Are Children safe in Sunday school?

[Rick336]

It is very rare to see a report about an openly gay man or lesbian being convicted of child molestation. In fact, I can never remember hearing of a case where an openly gay man or lesbian or an openly gay minister or activist was arrested for molesting children.

Of course, this doesn't mean it has never happened. But I bet statistics would show that the number of cases are very low compared to other groups.

The Religious Right, which includes the Southern Baptist Convention, wants America to believe that gay activists are the biggest threat to their children.

But the facts say otherwise.

In James Dobson's book, Bringing Up Boys, he points to the Gay rights movement as the biggest threat to America's children. "Moms and dads, are you listening? This movement is the biggest threat to your children," he warns parents.

But after looking at the website link below, it appears that children may be safer at a gay pride festival than at a Southern Baptist picnic.

James Dobson, are you listening?

Here's the link:

http://stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm

Rick

[RM260boy]

can anyone help me on this one? what is a snap baptist? and is this really baptists going after baptists? or did i read something wrong?

[Rick336]

S.N.A.P. means Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

SNAP Baptists are for those sexually abused by leaders of the Baptist church.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/index.html

StopBaptistPedators is not an organization of the Southern Baptist Convention. It was started by a woman who was a victim of sexual abuse as a child by her Baptist Minister. She says:

"The abuse had a soul-murdering impact on my life, although I wasn’t able to understand until recently. I now know that, because of the level of trust involved, many psychologists compare the harm that kids experience from clergy sexual abuse to the harm that is caused by incest. Ordinary, decent people feel revulsion at the mere thought of incest and instinctively know how extremely damaging it must surely be for the kids. I hope there will come a time when ordinary, decent people will feel the same way about clergy sexual abuse...."

When she reported the abuse, the church tried to intimidate her and silence her. Her website has brought out into the open the problem of sexual abuse within the Baptist Church and how some in the Southern Baptist Convention have tried to cover up the problem.

"Clergy sexual abuse can happen anywhere. It happened to me and it happened in your church. I have seen no remorse and no one has asked my forgiveness, but even if they had, there is no amount of forgiveness on my part that would serve to make kids today any safer. What will make kids safer is for church and denominational leaders to treat clergy sexual abuse as the horrific crime that it is. What will make kids safer is for church and denominational leaders to be supportive of victims because when victims come forward, predators are revealed. What will make kids safer is for church and denominational leaders to make protection of kids the very highest priority. What will make kids safer is for church and denominational leaders to act with openness, forthrightness and vigilance in dealing with the hellish reality of trusted clergy who sexually abuse the young and vulnerable. "

This is from an article from the Christian Reporter April 15, 2007:

"A six-month investigation was unfolded Friday night on ABC's 20/20 which found "preacher predators" all over the country and shielding themselves in churches. While the investigation uncovered pastors and ministers convicted of some account of sexual abuse from every denomination, the focus was placed on several cases within the largest Protestant denomination in the United States – the Southern Baptists.

"I predict this program will be a shocker for many around the nation," stated Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., in a Thursday blog post."


From ABP news.com ( Associated Baptist Press ):

"Megachurches in particular can attract the “charismatic, predator-type” minister who repeatedly takes advantage of the power he has over congregants, especially emotionally vulnerable women. The advantage of being a solitary figure at the head of a group brings opportunities for moral failure. Although the number of congregants is high on the weekends, many megachurch pastors lead relatively isolated lives with few, if any, close friends.

“[Pastors of] megachurches and growing Baptist churches are the types that go for predator abuse,” Trull said. “They tend to be loners. They don’t have close friends to keep them accountable.”


Here's a link to her letter to her church, the First Baptist Church of Farmer's Branch:

http://stopbaptistpredators.org/letter_to_church.html

Rick

[RM260boy]

unspeakably sad

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by RM260boy

unspeakably sad

Yes. Any child abuse, especially sexual child abuse, is a tragedy. My mother was molested by a neighbor when she was a small child. She used to talk about the uglyness of the experience and how awful she felt about herself afterwards.

Psychologist Dr. Nathaniel Branden treated a woman who had been sexually molested by her father when she was five years old. Under hypnosis she relived the expeirence.

"It was not the pain or even the sense of violation, per se," Branden said. "It was her inability to comprehend how her father could be doing such a thing. 'He's my daddy,' she kept saying. 'How can he be doing this?'"

Branden says, "The crime against the child's body is less than the crime against their mind."

My point in my original post is that child molestation is a problem everywhere including among conservative Baptist ministers. James Dobson who is a child psychologist has scapegoated the gay rights movement as the "greatest threat" to children.

I think it's obvious that isn't the case.

In his book on child rearing Dobson says that places where child predators hang out are "video game rooms and pizza parlors". It will be interesting to see in his next reprint of the book if he also includes "behind the altar at First Baptist Church".

Rick

[RM260boy]

are you aware that there is a web site now that is dedicated to reporting the misuse of scientific data, because of dobson? it is sponsored by truth wins out
http://www.respectmyresearch.org/index1.html

[ladyinred]

Do you think Dobson is that honest? Do you really think he would expose the fact there is abuse in churches and not just the catholic church. If he was concerned about child abuse why not bring up the fact there are many heterosexuals who abuse children. Instead of making it an issue with just the gay community. He should point out that people need to watch out for any type of child predator. I don't care who they are. And of course exposing churches in a book by him would be counterproductive because it might dissuade people from going to church and not put money into their collection plates or tithe or send money to their ministry, and would mean a major loss of funds. easier to gloss over the fact that child predators exist in all walks of life.Male female, religious, nonreligious,rich, poor, in all races....some are younger,older, some middle age.( What I mean by younger , I've heard of teenage boys preying on and molesting younger girls for example. One I heard about was 18 and the girl was 6) What about Mary Letourneu? A teacher.