# Those elementary school kids calling their classmates "whoremongers"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 8, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170 "2001-10-08T19:33:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/1 "2001-10-08T19:33:22Z")
Does anyone remember the Christian fundamentalist family that made headlines a few years ago when the parents taught the children (a boy and a girl, IIRC) to preach loudly on the playground of their school, calling passersby names like “whoremonger”? I was just remembering an interview with them, and for the life of me, I can’t remember their names. An initial Google search did not turn anything up.
What ever happened to those kids once they grew up?
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### Author:  [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/2 "2001-10-09T12:48:09Z")
**B** oy, I was hoping that someone wo **u** ld know the answer… **m** aybe there’s a do **p** er who hasn’t seen this thread yet.
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/3 "2001-10-09T14:32:46Z")
I can’t tell you anything about what happened to these kids, but I did manage to find a mention of them on one website. Here’s one of the original news stories about them:
\> MARION, NC — Three children suspended repeatedly last
\> spring from their elementary school for preaching against
\> `whoremongers'' and `fornicators’’ will ``scream the
> Scripture’’ again today, their mother said. On their way
> into the Eastfield Elementary School, the three children–
> Duffey, 11, Matthew, 6, and Pepper, 7–will alternate
> shouting Bible verses, the style of street-preaching they
> learned from their father, Robin Strode said. School
> officials say they ``sincerely dread’’ today’s school
> \> opening because of the Strode family and the children’s
> \> preaching.
This news story is from 1988.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/4 "2001-10-09T14:35:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \*
> \*\*
> \> MARION, NC — Three children suspended repeatedly last
> \> spring from their elementary school for preaching against
> \> `whoremongers'' and `fornicators’’ will ``scream the
>
> > Scripture’’ again today, their mother said. On their way
> > into the Eastfield Elementary School, the three children–
> > Duffey, 11, Matthew, 6, and Pepper, 7–will alternate
> > shouting Bible verses, the style of street-preaching they
> > learned from their father, Robin Strode said. School
> > officials say they ``sincerely dread’’ today’s school
> > \> opening because of the Strode family and the children’s
> > \> preaching.
>
> This news story is from 1988. \*\*
I haven’t sen an update on these kids, but I’ll bet you all dollars to donuts that when we do find it the story will include the words “estranged,” “therapist” and “abuse.”
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### Author:  [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/5 "2001-10-09T14:46:58Z")
Matthew and Pepper Strode are involved in amateur boxing. Pepper is the 4th ranked bantamweight women’s amateur boxer in america. I could not find any information about Duffey.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/6 "2001-10-09T15:04:07Z")
Hmmm…I have to say, I would probably walk by their place deliberately just to hear them screaming-good form of entertainment.
Still-how old WERE the kids-seriously? I mean, if it’s a first grader, or someone in high school?
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### Author:  [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/7 "2001-10-09T15:40:48Z")
Bingo.
That’s the one.
Once again, the Dope saves the day. Thanks all.
I tried doing a search on “Duffey Strode” and couldn’t find anything current. That kid would be 24 years old now, if the ages given in **Wendell’s** article are correct. I wonder if he’s still all fundie, or if he’s rebelled?
Interesting that little Pepper is now kicking ass in boxing. it’s a strange world we live in.
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2001, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/8 "2001-10-10T02:40:48Z")
Guinastasia,
Um, did you read the article I quoted? It gives the ages right there.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/9 "2001-10-10T02:56:05Z")
D’oh!
:o
I can’t believe I missed it. I’m sorry.
It’s been a long, very confusing day.
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2001, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-elementary-school-kids-calling-their-classmates-whoremongers/86170/10 "2001-10-11T00:24:26Z")
I passed by this thread the other day, but I came back after several followers of O’sama the Irish terrierist have been quoted as calling USA Christians WARmongers. No connection, apparently. What a twisted childhood those Spodes had! So sad.
–Nott, the large