Maybe I can cross any AofGs off the list
I haven't been to church in over a year--another casualty of Jamie. I had to leave a church I loved because Jamie showed up there one time out of nowhere a few days after Thanksgiving '06. Now, this was while I was still in limbo due to her cowardly attempt to frame me up. Thinking she was trying to booby-trap me into getting packed off to jail again on more false charges, I got up and left. Despite assurances from my friends there that they were on my side, I spent the next few months looking over my shoulder to see if she'd show up. After a few months of this, I haven't been back there since Easter '07--I just didn't feel safe anymore. Even though Jamie has conned her way back west (Washington state, I last heard), since her niece is a juvenile I have no legal way of knowing whether she has been held accountable for 1) beating me up and 2) her involvement in the frame-up--even though I'm the victim! Without that knowledge, I can't chance going back, only to have her start something and get me arrested again.
So I've been church-hunting--but I saw something today that makes me wonder if I should cross any Assemblies of God around here off the list.
I was on Daily Kos earlier today, and happened on a discussion about a bizarre case in Texas. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a now-defunct Assembly of God got sued by a former member who went through two exorcisms in the space of a week--the second of which resulted in her getting carpet burns and bruises on her wrists. However, the state Supreme Court ruled that finding the church liable would violate its First Amendment rights.
Looking at the case, I find myself stunned by the callousness of the people at that church. Seems this whole thing started when a girl collapsed during a June 1996 service. Let's see here now. June, in Texas--wouldn't you think that someone collapsing might, just might be having problems with the heat? Rather than consider this obvious fact, several members of this church laid hands on her and tried to cast a demon out of her. The same thing apparently happened later in the week, and held her down again. She later cut herself and was ultimately diagnosed with PTSD. The girl sued, and was awarded damages for mental anguish. After all, you would expect a secular establishment to check to make sure someone who faints is all right. Shouldn't we expect the same of churches? Apparently, the Texas Supreme Court doesn't think so.
The scandal drove that church to merge with another church in the Fort Worth area. But unless I've missed something (and I apologize if I have), I don't see anywhere where they apologized to her. Now that bothers me. I don't know what to think--is this a Texas thing, or is it something nationwide?
So I've been church-hunting--but I saw something today that makes me wonder if I should cross any Assemblies of God around here off the list.
I was on Daily Kos earlier today, and happened on a discussion about a bizarre case in Texas. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a now-defunct Assembly of God got sued by a former member who went through two exorcisms in the space of a week--the second of which resulted in her getting carpet burns and bruises on her wrists. However, the state Supreme Court ruled that finding the church liable would violate its First Amendment rights.
Looking at the case, I find myself stunned by the callousness of the people at that church. Seems this whole thing started when a girl collapsed during a June 1996 service. Let's see here now. June, in Texas--wouldn't you think that someone collapsing might, just might be having problems with the heat? Rather than consider this obvious fact, several members of this church laid hands on her and tried to cast a demon out of her. The same thing apparently happened later in the week, and held her down again. She later cut herself and was ultimately diagnosed with PTSD. The girl sued, and was awarded damages for mental anguish. After all, you would expect a secular establishment to check to make sure someone who faints is all right. Shouldn't we expect the same of churches? Apparently, the Texas Supreme Court doesn't think so.
The scandal drove that church to merge with another church in the Fort Worth area. But unless I've missed something (and I apologize if I have), I don't see anywhere where they apologized to her. Now that bothers me. I don't know what to think--is this a Texas thing, or is it something nationwide?