‘My Family was Pretty Upset:’ Charles Stanley’s Grandson ‘Apologizes’ For Auctioning Off Memorabilia on Ebay
Days ago, Charles Stanley’s grandson announced that following the passing of the famous preacher, he rooted through his office and desk had acquired some personal memorabilia that he was auctioning off to pay the bills. These included an engraved pocket watch, which ultimately sold for $2,375.00 and a signed picture which sold for $3,650.0.
At the time, Matt Brodersen acknowledged that some people were giving him grief and now sees why it wasn’t the best thing to do, with his family chastising him for his actions.
Yes, my family was not happy with me doing this. My Uncle Andy Stanley begged me to take these auctions off of eBay. My mom called me and said, ‘you take that stuff down right now.’ My sister, she was mad at meas well. So yes, everybody in my family was pretty upset with me and disappointed with my actions…I admit the way I worded things. Now I see is disrespectful and I would like to apologize.
He further notes:
This is how crazy and of a whack job I am. I did not even realize that this was going to make people upset. So yeah, I have some issues, some mental health problems. I’m a little disconnected from reality. When I put my Grandpa’s stuff on eBay, I was just thinking about myself. I was thinking about bills I had to pay, and I kind of rushed and had an adrenaline rush and just decided to throw these items on Ebay as fast as possible because I was thinking about me, me, me and can I get some money please so that I can pay my bills.
Nontheless, betraying a lack of real remorse, he concludes by acknowledging that while he shouldn’t have listed them, he wasn’t going to take the items off eBay and rob himself of the profits, because “now it’s kind of awkward. people already started bidding on the items and I don’t want to take that opportunity away from them to get those items. So, yes, I’m going to leave the auction up. There’s like a day remaining of time. So if you were going to get those items, you better hurry.”
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In other words, I’m just another snowflake narcissist who can’t even let my grandfather be buried in the ground for a week before I go in and clean out what I thought I could make a fast buck out of. What a prick.
Exactly.
I don’t see why this is news. They’re possessions… which were his to do with as he would. When did the “church” become such a den of busybody Karens? Was what he did tactful or entirely appropriate? No, but it’s not a sin to pay your bills (the opposite is true). So don’t invite him to your tea party. Having recently lost my parents, people grieve in very different ways. I don’t know this kid, and this is no one’s business but his own. Maybe people should be more upset that Charles Stanley remained in the ministry after divorce, or that he raised a vile heretic like his son Andy.
This is as micromanaging as telling hell-bound pagans not to use birth control pills (instead of encouraging them to know Christ and abstain from fornication)…or telling Christians not to engage in marital intimacy if they’re not trying (or are too old) to conceive. I’ve actually heard someone self-righteously say that, in complete contradiction to the Bible’s instructions. Some people need to get a life and worry about their own logs or outlined Biblical (rather than perceived or interpreted) sin. Pharisees.
M,
I find myself in complete agreement with your comment!
While I agree with your points about Charles and Andy Stanley, this was his grandson who has no right to anything. If I was the executor of the estate (I’m sure everything is in a trust) he would be handing over proceeds to be administered by the estate. Sorry, but after a death it is not right for people to go in and say “hmmmm……let me see what I can find to sell on eBay before my grandfather is cold in the ground.” If he had taken responsibility for it and removed the listings, I wouldn’t have an issue and it should be handled privately. HE made it a public thing. He could remove those listings.
I used to sell on eBay. It happens all the time if what you have to see changes. The one thing I think we would all agree on is the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Susan,
I agree with you too (in double minded) I don’t like what he did but I truly believe he is a stupid young man.
Men don’t even begin to have an ounce of common sense until we are about 35. At around 5o we start to get things and by the time we catch up to the fairer sex we are in our 70’s and on our way out😂
May be wrong, but I can’t think of any scripture that would indicate he sinned. And if he didn’t sin, I’m not going to judge. I’ve sold things that I inherited also – not pictures or anything of that sort, but then again nobody in the pictures was famous, and the pictures weren’t worth anything.
I suspect he might regret it as he gets older, and wish he kept the stuff, but he made his decision, and he has to learn to live with the consequences of his decisions. That’s part of growing up. He has done the right thing by keeping the auctions up and standing by that decision. I’ve also sold things I later regretted selling, as we all have. I’ve sold things and regretted it before I even went through with the sale, but I went through with the sale because it was the right thing to do. Most of us all have done that also. It’s life.
Scripture that does come to mind is 1 Cor. 9, Luke 10:7 and others. I believe we should keep a joyful and ungrudging attitude in all transactions and dealings. If we’re paying someone, pay them joyfully. If we’re receiving payment, receive it joyfully. If we put something up for sale, go through with the sale joyfully. So on and so forth.
So I’d say he should go through with it joyfully. It may make him sick to put the items in the boxes and ship them off, but be joyful about it, treat the buyer well, don’t have a begrudging attitude, go through with it, keep his word, and learn the lesson.
He may or may not have done anything wrong. I’m not knowledgeable of scripture enough to know. But I do know that if a wrong was committed, it shouldn’t be followed with more wrongs.
Sin or not, this was completely devoid of class or self respect. He sold personal memorabilia that belonged to his beloved grandfather. Well, beloved but not by him. This is little better than grave robbing.
He can certainly do what he wants. Still doesn’t change the fact that he’s a little jerk and, yes, deserves all the grief he received
I wouldn’t compare it to theft, much less theft from a grave. Other than that, I’m not going to argue any of the other points, because they are your opinion to which you’re entitled. I don’t know of any scripture that would define what makes one a jerk. So I’m not going to judge that either.
What I am concerned about is the tendency to judge according to the commandments of men (worldly standards), rather than the commandments of God (Matt. 15:9, etc.). We should be careful.
In other words, some of the reactions bother me more than his actions. I don’t know anything about his relationship with his Grandfather. I don’t know what the items were, how much he inherited, how much he’s keeping, how much he’s in need, and so on. I can’t judge it.
In my opinion, if it is not sin and God wouldn’t destroy someone for it, then neither should we destroy them for it.
Start looking at it from that perspective, and it begins to beg the question “who’s the real jerk”
If you’ve read the comments of late, you know this is coming from someone who understands all too well what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the words of such jerks, who profess to be Christians, specifically for having not sinned, in this case at a Christian website. I know it was a troll, but the point still stands. We need to be careful.
His description of going through the house and snatching up items (for him, ultimate resale) is quite unseemly and demonstrates his shallowness. That’s why I equated it with grave robbing.
He is a lost soul and, of course, our expectations should be muted. I hope he reconnects with God
Yes, and the real crime, I feel, is the fact there are other members of this family who no doubt would have cherished some of these things. I don’t think the term ‘grave robbing’ was wholly inaccurate, but in the end, this boils down to selfish greed – something Grandfather would absolutely not approve of.
I still must disagree with you both. What he did is not a sin. There is no reason to claim that he is a lost soul, based on something he did which is not a sin. There is likewise no reason to claim that he was motivated by greed – we don’t know his financial situation.
Some are about like a pharisee arguing he took one too many steps on the Sabbath. Terribly inappropriate for the day. Others would’ve been shocked by such behavior. But God never commanded any such thing. The pharisees made it up. And of course, Jesus rebuked them for it, when they accused the Disciples for the terribly inappropriate failure to wash their hands before eating (Matt 15).
Pretty much most of Jesus dealing with the pharisees centered on their attempts to teach and impose the traditions of men, and not the commandments of God.
Get me some more information on the matter, and then I may change my mind. Until then, I stand by what I’ve said here. If God would not destroy someone for something, then neither should we.
If we want to turn back the tide of wickedness in this country and beyond, such Pharisaical teaching of tradition as doctrine, holding others to tradition as if it were doctrine, as Jesus said “teaching for doctrine the commandments of men”, is a fantastic way to ensure our efforts will be in vain.
We’ll never win anyone over with that. We’ll only make ourselves hypocrites. Because we ourselves say and do things that run counter to traditions that do not come from God’s word.
God’s commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3). The traditions of men, however, most certainly always are.
And that’s pretty much why they put Him to death: For simply saying, “look here guys, quit teaching the traditions of men as if they’re the commandments of God”. For saying, look here, just follow what God said and only what God said. For that, He was put to death.
It most definitely will not win popularity contests. Not then, and not now. But it is the truth.
And of course, Christian Nationalism is front and center right now. But many who are calling for it, are also going around acting like a bunch of hypocritical pharisees, trying to hold others accountable not to God’s word, but to the traditions of men.
If they’re going to do that, they’re wasting their time and everybody else’s time. That’s Pharisee Nationalism. That’s Make-it-up-as-you go Nationalism.
And that’s how you end up with people like French going to the entirely opposite extreme, having lost all sense of what the commandments of God actually are, and the fact that God’s commandments are not grievous, men such as French begin opposing not only the traditions of men, but also the commandments of God.
It’s actually a very significant issue. Significantly bigger than a boy selling some inherited personal memorabilia. Worth giving thought.
It truly is a narrow path.
Veer off one side and one is a satan serving pagan. Veer off the other and one is a satan-serving pharisee.