Southern Baptist Executive Group Cautions Against Sex Abuse Investigations

[MineralMan]

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/southern-baptist-executive-group-urges-caution-investigating-church-abuse

Taking a cue from the Vatican, perhaps, leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention are calling for restraint in investigating churches accused of sexual abuse claims, including child sexual abuse. Apparently no investigations should take place unless there is a conviction for such abuse in criminal court. I have to wonder what triggered this step back against airing offenses and beginning investigations that might prevent further abuse.

Below, the emphasis is mine:

Southern Baptist executive group urges caution before investigating church abuse

A Southern Baptist working group urged a cautious approach in investigating churches linked to allegations of sex abuse but has agreed that three of 10 churches named by Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear in a report about sex abuse last week should be investigated.

{snip}

The working group said the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, in general, “should not disrupt the ministries of its churches by launching an inquiry until it has received credible information that the church has knowingly acted wrongfully” in specific ways.

Those ways, that Executive Committee work group announced over the weekend (Feb. 23), include employing a convicted sex offender, permitting such an offender to do volunteer work with minors, employing someone who illegally concealed from law enforcement sex abuse by a church employee or volunteer, and “willfully disregarding compliance with mandatory child abuse reporting laws.”

{snip}

But the work group took a different tack. It encouraged all Southern Baptists to “avoid publicly calling the names of churches without having documentation of criminal convictions and giving prior notice to the church.”

More at link...

Note: The SBC is the largest Protestant denomination of Christianity in the United States. Only the Roman Catholic Church is larger among all Christian denominations.

[Major Nikon]

1. Same tune, different orchestra

Instead of listening to the fox's opinion on what should be done about the epidemic of child rape within the hen house, many prosecutors are instead turning to child welfare organizations for their expert opinions. Meanwhile the child rape apologists insist we must still listen to the fox after the problem has been swept under the rug for centuries.

[MineralMan]

3. Yes. So it seems.

An odd parallel, I think, between two very different religious organizations. Or, perhaps not so different.

But, hey, religion is a good influence on society, some say...

[Thekaspervote]

2. Oh so guilty! Disgusting

[keithbvadu2]

4. Exactly like the Catholic Church. Protect the institution over the children.

Exactly like the Catholic Church. Protect the institution over the children.

[Voltaire2]

5. The theories that pederasty in the RCC

is because of celibacy or because all those priests must be gay, both of which reek of homophobia, can be put to rest.

Authoritarian patriarchal institutions abuse women and children in general.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes. That, too.

Child sexual abuse occurs in many situations. Covering up and hiding it occurs less often, and typically in patriarchal organizations, as you correctly state. I mention the abuse and cover-up of young female gymnasts as another example of that. The organization involve with that was also overwhelmingly male and patriarchal.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. The sad fact is that more people care when it happens to little boys.

Molesting little girls often gets normalized.

[edhopper]

11. In fact

you can become the leader of a major religion if you do.

[LuvNewcastle]

12. And your followers will consider you so holy that they will

kill anyone who draws a picture of you. This is some world we live in!

[Mariana]

8. The only connection I think may exist

is that Catholic men who are pedophiles might be especially motivated to become priests, for obvious reasons. Similarly, Protestant pedophiles may decide to go into ministry, for the same reasons.

[trotsky]

9. The RCC definitely "steers" men of non-straight sexual orientation into the priesthood.

Remember the two edicts that a former banned DUer constantly pulled out to "justify" the RCC's opposition to homosexuality.

1) Sex cannot occur outside a sacramental marriage.
2) Only a straight man and a straight woman can enter into a sacramental marriage.

So you see, the poor RCC's hands are tied!

As a result, the message is given - if you don't feel like a straight marriage is how you want to spend your life, become a priest (or nun) and devote your life to the church so you aren't living in sin.

[Voltaire2]

10. Any institution that provides access to children

is a target of opportunity. What differentiates the RCC is that it is a gigantic worldwide bureaucracy that clearly had a long standing policy of protecting its predatory pederasts. The SBC is much smaller and so far we don’t know how widespread and standard their similar policies were. I really can’t think of another organization that has sunk to the depths of depraved deliberate indifference exhibited by the RCC.