I agree with this woman's cult statement. There is no greater tool for brainwashing then religion.


An Oregon pastor is reportedly suing a mother and her daughter for $500,000 after the two gave the church bad reviews online.

Pastor Charles O'Neal of the Beaverton Grace Bible Church is suing Julie Anne Smith for allegedly writing unfavorable reviews of the church on the Internet, KATU.com reported.

Smith told the website that she and her family were shunned by community members after leaving the church in Beaverton a few years ago. Smith said she then began writing Google and DEX reviews of the church as well as a blog.

"I thought, I'm just going to post a review," Smith said. "We do it with restaurants and hotels and whatnot, and I thought, why not do it with this church?" Smith told the website.

O'Neal claims in his lawsuit that Smith's use of words like "creepy," "cult," "control tactics," and "spiritual abuse," are defamation. O'Neal is suing Smith as well as her daughter and three other commentators, according to the website.

Smith, however, says the online reviews and blog are protected under the right to free speech.

"What somebody does in the church is one thing, but when you get out into society we have the right to free speech, and it may not be what people want to hear, but we absolutely have that right," she told the website. "He can say what he wants in the church and say, don't talk about this or don't talk about that, or don't talk to this person, but when you're out in the civil world, you don't do that anymore ... And he's not my pastor anymore. He does not have that right to keep people from talking."

The first definition in Websters about a cult is"a system of religious worship or ritual". That means that all religions are a cult.

If she lied, then it's libel. Your freedom of speech does not allow you to defame another person or institution.

Nothing to see here, move along.

What did she lie about?

I didn't say she lied.

Wow if he wins the settlement he can payoff his Mercedes and mansion cause tithing only was able to get him into payments....thank ya Jeeeesus.

So you are assuming the following:

1) The pastor is a paid pastor
2) That he owns a Mercedes
3) That he has a mansion
4) Somehow, it's bad for a pastor to have a nice car and house.
5) If the church wins the lawsuit, he will personally receive the money.

I think you might be a little biased on this...

I'm still confused as to why the lady was being sued. Are people not allowed free speech about churches? Are churches exempt from bad reviews?

Sounds like Christiinsanity to me!

I bet he has gambling debts!

Some pastors are bullies and don't take no mess from no woman, usually their is a history of alcohol abuse with these turds.

I explained this already in the first post I made (which your replied to). She's being sued for defamation. Your freedom of speech does not give you license to defame other people or institutions.

You said earlier, if she lied, it's libel. I asked you what she lied about and you were unable to tell me.

Where is the proof she defamed anybody? I'd be willing to bet this pastor is megalomaniac.

I said "I didn't say she lied. "

Let me explain it to you, since you aren't getting this.

1) She posted negative comments on her blog.
2) The Pastor felt that the comments were defamatory, so he sued.

What part don't you understand? Do you feel that a church or a pastor shouldn't have the right to defend their good names?

I don't know what is in his complaint, I haven't read it. I don't even know if it's available to read online. What I do know is that the validity of his complaint will be determined in a court of law, not in the court of public opinion.

The purpose of the civil court is to determine if there is proof of a crime.

The collection plate must have been a little light from people coming to their senses and figuring out that they can't really buy their way into the grand picture of heaven the church paints.

Places get bad reviews all the time. Should the owners/managers/whoever sue everyone who posts a bad review online?

There is a difference between a bad review and defamation.