Posted on 02/10/2019 7:14:29 PM PST by NYer
Hundreds of leaders and volunteers within Southern Baptist churches across the nation have been accused of sexual misconduct against young churchgoers for decades - many of them quietly returning to church roles even after being convicted for sex crimes.
A bombshell investigation by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News found that over the last 20 years, about 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced credible accusations of sexual misconduct. Of those, roughly 220 were convicted of sex crimes or received plea deals, in cases involving more than 700 victims in all, the report found. Many accusers were young men and women, who allegedly experienced everything from exposure to pornography to rape and impregnation at the hands of church members.
The newspapers reported that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) largely treated the accusations as isolated issues, and took on an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality, even amid growing pressures to create a registry so the accusations wouldn't disappear as alleged perpetrators moved from city to city. The Chronicle and Express-News created a database of convicted sexual abusers with documented connections to the SBC.
The investigation took over six months and involved the cross-examination of hundreds of allegations corroborated by court documents and prison records. The results were startling and reiterated how allegations of sexual misconduct aren't limited to just the Catholic church.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
So much for the theory that this problem would not exist with married clergy.
Churches I’m familiar with have taken to doing background checks on people who will work with children. Its a shame you have to do it, but you have to do it.
I’ve known of situations involving pastors, and key people in churches. Usually its handled at a low level and you’ll never hear of it. A problem with that, of course, is that he may reenter the ministry down the road.
There is simply no substitute for real holiness in pastors, preachers, ministers, and real holiness in the elders who are supposed to watch over them. And a willingness to act forthrightly when something is awry.
You are correct we had to start doing back checks if you have anything to do with working with youth or working in the nurseries. Sad,but the church doesn’t know the back ground of every person coming into the church.
Our Church music director is doing time for assaulting his stepson...
If 220 of 380, over twenty years, were convicted of sex crimes or made plea deals, then the issue has not exactly been ignored or swept under the carpet. It’s terrible that sexual abuse happens in most every institution where people associate, but there are millions of Southern Baptists and a few thousand churches.
Nothing will eliminate this problem entirely and at least many were punished under the law.
I have been a staff member of Southern Baptist Churches for 18 years. I know there are false Christians sometimes in leadership. I have not seen any cover-up or deaf ears. I’m not saying it has never happened. There are several thousand leaders. I have seen church wounds and church discipline. We do not take lightly the things that take us to hell.
Wait a minute! I thought only Catholic priests are the ones committing these crimes! Surely others with authority in other walks of life do not do the same thing! ONLY CATHOLIC PRIESTS ARE THE PROBLEM!!
</sarc> tag
Is that really necessary?
CORRECTED FOR TYPOS. What they don’t tell you.....15mm Southern Baptists, 50mm total Baptists....2,000 churches....and amongs all that, 700 cases over a 20 year period....35 a year? Across 15mm.....a .0002% incident rate vs .002% for the general population. SoBaps are 10x better.
They desrve a medal.
More anti Christ bigoted bullshit written by the ass bandit press.
Your words...…..Volumes. But who will hear ?
380 over 20 years? I am surprised it is not more. Certainly not all of these cases involve pastors buggering little boys.
In contrast there were 3,400 sexual assault cases referred to the Vatican over a 10 year period (2004-2014).
Where there are people there is sin. All churches have sexual misconduct problems.
I don't think that's even a theory. It's been known for ages that sex abuse takes place among teachers and students in schools of every description, and in the workplace and anywhere else where people associate on a frequent basis.
Not a surprise
Lemme catch you up.
Catholic Priests have been molesting boys for years.
Catholic haters say, "well, maybe if they were married....."
And yes, this has been talked about for decades.
Running the numbers, the Baptists and the Roman Catholic churches are within a fraction of a percentage point in abusive leaders.
We have to background checks on every volunteer, even if they volunteer to mow the lawn.
The Catholics are protected by the church, transferred to another location to escape investigation and prosecution. The Baptist’s turn their criminals in for prosecution. Do you see the difference? Hint: Catholic Church is molester enablers.
Besides background checks, outs won’t let men be alone with children. There always has to be a woman. They will sometimes let 1 woman teach, but prefer 2 adults per classroom.
“The newspapers reported that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) largely treated the accusations as isolated issues”
The SBC has zero authority. Despite it’s PR effort, there is no hierarchy above the individual congregations. SBC is a cooperative missionary association. 47,200 Baptist Churches out there and this study accuses 19 preachers per year. That is around .0004%. Compare that to a minimum of 15%-20% of priests. Also, the entire leadership of the RCC is filled with homos who HIDE and relocate pervert priests.
The problem with the RCC is unique. It isn’t CAUSED by celibate priests, but that does make the problem worse today. RCC priests were celibate for centuries. But in the past, a priest breaking that vow was usually chasing skirts.
In the 1900s, the homos moved into the priesthood. They advanced and provided cover for the ones coming in after them. Now you have the entire hierarchy filled with them. It isn’t BECAUSE of celibacy, but that has been fertile ground for the homos.
Until you can admit the problem, you cannot fix it. Quit pretending everyone else it just as bad. They aren’t.
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