ACSOL: Has your Church excluded you?
Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) wants to know if your church or religious congregation has excluded you.
In this month’s Janice’s Journal – written by ACSOL attorney Janice Bellucci, asks, “Why is it that some churches place outright bans on registrants who wish to worship there while others restrict registrants’ activities to such an extent that registrants choose not to worship at all?” She blames it on a harmful article “Sex Offenders in the Church”, appearing in ChurchLawAndTax.com which provides erroneous statements and inhumane guidelines regarding registrants.
The article was so damaging, in fact, that ACSOL is considering a federal lawsuit against the publication if they refuse to correct their mistake. If that becomes necessary, ACSOL will need to collect experiences of registrants who have attempted to worship at a church and been denied that opportunity. If you had something like this happen to you, please share your story with [email protected].
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My old hometown church in Pennsylvania was there to support me throughout all of my days preceding my incarceration and all of my time in prison. Members wrote to me and without asking them they sent money to me and came to visit me even though the prison was over 100 miles away. I mentioned that I was saving up for a keyboard and the minister of the church sent the money for me to purchase it. I repaid the money and all the minister did was put it in the bank for me upon my release.
When my sentence was completed I returned to the church and was welcomed with open arms.
At one point the minister was going to be late and called me to start the service. It for me was a very moving thing.
I must mention that I am a born again Christian and that was before my incarceration. All the time that I was in prison I studied the bible and took bible courses. Also received my ordination while there. I played Keyboard, guitar, and sang in the church band called the mountain top band.
I embrace my spirituality and did not put my bible away to gather dust after my release.
I got back together with my childhood sweetheart and mother of my son. That is another story for another time. But after I got back with her I had the happiest 13 months of my life. I lost her to liver cancer September 12th 2012. My stepchildren and my Father-in-law along with my son got me through the next two years, Then in 2016 I lost my Father-in-law. He was 88. I feel that I have been blessed to have them in my life and their support. They love me unconditionally. I have four other children that I love dearly.
Presently I am living with a lady that I met back in 1975 who is a cancer survivor. She had Breast cancer 4 years ago and just this year had treatments for stage one lung cancer. Hopefully she is done with all of that.
I now live in Florida because I cannot stand the cold weather in Pennsylvania. If it were not for the weather I would still be in Pennsylvania.
During my seven years here I have never once been disrespected by anyone at the Sheriffs office or the Sheriff’s that visit me at my home here in Marion County.
I will continue to follow their rules to the letter and keep up on all of their changes and hopefully that is enough.
Thank you FAC for allowing me to share this..
Thank you for sharing!
This story, the whole thing, is inspiring to me.
Alot of churches play church! They are quick to commend your sexual sins but forget they done the same and never gotten caught or placed on registry. I mention few months ago. I won’t step in any church I asked for help and was told they cant help me with shelter or food pantry I don’t belong to their congregation. This was almost eight years ago when I left Florida and living on streets here in Arizona for few days till i can find someone to rent to me. The holy people that go to church once a week but live their lives like $hit the other 6 days wanna past judgement on me. Not to offend anyone. I think it is a very good hustler being a pastor They tickle the peoples ears by telling them what they wanna hear and get money for nice cars and homes pay some taxes and put the rest in retirement fund they have grounds people or do it themselves. I feel for the lost souls living on the street and are in need of help. I got treated better by a person who don’t go to church then those who do. If you think about that for a moment. You see how sad that is.
Just because they use Jesus name and have a Bible in hand doesn’t mean they follow what it says or have God’s blessing. If you want to see how Justus delt with sex offenders read Luke 7:36-50 or John chapter 4.
That was Jesus not Justus . I see the problem here is they want to establish moral laws based on what the Bible says, but want to throw the Bible away when it comes to handling those moral offenses as if they know better than God who established morals how to deal with those who stray from those laws.
Anyone can goto the Catholic Church. Every mass starts out with everyone professing allowed “I confess to Almighty God and to you my bother and sister that I have sinned…” Everyone is on their own journey to the cross and not in everyones business telling them what todo and recruiting. Anyone can join but have to go through a humbling RICA class. Anyone can attend mass without receiving the sacraments which is the communion.