TN: Bill would allow sex offenders to attend church with permission
Can anyone tell me why this is even a thing? Isn’t spiritual growth and repentance something society would want from someone who has sexually offended?
To make that and the exercise of one’s religious beliefs more of a challenge to persons on the registry, a bill (House Bill 1922) proposed by Rep. Patsy Hazlewood would require the registrant to provide written notice of their offender status to the leader of the church and receive written permission from that leader in order to attend services at the church.
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The scope of idiocy by some of these Legislators, pandering to an unknowing public, knows no bounds.
This is an election year and appearing tough on sex offenders is an easy sell. No one was ever elected by being “rational on crime.”
Oh Lord, please do not let me make comments on this!!!
Most churches are actually OK with repentance by sex offenders. They just don’t want that repentance done on their premises.
Go repent somewhere else, please, and not put us at risk, is their thinking.
FAC, here’s what I don’t understand about this posting— “allow” sex offenders to attend church? Why would you need a law allowing something? Are they currently barred from it?
The statute doesn’t make any reference to churches, but I just took a cursory look at their statutes.
If the existing statute doesn’t prohibit church attendance, then this one is creating a new restriction. You must now have written permission To attend church.
I guess it’s open doors for drug dealers, armed car jackers, drunk drivers, home invaders, etc. Nice to know that some churches are so well protected.
It’s getting real petty in TN. I have attend several churches regularly and have for over 20 years as a registrant. And not once have I had any issues. People are fiercely passionate about there religion no matter what denomination. This will probably get ugly if I had to guess.
Even though this is probably more unintended consequences of SO legislation, maybe it will actually help us because now the law will formally recognize us as members of a protected class.