A. Uh-huh.
Q. But that if you simply didn't mention it it would--
No one would what?
A. It would pass.
Q. It would pass. What would pass?
A. Any stigma that you had with it.
Q. Okay. Now how does Mr. Larson's purported interest
in pornography related to him being a child molester?
A. Mr. Gibson stated that the-- the word-- that what he
understood the word on the street was that Bob because of the
pornography was a pedophile.

(question and objection omitted)

Q. (By Mr. Wood) Okay. Mr. Gibson stated to you
because Mr. Larson is interested in pornography he is a
pedophile?
A. No. He said the word on the street was that Mr.
Larson was a pedophile.
Q. I see. The word on the street, so this was--
A. I don't know if he said on the street but--
Q. The rumor mill, would that be on the--
A. He said it with authority.
Q. He said it with authority?
A. Uh-huh.
Q. He said it with authority. And that was because the
word on the street or the rumor mill or whatever was telling
him in Mississippi that Mr. Larson was a child molester?
A. No. He said it as-- with authority as if he had
inside or intimate information on this.
Q. And did you inquire of Mr. Gibson as to the source
of that information?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. You said how do you know that Mr. Larson is a
pedophile, a child molester?
A. Yes.
Q. And what did he tell you?
A. He really didn't want to tell me.
Q. He really didn't want to tell you?
A. Uh-huh.
Q. Did you press him to tell you?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. And what did he respond?
A. He said it-- He didn't want to get anybody in
trouble.
(1)

While the Gibson allegations are strictly hearsay, they fall within the
category of "pretty good hearsay" -- like the leak from the anonymous
source that gave us the Anita Hill hearings. Gibson had apparent access
to one of Larson's attorneys, whom former Larson vice-president Lori
Boespflug referred to as one of his closest advisors. As a result of
that access, Gibson had knowledge of the fact that Larson did not, in
any meaningful sense of the word, write Dead Air (2). Moreover, as the
July 8, 1991 letter from Abbott to Larson (3) concerning Boespflug's
role in the writing of Dead Air proves, it was information Abbott was
privy to.

As far as we know, Gibson did not have any other close contacts with
Ministry personnel. And of course, we all know that the legal profes
sion consists of nothing but saints. Hence, it is reasonable to infer
that Abbott was the source of the other allegations.

Assuming Abbott as the source of the rumors, it can be inferred that the
disclosures were malicious. Accordingly, there are two hypotheses that
reasonably explain them: that they came from Larson in the normal course
of Abbott's representation of him, or they were fabricated from whole
cloth.

The strongest argument for the "truth" hypothesis is that the rumors
have come from others unrelated to Abbott. Wheeler testified that he
received similar reports from three different and unrelated sources (4),
and I have heard it from one.

The hypothesis offers a plausible explanation for the demise of Larson's
romantic relationship with Boespflug, and also suggests a motive for the
alleged break-in at "Mrs. A's" home (5). The Salem letters seem to
further corroborate allegations regarding pornography: "Mrs. Boespflug
has been known to have brought sexual magazines into Mr. Larson's office
to share with him and to keep them in her office," (6).

If Larson were a child-molester, it would also help explain a few of Lori
Boespflug's more peculiar remarks. When I passed on the information
that Larson's wife Laura had given birth, her first question was whether
it was a boy or girl. When I asked why, she said that "If it was a boy,
he'd be totally screwed up ... but if it was a girl, then, Heaven help
her," (7). Later on, when I passed on the information that it was a
girl, she related what her eldest daughter Brenna reportedly had said:
"Now he'll have a girl of his own to molest," (8). And at almost the
beginning of our acquaintance, she told me she was afraid to leave him
alone with her kids.

The link between pornography and child-molestation is one Larson has
tried to make on his broadcasts; it is at least arguable that it could
stoke latent pedophilic tendencies. And with a close personal friend
having the last name of Guccione, the link between pornography and Bob
Larson seems all but established.

If anyone has first-hand knowledge as to whether Larson has been (1)
aheavy user of pornographic materials, or (2) accused of or indicted for
child-molestation, or if anyone can provide information concerning New
Orleans-based attorney William T. Abbott, please contact me at the
address listed below, (or E-mail Scott Mikusko (a.k.a., the "Internet
Guerilla") at GUERILLA@cris.com). Thank you in advance for your help.

______________________________________________________________________

ENDNOTES:

1. Smith v. Bob Larson Ministries, No. 94-CV-121 (Jefferson County (CO)
Dist. Ct., filed 21 Jan. 1994), Deposition of Frederick Wheeler, pp.
160-61; 163-66.
2. Id., p. 158.
3. William T. Abbott, Jr., Letter (to Bob Larson), July 8, 1991.
4. Deposition of Wheeler at 173.
5. See, Ken Smith, "As The Money Sucks," also available on the Net.
6. Salem Letter #1, p. _ (see "As The Money Sucks" for a full cite).
7. Lori Boespflug, telephone conversation with author, August 18, 1994.
8. Lori Boespflug, telephone conversation with author, August 29, 1994.
______________________________________________________________________

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