If there were no convictions at that time -- because the Civil authorities apparently dropped the ball pretty badly on this one -- would a background check have even shown anything?
Why didnt the old church stop him before he had abused CHILDREN for 9 years? Theres something rotten to the core in the Presbyterian Church that permits these monsters to destroy young souls year after year after year. I suspect its because nobody talks to anybody in that church. As long as the preacher sticks to the company line, he can abuse all the learning disabled kids he wants.
Perhaps the fault lies with the Roman Catholic diocese which happily fed this monster his victims.
I'll have you know, I've never accused the Roman Catholic church's discipline of Priestly Celibacy as being the "cause" of that denomination's problems with pedophilia. I do think that the RCC does have a problem with a disturbingly large minority (note I said, "minority") of priests in that area; and I don't think that Priestly Celibacy is theologically correct, myself; but I think that the problem has at least much more to do with Homosexuals entering the priesthood... for which the RCC's procedures might be criticized, but not their theology: the RCC has never approved of homosexual practice.
But if you want to TEAR DOWN Presbyterians as a way of trying to make your own denomination look better -- fine, I can play that game, too.
I think that the only post I've made on the subject of Roman Catholicism, on ANY recent thread, was a couple weeks ago when I observed that whatever my disagreements with Roman Catholicism, I still think that Pius XII was a hero of World War II for his work in saving 800,000 Jews from the Holocaust. Whatever problems you may have had with other Protestants, I have not been lurking the Religion threads looking for opportunities to bash the RCC for pedophilia.
But I certainly can do so, if you want me to.
Thanks for your thoughtful post, semi-FRiend.
But really, this thread is not about Catholics, or anyone’s bigotry about Catholics. The thread is about a PRESBYTERIAN. The minister is PRESBYTERIAN. And was allowed to molest learning disabled children BY THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH for 9 years.
What in the name of all that’s holy causes people to be blinded into thinking that PRESBYTERIANS are free from child molesting ministers? They are not. This is not the only one.
"Also named as a defendant in the case is the bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago of the Roman Catholic Church. The Chicago Tribune said the Catholic Church was accused of negligence for allegedly releasing the boys to Mason during school hours while they were students at St. Gregory Catholic High School."
So far Judith Anne has dug up a decade-old article which reflects poorly on the RCC and another article that condemns the PCUSA for believing EXACTLY as the Roman Catholic church believes regarding eschatology and Israel.
LOL. Judith, you said you have a new book you have to read. Hopefully it's either the Bible or a current newspaper.