Rebecca Hancock, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida may be done with the Grace Community Church and Rev. T. Scott Christmas, but they are not done with her. Hancock left the church after it demanded that she leave her boyfriend Frank Young because of their “sexually immoral relationship.” Her children, however, remained in the church. Now, the church was told her that if she does not leave the church, her sins will be exposed to the entire community.
Christmas has given her until December 8th to meet with the church and end her immoral lifestyle. Christmas told local media that he is doing “nothing more than following the practices of what biblical churches have done through history.”
Hancock got into trouble when she revealed the relationship to a church mentor. She says that she was told that she was “biblically wrong” and need to dump Young.
She was then confronted by other women in the church who knew of her private relationship. One lady allegedly told her “I was at your house when you didn’t come home all night.’”
After leaving the church and refusing to take repeatedly calls, she received a letter informing her of the public outing planned in December: “Your refusal to repent and be restored in your relationship with God and His Church leaves us with no alternative than to carry out the third step of the discipline process. . . .In accordance with Matthew 18:17, we intend to ‘tell it to the church.’”
This would occur in front of her 20-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter.
This could make for a really interesting tort case. Normally you lose the protection of the privacy torts when you disclose private facts. Such voluntary disclosures make it difficult to bring an Intrusion Upon Seclusion tort or the Public Disclosure of Private Facts. However, the question is whether her disclosure to the mentor was thought to be private under the rules and traditions of the church. Courts tend to be reluctant to allow lawsuits in areas protected by the first amendment.
For the full story and a copy of the letter, click here.
What a white Jesus? 😉
I’m surprised that the good reverend in question has not suggested stoning as an appropriate form of discipline. However, the abysmal ignorance and corrupt moral theology which apparently attend the fulfillment of his pastoral duties are subjects best left to his peers to analyze. With respect to Ms. Hancock, I believe that there may be several remedies potentially available to her. Florida permits compensatory relief for invasion of privacy, defamation and the tort of outrage. I believe that a strong argument could be made that the intended publication of her “sins” falls outside the scope of protected speech in the context of this situation.
I found the scene from John’s Gospel in one of my favorite movies,”King of Kings.” Enjoy Hollywood when it knew how to make a movie and write a score.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJEe_gs_Yxg&feature=related
(Scene at about 3:06 but worth the entire view)
That’s my idea of old time religion.
Yankee, you would have made a good Rebel…
I think I’d find a new church.
One without so many a$$holes in it.
I think as a child of this woman who still attends this church I would stand and deliver on some of the lifestyles of other members of the church. I’d especially be digging around the preacher’s life/past. Everyone’s got dirt, I’d make it my mission in life if they did that to my mother.
Well, thanks, thanks a lot. I now have that earworm “Harper Valley PTA” playing in my head. Well, at least it isn’t Mani…never mind….
Is “Christmas” really the reverend’s birth name or did he legally change his name later? So many of the names and situations seem to fit much too well within this blawgs’ titles and coverage.
I prefer the Kingston’s Trio “Reverend Mr. Black”
Seriously, though I agree with the comments so far. Like Mespo said, when confronted with “sinners” caught in the act of sexual transgression Jesus never once condemned one of them. He was apparently not as preoccupied with the notion of sexual transgression as are his so called followers, the clearest example being the one Mespo showed where the woman caught in the act of adultery was brought before him, yet he refused to condemn her. He also didn’t condemn the Samarian woman at the well who was sleeping with like 7 different guys.
He just wasn’t as anal retentive on this stuff as the religious leaders who claim to be his ministers. Personally I think they’re just jealous because they can’t get any action themselves.
She’s looking pretty good for a woman who’s almost 50 years old.
No wonder she’s having sex.
Mespo,
You are right that she does fit the Harper Valley PTA image. Jill, the whole idea of some of these ministers is to control the members lives and therefore their pocketbooks! The teachings of Christ has nothing to do with it. I think this woman should hire a private detective to follow this minister because it always seems that the ones who scream the loudest about people sinning, are usually the biggest sinners.
As a “recovered” evangelical and proud member of a “liberal” Episcopal church, I just don’t get this story. What in the world gives a church the authority to “discipline” an adult living in a free society? It seems that this church operates according to some arcane traditions that were perhaps common in the early church. What baffles me further is all of the Christian blogs defending the church and its efforts at “discipline.”
While I understand Biblical teachings about sex and marriage, this woman is almost 50 years old. She has already been through a marriage and had two kids. Having seen individuals in my own family go through a variety of “stuff” through the years, I can say that life is not always so cut-and-dried. People make choices the best they can according to what life hands them.
The legalistic pack mentality is creepy and reminds me of the short story, “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson. I pray for the continuation of mainline denominations in America that can balance out the lunacy of the fundamentalist fringe.
There are so many things that are evil about the actions of these church members and everyone has done an excellent job of pointing them out. If Rev. ASS-HOLE is determined to go through with this, I think she should take him up on his injunction to follow the bible. As soon as he’s done pointing out her “sinfulness” she should demand immediate and unconditional forgiveness as is her right in the new testament. If the congregation won’t come through, she can tell them they are hypocrites and say she’ll be back to church when they start living the gospel. She should also demand that everyone come forward to publically confess their “sins”, just as her chruch demanded of her.
Are we sure this Church isn’t really located in “Harper Valley?” This lady looks like Jeanne C. Riley to me. See below:
http://assets.mog.com/pictures/wikipedia/1620940/JeannieRileyAlbum.jpg
Mespo,
You hit the nail on the head. It always amazes me how so many so-called Christians and Christian ministers fail to live the tenets of their religion and they just want to attack people for their failings. What Would Jesus Do?
Excellent point Mespo!!
The Bible also speaks against gossiping….maybe those gossiping women ought to be brought up in front of the church for gossiping about others! They too, ought to be kicked out of the church.
And also any person who has been envious of their neighbor because they have more money than they do, because the Bible also speaks against envy.
Everyone is guilty of sin and those church members are not innocent by any means either
Nice shot, mespo.
3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,
4they said unto Him, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned but what sayest thou?”
6This they said testing Him, that they might have cause to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.
7So when they continued asking Him, He lifted Himself up and said unto them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
8And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the eldest even unto the last, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing in the midst.
10When Jesus had lifted Himself up and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?”
11She said, “No man, Lord.” And Jesus said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.”
John 8
I guess Rev. Christmas missed this passage during Sunday School.
Do I have this right? This woman WANTS to remain part of this church? She’s RESISTING leaving their warm and loving fold? Her “sin” is that she’s living with a man without “benefit of marriage” while people in California are TRYING to be married and these same folks are preventing it.
> One lady allegedly told her “I was at your house when you didn’t >come home all night.’”
She was WHERE? I’m constantly amazed by the irony (paradox? hypocricy?) of conservatives freaking out over any kind of government involvement in business, but they sure want to allow their religion to invade the most personal aspects of other people’s lives.
Now a real comment –
The poor woman is screwed I guess. I doubt she could win a tort case over this matter, even if she wanted or could tolerate the greater attention it would bring her.
Wrong tab – wrong comment – too early in morning – sorry.
Delete please to avoid confusing people.
Thanks