About Le Anne Clausen Expertise I can answer questions about human rights work as a vocation, human rights as they pertain to the Middle East and/or Muslim world, particularly Palestine/Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan. While in Iraq, I helped to investigate prisoner abuses, including those at Abu Ghraib. I can also answer questions on women's rights in the Middle East. I cannot give you legal advice.
Experience I was a human rights worker for four years in the Middle East, including Palestine, Israel, and Iraq. I also participated in a human rights delegation to Afghanistan in summer 2005. I have an MA in Christian-Muslim relations, with special study on women's issues; I also worked one year for an Arab women's grassroots human rights organization. I am currently working to build an interfaith peace-teams based human rights organization
Publications "Be the Healers" (considering next steps for addressing the Abu Ghraib scandal), July 2004 edition, "The Lutheran" magazine.
Also: www.christian-muslim.net; www.young-activist.blogspot.com; additional interviews and articles about me are available via Google search.
a certain religion promote and enforce under ecclesiastical priviledge, a method that appears to control members from discontinueing membership, even when the members
's reasons are valid due to percieved unacceptable, unethical behavior, and misrepresentation of facts by said religion, that their consience cannot tolerate and would like to leave with the dignity they came with. This church directly attacks the virtue, of the individual as follows, it is so adeptly woven, spun, if you will ,from their interpretation of scripture into a doctrine as follows:
the person by word and/or actions has clearly terminated his status as one of XXXXXXXXX, disassociating himself. Hence, the elders will announce briefly to the congregation that this individual has disassociated himself. Those in the congregation will accept the person's decision and thereafter will view him as a former brother with whom they would not fellowship,( shun or discriminate against)
They interpret or spin this verse as an protected ecclesiastical priviledge that anyone wanting to leave the church to vilify as followings(1 Corinthians 5:11-13) . . .But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a FORNICATION or a GREEDY PERSON or an IDOLATOR or a REVILER or a DRUNKARD or an EXTORTIONER, not even eating with such a man.
THey continue with Such ones willfully abandoning the Christian congregation thereby become part of the 'ANTICHRIST.
Then they reason this way A person who had willfully and formally disassociated himself from the congregation would have matched that description.
A loyal Christian would not have wanted to fellowship with an apostate. Even if they had been friends, when someone repudiated the congregation, apostatizing, he rejected the basis for closeness to the brothers. John made it clear that he himself would not have in his home someone who 'did not have God' and who was "not of our sort."
it is then stated that a person who repudiated God's congregation became more REPREHENSIBLE than those in the world. ..... ( Most persons leaving on their own have not led a a life that violate church rules.
I know you had to wade through a lot of doctrinal stuff but my concerns are why must a person be burdend with such salacious labeling, which under any oher circumstance would be libelous, slander and defamation simple because they choose not to be identified as a member of this religion?
Is there a case? Are any human or civil rights being violated here? And could this issue be brought before a tribunal to seek to change this blatant attempt to control with fear of reprisal, cleverly disguised as ecclesiastical priviledge therefore untouchable by seperation of church and state?
Your input would be greatly appreciated
All the best,
Answer Greetings student, and thanks for your question. I understand that you are asking from a United States context how to handle this situation if you are the person leaving the congregation in question.
It sounds like a congregation that would do this would be a pretty extremist one, this is not very typical. A congregation that might preach this against a member choosing not to continue membership might also be designated as a cult--for the extremely exclusionist teaching.
Persons living in the US have the right to freedom of religion, which means they are free to worship wherever they choose. They could try to file a libel lawsuit against the congregation if they desired--if they found the right lawyer; but otherwise, unfortunately, they might have to deal with the congregation's negative response as they walk away. It happens for other reasons too when one leaves a group; gossip prevails.
So, if you are seeking assistance for yourself in this situation, and the worship leader is making statements implying that you are a fornicator or morally reprehensible, and have the time and desire and possibly finances to pursue this, you might want to consult a lawyer that specializes in libel/defamation.
