Wow. Seems to me this has nothing to do with religion and everything to due with power. Doubt she can do much about it. But if it was me you can be damn sure I would be outside screaming every sunday.

Good girl! Very proactive, taking this to the press to advert the blackmail.

Now she needs to press charges.

Press what charges? This seems to be the way the church works. While wrong it does not seem to be criminal.

the lord god: Press what charges? This seems to be the way the church works. While wrong it does not seem to be criminal.

Well I haven't quite figured that out. Blackmail by threat to defame character?

I see it all the time in the movies.

Breaking confidentiality laws for para-counseling organizations? I think there's a law against that where I live.

Anyway, there ought to be a law. If, on the other hand, she knew that they blabbed everything all over town, that's different.

But if she was told it was confidential (like pastoral counseling), then she should SUE EM for TRILLIONS of dollars.

All the other churches who run the same brand religion should have to help pay.

No mention of whether a safety pin was involved, cleveland rocking.

What, the sin of being hit with the ugly stick?

From the Book of John, chapter 8:

¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" ⁶They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

"I don't really care what they do to me. But I am concerned about my children sitting in church with their mother being crucified by the church that they trust," she said. "I am very concerned about how it would affect them."

that makes my head want to explode

Defamation and emotional stress against a church she was a willing member of. I really do not see where legally much can be done for her. This is how this church works and she was aware of that. In the future she should maybe read the fine print better. But I can't see any court allowing a suit here.

Wow, I never thought I would credit the Catholics with doing something right, but they keep their shiat tight.

Is it you and me?
Or just this world we live in?
We call it living in love...
they call it living in sin.

eraser8: She was stupid enough to join a cult in the first place. She deserves the ignominy.

Perhaps she realized her mistake? Is it still worth punishment?

/no sin, cast first stone, like above

Damn scientology. When will they stop.

I wonder how many members of the church voted McCain/Palin? Palin would be perfect at that church!

Wow - most churches would never betray someone's trust like that. They deserve the bad press. Good for her for telling other people about it, maybe they will be seen for the jerks that they are. Sure they should counsel their members on their doctrinal views and try to help them live well, but airing members' or former members' dirty laundry is crossing the line. They lose all credibility for themselves, others with their views and make other non-affiliated groups look bad in the process. I don't care if you want to be stupid and selfish - quit dragging the rest of Christendom down with you.

Forty-Two: This part of the article: "...a three-step process used by the church to deal with sinners: private admonishment, admonishment in the presence of witnesses and finally public admonishment," is taken directly from the Bible.

Old Testament, yes.

GWShenlong05: But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Right. See, kids, these are Pharisees. Legalists. They're always around. The word "grace" in the title of their church is a categorical lie.

So you don't want the congregation to know about it, but telling the whole country is OK?

She is 49 years old, what do they care about her sex life? She is more than old enough to make her own decisions about sex.

PacManDreaming: "Bottom line, on January they 4th they are going to the church publicly with my sins, and my children will be sitting in church at the time," Hancock told FOXNews.com."

Hmmm...you don't want the church elders to tell the congregation, but you have no problem telling, potentially, millions of people on the internet?

The issue may well be one of control and of trust.

If I want to tell my bidness on the interwebs, I will. If I tell someone I trust in a "private counseling session" the same thing and they post it, yeah, I'm gonna be pissed. I think it's funny she one-upped the fundie church, though.

And it doesn't matter to them how old you are - it's still sin if you're not married. Blah blah blah fishcakes.

I'd be more embarrassed about being a member of that church than about the sex thing.

I submitted this with a better headline and wasn't listed. Waaaahhhh.

Anyway. So they're threatening to "out" her in front of her congregation, and her "living arrangements" are already public on Fox and Fark? What do they have no farking power in the building to read news? She quit the church and she can move to another state. Have at it guys, go "inform" who ever the hell you want, your little control session just ended.

/oh and, ya might want to take down your website, it's on the Fox PDF article of it.

So you don't want the congregation to know about it, but telling the whole country is OK?

1. She's making the CHOICE to tell the "whole country"

2. The pre-emptive strike takes away any power they think they have over her

3. By alerting everyone of the type of people they by telling others of their plans she gets revenge for them being jerks and gets the satisfaction of exposing them for their lack of ethics in disclosing information shared in confidence

R.A.Danny: A "real" religion would frown on these shenanigans.

There haven't been any new religions since Christ made Peter the first Pope.

Christianity (as we know it) was invented by Paul of Tarsus, years later than that.

GWShenlong05: From the Book of John, chapter 8:
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Interestingly enough, while IMHO it's one of the wisest and most applicable bits in the bible, it's NOT original. It doesn't appear in the earlier texts and the style between this and the rest of John is said to be notably different. That is, it seems reasonable to assume a third party saw fit to edit this into a bible that was being copied, probably around the 5th century.

/he lives
//hal eh lou yeh

Forty-Two: Again, I'm not defending the church's actions; bringing in other people to condemn someone for having sex out of wedlock is, in my view, oppressive and manipulative. But they are being consistent with their beliefs, and as a member of that church, she was aware of the practice.

She wasn't aware of their practice of making "private counseling session" information public.

Indeed, people see movies on Christianity where pastors and priests are all nice and keep things really confidential (even offering sanctuary, a common theme). She had no reason to suspect the pastor was going to first tell her sister congregants and then the whole world.

This is a cult tactic, popular for more than a hundred years in American Christian cults.

One would expect other types of leaders in organizations like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts to keep things said by members in private...confidential.

At least, I would.

Atypical Person Reading Fark: Well I haven't quite figured that out. Blackmail by threat to defame character?

well from the Floridian Law

836.05 Threats; extortion.--Whoever, either verbally or by a written or printed communication, maliciously threatens to accuse another of any crime or offense, or by such communication maliciously threatens an injury to the person, property or reputation of another, or maliciously threatens to expose another to disgrace, or to expose any secret affecting another, or to impute any deformity or lack of chastity to another, with intent thereby to extort money or any pecuniary advantage whatsoever, or with intent to compel the person so threatened, or any other person, to do any act or refrain from doing any act against his or her will, shall be guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

I'd say that qualifies.

Preacher: "My sister in Christ, would you like to go up to the organ loft and see the Pleasure Instrument?"

Forty-Two: R.A.Danny: She sure ain't Catholic.

In my experience, "non-denominational" churches (such as this one) tend to be the most dogmatic and cult-like.

There's one by my home on a side street behind 2 gas stations, a McDonalds, ana a dry cleaner, in a building that used to be a beauty supply shop. Very non descript and buried in a commercial zone. Those are the ones that worry me.

I thought that ministers had lawyer- or doctor-like legal obligations not to reveal private conversions.

Can anyone correct me on this?

/an assurance you know that of which you speak is sufficient
//I'll believe anything, as long as your grammar and spelling are correct

the lord god: Defamation and emotional stress against a church she was a willing member of. I really do not see where legally much can be done for her. This is how this church works and she was aware of that. In the future she should maybe read the fine print better. But I can't see any court allowing a suit here.

FTA:
"More importantly, he said, the actions are unusual given that Hancock had severed her relationship with the church.

Hancock sent a formal letter of resignation after receiving the elders' ultimatum in hopes of solving the dispute. She said she fears for her 20-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter if the church carries out its threat."

Yeah, at this point it's just defamation of character of someone they don't like.

ThematicDevice: Atypical Person Reading Fark: Well I haven't quite figured that out. Blackmail by threat to defame character?

well from the Floridian Law

836.05 Threats; extortion.--Whoever, either verbally or by a written or printed communication, maliciously threatens to accuse another of any crime or offense, or by such communication maliciously threatens an injury to the person, property or reputation of another, or maliciously threatens to expose another to disgrace, or to expose any secret affecting another, or to impute any deformity or lack of chastity to another, with intent thereby to extort money or any pecuniary advantage whatsoever, or with intent to compel the person so threatened, or any other person, to do any act or refrain from doing any act against his or her will, shall be guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

I'd say that qualifies.

Thanks! I'll sleep better tonight.

I've got an idea, take your kids to another church. They don't have to hear what mommy did in her alone time. Problem solved.

Harvey Manfrenjensenjen: Oh, and...

What a harlot may look like.

Hittable, after a few belts of communion wine?