BOYS CHOIR COVERUP

NY Post ^ | January 24, 2004

[presidio9]

Anyone who wonders why sex abuse against kids is as pervasive as it is should consider the scandal at the Boys Choir of Harlem. A report by schools investigator Richard Condon accused the choir's director, Walter Turnbull, of covering up a two-year case of abuse by a choir counselor against a student there.

[presidio9]

So you think that ONLY the media's influence caused Catholic leaders to be seen as corrupt?

Yep. Because for the most part, they're not. When you think of choir leaders do you think "pedophile?" Why not? They are much more likely to be guilty of the crime.

[tang-soo]

Is this group associated with the Catholic Church?
This article doesn't state one way or the other.

[livius]

Witty comment - it's a pity many people seem to have misunderstood it.

Actually, the New York City public school system has always been notoriously lax in the way it deals with teachers or school employees charged with (or even convicted of) child molesting. Most of them are kept on with pay and sent to work at administration headquarters; some of them are not even removed from contact with children, unless the state removes them by sending them to jail. The union, of course, always rushes forward to defend them.

Furthermore, the system is notoriously lax in checking the background of persons hired to be teachers, although supposedly this has been tightened up in recent years. Supposedly.

I've always wondered why the public school systems, which handled this as badly if not worse than the Catholic bishops did, never get their share of the blame.

[subterfuge]

"Because for the most part, they're not."

Of course not, but I like post #26 as a response to that.

Look presidio9, I know that the media will pick up on any chance to slam those who worship the Lord and that ticks me off too. But the reluctance of RC leadership to come down hard on those who are transgressors has given all Christian denominations a bad name. I know you won't see it that way, as demonstrated in your earlier posts, but that is just how I see it.

[presidio9]

I'm not sure how post 26 is even relevant. You are talking about a handful (not even) out of the over four hundred Catholic bishops in the US. The pr response is WAY out of proportion to the facts of the situation.

And stop with the "guilt by association" nonsense. The media falls all over itself to identify the perpetrators as Catholic where appropriate, and even engages in the dubious journalistic practice of trying to inferring priestly involvement where none existed. See the many headlines featuring the mysterious "Church Worker" (translation: janitor).

And in any case, the leaders of every other religion are doing a fine job of things themselves. Pedophelia, and homosexuality, and drug use, and what-have-you exist among the members of every religion's clergy. Even yours. Priests and Ministers, Rabbis and Imams: They are not divine. They are human beings, and they sin.

[realpatriot71]

I make it a point not to discuss theology here. While you seem like a rational guy, there are too many religious zealots who read this site, any I don't have the patience for them. If you are sincerely interested in the scriptural justification for the practice, The Catholic Encyclopedia is a good starting point.

I agree, unless I see someone talking absolutely "crazy" about Christian theology, I don't like to wade in. The complexities and nuances of theological debate are lost in a text based forum like this, besides no one has time to write an entire treatise per question. I have my own poblems with RC theology, but feel that this forum, for the most part, is the wrong place to make this discussion. I'll check your link. Thank you, I'm sure it will help answer my question.