According to FOXNews, an Oregon mother and daughter are reportedly being sued by a local pastor after the two blogged about their experience at his church as being “cult-like” and “creepy.” Julie Anne Smith said she and her family left the Beaverton Grace Bible Church a few years ago and began writing online reviews and a blog, saying the church’s “story of spiritual abuse needs to be told.” The pastor, Charles O’Neal, says the reviews and posts amount to defamation; reports say he’s suing them for $500,000. Smith says she has the right under free speech to write her reviews and posts.
“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,” said Smith. Smith’s lawyer will apparently attempt to have the case dismissed at a hearing on May 21.
