This article in today’s NY Times made my Texan-born blood boil. Here’s the main gist:
Peggy Lee Penley’s marriage was going sour when she turned to her pastor. They had been friends for years and had started a Bible church together in Fort Worth. He was more than Ms. Penley’s spiritual shepherd, also serving as a licensed professional counselor, and had helped her before.
But Ms. Penley says that after she confided her sexual relationship with another man and her plans for divorce, the pastor, C. L. Westbrook Jr., disclosed her “biblically inappropriate relationship” to church elders. Mr. Westbrook eventually informed the full congregation of the church, CrossLand Community Bible, she says, shaming her publicly and urging members to discipline her by shunning her.
This hideous man abused his position as pastor and confidante and now wants protection for his ethical wrongdoing. What’s even worse is that the courts are on the whole refusing to get involved in such cases like these:
In Mississippi, the former wife of the governor sued her Episcopal priest and her church after learning that the priest had taped her admission of adultery for use against her in a custody case by her ex-husband. The case was dismissed.
In Royal Oak, Mich., outside Detroit, a man who had left his church sued his pastor for revealing the confidence that he had been with prostitutes. That case was also dismissed.
Courts have had no trouble convicting religious figures of sexual misconduct, since the charges involve clearly secular actions that by their nature fall outside accepted religious practices.
Thank goodness these parishoners are refusing to lie down and be trampled by these faux-Christian wildebeasts. If we don’t stop this and stop it soon, 5 years from now I’ll be writing about the congregation that stoned a member and thinks they are immune from prosecution.