Assault Complaints Filed after Incident at Church

[meegbear]

A gay Gibson County couple said they were assaulted when they tried to attend church services at the Grace Fellowship Church in Fruitland last Wednesday.

"I went over to take the keys out of the ignition and all the sudden I hear someone say 'sick'em,'" said Gibson County resident, Jerry Pittman Jr.

Pittman said the attacked was prompted by the pastor of the church, Jerry Pittman, his father.

"My uncle and two other deacons came over to the car per my dad's request. My uncle smash me in the door as the other deacon knocked my boyfriend back so he couldn't help me, punching him in his face and his chest. The other deacon came and hit me through my car window in my back," said Pittman. He said bystanders did not offer assistance. He said the deacon yelled derogatory homosexual slurs, even after officers arrived. He said the officers never intervened to stop the deacons from yelling the slurs.

"If I was on the scene I would not have allowed that. The deputy should not have allowed it if he did," said Gibson County Sheriff Chuck Arnold.

Pittman said neither he nor Lee were allowed to press charges while at the church.

"I haven't talk to him but that would be out of character for my deputy to say unless they were causing a problem themselves," said Sheriff Arnold.

<snip>

http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/Assault-Complaints-Filed-after-Incident-at-Church-130746713.html

[yardwork]

1. This is so sad I can't think of anything to say.

Can somebody get that young man out of West Tennessee? He needs to get away from his father and uncles before they kill him.

Oh, and it would be reasonable to expect other Christian congregations to speak up about this kind of thing. It gives them all a bad name, in case they haven't noticed.

[Occulus]

5. This is West TN.

I very highly doubt your very reasonable request would reflect the general feeling among churches in this area.

This is why I won't set foot in the South. Ever.

[salin]

14. That poor kid. Story is so messed up on so many levels.

Guessing there is not going to be "healing" in that family anytime soon.

[Bunny]

2. Yep. That's what Jesus would do.

:eyes:

[Fuzz]

12. I remember the bible stories where Jesus and his 12 man gang would walk around beating up

people if they didn't believe he was the son of god and stuff.

[Occulus]

3. Bookmarked for later use.

Filed under "ammunition".

[Initech]

4. WTF is wrong with our society?

[Occulus]

6. Cross-wearing reactionaries.

[HighContext]

7. Define: Christofascism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christofascism#American_history_and_politics

'American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America' if you haven't already read it, is a great book to explore.

[ThomWV]

8. Good to see they are suing. I hope they sue the Church out of existence.

If it was up to me religions in general and Christianity in particular would be outlawed and all the churches burned to the ground. But if this guy can sue one out of existence that will certainly be better than nothing.

[Ian David]

9. There are so many typos in that article. n/t

[yardwork]

13. It's the transcript of the broadcast on the local TV station.

[xchrom]

10. Recommend

[Gormy Cuss]

11. No Grace in that Fellowship. n/t

[yardwork]

15. kick

[Kali]

16. nice family and church

past time to cut those ties, I think

[yardwork]

17. kick

[dembotoz]

18. time to pick a new church

i hope they sue those bastards into bk