Community | December 18, 2008 | 37 comments

Church threatening to make sins public

source: http://www.news4jax.com/news/18286355/detail.html

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AwesomeJosh
A divorced Jacksonville woman said her former church has threatened to "go public with her sins" and tell the congregation about her sexual relationship with her new boyfriend.

Rebecca Hancock said harassment from Grace Community Church in Mandarin over her sex life caused her to leave, but she said that didn't put an end to the problem. She said she received a letter from the church's elders telling her the church plans to make her personal life very public.

"I'm basically run out. I'm the church harlot," Hancock said.

The 49-year-old said she has been dating a man for a while and she said members of the congregation at Grace Community Church haven't been happy about the relationship.
"Because I have a boyfriend that I'm involved with … to not be married to that person is a sin," Hancock said.

She said the issue caused her to leave the church. However, she said the church has not let go of her.

The letter Hancock received from the church states that because she has refused to end her sexual relationship with her boyfriend, "you leave us with no other choice but to carry out the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ" … "In accordance with Matthew 18:17 we intend to 'tell it to the church.'"

"On January 4, my sins will be told to the church, publicly, with my children sitting in the church and my friends," Hancock said.

The pastor of Grace Community Church, Dr. T. Scott Christmas, told Channel 4 he had no comment.

Pastors with whom Channel 4 spoke on Monday said announcing a sin to a congregation is not abnormal. They said it's written in the Bible to punish sinners who continue to sin.

The difference in Hancock's case is that she has left the church, and the pastors said that's is usually where punishment ends.

Despite the church's letter stating its biblical backing, Hancock said she has backed out of the church and they should leave her alone because she is no longer a member.

"I am a Christian, and that will never change. My relationship with Jesus has to do with me and Jesus, and he knows my heart," Hancock said.


I have an idea for you, don't go to church! Pray at home, Jesus never said anything about people having to pray in churches...
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37 comments // Church threatening to make sins public

  • CalgarC
  • Cynic2
    • 0
      Cynic2  

    • Fuck that church, Becky. I'll wager that the pastor, the deacons and maybe even some of the church ladies were jealous of you. Preachers get more than the law allows, anyway.

    • 3 years ago
  • dariusvons
  • picKFishStudios
  • huntre
    • 0
      huntre  

    • This goes with other stories I've read online and in the papers that leaves me with the impression that many churches are committing outrageously desperate acts to gain attention in the face of dwindling membership.
      If not careful, mounting polarization in these Christian sectors could be their undoing.

    • 3 years ago
  • Hookshire
  • elsonwvu
  • sibananda
  • clarity_kat
    • 0
      clarity_kat  

    • I'm pretty sure that if she confessed her sins to a religious leader and they in turn share them it is calling in to question their right to continue being a religious leader. (at least that is how it works for Catholics)
      From a legal standpoint, if they are issuing a threatening letter like this and holding a public meeting where they intend to harass her she can take action. This could be seen as a form of harassment intended to slander the individual. If she really wanted to reach for it, she could argue that speaking to a religious leader under an implied confidentiality agreement could be seen as a verbal contract to which they are breaching.
      Either way, I think leaving the church was the best move, heck, they can't even get the basics right... thou shalt not judge.

    • 3 years ago
  • Freak_Party_Unite
  • FaintLee
    • 0
      FaintLee  

    • I live in Jacksonville and to be honest this place is littered with Christians who don't know the first thing about Christianity. Its a hell hole I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

    • 3 years ago
  • arcticspirit
    • 0
      arcticspirit  

    • She should have been a catholic, priests have to take confessions to their death, well they do.

      And on the other note, all denominations of christian religion are not the same, some seem to be more destructive than constructive.

      What is important is faith, receiving grace, and being able to keep your eyes on God thru your walk, as much as possible.

    • 3 years ago
  • sk8bs55
  • sKiZz
    • 0
      sKiZz  

    • Religion is full of hypocrisy. One moment they say, "we are the only ones who can hear your sins, and they will be safe with us so tell us your sins so we may relay them to god himself." Then, when you are sinning, they say, " Don't sin that's horrible." Then when you leave them they say, "Everything you've ever told us is going to be told told to the public, so we can teach you not to sin."

    • 3 years ago
  • crob80227
    • 0
      crob80227  

    • "...you leave us with no choice...."

      Actually, they have a TON of options to choice from.

      They can be patient, merciful, honorable, etc.

      To truly believe that public humilation is a) effective and b) their "only choice" availabe to help a church member in a difficult situation really shows a lack of imaginaton. Or simple human compassion. Jesus would be pissed. After he got down turning over the tables of the money-changers He'd be horse-whipping these sons-o-bitches.

      There is a whole rainbow of emotions and actions to choose from....that they settled on the worst one out of a hundred says a lot about their character, doesn't it?

      I guess read the Bible obsessively didn't do a damn thing to make these church leaders moral or compassionate.

      Can't help but question the effectiveness of religion.

    • 3 years ago
  • arcticspirit
  • vixen0078
    • 0
      vixen0078  

    • What's next, a big red letter on her chest?

      I'm sure the congregation is SO excited to hear about this woman's sex life. Hell, if I were her, I'd tell my family to stay home and confess all my "sins" to the congregation myself.

      People like this keep me from organized religion!

    • 3 years ago
  • unashamed_muse
  • Mikeysfake1
  • bishopobispo
    • 0
      bishopobispo  
    • Mikeysfake1:

      blunt but probable.

      while i'd like to think of myself as progressive, what can i say, i'm from the midwest/south (st. louis). not being the one to kiss in tell came to my mind upon finding this article. well that and the hypocrisy that is established religion.

      yay the backwards (not really) mid-culture that is the U.S.!

    • 3 years ago
  • quizads
    • 0
      quizads  

    • does anyone remember the story in the bible when the people are about to stone a woman to death for being adulterous, as per the instructions of the old testament, and then JESUS puts a stop to it? "He who is free from sin shall cast the first stone..."

    • 3 years ago
  • mako2424
    • 0
      mako2424  

    • Stones? Glass House? Any takers?

      Unless this pastor and every member of the congregation are willing to air their own dirty laundry, I fail to see how this qualifies as anything other than malicious and/or hypocritical behavior.

    • 3 years ago
  • cantucwearebrothers
    • 0
      cantucwearebrothers  

    • Jesus lead by example. He behaved in the manner he wished others to behave.

      So...I say the church should go first. Set the example. Once they go public with their own sins...individually and as a collective religous group...then they can contemplate doing so with someone else's.

      I'm guessing they might change their tune.

    • 3 years ago
  • unashamed_muse
  • Carrington
    • 0
      Carrington  

    • Hopefully she has some legal recourse, like a restraining order or something.
      In the alternative, even in these tough economic times, I would FIND some money to hire an investigator and get dirt on all of the elders and pastors. After all, turnabout is fair play.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • PrimeTime
  • joshuaheller
  • bishopobispo
    • 0
      bishopobispo  
    • joshuaheller:

      Damn right jh. The church, afraid it will be outdone by Britney Spears' next act of defiance (fingers crossed... not really) is thinking ahead in its PR game.

      By the way, I'm sure they're thinking Jesus would totally do it.

      Jesus: "hey guys, I'm totally not gonna part this sea until Us Weekly gets here... but when they do, I'm all for turning this water into wine/black russians/long islands so we can parrrr-tay!"

    • 3 years ago
  • KI4CLZ
    • 0
      KI4CLZ  
    • Image

    • A church is a hospital for sinners.

      -And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.

      When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?"

      And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." -Mark Chapter 2 NASB

      Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  

    • Jesus met with people. It doesn't specifically state Church, nor does it specifically stated don't have sex with children.

      People should be smart enough to realize the consequences to their actions before they partake in them so selfishly.

      The church has zero backing of the bible in public humiliation.

    • 3 years ago
  • Xenny
  • SDLN
    • 0
      SDLN  

    • And now churches have become completely irrelevant?

      If I can't cleanse my soul, what else are you there for?

      By the way, that'll be 10% for ruining your life!

    • 3 years ago
  • pjacobs51
  • mojojuju
    • 0
      mojojuju  

    • I question a lot of bible translations. Like I'm not so sure the original manuscript said to tell the whole church about the woman's sins. What if it actually said to pat her on the back and say "Oooh you naughty girl!"?

    • 3 years ago
  • anglcazn
  • alicynx
    • 0
      alicynx  

    • I mean, wow. Talk about some vindictive bastards. Perhaps a special circle of hell is dedicated to people who thought they were holier than thou...

    • 3 years ago
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