Eliza's dilemma is summed up inadvertently by Jack the Sailor when he points out I don't know what Christians believe.

Too true I don't. I'm not a member so don't know the rules. But neither does anyone, Christian or otherwise if they have issues that need someone to forgive them for.

Forgiveness is something everybody can and does decide upon at a personal level. Being a member of a religion or not does not make it any different. Sounds to me that controlling the congregation isn't just a medieval tradition in this case.