Church magazine refuses ad for book telling of minister’s rape

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Sunday 17 July 2011

LIFE And Work, the Church of Scotland's in-house magazine, has been accused of censorship after refusing to take an advert for a book by one of its former ministers.

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EXCLUSIVE By Alan Taylor

Derek Rodger, who owns Argyll Publishing, says he tried to take out an advert for the forthcoming book Scandalous, Immoral And Improper, by Helen Percy. He says he was told it was not “entirely suitable for a church magazine” and was “giving cause for concern”, apparently because of the “racy” title.

However, Rodger believes this is not the real reason. “Life And Work have taken our adverts without question for all manner of books in the past,” he said. “It is difficult to think there is not some other agenda here with Helen Percy.”Percy, 42 – who remains an ordained minister, although outwith the Church of Scotland – agrees. Her book, which is subtitled The Trial Of Helen Percy, claims that in 1995 she was raped by a church elder in a Perthshire parish. Subsequently, she had an abortion.She says senior figures within the Kirk reacted unsympathetically to her allegations and treated her not as the victim of a sexual attack but as a willing participant in an affair. Ironically, the words used in her book’s title are not hers but the Kirk’s. It accused her of “scandalous, immoral and improper behaviour” and forced her to abandon the ministry. Percy went with the Quakers to South Africa where, in 2002, she set up a support network for child and adult survivors of rape and sexual abuse. She now works as a farm labourer and shepherd.She told the Sunday Herald: “You cannot tell me that a cabal of Church leaders has not recognised in the ‘racy’ title of this book their own words, applied to a young woman who had been raped.“They lied. They bullied. They doctored evidence and fed the press. They know very well the true nature of the ‘scandal’ this book contains. It does not carry the Church’s imprimatur, and that is the reason why every churchgoer should read it before making their own judgment.”In her book, Percy tells how she pursued her case against the Church to the House of Lords, and was awarded £10,000 compensation, which she gave to charity. Last month, however, she admitted she had committed benefit fraud – unwittingly, she maintains – and was given 18 months’ probation.Among those who have provided endorsements of Scandalous, Immoral And Improper is Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh. He said: “Since the biblical story of Susanna and the Elders, the matter of an attractive woman being bullied by a cabal of male religious leaders is one of the most persistent themes throughout history. Helen Percy’s book is a modern version of an old song. Read it and weep.”A spokesman for the Church of Scotland said: “Concern was raised with Argyll Publishing about the content of the advertisement, and a review copy was sought. The publisher was asked if they would like to promote another [title] but they refused.“Given the provocative nature of the title of the book, it was appropriate for the magazine of the Church of Scotland to exercise editorial discretion and make further enquiries.“To suggest that either the book or the advertisement has been banned by Life And Work or the Church of Scotland is incorrect.”Scandalous, Immoral and Improper: The Trial Of Helen Percy will be published next month. Percy said proceeds will go to benefit children and young people in Africa.

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Church magazine refuses ad for book telling of minister’s rape

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