Omertà / ō mûr-tä’ / noun: 1. A code of silence that prohibits speaking or divulging information about certain activities known to be wrongful, lawless, or illegal. 2. Noncooperation in the face of questioning by outsiders.
The world of professional cycling is long known for being saturated with performance-enhancing drugs. Yet, there is an unwritten rule that the riders, directors, and owners never speak of it; i t’s called Omertà. Despite the overwhelming suspicions and evidence, remember how fiercely Lance Armstrong professed his innocence and protected the forbidden source of his performance — until he spilled the syringes in a pivotal 2013 interview with Oprah?
Fast forward to today. Seated in Oprah’s chair is Megan Basham, author of the newly released book Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda. Seated across from her is the object of her interrogation, Big Eva: The power brokers of the evangelical church in America.
In page after page, Basham’s expert examination unearths scads of emptied syringes as the reader beholds the irrefutable charges levied against Big Eva—and Big Eva’s subsequent barrage of mendacious criticisms against Basham indicates the impenetrable code of Omertà is cracking under the pressure of her investigative reporting.
Many biblically faithful evangelicals have frustratingly sensed something was terribly wrong in the ranks of church leadership but couldn’t quite put their finger on it. Basham has...
Walnut Creek-based Comprehensive Psychiatric Services has agreed to pay $2.75 million as part of a settlement over allegations that the behavioral health care provider submitted false claims, the U...