Our church just completed a Registered Sex Offender (RSO) Policy. Will you review it and tell us if it’s adequate?
We frequently encounter this (seemingly simple) question in our law practice.
In reality, the issue is multi-faceted and complex, and tends to kick off a broader discussion. In the larger conversation, this ‘simple’ query should be preceded by a half-dozen more pertinent questions before putting RSO policies in place. This writing’s purpose is to posit the topics a church should evaluate before offering ministry services to known offenders. We will not attempt an exhaustive analysis of the criminal justice system, the sex offender registration system, various tiers of offenders or state-by-state analysis of relevant legal issues. Instead, this article will draw upon concepts discussed in prior articles in this series in an attempt to provide ministry leaders a better understanding of the challenges inherent in the provision of ministry services to known offenders.
PRINCIPLES AND DEFINITIONS
The following principles and definitions shape the larger conversation.
So the whole article basically boils down to “don’t do what you preach”.
For Christ’s sake this is such rubbish. Lawyers will be the death of the church.
The Catholic Church does not permit any participation in any ministry within the Church. The Los Angeles ArchDiocese will not speak out against ABORTION supported by the PSEUDO Catholic Joe Biden. But even someone who has been a productive member before ONE offense is excluded. The paranoia of the Catholic church and duplicity between a RSO and Supported of Murder of Unborn Babies.
I wasn’t terribly put off by this article, and was encouraged that it distinguished between RSOs, “known offenders” and “unknown offenders.” That differentiation, along with the admission that 90% of abusers have never encountered the legal system and are not on the registry, helps to break down the simplistic view that lumps RSOs into a single and dangerous category.
I had a positive experience with the monsignor at my Catholic church. His response was simply that the Catholic church was about redemption. Granted, I don’t desire to participate in any specific ministries. That would likely involve a different conversation.
Veritas.
The part that put me off of this article is:
“What is a Registered Sex Offender? A Registered Sex Offender is an individual who has been convicted of a crime involving a sexual act (i.e., sexual assault, child sexual abuse, possession/distribution of child pornography)”
Again, another prime example of getting the public to believe that all sex offenders were convicted for s$xual crimes against a child of some type or another – not a simple fact of even peeing in public could get you on a list.
Again, mis-education and mis-direction.
Posted the following on the article. Suggest others follow suit.
This is an awful long article which can be summarized as “don’t let those on the sex offender registry in your church.” Not a very Christian view in my opinion. Admittedly, I am not a churchgoer, but find it rather hypocritical that most churches preach forgiveness and leaving mistakes behind yet throw those mistakes in the faces of a selected population and exclude them based on demonstrably false perceptions.
Scores of research shows that individuals convicted for sex crimes are extremely unlikely to repeat, which was true even before there was a registry. Roughly 95% of sex crime is and always was committed by those without priors – Megan’s Law made absolutely no difference.
The simple fact is that if there is a sexual assault on anyone at a church, it is committed by someone without prior convictions. Despite popular opinion, those convicted of sex crimes have the lowest recidivism of any other class of criminal except convicted murderers. Even when they are arrested, it is nearly always for a status offense (perfectly legal activity for non-registrants or failure of a registry imposed obligation) and seldom has anything to do with the original offense.
There are scores of empirical research to support the assertions made above. But it’s been my experience that many will disregard it and cling to the false narratives, often claiming other studies support their preconceived opinions but yet can never cite one. It’s almost as if their faith in the registration system trumps their faith in God.
Assess the person, not the policy.
As someone who’s been kicked out of 2 churches now due to my past sin years ago. For which I’ve completed treatment and accept the punishment I’m paying… all I can say is… I’m not surprised. I only pray that God will bring Justice to those who’ve excluded the forgiven. Like the master treated the slave with his debt, may the master of that master taste the chaos of God’s wrath and calamity upon their church, household, and self. -not very Christian like, but at this point, I don’t have the option to turn the other cheek. It’s the church that beats me, flogs my family, and punishes my child.
Written from a Lawyer’s perspective, which would be obvious without them self identifying as such. Not much biblical wisdom here at all. The real church will never consider legal liability before loyalty to the mission.
There’s nothing “multi-faceted and complex” about any of this.
The question is not should they “accommodate” us. The question not being asked is why should we TOLERATE their assumptions, hate and ignorance just so that we can feel accepted?
Their preemptive “concerns” tell me ALL I need to know about these people.
It tells me that my time is better spent elsewhere than in a room full of hypocrites for 2 hours once a week.
People that ask the dumbest like that are being ridiculous.
The California Rescue Mission’s for homeless people dont take sex offenders because women and children live there which is understandable but 90% of homeless shelters in America don’t house men and women together some drug treatment felicitys but even that’s rare.
I think the reason why the Christian rescue Mission’s band sex offenders was because the police/probation and parole officers were demanding the address of the homeless shelters where they were staying and would conduct compliance checks on sex offenders and also run the names of other people staying at the shelter people would come there to get help and instead be arested.
Sex offenders are a burden to everyone and everything in Society just living next door to one could affect your family’s life other parents might not want their kids playing or have sleep overs or bday parts at your house because of the child predator living next door.
If your a sex offender you know u cant participate in public activities your lucky to even have a place to live let alone job or a wife and if you have kids OMG the anxiety and panic attacks 4 times a day worrying about how this will affect your children’s relationships with their peers in school and neighborhood friends.
So I get it the church is just like every other organization in Society they don’t wanna deal with sex offenders it’s just to much drama.
Good luck
If you call that participating it sounds like they were just trying be nice after they found out you where a child molester the only reason they made you sit out for a couple of sessions was to safely notify everyone that A sex offender was participating in their sessions.
Like I said if your a sex offender you can’t participate in public activities without somebody running your name through Google why even put yourself through all that it dont matter if your at church or at yoga class or volunteering to help on your son little league team someone’s gonna wanna know who you are.
You said it yourself you found A place to live through hard work and perseverance that’s great BUT your still lucky most people cant handle the pressure and end up living under the freeway or on skid row in downtown LA.
Good luck
A pastor once said, “ People always cringe when you say, love the sinner but hate the sin. What that tells them is that you love me but you don’t accept me. When you do that you aren’t accepting their story in its entirety because of something in their past.” If people judge you based on your past; they aren’t moral people anyway. All should be welcome or close the door.
None of this can be taken seriously as they are categorizing all people on the registry together, and separating them from people who do other crimes. Why are people on the registry suspect and not people of other crimes? How do you know people who have done burglaries aren’t just casing the place out? People who have stolen in the past might be looking for phones and other items left unattended. Why aren’t they concerned that drug dealers will try dealing to the other members? Is it ok for drunks to show up and want to fight? How about those with gun charges, arson, embezzling, extortion, fraud? None of those are a threat? It is simply the lie, the stigma politicians and the media have put out there. These people don’t even know what they are talking about. The minute the say sex offenders, or people on the registry they immediately show there ignorance, as the spectrum is vast in sex offenses. Just like stealing, nobody groups shop lifters together with armed robbery, but that is exactly what is done with people on the registry. All of us are grouped with Jeffrey Dhamer.
Just posted a comment on their page:
Because you state the comment below, people on the registry SHOULD be able to attend a church of their choosing without discrimination. All people could be a threat at any church, at anytime. Let’s stop banishing groups of people because they are on a “hitlist”, and start ministering to ALL people. Also, be careful. More public lists are being created. You could be on one soon for a mistake you’ve made in the past.
“What is an unknown offender? The unknown offender constitutes the largest group of abusers. Sexual offenders look like you and me, and often have no criminal record or other obvious indicators of risk. In every ministry, there are unknown offenders.”