This is a completely true story:
When I was in college, I had a sociology assignment to visit a church of a different denomination. So I chose a local Pentacostal church. I will admit that I was a Goth girl, all black clothes, pale face, crazy faux-hawk hair do at the time. However, besides a little reading on the subject, I was not into witchcraft and I knew nothing about Satanism or any other controversial religion. Actually, I was Catholic at the time.
So I went to the service and 2 friend went with me. It was very interesting. We decided to leave and on the way out into the parking lot, this man approaches us and says he's a PI hired by the church to investigate threats to the chuch. He knew the names of some of my friends and said they had been watching them for witchcraft. It was really bizarre. Is this normal for Pentacostal churches or was this particular church really over doing it?
2007-11-18 14:56:59 · 18 answers · asked by ImUURU? 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"Most use church members. But basically, yes."
He said he was a church member and a PI.
2007-11-18 15:03:43 · update #1
"Just WHY would a PRIVATE investigator come up to you and ANNOUNCE that he's a PI?"
I don't know. That is why I asked this question. I believe he thought we were at the church to cause trouble, which we did not. We just quietly observed.
And incidentally, it is 100% true, and I did get an A on the paper I wrote about the experience.
2007-11-18 22:36:10 · update #2
When I was a member of the Pentacostal church there was a member of our congregation who was a cop.
He was, thanks to references from the church, the local police's "expert" on occult crime (one of two. Oh, and there were two Pentecostal congregations in our town. I leave the math for you).
In addition to keeping tabs on "occult crime" in the city (mostly vandalism and loitering, I kid you not) he would "consult" with elders of the church, both relaying information about cases under investigation AND relaying church generated "guidelines" to both the police and to area schools on how to spot "potential occult activity". These guidelines included: wearing black. doodling on notebooks, writing poetry or other assignments with "occult" or "religious" themes, listening to heavy metal, playing D&D, wearing "gothic" make-up, and all the other usual BS.
I should point out that our pastor, who was a decent, intelligent guy, neither approved of or participated in this fiasco.
2007-11-18 15:25:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I've seen some strange churches in my day, but DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GUY! IF the guy really was hired by the church, why in the world would he be divulging such a secret? Isn't that the whole big-deal about a PI to begin with!
Maybe the guy knew some of the same kids you did, and he was trying to warn you? Or else he might have such been weird.
2007-11-18 15:01:30 · answer #2 · answered by Jen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was a Pentecostal never heard of such a thing. It sounds like a good idea though. I bring it up to my Christian family. They do have a lot of Church burnings. I don't think it is witches though. Just hate groups. I was a goth for awhile. They wouldn't do anything like that. Other than protecting and feeding the vampires they are pretty cool. I just couldn't stand the drab outfits so I had to give it up. I still have a lot of Goth friends in Atlanta though.
2007-11-18 15:06:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That Is So Ubsurd !!! I Am Pentecostal & My Church Does NO Such THING - The Church You Attended Must Have Really Over Done It - I Have Beeen Pentecostal Since I Was Born - Im 19 - My Parents Were Born & Still Are Raised Pentecostal ------ No Idea What That Church Was Thinking !!!!!!!
2007-11-18 15:03:13 · answer #4 · answered by big_brat_383@yahoo.com 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A Private investigator would not divulge any information, A Private investigator would not reveal himself as such (unless he was the worst Private investigator in the world).
I would say it was a case that he was a Associate or friend of your friends parents and was playing with you, I take the community were this took place was not a large community.
2007-11-18 22:48:51 · answer #5 · answered by V.O.T.A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry that happened to you. Honestly, it doesn't surprise me. My husband used to work with a guy who was a member of a Pentecostal Church, and he said it was a regular practice of theirs, but that not all churches do it. When asked why, he said that they were "just trying to keep out the riff-raff." They also did criminal background checks on "prospective members," contacted other churches that they had been members of, and said that prospective members had to have a certain amount of income, and if they were "accepted," they had to pay a "membership fee!" He claimed that all this was to "keep out trailer trash and people on welfare." I was appalled and sickened.
2007-11-18 16:47:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That particular church may have hired a PI but that would be an isolated instance. It's not a standard practice. Standard practice is to rely on paranoid rumors and conspiracy theories.
2007-11-18 15:03:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, but I'm afraid that I'm VERY skeptical of everything from "this is a completely true story" on.
No, I don't believe that they do.
And, I don't believe that THAT one did either. Just WHY would a PRIVATE investigator come up to you and ANNOUNCE that he's a PI?
2007-11-18 15:05:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not all pentecostal churches do that.However I have heard of churches being vandalized by satanist and other groups so they may have had threats and hired this guy.Or he may have been some kind of con man.
2007-11-18 15:03:11 · answer #9 · answered by Joe F 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most use church members. But basically, yes.
2007-11-18 15:00:37 · answer #10 · answered by Echo of Creation 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋