Posted on 04/22/2011 10:27:57 PM PDT by bronxville
So many Baptist clergy could not possibly get away with so much abuse unless many others were complicit in turning a blind eye. Why do Baptist leaders tolerate the presence of ministerial colleagues who sexually abuse the young and vulnerable? Why do people in the pews not rise up and demand that their leaders be held accountable? Where's the outrage?
Why don't people at Bellevue Baptist in Memphis demand the resignation of Pastor Steve Gaines, who admittedly kept quiet about a staff minister's sexual abuse of a kid?
Why don't people at Trinity Baptist demand the resignation of Pastor Tom Messer, about whom there is significant evidence that he knew of a minister's serial sexual abuse of kids?
Why do so many people act as though clergy-abuse cover-ups are no big deal?
In my own case, the church finally made a written apology, but only after first threatening me and then seeking a secrecy agreement and finally being forced into an apology by a lawsuit. An apology extracted in a lawsuit (and handed off by their attorney) doesn’t carry the feeling of any genuine remorse, but it does constitute an acknowledgement of the truth. Their ministerial staff knew all along that this man had molested me as a kid. Yet, they tried every means possible to avoid owning up to that truth. And they didn’t bother to warn people in the pews of other congegations - people whose kids were at risk.
The apology was arrived at only after hours of hammering out the language in a court-ordered mediation session. “Churches should respond with righteous outrage and anger at such crimes against kids committed by church leaders they trust,” says the church. Well gee....doesn't that sound nice? But where is that outrage?
Even now, has anything changed? Have any of those who covered up and kept quiet about the abuse been held accountable?
The church’s music minister, James A. Moore, knew about it for 30 years and kept quiet. He was apparently content to leave countless other kids at risk. Yet, he is still the church’s music minister. Where’s the outrage?
The pastor of the church, Sam Underwood, is a man who was himself reported on allegations of sexually abusing a congregant. He showed his style of leadership when he shepherded the church to respond to my report of child molestation by having the church’s attorney threaten to sue me and insult my family (as though the fact that I grew up with a father who still suffered post-WWII combat trauma could somehow make the psychological injury of a minister’s sexual abuse not such a big deal). Even if church members see no need for accountability as to the adult congregant’s abuse report (presumably because they accept the deacons’ view that it was mere “sexual misconduct”), that would still leave a lack of accountability for Underwood’s failure of appropriate leadership when confronted with a substantiated report about one of the church's ministers who had sexually abused a minor. Yet, the man who chose hostility rather than compassion is still the pastor. The man who chose to threaten a child molestation victim rather than to protect others is still the pastor. The man who attempted to compel secrecy rather than reach out to other victims is still the pastor. Where is there any accountability. Where are there any consequences for such awful and immoral behavior? Where’s the outrage?
And what about the leaders at the Baptist General Convention of Texas? Was anyone there outraged at the fact that their long-time attorney threatened to sue a clergy abuse victim even when the abuse was readily substantiated? It certainly doesn’t appear that way. Where is the outrage?
And what about the fact that he tried to compel secrecy by pushing a confidentiality agreement while leaving the perpetrator in the pulpit? Were BGCT leaders bothered by that? Apparently not. In an even more recent case involving the same BGCT attorney, a secrecy agreement was used once again, while the perpetrator was allowed to remain in the pulpit. (Of course, most of the time, when a secrecy agreement is used, you'll never hear about it at all -- that's the whole point of it.) Where’s the outrage?
And what about the fact that a man with a substantiated report of having sexually molested a kid was still standing in the pulpit of a Florida mega-church talking about his children’s ministry even after 18 Baptist leaders had been informed? Those men are still in leadership positions. Where is there any accountability for the willing blindness of Baptist leaders who leave kids in harm’s way for clergy predators? Where is the outrage?
It is easy enough to look at the perpetrators and say therein lies the problem. But what about all the enablers? What about the many leaders who turn a blind eye and allow clergy molesters to move on to other churches where they find fresh new prey? Where is the outrage?
>>>There is no way the Catholic church is going to get an even break in the US, and we might as well accept it.<<<
Here in California, the 2003 legislature changed the statute of limitations to reopen stale abuse cases (some over 40 years old) against the Catholic Church, ONLY—
No other religious organization has been treated this way.
Meanwhile the CA Supreme Court ruled that plaintiffs, including minors, cannot sue any government entity for abuse unless the action is filed within 6 months of the abuse.
Such challenges usually are more effective when they involve some research and include links to some of the posts that prove the assertion.
Different churches are organized in different ways. The Catholic Church is pretty much a single entity, being the one true church and all, and membership in one is membership throughout, if I understand it.
Baptists are quite different. Very independent, almost anybody can claim to be one (Westboro Baptist being an extreme example), and there’s no organization to stop someone from forming their own “baptist” church. So telling someone to “quit the Baptist Church” because of something another Baptist Church pastor did would be meaningless.
Plus, with no real organization to speak of, you can’t really blame the “church heirarchy” for enabling a cover-up, because there is no church heirarchy to help cover up anything.
There are protestant churches that have such a heirarchy — but it’s not “baptist”.
Sin is common to all men.. the difference is there is not cover up.. not moving sex offenders around to give them new hunting grounds..no payoffs by some hierarchy to cover their butts.. the sin starts in the pants of a young man and then goes all the way to Rome
The greatest sin of Rome is that knowing who the offenders are and what they did they spent millions covering it up
what’s done in the dark will be brought to the light”
Or what, Alex? As Homer Simpson once said, "You're not the boss of me."
“I don’t think boatbums is a bad person. It bugs me to see you pile on her. I don’t think she’s right all the time, but I think she presses her case as fairly as many and far more fairly than some.”
I agree.
Where have we heard that before? Hmmmmmmmm
My understanding hereabouts is that it's "Babdiss."
;-) 0
I bet you’ve never seen any institutional efforts to cover up the abuse, nor tolerance of the behavior even in completely weirded out Protestant denominations like the Episcopalians.
It isn’t necessarily the abuse that got the Catholic Church in trouble, but the cover-ups and relative tolerance of the behavior.
By all means SHOW me all my “nasty, hateful” posts. I’ll go up against your record any day. I am never alone so my life never sucks. I have a friend in Jesus. Maybe if you felt that way, you could stop with all the nasty hateful posts.
:o)
You did make that post at 4 A.M., us "hyenas" were probably in our dens asleep. ;o)
Thank you for your words of support.
Yes, the article you linked was very good and hopeful. I think it is an excellent start to addressing the proper role of overseers whenever they come up against claims of wrongdoing. The bishops, I would hope, also have those over them in the same roles so that those in leadership are accountable for their OWN actions as well as those under their care.
Accountability is ALWAYS a wise thing to have. That is one of the reasons why I think we are encouraged to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
I appreciate your comment. Thank you.
It is also not quite as top-down as it would appear. BUT I do think that bishop's conferences should have a role in establishing a kind of auditing procedure (which might could go to the Vatican for approval -- and maybe each actual audit be sent there as well). But, well, the Pope will do almost anything rather than dump a bishop. Theoretically they are more like colleagues and he the dean in some respects.
However, no matter what is happening elsewhere and by whom and regardless of what is being reported some kind of conspicuously austere discipline could usefully be introduced.
I wonder how many psychiatric "instruments", like the MMPI, for child and adolescent molesters exist. Because I think that is what's needed.
Here's another interesting article which might convey something of a wishful Catholic vibe.
Heigh ho! Off to the celebration I go!
Have a Blessed Easter.
Let’s all face it and not religion-bash, shall we?
EVERY person in authority over children has the potential to abuse. Clergy. Teachers. Counselors. Scout leaders, coaches, chess teachers, bus drivers, mentors, uncles, and last but definitely not least, PARENTS.
And pedophiles SEEK such occupations!!
We need to personally supervise our children as much as is humanly possible.
I dislike the term "proddys" but was introduced to it the other night on the above-mentioned Catholic-bashing thread. It was used repeatedly by some protestant posters so I didn't realize it might be offensive to some of them. Of course, that term doesn't hold a candle to what they called us Catholics or even the Blessed Mother.
And the rest of your comment I just don't understand....
Mrs. Prince of Space
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.