Sexual Abuse
The Catholic church needs to get clearer on who it serves. The latest story out of the Philadelphia area has 21 priests suspended and as many as 37 additional with credible sexual abuse allegations remaining in active ministry positions. There are too many mixed messages coming from the Catholic Church. They come out and condemn abuse by priests, but at the same time seem to spend an equal if not larger amount of energy protecting the church entity. Does the church serve itself, or is the church in service to millions who believe in the Catholic Church? The reality is often both, and this is where the problem lies.
Protect the Catholic Church
I’m not an expert in Papal Law but from what I have read, much of it is geared toward protecting the institution of the church. This is changing so they do get points for that, but it seem to get used at the convenience of church, and often to the disadvantage of it’s most vulnerable members. The church needs to adopt a zero tolerance for abuse policy. Immediate removal from service during any period of investigation, and permanent removal from the church for any convictions. I’m sure I’m missing the finer points, and conditions for circumstances, etc. but you get the point. They need to be specific so everyone knows what their position is. There is way to much ambiguity betweens words and actions in the Catholic Church. This just leaves the public wondering who their church serves, and eventually leads to a church which serves no one.
Let us know if we can help you dealing with your family’s sexual abuse situation. For ideas to get started please check out our book on what to do during the early days after disclosure.
Sexual Abuse
Dear Amazon.com,
It’s November 13, 2010 and you have a unique opportunity to make a powerful statement in support of children’s safety. I realize you are currently dealing with a public relations mess since CNN and others have noted the pedophile how to guides on your site. I give you credit for removing the material, but your time to act, and your position on the issue still leaves people wondering about why it took so long and what you intend to do in the future.
Your Letter
I realize corporations often don’t respond as quickly as they need to, but now is the time to act. If you are stuck looking for the right words, here is a starting point:
“Amazon.com has always worked to provide the largest selection of appropriate materials available to our customers. Recently several books made it on to our site that should not have been listed due to their exploitive nature. We regret the incident and are working to improve our screening process. While we do not censor, we take every effort to exclude material that may advocate criminal activities. Amazon.com takes protection of children seriously. We recognize that none of us can ensure the safety of children alone, and we welcome our customer’s input to improve our efforts. “
Feel free to adjust as needed, but please respond soon. Your customer are waiting!
Sexual Abuse
So far there are 4 lawsuits against Atlanta area Pastor Eddie Long for sexual abuse. It’s going to be interesting to see which way this goes. If you aren’t familiar with the New Birth Church it’s not your hometown small church. This is a mega church with it’s own magazine, podcast, trips, etc. Eddie Long has written 10 books and according to his web site is happily married. He also fits the profile of many sex offenders. Powerful man, well educated, well respected and married. One major difference? Child predators in the US also tend to be white. Clearly sexual abuse crosses all race and gender lines, but it’s rare that you see a case this prominent in the African American community.
So what’s likely to happen next? If the allegations are true, I think you will see the list grow. The average pedophile has 70+ victims when they are first caught. As victims come forward, others often feel empowered to come forward as well. And if this is an unfounded witch hunt it will be interesting to see how things are spun going forward. I’m predicting more people coming forward.
Fast Forward
The lawsuits were eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. Eddie Long continued to preech for several more years before dying from cancer in 2017.
Let us know if we can help you dealing with your family’s sexual abuse situation. For ideas to get started please check out our book on what to do during the early days after disclosure.
