Ad Urges Church Support Of Domestic Violence Victims
WEAVE Ads Appear In Northern California Newspapers
SACRAMENTO, Updated 5:19 p.m. PST December 11, 2000 -- A full-page ad appeared in several Northern California newspapers Monday urging conservative Christians to reach out to victims of domestic violence.
The ads are the result of a deadly case of domestic violence that happened four years ago.
Janice Castorena, a Sunday school teacher and church leader, was stabbed to death in her Sacramento home. Her husband was later charged with the murder.
Friends of Castorena said that she believed that the bible commanded her to submit to her husband's abuse, to continue to forgive him and stay in the marriage.
The "Break the Silence on Domestic Violence" program from the group Women Escaping A Violent Environment, or WEAVE, advocates an escape from violence.
"The religious community was often very wary of programs like WEAVE, and they really felt that it was anti-family or would in some way undermine the sanctity of the family or the marriage," WEAVE's Shireen Miles said.
Women's advocates now say that evangelicals are their partners. KCRA spoke to several pastors who said that they support WEAVE's position and said that those who insist that women submit no matter what the circumstances are taking scripture out of context.
" … the submitting is based on the husband loving the wife as Christ loved the church," pastor Dr. Phillip Goudeaux said.
Sherry Jarwin says that she does not advocate divorce, but says that women need to know that their church will support them if they decide to separate to protect themselves and their children.
For more information on the WEAVE program, call (888) 303-4500.
Copyright 2000 by TheKCRAChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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2 comments:
I went to the church Castorena went to at one time and I will never forget how sick I felt when a Pastor at her memorial said that Janice "was just loving her husband" ( in other words just being faithful and obedient to the Lord's command to do so in her abusive situation ). I have to say I lost a great deal of respect for him. I don't go to that church anymore as I came to believe it was practicing its own form of 'abuse'.
Ick! I don't blame you!
I will NEVER understand that mindset ever! People tell you that God punishes you, or finds ways of rebuking you because he loves you. Parents do this to their children. We can all think of examples that are done out of love.
Churches like this enable instead.
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