Moderator: Dave Roberts
William Thornton wrote:A 16 year-old girl is sexually abused by a staff minister in a church. She confesses the abuse to another staff minister. He counsels her, "It would be better if you don't tell anyone else." The matter is never mentioned again between the two. Her parents aren't notified. Law enforcement isn't called. This was in a different age, 1969, I believe.
Would such a confession be handled in the same way today? I'd like to think not.
Jim wrote:This is what is going down in Louisville: The Reverend Sodomite. God help us all.
Haruo wrote:I'm sorry, but "We are convinced that a truly remorseful and 'reformed' sex offender would not even seek a position like minister, just as a truly repentant and sober alcoholic wouldn't seek a job in a tavern," as the letter from SNAP says, misstates the case at least for alcoholics, and very likely for sex offenders as well. There is no reason why a "repentant and sober alcoholic" might not seek work in a tavern. One of my old-timers (whom I never met, but he was a major force behind the hall where I sobered up) Big Pete was a beer-truck driver. He said, "If I were a garbage-truck driver it wouldn't mean I had to eat the garbage." There are AA meetings that meet in bars. It's no hindrance, really, and potentially useful outreach. I don' t know this guy, and I don't know whether he is a proper ordination candidate, and I don't know anything about this particular church. I would say his background ought to be cause for great vigilance. I am not sure how close an analogy can be drawn between pedophilia and alcoholism. I've never been to an SAA meeting, and don't know much about them.
Ed Pettibone wrote:Haruo wrote:I'm sorry, but "We are convinced that a truly remorseful and 'reformed' sex offender would not even seek a position like minister, just as a truly repentant and sober alcoholic wouldn't seek a job in a tavern," as the letter from SNAP says, misstates the case at least for alcoholics, and very likely for sex offenders as well. There is no reason why a "repentant and sober alcoholic" might not seek work in a tavern. One of my old-timers (whom I never met, but he was a major force behind the hall where I sobered up) Big Pete was a beer-truck driver. He said, "If I were a garbage-truck driver it wouldn't mean I had to eat the garbage." There are AA meetings that meet in bars. It's no hindrance, really, and potentially useful outreach. I don' t know this guy, and I don't know whether he is a proper ordination candidate, and I don't know anything about this particular church. I would say his background ought to be cause for great vigilance. I am not sure how close an analogy can be drawn between pedophilia and alcoholism. I've never been to an SAA meeting, and don't know much about them.
ED: Haruo, I think that in the above post, you have presented some ideas that merit serious consideration. Like you I do not know the man or the church but all of us should be praying to God for them, rather than playing God.
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