Church 'held man, 22, for four months against his will while he was 肉体的に and emotionally 乱用d because he is gay'


A North Carolina man said that he was beaten and held 捕虜 by members of his 議論の的になる church because he is gay.

The 主張s have now surfaced as Michael Lowry, 22, とじ込み/提出するd a formal police (民事の)告訴 against Word of 約束 Fellowship Church.

He says that he was held against his will in a 寄宿舎 of the church's 35-acre Spindale 構内/化合物 for over two months last 落ちる.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Victim: Michael Lowry, 22, said that he was held captive and beaten for nearly four months because his conservative Christian church found out that he is gay

犠牲者: Michael Lowry, 22, said that he was held 捕虜 and beaten for nearly four months because his 保守的な Christian church 設立する out that he is gay

Church 公式の/役人s 否定する Lowry's (人命などを)奪う,主張するs, 説 that he was not beaten, nor did they know that he was gay until he spoke 公然と in a television interview on Thursday.

Mr Lowry's 告訴,告発s are just the 最新の in a string of 論争s surrounding the church which has been the 支配する of 明言する/公表する and 連邦の 調査s over their 恐らく abusive practices.

A 内密に-記録,記録的な/記録するd ビデオ that was 空気/公表するd on Inside 版 in 1995 shows the practice called 爆破ing, where adults 持つ/拘留する 負かす/撃墜する and 抑制する children as they proceed to 叫び声をあげる for 長引かせるd periods of time and spank them.

The church, which is of a 非,不,無-denominational Christian background, says that the practice helps 追放する evil from the 団体/死体 of sinners.

Jane Whaley, one of the church leaders, said at the time that all 告訴,告発s were '完全に untrue' and 部分s of the church's website is explain the '迫害' that they have 直面するd over the past 10年間s.

'For ten years, we 苦しむd major 迫害. This 迫害 even reached to the point that the Department of Social Services told us that they would take our children if we did not stop our loud 祈り when the children were around. We obeyed God rather than man- God has blessed us continually,' Mrs Whaley and her husband Sam wrote on their page.

Denials: Church leaders Sam and Jane Whaley, seen here in 1995, are no strangers to controversy as they have denied previous allegations against the Fellowship Denials: Church leaders Sam and Jane Whaley, seen here in 1995, are no strangers to controversy as they have denied previous allegations against the Fellowship

否定s: Church leaders Sam and Jane Whaley, seen here in 1995, are no strangers to 論争 as they have 否定するd previous 主張s against the Fellowship

Scene: The church owns a 35-acre property in Spindale, North Carolina where Lowry was allegedly held

Scene: The church owns a 35-acre 所有物/資産/財産 in Spindale, North Carolina where Lowry was 恐らく held

In keeping with their 否定s of said '迫害', Mrs Whaley told The Charlotte 観察者/傍聴者 that all of Mr Lowry's (人命などを)奪う,主張するs are 誤った. MailOnline was still waiting for our request for comment to be returned by the time of 出版(物).

She said that, instead of his 見解/翻訳/版 where he was held in the church's 寄宿舎-style building from August 1 to November 19 of last year, the church 認める that he was willingly staying in the building but only because he had been kicked out of his house by his parents.

Spin: On their website, the Whaleys call the state and federal investigations 'persecution'

Spin: On their website, the Whaleys call the 明言する/公表する and 連邦の 調査s '迫害'

'They 攻撃する,衝突する me with a 握りこぶし and I was out on the 床に打ち倒す,' he told 地元の ABC (v)提携させる(n)支部,加入者 WLOS.?

'(They) held my 手渡すs and feet 負かす/撃墜する, are 押し進めるing my chest, I could barely breath.'

He 結局 left in November, and again there are 相反する 報告(する)/憶測s on the 推論する/理由.

The Charlotte 観察者/傍聴者 引用するs Mr Lowry as 説 that he told church 行政官/管理者s 'that God is telling me it's time to go. I don't want to be told what to do anymore' and so they 許すd him to leave.

In his WLOS interview, he said that some members of the church told him 'you're not welcome here, you can't stay on the grounds unless you want God'.

The timeline of the public nature of his homosexuality is also at 問題/発行する, because Mr Lowry says that both Mrs Whaley and church members knew that he was gay ever since he was 15 or 16 years old. She 反対するd that (人命などを)奪う,主張する by 説 she learned at the same time as Mr Lowry's parents- just days ago when the WLOS interview 空気/公表するd.

The 否定 of any knowledge about his sexuality comes as little surprise because if his (人命などを)奪う,主張するs are true, the 強襲,強姦 would very 明確に be considered a hate 罪,犯罪.

'I literally lived in 恐れる every day I was here, until I left,' Mr Lowry told WLOS.

After getting out of the 構内/化合物 in November, Lowry moved to Michigan and with the help of another former Fellowship member who also left the Church, he is now 支援する in North Carolina in hopes of putting 圧力 on 当局 to 速度(を上げる) up their 調査.

WATCH THE INSIDE EDITION VIDEO HERE


?

The comments below have not been 穏健なd.

The 見解(をとる)s 表明するd in the contents above are those of our 使用者s and do not やむを得ず 反映する the 見解(をとる)s of MailOnline.

We are no longer 受託するing comments on this article.