omg! You should ask...what is right with this world? I don't know what my sons restrictions will be yet as he still has 2 years to go.

Is this a ruling from the state, from a judge, from a PO, or from a specific church?

So painful! Insane!

I believe in North Carolina, the ban against sex offenders attending church was overturned. If I remember correctly, the state used the 300 foot law as a reason sex offenders could not attend church. The 300 foot law states that a registered citizen cannot be present within 300 feet of where children congregate, which the state contended included church.

Two registrants sued the state and the court said the law violated the men's First Amendment right to worship.

http://tinyurl.com/lxanjqj

rewdiazepam

My husband is on probation and can go to church. There are so many problems with it that it's not worth the trouble. He would have to get special permission from the church and PO. The church may have to inform parents. He would need to go when very few kids are around etc. It is not worth the stress level. No he has no rights. Join a group so you can and fight for his rights.

That is good to hear Rew. However, I have heard from many families where the churches themselves refuse to allow a registrant to attend. That irritates me to no end. Church's teach about love, forgiveness and redemption, yet they act like sex offenders are the exception to the rule. Yet, if you read the bible, many men would have been placed on the registry if they lived in today's time. Soliciting a prostitute, peeping Tom, rape, sex with someone under 18, public indecency, etc, yet God forgave them all, and used many of them for his work (even those who committed murder).

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now. I just think its preposterous that many "Christians" turn away many who could actually benefit from what the church teaches.

Thought,

You made an excellent point. The churches themselves can forbid a registrant from attending---and many do. I was only looking at it from a legal standpoint.

I think there are some churches that are more like a cult than a place where people of all kinds can come and worship God. We all know that many churches have their little chiques and they deem some in the church more important and "more worthy" than others.

Sometimes visitors or new member do not feel welcome in the church. This is not how it is supposed to be and certainly not the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Organized religion has become such a joke in many cases. No, God has not become a joke nor is believing in God a joke, but many things some religious groups do "in the name of God" are deplorable. Better stop now or I will have to take another blood pressure pill.

rewdiazepam

Children congregate at churches?

I think their definition of "congregate" is when a few children are at one place at one time.

They use "congregate" as a broad term and it restricts a registrant from being present in a lot of different places.

rewdiazepam

Even though I have forgiven... I will never forget the day I was at the county jail type facility that they called a halfway-house...

To back up a little I contacted a pastor at a local Assemblies of God church, while I was still at this facility, and told them I would like to attend services. We talked a little and then came the point where they asked me for my court paperwork. I gladly gave it to them without nothing to hide. They said that they would get back to me.I was travelling in the transport van taking people around to their jobs, drug testing etc.

WhIle I was in the front seat of the van I got the phone call that I didn't know that it was going to shatter my heart. The pastor in short explained to me that I would not be able to attend services there. My heart was crushed. I attended services all the while I was on the inside... followed God to the best of my abilities and my heart was just stomped on. It hurt really bad.

I had to learn to try and "let it go" and eventually forgive. It wasn't easy and it took some time.

It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I eventually got out of the jail/halfway house facility and was driving around and saw the signage with the church's logo that reminded me of the verse about the Lord being our Tower. I thought to myself, "I need to check that place out." The rest is history. I have been attending there for longer than 4 years and the pastor truly loves me with a shepherd's heart. (if you don't know what lengths a shepherd will take if one of his sheep is in trouble I suggest doing some research on that) We even go out for coffee and talk about whatever including all my hurts and my ups and downs as I try to get through this thing we call "life".

I will never forget one day my pastor told me that they don't sit there at the door with a three ring binder of local sex offenders in the city. Which I dunno if any church does. Shame on them if they do. What's any different in an ex-felon who goes postal and shoots up members of the church. Nothing. God views all hearts and knows what he is doing. Heck... we just don't know how many members of the church are themselves locked up in sin and abusing kids. I pray that God fishes them pronto out of church.

You see... people love to slap a "label" on others. But Jesus looks at all hearts and Himself says literally in the Word on "Judging Others":

"7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. - Matthew Chapter 7 verses 1-5

In other words, if you have sin in your own life, and you don't have a relationship with His Son Jesus the Christ, God is going to make sure that the same judgement you feel that all offenders need to be castrated, shot, drawn and quartered, beat to death, put on an island and set a nuclear weapon off on it, He will weigh that same judgement... to come on judgement day "if" you haven't forgiven your brother of his trespasses. [14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:14-15)

All that is going to happen is one second you will be alive, then the next moment when it is your time to die, you will find yourself unforgiven by God Himself and most likely separated from the love of God for eternity in the depths of hell itself.

That is why it is soooo important to forgive others at all times. :0)

We all have to pray that God will allow all of us to find our place where we can call home away from home as we worship together.

- In His Steps

Churches should be run like this forum.

This is a support forum for ALL that need support. We don't do some kind of interrogation of someone when they want to join to get some help or support.

We don't quiz them about their crime or the circumstances regarding their situation. In fact, we don't ask questions at all.

We are here to do one thing----give support and comfort for anyone that needs it. We are not judgmental or "preachy."

More churches should heed the way this forum is operated.

rewdiazepam

It would be very hard to name a place where there are not children - maybe a bar? But I have seen children in those also -

@rewdiaz - I agree. Even as christians, we still have to be on guard in our hearts. Keep our ears open. Because all it takes is one bad apple to mess things up for the rest of us.

Yeah the "where children congregate" is just a sham for NIMBY. Show me one scholarly article that shows how sex offenders find their victims within a 2000 feet area of their home.

I think churches should and already do take care of children inside the church for the most part (excluding the catholic priests). The reason they do is insurance companies force them to. You can't work with kids without a background check and I'm okay with that. I am not attracted to children, I have psychological testing to prove that, but I do not feel like I am less forgiven if I cannot work with kids. I'm fine serving my church in other ways. I never want to put myself in a situation where anyone can claim something of me that is false. Because let's face it, an allegation even if blatantly untrue will make national headlines and make me have to pay a good lawyer a lot of money.

So I say that to say I think the church is already taking precautions when it comes to RSOs, and I think the church in general should have the attitude that Jesus had when he sent out the disciples:

" Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"

One thing registered citizens should always do regardless of the nature of their crime is PROTECT YOURSELF.

Even if your crime did not involve children, it is best not to ever be around a child alone or be in any position with a child that you could get accused of something.

I hate that it has come to this in our society, but sometimes I wonder about the wisdom of guys who volunteer to be a girls softball coach or in any capacity where they work directly with children.

I avoid children in isolated situations. It is not as if I am sexually attracted to them, as I am not, but I know that one little word from a child or one incident perceived wrongly would send me to prison for years. Nobody will believe a registrant with a previous conviction.

I avoid parks, swimming pools, and anywhere there might be a problem. I don't worry about places like Wal Mart or McDonalds since the mothers are always with the children in those places and the most contact I have with them is as I walk by.

I don't even allow any woman except a family member or someone I know really well inside my house if I am alone. I don't take any chances.

Protect yourself. No one else will do it for you.

rewdiazepam