Jacksonville, Florida (The Weekly Vice) -- A Florida church is threatening to disclose a woman's private sex life to it's congregation unless a woman breaks up with her boyfriend and complies with it's instruction to no longer fornicate.
When Rebecca Hancock confessed to a church elder privately that she had engaged in a sexual relationship outside of marriage, she never expected the church to begin making demands of her, with threats of public humiliation.
Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Jacksonville, Florida responded to the admission by demanding that the woman leave her boyfriend. When she refused to comply with the church's demands and instead ceased to attend the church, things turned ugly.
Although Hancock ended her membership at the church, Grace Community Church elders kicked things up a notch by threatening to dispense her 'sinful' sex life before the church. The same church her two children continue to attend.
In a letter dated December 8, the church officially announced it's intention to broadcast details of Hancock's "immoral" sex life to the church congregation unless she "repent" of her sin and agree to meet with church elders.
The letter then closed by setting a date by which Hancock was ordered to comply. If she didn't repent as ordered, the elders announced that it intended to "Tell it to the church" on January 4.
The Weekly Vice Opinion:
Although this story is about 5 days old, I've had a few requests to run it - so here it is. I had originally opted to not run it because my opinions on it are strong and I didn't want to put off readers. I suppose I'm going to ignore my own self advice and blather on it anyway.
Well we'll get right to it. This church is out of bounds and using scripture to harass a woman who obviously isn't interested in attending the church any longer.
Let's break this down into a theological argument however, since the church has seen fit to use scripture as justification for it's threats.
The early church, directed by Peter and Paul, did lay down a process for turning a member away from his/her sin. That process however pertains to current members, not individuals who no longer attend the church. In fact, the ultimate punishment a church carries out from a theological standpoint is ex-communicating a member who refuses to repent. Rebecca has already jumped to the final step on her own. Game over. Finito. End of story.
For the church to continue with it's threat is clear harassment. It's no different than Mormons coming to your door and then refusing to leave when you ask them to. You cannot beat a person with free will into complying with your religious views, no matter who you are. Pastor or pew sweeper.
Rebecca has already solved the problem herself in this case. It's all over the Internet now, so the church elders have no reason to "tell it to the church". To continue chastising the woman only becomes abusive at this point.
Grace Community Church has however done all of it's members a great disservice. What member will ever come to a church elder again with a serious problem knowing that discretion takes a back seat to airing one's dirty laundry to the whole world?
Besides, we live in a dangerous world now. Divulging sexual information about a woman to any large crowd of people creates a potential safety issue. There are just too many sickos out there who might be intrigued by the whole idea of her being "sinful". It's irresponsible, disrespectful and downright reckless.
Thanks Laura
Danny Vice
The Weekly Vice
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14 comments:
a church does have the right to ask a member to relinquish membership for suppose behavior....but this is low down dirty
This is why I'm agnostic! Poor woman should go after them for harassment! How dare they threaten her like that!
yeah, Magnif, but she left on her own. She is attending another church now and they STILL haven't stopped. A person has a right to leave a church without being retaliated upon.
I think this woman should hire a private detective to follow a few of these church elders around for a few weeks. (It's usually the one's who thump that bible the loudest that are guilty of breaking most of its rules). Then have a local newspaper publish a story airing all the dirty laundry.
Or better yet, she can sue the church. First, they violated a confidentiality rule that prohibits officials from publicizing info that was revealed with the expectation of privacy. Secondly, she can sue for harassment. Thirdly, she can sue for defamation of character if they reveal their intentions. However, since she publicized it herself, that's out the window.
If she publicizes something private, the church elders can sue her for invasion of privacy and defamation of character.
wow thats crazy. for one putting her picture up here or anywhere is invasion of privacy and just sick. but what should be done is a picture of the cheating husband to be put up! since its not a crime(legally) i would be sueing the shit outta anyone putting my pic up like this.
Stefani,
Do you not get out much? She went to the media with her story. She has released photos of herself all over the place - and not just this photo - trying to get her story out.
Most commenters here are intelligent people. Please don't muddy the water with a completely dumb statement.
This story has nothing to do with her ex-husband. Why drag him into it for absolutely no reason?
Please come back and comment when your buzz wears off.
Stefani must been dropped on her head as a child. First she wines about someone's picture being up (when they share it) and then suggest putting a completely unrelated party's photo up.
yeah, that makes total sense stef, you boob.
Regarding this story, I do have to say she look pretty good for a woman with two grown children. I hope I fare as well.
Oh yeah, Brat, if she hadn't gone public herself on all this, you would have a point. Defemation of character wouldn't likely succeed because I think the information advertised has to be knowingly false. You can broadcast true information so long as it's in a non threatening manner - which of course may be the issue here.
I think there's may be a criminal case there since the church was dumb enough to put their intentions in writing. Conspiracy to commit extortion perhaps?
It's a stretch I guess, but it can't be too far off.
I hope this lady gets this sorted out. I consider myself to be religious and this is just outright wrong on the church's part. First of all whenever you confess your sins to a priest/pastor/rabbi etc it is always and should always be in confidence. To air her business to the whole congregration so that they chastize her is completely inappropiate and quickly frankly none of the congregation's damn business. Also, how many people don't have premarital relations today? Not too many...
I attend a non denominational church and am really sort of sickened by this. I don't think you can get any lower than to abuse and humiliate someone who comes to you for help.
Why on earth would this woman's children continue to attend a church that behaved like this toward their own family? Why?
This is just a cult disguised as a legitimate church. Every penny put in the offering plate of this sorry excuse for a church goes to support it's abusive, hypocritical and unethical practices.
What will this cult do next, talk it's congregation in to drinking poisoned Kool Aid? Move out to Waco Texas and set up a commune?
If your going to force every single word of the bible on someone, then that congregation should immediately open up it's wallet and give 10% of all they have to a charity of some sort.
Hey, that's what the bible says to do.
So any congregation member who is willing to chastise this woman without doing what THEY are supposed to do is a hypocrite and a liar.
Do you want to kill others by the sword? Then expect to be killed by the sword.
Im not much for theology but I do know one thing for sure. If I were dating her, there'd be a whole lot of 'sinning' goin' on. She's damn hot.
How accurate is this threat anyways, it list a date of January 4, 2008 which is almost a year before the letter is written anyways!!
lol Jennifer,
You're right. The letter was dated 12/8/08, but they used Jan 4, 2008 as the date they would make the announcement.
They messed up.
That means if they announce it on January 4, 2009, they will have attacked her without notice.
Perhaps they should repent immediately for making that mistake.
I
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