An inside look at the C Street "Family" that Chip Pickering was involved in...

Prior to the allegations surrounding former U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering's marital life, I'd never heard of "The Family," and I'll bet you had not either.  Jeff Sharlett wrote a book on the organization, but frankly I've heard it's less about this odd organization than a critical history of American Evangelicalism.  Sharlett wrote a piece for Harper's that is quite long, but quite fascinating.  I highly recommend it.  Here's an excerpt that may help us understand why Pickering would have felt so comfortable conducting his affair at the Family's house, if the allegations in the lawsuit are true:

The answer, we discovered, was that King David had been “chosen.” To illustrate this point David Coe turned to Beau. “Beau, let's say I hear you raped three little girls. And now here you are at Ivanwald. What would I think of you, Beau?”

Beau shrank into the cushions. “Probably that I'm pretty bad?”

“No, Beau. I wouldn't. Because I'm not here to judge you. That's not my job. I'm here for only one thing.”

“Jesus?” Beau said. David smiled and winked.