*The term 'proddie', as used in this post, is intended as an abbreviation for those ecclesiastic communities that were founded in Western/ Central Europe or Western-European influenced areas following the 'reformation.' It is not indicative of the communities' creeds (or lack thereof), progeny, or doctrine. It also is not intended as a perjorative, as used here, in any fashion. Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved.
The one case I know of ( a man in training for the pastorate touched a young girl inappropriately, no sodomy or intercourse),was announced to the church at a service, he was reported to the police and needless to say dismissed from the church and denomination
Along those lines, and in light of our other recent conversations, I'd be interested to see what the operating definition of "Protestant" is for this article.
A small church I attended had a situation where there was something odd and they swept it under the Rug, I was pretty peeved. Another Church I attended had something happened which was not criminal, nor was it physically sexual, but it was inappropriate.
The Church went right to the congregation and told them in as much detail as is appropriate something happened and removed the pastor suspending him indefinitely only allowing him to consider returning after completing years of spiritual counseling.
Some Proddie folks handle this and other sins responsibly and some don’t. Things are improving.
Sometimes I think hard heartedness is more destructive and deadly than sexual abuse, as horrid as that IS.
A lot of times, the responses of the people around the victims of sexual abuse determine the severity of the damage—all other things being equal—of course.
I think PREVENTION by healthy parenting of all children is a crucial super high priority.
Of course, alertness on everyone’s part is important.
Everyone loses with this horror and other abuses of all kinds.
The silence with emotional abuse is pretty horrid, too.
Prisons are filled by REACTIVE ATTACHMENT DISORDERS—most probably from single parent homes with absent and/or abusive dads . . . but also abusive mothers.