Have you ever known of a church that keeps personal notes on people in their databases?

[justme6272]

Not just typical contact data that would come off a visitor or new member sheet that you filled out, like address and phone. But for example, a pastor or other staff member interacts with someone in the church and forms an opinion of them, good or bad, and feels the need to document that information. So they go on their church's computer and let loose whatever they want, which can be seen by others on staff, present or future. Or they just document which Bible study classes you attended, along with comments like 'talks a lot' or 'has controversial views on the Bible.'

I've even heard of churches sharing information so that if the person changes from one church to another, the new church knows something about them, sort of like Facebook creating profiles on people and providing them to others.

I even saw a church use special software to help members do an annual spiritual evaluation which included divulging personal information about such things as sinful behavior or bad habits. The first web page or two as you went through the survey had you sign up with name and email before you get to the web page with disclaimer info you had to agree to, which included agreeing that the church had a right to share your information and discuss it with other churches. Um, excuse me? You want to WHAT? How sick is THAT? They knew exactly who failed to continue with the survey after reading the disclaimer cause they already had your name and email address at the beginning of the survey.

With all the controversial hoopla surrounding Facebook privacy, I can't help but wonder what info churches are collecting, and how many people would be livid if they knew about it. Do I trust churches to voluntarily disclose their policies on data collection? Absolutely not. I'm sure THEY believe that whatever THEY collect and store won't cause harm to anyone. But it causes harm to a person if the person doesn't like what they're doing, for whatever reason. It's not the church's job to decide what info a person would or wouldn't like being kept about them. It's the church's job to voluntarily offer full disclosure on what types of computer systems are being used to store info, what exactly could potentially be stored, who is authorized to create and store it, and who is authorized to see it, now or in the future. Then the person has a right to say, "No, delete it, and don't store any more ever again." (or alternatively, to never give them another dollar and leave).

 

[Basil the Great]

This is the first that I have heard of such a thing and it sounds too much like George Orwell's 1984, a setting with a totalitarian state where Big Brother is always watching.

 

[Dave-W]

The congregation I was in 1974-1988 was like that. About 1000 adults and most details of everyone was kept on file.

 

[timothyu]

Sounds like a church more interested in making the congregation over in their own image rather than God's.

 

[Dave-W]

The congregation I was in 1974-1988 was like that. About 1000 adults and most details of everyone was kept on file.

BTW - some sinful behavior of a sexual nature could be (and was on occasion) called out from the pulpit.

 

[timothyu]

BTW - some sinful behavior of a sexual nature could be (and was on occasion) called out from the pulpit.

Ahh.. the ol' fear tactic, we have info on you, to keep them in line. Will inquisitions once again become politically correct?

 

[Dave-W]

Ahh.. the ol' fear tactic, we have info on you, to keep them in line. Will inquisitions once again become politically correct?

Not exactly. I do remember one guy getting publicly congratulated for overcoming wet dreams.

 

[LaSorcia]

I would never join a church like that. I hope this phenomenon is rare. I find it repugnant.

 

[timothyu]

Never mind the Church of Everlasting Shame. How about when we get to the judgement, as we have an eternity to kill, the thoughts (not just the actions) every soul had in their life (most often contrary to their outward appearance) was projected on a large screen for all who have ever died to see (including those we were thinking about). Has the makings of a good Stephen King horror novel and might appeal to this church. Imagine... not one person but Jesus could claim no shame. Would that humble these church leaders if they were on the screen? I ramble.

 

[timothyu]

Imagine the conversations at the monthly potlucks in the basement of the Church of Eternal Wet Sheets.

 

[JackRT]

This is the first that I have heard of such a thing and it sounds too much like George Orwell's 1984, a setting with a totalitarian state where Big Brother is always watching.

You took the words out of my mouth.

 

[justme6272]

BTW - some sinful behavior of a sexual nature could be (and was on occasion) called out from the pulpit.

Using the person's name? With them sitting there? Sounds like potentially grounds for a good slander lawsuit.

 

[justme6272]

Not exactly. I do remember one guy getting publicly congratulated for overcoming wet dreams.

That's disgusting. And you stayed in that church HOW long?
Pastors should only be talking about The Great COMMission.

 

[Dave-W]

That's disgusting. And you stayed in that church HOW long?
Pastors should only be talking about The Great COMMission.

It was in a closed members only meeting. We had those about once a month. So was the calling out of sexual sins.

 

[timothyu]

Pastors should only be talking about The Great COMMission.

The Gospel of the Kingdom?

 

[timothyu]

So was the calling out of sexual sins.

Murmur murmur

 

[Dave-W]

Murmur murmur

Yeah, that was recorded as well.

 

[justme6272]

It was in a closed members only meeting. We had those about once a month. So was the calling out of sexual sins.

"Brother Tom, it seems that Deacon James here trailed you to the house of a woman who is not your wife, staked out the house, and your car never left the driveway. The deacon ended up with grass stains in his flannel pajamas trying to peep through the window because of you. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Tom: "Does the deacon have a P.I. license?"

I'm starting to wonder now if they hire P.I.'s to trail deacon nominees and staff members to make sure they aren't driving to the girly bar 50 miles away where they think no one will recognize them.

 

[timothyu]

Yeah, that was recorded as well.

LOL

 

[bekkilyn]

The churches in which I've been a member only had basic membership directories (if lucky) and certainly nothing recorded about behaviors or various personal opinions. Now many pastors may keep their own notes on members in order to remember that Mr. Smith despises cats and Mrs. Peabody loves cats and gets angry if you mention the word "toothpaste" around her, but it certainly wouldn't be shared with anyone else.