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UPDATED: NY Church cancels sex offender’s wedding
THIS STORY IS AMENDED. PASTOR RICK RESPONDED TO OUR POST (SEE COMMENTS) AND TO THOSE WHO WROTE HIM.
I AM KEEPING THIS STORY UP BECAUSE THE REPORTING FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER, THE POST STAR, RECOUNTS THE EVENTS DIFFERENTLY FROM PASTOR RICK AND PERHAPS THE REPORTER DESERVES THE FOCUS OF OUR EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS, NOT THE PASTOR.
WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE PASTOR RICK’S RESPONSE TO OUR MEMBERS AND HOPE HE IS SINCERE IN HIS MESSAGE THAT ALL ARE WELCOME IN HIS CHURCH.
A wedding that was scheduled to take place this Saturday at South Granville Congregational Church in New York, was cancelled after individuals pressured the pastor, Rick Backus, to not allow the wedding to take place because the groom was convicted of a sexual offense.
Apparently, many in the community reached out to the church opposing the wedding and even suggested they would protest during the ceremony. Pastor Backus wound up telling the couple they could not marry in his church.
Ironically, when you Google the church their descriptor begins, “Loving God * Loving Each Other * Loving our Neighbors“. Perhaps they should change that to “loving some of our neighbors”.
Should anyone want to share your thoughts with the Pastor, he can be reached at PastorRick@SlateValleyShepherd.org
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Here is the email I sent:
Dear Pastor Rick, where’s they forgiveness?
I read a news article that you cancelled a wedding because the groom has a sex offense record. The article states that your congregants are the culprits in your decision. I guess you’re not emphasizing the “forgiveness” of your Jesus from your bible stories.
This is one reason why I decided to become an atheist (among other scientific reasons).
But seriously, you AND your congregation should be ashamed of yourselves. I guess people with sex offenses (there are many kinds including urinating in public or high school kids sending each other nude photos) have become the new “Jews” or “negros” of the first half of the 20th century.
Remember when our county had “Whites Only” signs?
I’m sure it would not be an issue for your congregants if the groom was an armed robber. I mean, no way could someone putting a gun to a cashier’s head and demanding the money or else face being killed ever match up to that awful, public safety threat known as “sex”!!!! Wow!
Perhaps you should remind your congregants that “Jesus” hung out with 12 illiterate homeless men and a prostitute which he told to “go, and sin no more”. Are your congregants aware that even prostitution has made its way to being considered a sexual offense? Either way, WHERE IS THE FORGIVENESS???
Close your church. Even if there is a god and a Jesus, I’m sure they’d be ashamed of you and your followers.
This is the e-mail I sent to the minister of that brood of hypocrites:
Rick,
I am a Christian and find your cowardice over not marrying a couple simply because the groom has a sexual offense in his past to be in very poor form. You should have stood up to your congregants and put their hypocrisy before them in a sermon. You have a higher calling than giving in to blackmail from a bunch of self-righteous HYPOCRITES who don’t have the first clue what Christianity is all about. You and your congregation will stand before Almighty God one day and answer for the horrible way this couple was treated. May you and your congregation do some serious soul-searching, otherwise all your congregating and worship will be totally worthless with this kind of unforgiving and judgmental attitude in your hearts. Shameful; simply shameful!
Your congregation just proved that they have NO IDEA WHAT TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS! There are some Scriptures you need to read, take to heart and preach some serious sermons on:
THE SIN OF SHOWING PARTIALITY:
Jas 2:1 MY brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Jas 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
Jas 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Jas 2:4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Jas 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
NO ONE HAS ROOM TO POINT FINGERS AT ANOTHER:
Joh 8:1 JESUS went unto the mount of Olives.
Joh 8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
Joh 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
Joh 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Joh 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Joh 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
Joh 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Joh 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
Joh 8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Joh 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
FORGIVENESS AND REDEMPTION:
Luk 7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.
Luk 7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
Luk 7:38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Luk 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Luk 7:40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
Luk 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Luk 7:42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
Luk 7:43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
Luk 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Luk 7:45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Luk 7:46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Luk 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
Luk 7:48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
REFUSAL TO FORGIVE OTHERS:
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
When I heard of the shameful way your congregation acted, I was shocked, angry and quite frankly hurt. It’s sad when those who wear the name of Christ don’t have one clue as to what true Christianity is about. When you have people threatening to picket over someone with a checkered past wanting to get married in the building where they supposedly worship, that shows you they do not have a Christ-like spirit in any way whatsoever. You have a congregation of hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees to deal with.
Mar 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
Mar 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR CONGREGATION,
My remarks to the pastor via email:
You should of stood up for what is right and what God requires of you as a pastor. Your fear is evident when you heed the requests of individuals who have no business discriminating against other members, especially in regard to holy matrimony. The Christ instructed if you’ve done this to the least of you, you done this unto me. You’re are nothing but a bully in cohort with the devil, that is Satan.
I find this interesting. Their church covenant. They are most definitely NOT being obedient to the teachings of scripture NOR doing good for their fellow man. This makes me SICK!!!!
We promise, as
members of the Church, to walk together
as Christian Brethren, obedient to the
teachings of the Holy Scriptures. This we
do for the glory of God, for the good of
our fellowmen and for mutual growth in
Christian grace. Seeking to do all in faith
fellowship and service, in the Spirit of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I actually think this is not so clear cut. A pastor has the responsibility to ensure that the betrothed are entering into their marriage in keeping with their belief system. From the reports, the wedding was to take place only days after the gentleman was sentenced for the sexual assaults. If I were in the pastor’s position, I would ask the couple to go through additional counseling before commencing a marriage on the heels of such a life altering event. I would not think it wise to rush into marriage, particularly with the man’s sexual abuse history not having been appropriately dealt with (assuming he had not already received counseling specific to his particular issues prior to sentencing. I suspect not, since the report also indicated that he claimed his innocence prior to his plea. It leaves some unresolved questions at least). I would not let the public factor into the decision but I would want what’s best for the couple, which probably would be to delay the ceremony at least.
If these were just two people wanting to get legally married by a notary or such at a public venue like a country club, that would be a different matter, as a belief system doesn’t come into play, but in this instance I would withhold judgement without all the details.
I emailed the errant pastor the following:
“You have forgotten Matthew 7:1 have you?
You will have your judgement in full unless you repent, Sir!”
And Jesus said
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Matthew 25:40