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Churches Increasingly Disciplining Members; Police and Courts Become Involved

By Howard Friedman

Today's Wall Street Journal reports that conservative Protestant churches around the country are increasingly bringing back the practice of disciplining church members for religious offenses that range from adultery and theft to gossip, missing services or criticizing church leaders. The congregant is first confronted privately. If the congregant refuses to repent, he or she is then publicly rebuked and excommunicated. In some cases, law enforcement officers have been called in to evict an excom read more

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 18, 2008 (boomark / email).