Baptists asked to crack down on abusers

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 · Last updated 1:36 p.m. PT

By ROSE FRENCH
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The victims' advocates who dogged the Roman Catholic Church over sex abuse by its clergy have now turned their attention to the Southern Baptists, accusing America's largest Protestant denomination of also failing to root out molesters.

The Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has started a campaign to call attention to alleged sex abuse committed by Southern Baptist ministers and concealed by churches.

SNAP presented a letter Monday to Southern Baptist Convention executive committee members in Nashville, asking the group to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on sex abuse and to create an independent review board to investigate molestation reports.

Church leaders concede there have been some incidents of abuse in Southern Baptist congregations, but say their hands are tied when it comes to investigating complaints across the denomination ...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Southern_Baptists_Sex_Abuse.html

as I understand it--there is no hierarchy of bishops and of course no Pope. Each church selects its own preacher--the people to deal with abuse would be the deacons of that church. I believe that the S. B. Convention does not have the power of, say, a Holy See or Council of Bishops would have in the Catholic or Methodist Churches. (Baptists, correct me if I have erred.)

But in way, any abuse that took place in a S. Baptist church is worse, imho, that what took place in a Catholic Church simply because the congregation, through its deacons, has much more say in the running of the church. So if a minister abused members of the congregation, it was their friends and neighbors who decided what to do about it, not some chap in a city or place far away. I wonder how many of these ministers were let go and moved on to other congregations.

I had a cousin who, when she was about 20, was made pregnant by her married minister. She was openly chastised by her church and made to give up the baby. I think the minister quietly resigned--I'm not sure of this, because I was about ten at the time--but my mother and grandmother were furious at her fundamentalist church for blaming her and her alone for the "problem" simply because of her gender.

.....In large part because they have no "priest celibacy" requirements to hide behind as an emotional/psychological legal defense, and no "vatican state" to cover-up and arm-twist governments to divert their heinous acts for them from a court of law. All they have are the Repugs at their back and even some of them are getting sick of these holyrollers.

Wouldn't it be lovely to see the Southern Baptist Convention go bankrupt under an avalanche of lawsuits? Not to mention some justice for the victims?

Maybe after the victims win, they can take the megachurches and turn them into homeless shelters or something like that. You know, put them to use for "good works" for a change. Like it says in the bible.

Reverend BillyJoeBob, call your lawyer......

That is a fantastic idea! :D