It’s been more than a year since the Globe’s readers and online viewers first read about the allegations of child-sexual abuse involving leaders of the Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church.

Investigators alleged that the church’s pastor, Raymond Lambert, along with other congregation members, sexually abused young girls at the compound the church owns in McDonald County. One of the accused congregation members, Laura Epling, the wife of one of the church’s deacons, is charged with second-degree statutory sodomy stemming from the alleged abuse of a 16-year-old girl.

Epling is to stand trail on the charge in mid-November. Last week, her attorney filed a motion in court to keep members of an activist group, Bikers Against Child Abuse, from wearing their leather biker gear in the courtroom during the trial. Epling’s attorney contends the gear is inappropriate for the courtroom and could be unsettling to some jurors.

Each time an update on this story hits the pages of the Globe, a firestorm of comments soon follows. When the news of this latest motion to keep biker gear out of the courtroom was published, Globe viewers dashed to their computers and the debate on faith — not fashion — flared up again online at joplinglobe.com.

“I thought it was our right to wear whatever we wanted. This is crazy. Everyone can wear what they want — that’s their right. These people need to worry about if they are going to go to jail, not what someone is wearing. Whoever their lawyer is needs to find a new job. It’s not a fashion show.”

— I can’t believe I’m reading this story

A contentious exchange

“Just goes to show you, the only religious people we can trust are politicians.”

— curious

“Hey, curious ... I am a very religious person. My husband is a preacher and we would NEVER do anything like that. Those people make me sick! So, you need to shut your mouth with comments like that! There are a few nut cases that hide behind religion, just like there are nut cases that hide behind all kinds of jobs. We see in the news all the time. The guys that go after kids hold all kinds of jobs. So, watch what you say!”

— anonymous

“You say you and your husband (who is a preacher) would NEVER do anything like this. The bottom line is that you can’t trust anyone — ever. You swearing it doesn’t make it so. Knowing this information isn’t a bad thing, It just helps keep you safer.”

— C. Daniels

“Wow, I don’t even know where to begin! C. Daniels, yes, I know my husband and I would never do anything like that, we’ve been married for 20 years, and he has never done that and nor have I. I know myself, and children do not turn me on. I would probably kill someone if they did that to my child. Is killing wrong? You betcha. If one reads the Bible, you will find that if you murder someone — along with child molesters — you will go to hell. I am scared for my kids like all normal parents. My husband and I do not portray that we walk closer to God than others. The only difference is he tells folks what the Bible says that we all should be doing. We all are sinners. We do not think we are better than other people, we just have the hope and peace that when we die, we will go to Heaven. I think you would find that I am a normal person, and it breaks my heart that you are saying those things about me, when you don’t even know me!

— anonymous

“The problem isn’t unsettling the jurors, it’s that it rattles the perp. If someone had rattled them before, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I know many of the BACA folks. They are genuinely interested in protecting the victims and will do so at any cost — within the realm of the law.”

— Karla

“Dear anonymous. I believe a person has a right to say what they want and think what they want. People in the ministry such as you and your husband are held to a bit more of a moral accountability. After all, people in the ministry do portray that they walk a little closer to God than most. Therefore, when something like this occurs, people have doubts about the people in ministries. Had this been an iron worker that did this, I doubt some people, and maybe even you, would post a comment on the story.”

— Terrance W.

‘Gimme a break’

“I move to California and I find myself in a professional, upscale environment only to read this kind of news from my hometown. Preachers leach 10 percent of the income from hard workers in exchange for a couple hours of song and dance on Sunday mornings. Then they prey on your children. Wise up people, pedophiles should be executed. But, I guess then there would no one left to lead prayer service on Sunday mornings.”

— Steve Gipson

“That’s nice that you sit on your high horse in California (the state of soooo much moral aptitude), but as a matter of fact not all churches are as you assume. I was molested by two different men when I was 3 and 4 years old, and neither one of them have, to my knowledge, ever stepped foot in a church. The whole situation is sad, but to imply that child sexual abuse would not occur if there were no churches ... gimme a break.”

— t

“Listen people, crazies are everywhere. They can be doctors, lawyers, preachers, school teachers and police officers. Bottom line: We need to be more aware of our surroundings and more involved with our children’s lives. I just have to give props to the biker guys, because they are standing up for what most parents don’t. That’s child safety. Just my thoughts.”

— anonymous

Dave Woods is the new media editor for The Joplin Globe.