We, concerned citizens, are calling on the City of Jackson, Tennessee to require attendance to religious institutions, religious organizations, and religious in nature events be restricted to persons 18-years-old and older. 

While those 18-years and older are recognized as legal adults and free to make decisions in their best interests, it is an egregious error of judgment that a religious institution or organization would involve minors as they are unable to properly understand or consent to practices within the institution or organization. 

This request is made in order to protect our community’s children from potentially unsafe environments and exposure to sexually explicit materials. 

The basis for concerns comes from the following: 

• Issues of sexual abuse of children in the US Southern Baptist Convention, as reported by the Guardian this year: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/12/southern-baptist-church-sexual-abuse-scandal
• Accusations of child sexual abuse towards nearly 1,700 priests and clergy in the Roman Catholic Church, as reported by NBC and The Associated Press: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1062396
• Aljazeera also reports sexual abuse and more across France, Germany and more in the Catholic run institutions: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/10/5/awful-truth-child-sex-a buse-in-the-catholic-church
• “In the average American congregation of 400 persons, with women representing, on average, 60% of the congregation, there are, on average of 7 women who have experienced clergy sexual misconduct.” From Baylor.edu: https://www.baylor.edu/clergysexualmisconduct/index.php?id=67406#:~:text=In%20the%20average%20American%20congregation,a%20congregation%20they%20have%20attended
• List of known abusers in the state of Tennessee, released by the Southern Baptist Convention: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsmv.com/2022/05/27/sbc-releases-list-known-abusers-tn-within-organization/%3FoutputType%3Damp
• Religious institutions could foster an environment of spiritual and religious abuse: https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/religious-life/blog/bringing-attention-exploited-obedience-spiritual-abuse-religious  
• The Bible, which is often read when children are present in some organizations, contains references to sex (Genesis 19; Deuteronomy 22), gore and abuse (Exodus 21:8; 2 Kings 2; 1 Samuel 18). All content that a parent or guardian could find offensive to children.
• Dangers of purity culture on women:  https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/03/purity-culture-evangelical-church-harms-women/618438/ 

Additional links suggesting unsafe religious environments: 

https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/45133-sexual-abuse-church-map-justice-worldwide.html

http://www.notinourchurch.com/statistics.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/31/feature/the-epidemic-of-denial-about-sexual-abuse-in-the-evangelical-church/