Posted on 06/15/2007 5:33:53 AM PDT by Between the Lines
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The three companies that insure the majority of Protestant churches in America say they typically receive upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members.
The figures released to The Associated Press offer a glimpse into what has long been an extremely difficult phenomenon to pin down — the frequency of sex abuse in Protestant congregations.
Religious groups and victims' supporters have been keenly interested in the figure ever since the Roman Catholic sex abuse crisis hit five years ago. The church has revealed that there have been 13,000 credible accusations against Catholic clerics since 1950.
Protestant numbers have been harder to come by and are sketchier because the denominations are less centralized than the Catholic church; indeed, many congregations are independent, which makes reporting even more difficult.
Some of the only numbers come from three insurance companies — Church Mutual Insurance Co., GuideOne Insurance Co. and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co.
Together, they insure 165,495 churches and worship centers for liability against child sex abuse and other sexual misconduct, mostly Protestant congregations but a few other faiths as well. They also insure more than 5,500 religious schools, camps and other organizations.
The companies represent a large chunk of all U.S. Protestant churches. There are about 224,000 in the U.S., according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, although that number excludes most historically black denominations and some other groups, which account for several thousand congregations.
Church Mutual, GuideOne and Brotherhood Mutual each provided statistics on sex abuse claims to The Associated Press, although they did not produce supporting documentation or a way to determine whether the reports were credible.
The largest company, Church Mutual, reported an average of about 100 sex abuse cases a year involving minors over the past decade. GuideOne, which has about half the clients of Church Mutual, said it has received an average of 160 reports of sex abuse against minors every year for the past two decades.
Brotherhood Mutual said it has received an average of 73 reports of child sex abuse and other sexual misconduct every year for the past 15 years. However, Brotherhood does not specify which victims are younger than 18 so it is impossible to accurately add that to the total cases.
Abuse reports don't always mean the accused was guilty, and they don't necessarily result in financial awards or settlements, the companies said. The reports include accusations against clergy, church staff and volunteers.
Even with hundreds of cases a year "that's a very small number. That probably doesn't even constitute half," said Gary Schoener, director of the Walk-In Counseling Center in Minneapolis, a consultant on hundreds of Protestant and Catholic clergy misconduct cases. "Sex abuse in any domain, including the church, is reported seldom. We know a small amount actually come forward."
Tom Farr, general counsel and senior vice president of claims for GuideOne, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, said most abuse cases are resolved privately in court-ordered mediation. Awards can range from millions of dollars down to paying for counseling for victims, he said.
One of the largest settlements to date in Protestant churches involved the case of former Lutheran minister Gerald Patrick Thomas Jr. in Texas, where a jury several years ago awarded the minister's victims nearly $37 million. Separate earlier settlements involving Thomas cost an additional $32 million.
When insurance companies first started getting reports of abuse from churches nearly two decades ago, the cases usually involved abuse that happened many years earlier. But over the past several years, the alleged abuse is more recent — which could reflect a greater awareness about reporting abuse, insurance companies said.
Insurance officials said the number of sex abuse cases has remained steady over the past two decades, but they also said churches are working harder to prevent child sex abuse by conducting background checks, installing windows in nurseries and play areas and requiring at least two adults in a room with a child.
Patrick Moreland, vice president of marketing for Church Mutual, said churches are particularly susceptible to abusers.
"By their nature, congregations are the most trusting of organizations, so that makes them attractive targets for predators," he said. "If you're a predator, where do you go? You go to a congregation that will welcome you."
A victims' advocacy group has said the Southern Baptists, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, could do more to prevent abuse by creating a list of accused clergy the public and churches could access.
"I think they should have a list of credibly reported clergy child abuse," said Christa Brown, a member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a group initially created to hold the Catholic church accountable for sex abuse by its clergy.
"These are things people are entitled to know," said Brown, who says she was sexually abused as a child by a Southern Baptist minister. "The only way to prevent this crime is to break the code of silence and to have absolute transparency when allegations are raised."
At the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in San Antonio this week, the Rev. Wade Burleson of Enid, Okla., proposed a feasibility study into developing a national database of Southern Baptist ministers who have been "credibly accused of, personally confessed to, or legally been convicted of sexual harassment or abuse."
A convention committee referred Burleson's motion to the SBC executive committee, which will report back with findings and a recommendation at next year's meeting in Indianapolis.
Southern Baptist President Frank Page said leaders are considering several options to help churches protect children against abuse.
"We believe that the Scripture teaches that the church should be an autonomous, independent organization," Page said. "We encourage churches to hold accountable at the local level those who may have misused the trust of precious children and youth."
Several years ago, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which represents moderates who have increasingly distanced themselves from the conservative-led Southern Baptists, started a list of accused clergy for churches, but not the public. Under pressure from victim advocates, the Texas group just released the names of some convicted sex offenders who may have been ministers in local congregations.
Joe Trull, editor of Christian Ethics Today and retired ethics professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, helped the Texas convention create its registry and says there are now about 11 cases involving clergy abuse with minors.
But he believes these are just the "tip of the iceberg" because churches don't have to report abuse cases to the registry and aren't likely to.
"The problem we're having is that churches just weren't sending the names," Trull said. "In the normal scenario, they just try to keep it secret. We're going to have to be more proactive and let them know if they don't come forward, they're helping to perpetuate this problem."
Indeed.
I don’t know. There’s child slavery in Utah, been going on for awhile, no one will stop it
LOL. Having been educated from the time I was in preschool in a Catholic private school and having attended a Jesuit four year high school (oh the horror!) I can unequivocally state that such a sentiment was never taught to me. In fact, given the emphasis on sin and the necessity for proper contrition, I was taught time and time again that all men, including priests, are sinful and imperfect, just like the rest of us.
Then there’s Buddhism, how long has it had priests and monks, not allowed to marry. Big big problems with homosexuality.
...As St. Thomas Aquinas says, the proper task of the priest consists in being a mediator between God and men ...The Catholic faith teaches that the priest is another Christ, an alter Christus... The Catholic priest is also a minister, but he is first and foremost a priest because he has been empowered by Christ to offer the sacrifice of the Mass for the salvation of all... A Mass can be invalid for a number of reasons (we presuppose that the priest has been validly ordained): 1) because of a defect in the matter, for example, using sweet rolls instead of bread made only from wheat flour and water; 2) because of a defect in the form, for example, changing the words "This is my body" or "This is the cup of my blood" into something else; 3) because the priest positively excludes the intention to do what the Church does in offering Mass... Thus, Masses offered by heretical priests, by schismatics, by Catholic priests who are plagued by doubts or who have false ideas about the Real Presence or transubstantiation, can be and probably usually are valid Masses. They must of course use the correct words of consecration, use wheat bread and wine made from grapes... One becomes a priest through the power of Jesus Christ operating through the normal channels of his Church. Orders produce an ontological or real change in the one ordained. Once consecrated he is no longer a lay person and he is no longer exactly like non-priests. He has received a charism that consecrates him to continuing Christ's prophetic and sacramental ministry... Simply stated, the Catholic priest is another Christ. Through his ordination he has been granted the amazing gift of being a channel of divine grace for the eternal salvation of those he come into contact with -- both in his official ministry and in his personal life... He is a witness to transcendence both in what he is and what he does... The priest is an alter Christus, another Christ. Msgr. Josemaria Escriva put it this way: "What is the identity of the priest? It is the identity of Christ himself."... "By definition a priest is one who offers sacrifice. The Catholic Church teaches that the Mass is a sacrifice; it is, in a mystical sense, a re-presentation of the identical sacrifice that Jesus made of himself on the altar of the Cross on Calvary almost 2000 years ago...
Not "Clergy."
Get the difference?
The only cases we know about in the RCC are those that have been reported to authorities. And they are legion.
I forgive you.
Mozart also had a charism, and so does, apparently Bill Graham. Each had God given talents. To a certain extent, Dr. Graham is also “another Christ,” alike in this respect to St. Francis, who was never. In a sense each has. experienced an ontological change, been “born-again.” Our differences here have to be consided in the light on the essential difference between Catholicism and Protestanism, which is acceptance of the Church’s authority to confer charismatic powers. Let me come at this from a different angle: each candidate for the priesthood is understood to have received a call from God and the Church can do no more than confer on him the powers of Office to which he has been called. What we deny to Dr. Graham—like St. Francis— is not his call or even recognition of the bountiful fruits of his ministry but the powers of office. Like St. Francis he may be Christ-like, more so than many priests, but he has not the right to stand before the altar and bring Christ to us even more directly than by hearing the Word.
So, once again, your church, made up of human beings, can confer powers that even the Holy Spirit cannot?
Immensely sad that even has to be reaffirmed.
Robby,
I don’t think it’s of any use to go on with this. Am I the only Catholic lurker/FReeper who wonders about the possibility that Dr. E. does not want our respect, but our submission?
These threads go on and on and on and on—the entrenched positions don’t change; but the barbs and insults and so-called “discussions” (a misnomer for sure) are in a constant state of revival. Eventually it becomes evident; it seems so pointless. Wouldn’t it be “choosing the better part” to walk away from it?
There is almost no subject pertaining to Catholicism that hasn’t been addressed, rebutted, challenged, proof-texted, linked, condemned and vilified.
The lesson has been amply and forcefully delivered: “Catholicism is false, blasphemous, pagan and unscriptural”. No amount of charitable response, earnest rebuttal of the charge, presentation of another perspective or reasonable exchange is going to make the slightest difference in this lesson/message being delivered.
Wouldn’t it be better to walk away from it? There are so many wonderful things Catholics can do. Is this all there is from which to choose? I hardly think so.
I don’t accept your premise, which is that the Church is not divinely established. To us, the Church is the body of Christ. We are his hands and feet, all of us. A more or less ignored part of the mass is the calling down of the Holy Spirit. This is briefly stated in the Latin mass, but goes out at great length in the eastern liturgies. The analogy is the Holy Spirit decending on Mary. The Holy Spirit, we believe, is already with the Church and the priest—the man— is the instrument by which Jesus appears to us but still behind the veil. If we are worthy, we can go behind that veil and see him with oiur hearts.
No argument delivered in debate is aimed to convince the opponent. Even if he is, he is less likely to be convinced than to retreat to different ground. I am reminded by Dr.Eck’s debate with Dr. Luther. Luther was only convinced that he had not gone far enough, that the common ground he thought he shared with the Church, was not there. Sometimes it serves a purpose to make the other side run up its real standard. Differences do matter. It was the delusion of the liberal priests back in the ‘60s that they don’t. Failing to see the importance of differences, they abandoned their callings and joined the enemy.
Where did you get the idea that the HS is at your beck and call? What is the biblical support for this notion? The bible says that Jesus sends the Comforter. How did you, as mere men, get this power? From the priest who changes intoChrist? Again, where is the scriptural support for this? It has more in common with the antiChrist calling fire down from heaven, showing himself that he is God, and performing signs and wonders.
If you are worthy How does one become "worthy" since God says nothing you can ever do will please Him?
OK...that’s two.
Exactly right. It’s not a matter of Catholic, Protestant or other, it’s a matter of sin/evil. That cuts across all lines.
= =
INDEED.
INCLUDING . . . in all the councils, encyclicals, magicsteriums, confabs, pontifications, . . .
assumptions, inferences, extrapolations, presumptions, fancifications from Scripture . . .
etc.
etc.
etc.
in all RELIGIOUS groups, denominations, . . .
INCLUDING the RC edifice . . . contrary to various pontifications to the contrary.
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