That is what they are told by their clergy.

I think some have tried but the courts typically side with the church unless certain kinds of abuses are perpetrated. I believe the thinking of the court is that members know what they signed up for and agreed to abide by the rules of the church.

Mormons have been particularly invasive this way as well sending letters to certain member to appear before church disiplinary courts. I believe the municipal courts don't try to prevent the Mormon church from this kind of action unless the church attempts to compell the member to attend or unless the member has resigned (no waiting period required) and the church proceeds with its court regardless. The church cannot disipline a nonmember or a former member. The church once tried to continue action against a resigned member while processing his resignation. The former member sued and won. The court ruled that the resignation was effective as soon as it was received by a church clergyman.

@RussRAB Yes, you ARE 100% correct about the Mormon ( Moron) Church.
In 2008, a very good friend of mine, even though she was a Mormon at the time, both Verbally and in writing resigned from the local Mormon Church in person at the Sunday Meeting/Service.
It took 6 months and a Court Case BEFORE they, the Church, acknowledged her resignation.
In that ensuing time period she received an AVERAGE of 1 written Notice per week DEMANDING that she pay the Tithes she owed the Church plus accrued Interest as well.
The FINAL Demand Notice arrived in the first week of the 6th month telling that " The Church fully intended to place a Lien upon ALL of her Property, House, Furniture, Personal Possessions, etc, etc, to gain recompense for her UNPAID Tithes and intended to SELL such Properties to regain them."
Being in her late 60's at the time she WAS very Distraught, Worried, Upset and literally Terrified as one would only expect her to be.
So, upon hearing from her of this disgusting situation and reading through the 3 massive bundles of Demand Notices as well, several of the locals, myself included btw, both, while doing the local 'tradition of "Passing Around the Hat' to raise funds for her, and persuading her to seek Legal Advice on the matter we ended up getting her an Appointment with a Reputable, local, Law firm and raising a total of $11,208 as well.
We specified that the Funds raised WERE NOT to be used to pay the Unpaid Tithes BUT to pay for Legal Advice and Court Costs as well.
The Law Firm, upon hearing of this decided that the ONLY payments that they WOULD accept would be for essentials such as Writs, etc, and NOTHING else.
To cut a long story short, the Case went to Court, the Judge heard the case for 3 whole days of sittings, then handed down HIS Decision.
In essence the Decision went something like this, " I find that the Plaintiff has been harassed, caused Emotional and Mental Traumas ILLEGALLY and Immorally by the Church Of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints here in Broken Hill and as such I AWARD the Plaintiff compensations amounting to a Total of $15,500 PLUS ALL COSTS, Court Costs included, a WRITTEN and SIGNED Apology to the Plaintiff FROM the Church, A Restraining Order upon the Church and ALL of its members to Stay Away from the Plaintiff for a period of NOT less than 2 Calendar Years from this date, to Never Again make ANY Contact with the Plaintiff Permanently and SHOULD ANY member/Representative of said Church breach these Orders they WILL be subject to the Fullest Extent of the Law and be imprisoned for Not less than 3 years on each Breach to be served Consecutively and NOT Concurrently."

@RussRAB Those Mormons are really hard to get away from I’ve heard.

@RussRAB, @Triphid Wow, what a horrible bunch of people! I’m glad to hear that the judge did the right thing and slapped that damned church down!

@Happycanuck It’s really sad that intelligent people can be so taken in by these monsters!

@Redheadedgammy - They think they have the right to control their members and like so many churches which believe they and only they are God's true church, they think God's laws (their church's) trumps any other law. It doesn't. We can't have freedom of religion unless we first have freedom from religion.

@RussRAB I agree wholeheartedly!!

@Redheadedgammy You're NOT joking there either.
Out here we equate Mormons ( Morons) with Flies in Summer, i.e. Chase one away and a few hundred or so of its friends and relatives come along to replace him.

@RussRAB .