Guest Writers, TOC Extra, TOC Stomp - Tuesday, March 16, 2010 16:13 - 113 Comments

Gagged by the church – Foyce Le Xuan

By Sonia Suka

The New Paper reported yesterday that Foyce Le Xuan was advised by her pastor from City Harvest Church (CHC) not to speak to the media about revealing all the details of Jack Neo’s advances towards her, six years ago.

It would have been alright if Foyce got this advice from a pastor from any other church but CHC. Why? Because CHC is the same church that Jack Neo and his family go to; and they are being counselled by the pastors from this church as well.

Is there a conflict of interest in CHC counselling both Jack Neo and Foyce Le Xuan?

CHC is, after all building a multi-million dollar, 12,000-seater building and it is in their interest to keep the best donor in its membership, to see the building project through.

The remorseful Jack Neo may very well turn out to be one of the biggest contributors towards this building project. It is human tendency to cover-up our sins with money. Is that not the reason why many temples and churches coffers overflow?

Even if Jack and Foyce are being counselled by two different pastors, do they not come under a hierarchy? Do these pastors themselves receive their counsel from the ‘higher-ups’, who guide them on what to say to Jack and more importantly to Foyce?

It seems that it is precisely because the church had advised her not to speak with the media that she is unable to move on. Foyce after all, seem to have so much of bitterness in her heart towards Jack, describing him as ‘devil’ and ‘inhuman’; and it is good for her to come clean to the media – especially in this case, lest she be made out to be an attention-seeker or even worse, a liar.

If the rationale behind the advice really is that going to the media is not a good way to resolve such issues, should not have the pastors advised Jack the same? Why did a pastor from CHC accompany Jack and his wife for the press conference (which went horribly wrong), if this was indeed their fundamental reason?

It seems that Foyce has evidence that she was harassed by Jack and the pastors at City Harvest Church should not hold-back Foyce from coming forth to the media with this evidence – especially since Jack has conducted his case through the media.

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