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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It is humbling how organizations like the Florida Action Committee and ACSOL has taken up the cause of informing and supporting those most dejected in society. I was on July 3 2017 escorted by security from my beloved Mairiner’s Church in Irvine California. For over 10 years I had been involved in the men’s group there and my sons had attended their youth programs on Sundays as children. I now give messages about them and those churches like them and how they fundamentally violate the very principles they teach. We need to hold our churches accountable to their own teachings…
I was told by my First Leon County(FL) Probation Officer (Officer Smith) that I could go to a church of my choice but first I would need to speak to the Pastor and inform him of my charges and other restrictions. She then said the pastor would ask the congregations to vote on my acceptance. After that I decided not to pursue the embarrassment I later was told by the last Probation Officer that they could not forbid me from my right to worship.
I had just the opposite of J.D.s experience bc my federal probation officer is the one who refused to allow my church attendance AFTER my pastor met with me, saw that I was no threat, and wanted my to attend services for the Christian principles of redemption and salvation. Amen. I took the feds to court with the support of my church’s leadership and the feds lost. Again, AMEN!
If you are speaking about Sonia Smith, beware. She will do anything to get you to violate. She violated my son stating that he was not in his apartment after 10 PM. Yet, she never provided documentation in that she said he was across the street at a bar. She is a liar! Just waiting for my son to get off probation before I file a complaint with the state.
I won’t say who the probation officer was, but it was a federal officer not a state officer. I will say it was not Sonia Smith. I don’t know her or any state officers, but I believe none of them can be trusted to respect our constitutional rights.
Could you get us a link to the article on ChurchLawAndTax.com because the only one that I can find there is one at this link that talks about an Indiana court ruling in our favor. https://www.churchlawandtax.com/blog/2017/october/sex-offenders-church-hhs-request-zoning-lawsuit-news-roundu.html
yes.i dont go to church any more.in Michigan the legislature has restricted many things a person can and can’t do. I was convicted of a consensual act 21 years ago and now I am not allowed to clean the church property after hours any more or volunteer to clean the grounds any more because of Michigan statutes..it wasn’t worth going to church..tired of being looked down on and whispered about ..tired of sermons that talk about the strict stance the church takes against anyone on the registry and how they monitor the registry to protect the flock, but remember to love they neighbor and put your money in the plate..
For those of us who are Catholic we perhaps need to remind the church that Sirach 8:5 reads as follows. “Do not reproach one who turns away from sin; remember, we all are guilty.” And then of course one might also remind them that Christ Himself said, (In John 8:7) “But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” So then the hypocrisy and fear mongered political agendas (to prove that they are “tough on crime”) persist even among those who are religious. I do go to Mass every Sunday and Holy day and am active wherever I can be, but not a penny goes to support the church and my giving is only to those needs that do not end up right there in my parish. Until I am able to be fully a part of the life of the church, my money goes elsewhere while I remain a faithful Catholic. Good luck brothers!
I’ve attended Mass in two Catholic dioces, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St.Peter, and one Episcopal dioces with no issues. Every Catholic church I attended was emphatic that they would turn no one away. I had a meeting with the Priest to discuss the details of my offense, then referred to a diocean safety coordinator who gave me very simple rules to follow. The church never asked that I be chaperoned unless my probation officer or therapist recommended it. The Episcopal Church I attended handles everything through the Priest, who later advised one or two other church staff that I was an RSO. I was never approached or harassed or denied worship.
I don’t go to other Protestant churches so I can’t speak for them, but the Catholic Church has always welcomed me.
I have been banned from Church. 2 different denominations.
That reeks my friend. I’m sorry that has happened to you. I hope that at some point you find a faith community that actually practices what they profess to believe.