Tennessee Church Leader Welcomes Sex Offenders into Congregation
A Tennessee news station reached out to churches to get their take on a state bill that would require a person required to register as a sexual offender to provide written notice to the Church and obtain written permission before attending services.
We believe this is a horrible requirement and that nobody should be required to shame themselves in order to exercise their religious beliefs. Similarly, no Church should be in a position to have to provide written permission to a parishioner in order for them to attend. That can only expose the church to ostracism and liability.
That notwithstanding, Bishop Kevin Adams, the senior pastor at Olivet Baptist Church in Chattanooga was one of the few willing to speak to Chattanooga’s WRCB News and he was compassionate enough to welcome those on the registry. If anyone would like to contact Olivet: [email protected]
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The “News” segment is misleading. The bill is a government mandate so that on the date the bill becomes law, all RSO are forbidden to practice their religion at their place of worship until the church leader is forced to blaspheme the Holy Spirit as he is compelled by the state of Tennessee to preach a false gospel stating God can only forgive some sins and not others. The bill also mandates a change in church doctrine to become an amalgam of holy church doctrine and state laws. For those churches that preach that Jesus forgives all sins, and that all church doctrine comes from God: The Holy Spirit must take a back seat because the Tennessee legislature is bringing in a two-tier forgiveness policy to replace the teaching in Colossians 2:13. Why should the church have to absorb the cost of editing the Bibles to conform to this policy? Perhaps for a cost savings, church leaders can be given a “cheat sheet” from the Tennessee legislature indicating all of the verses that are at odds with the new doctrine suggesting “God can forgive most sins, but certain sins, specifically sexual sins…well, let’s just say, God may be powerful, but not THAT powerful! You say when you were 18 you shot your 16 year-old girl friend 6 times when she was having sex with your best friend? God is cool if you used a gun. If you used a camera, our church can’t forgive you. It is Tennessee law!”
The anchorman, “A new bill to allow them (RSO) to attend church is on the table.” Problem: RSO already have the right to attend church. The law is a restriction on church! Travis Cummings is a journalism failure! Here is why: He reached out to “many”, “churches”. How many is “many”? What kind of churches? Catholic? Wicca? Jehovah’s Witness? Who did he speak to? “They refused to comment.” Was that the church secretary? How is a RSO supposed to freely choose a church when by Travis Cummings account, out of “many” churches, there was only one where an RSO would be officially welcomed? How would an RSO get authorization to attend church when out of the “many” churches interviewed, only one would even comment!? What kind of church is secretive about their doctrine? Did Travis Cummings ask if there is a RSO policy? So many unanswered questions!
Churches do not “Check I.D’s when you enter. Most do not if any have facial recognition cameras. Just go to church, enjoy, go home. You do not have to fill out paperwork, apply to work there or join private in home groups. That is the only way they find out who you are .
I have been attending the same church for 20 years and not joined any groups. Don’t stay afterwards to chat. Just shake a few hands on the way out and head home.
If one of us ever got arrested for attending church, (Other than if we did something bad there ) I would personally head to Washington D.C and rip the original copy of the constitution in half, burn it and spread the ashes on the graves of our founding Fathers.
“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. ”
Revelation 14:12
Thank you, Cherokeejack and Capt Charles Munsey Jr, for you comments which are all “food for thought”. I come from a background where it is taught that all tithes must go to the church (storehouse). But maybe that storehouse encompasses more than what goes on inside that physical structure. One thing I know for sure, though, is that it will not be going anywhere that treats registrants like second-class citizens.
Christ is all about forgiveness and repentance. He was all about seeking out and finding the lost. He is all about redemption and second chances (paid for with the his very own shed blood!). All who call themselves Christian are REQUIRED by Christ to forgive all, and to accept as co-equal brothers and sisters ALL who repent and believe, just as Christ forgives all who come to him (For ALL have fallen short).
This law is a permanent barrier between Christians who are not on the registry and Christians who are on the registry. It establishes a permanent sub-class of individuals within the Church – mandated by the state! I would go so far as to call it blasphemous, as it is in direct contravention of the mandate to the Church given by God. Who is the head of the church? Is it Christ, or is it a bunch of self-serving, slimeball politicians? No true Christian should accept the imposition of secular interference into the realm of the Church; i.e., Ecclesia (a Greek word meaning the called-out ones). Called out by God – not by politicians and not even by preachers, priests or other Christians. Lastly, we can’t be called out at all if we let the politicians dictate how we operate within our churches. There is a reason for the first amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Jumping through hoops to notify the local church of our registered status before we attend will certainly impede our ability to freely exercise our religion.