A former white supremacist whose body is etched with Nazi and white pride tattoos is evidence of the continuing impact of "Courageous," released by the movie outreach of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., in September 2011.
Chris Simpson, 38, and his family watched the police- and fatherhood-themed movie at home and then were drawn to an evangelical church in Jackson, Mich., which was showing the movie for free.
Chris Simpson, 38, and his family watched the police- and fatherhood-themed movie at home and then were drawn to an evangelical church in Jackson, Mich., which was showing the movie for free.
A month later, Simpson was baptized. In his new faith in Christ, the father of five children under age 10 said "it was like this whole house was transformed." Simpson's exit from white supremacy was featured in the Citizen Patriot newspaper in Jackson and distributed nationally by Religion News Service in July.
Simpson, a former Marine, is now participating in a tattoo removal program offered by the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation.
According to the Citizen Patriot, "'PURE HATE' is tattooed across his knuckles. His forearms read 'BLOOD' and 'HONOR.' There are four battle-axes in the shape of a swastika on his left shoulder with the words 'Supreme White Power' over them. There are several wolf's hooks, a Nazi symbol. The iconic lightning bolts associated with Nazi Germany's Schutzstaffel, the SS, are above his right wrist. There's a Nazi war bird on his chest. There are tattoos of a Valkyrie, a Viking, and Thor with swastikas drawn in his helmet. There are 42 in all, he thinks."
The loss of his first child -- who had severe medical problems at birth in 2000 and lived only two and a half hours -- fueled Simpson's entry into white supremacy.
"I was feeling a lot of anger and hatred, and I was confused," Simpson told the local newspaper. "I just built up this hatred, or what I thought was hatred."
Hatred, he said, "will blind you…. It consumes you."
Jerry Lyon, pastor of New Horizons Community Church, which is affiliated with the Church of God based in Anderson, Ind., baptized Simpson after praying: "God, I know that there are things from his past life that need to be buried. And God, today we enjoy the opportunity. We take glory in that opportunity to bury that old life and to say to you, God, I am a new creation in Jesus Christ."
Simpson, a former Marine, is now participating in a tattoo removal program offered by the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation.
According to the Citizen Patriot, "'PURE HATE' is tattooed across his knuckles. His forearms read 'BLOOD' and 'HONOR.' There are four battle-axes in the shape of a swastika on his left shoulder with the words 'Supreme White Power' over them. There are several wolf's hooks, a Nazi symbol. The iconic lightning bolts associated with Nazi Germany's Schutzstaffel, the SS, are above his right wrist. There's a Nazi war bird on his chest. There are tattoos of a Valkyrie, a Viking, and Thor with swastikas drawn in his helmet. There are 42 in all, he thinks."
The loss of his first child -- who had severe medical problems at birth in 2000 and lived only two and a half hours -- fueled Simpson's entry into white supremacy.
"I was feeling a lot of anger and hatred, and I was confused," Simpson told the local newspaper. "I just built up this hatred, or what I thought was hatred."
Hatred, he said, "will blind you…. It consumes you."
Jerry Lyon, pastor of New Horizons Community Church, which is affiliated with the Church of God based in Anderson, Ind., baptized Simpson after praying: "God, I know that there are things from his past life that need to be buried. And God, today we enjoy the opportunity. We take glory in that opportunity to bury that old life and to say to you, God, I am a new creation in Jesus Christ."
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