Shining Lights
Miguel Prats: Advocate and listener for countless survivors; kindness & caring exemplified. He has worked tirelessly to help StopBaptistPredators, and now he's even working to raise money. Without him, StopBaptistPredators would not have gotten off the ground.
Bob Allen and EthicsDaily.com: Stepped up to the plate, kicked the dirt, and started swinging to advance the cause of accountability for Baptist clergy who sexually abuse kids. Hit a few out of the ballpark, and consistently provided extensive coverage of the issue.
Donna Fielder and the Denton Record-Chronicle: Ended the year with the most comprehensive article yet to appear on Baptist clergy sex abuse. Courageously turned the town upside-down for the sake of truth-telling and protecting kids.
Black Holes
Jerry Falwell: "To everything there is a season and a time..." Ecc. 3:1. When 22 people report being molested as kids by a church's pastor, it is NOT a time to sing the church's praise. It's a time to call for answers and accountability.
Charles Wade: How can this guy ever expect to restore trust? A huge financial scandal AND he's a "blind Baptist leader" who looked the other way while a reported clergy molester continued in children's ministry in Florida. What about all those Florida kids who were left at risk?
Frank Page, Morris Chapman and Richard Land: The silent treatment won't make kids any safer. These SBC leaders haven't even bothered to respond to SNAP's letter. Even if they didn't like SNAP's requests, they could at least DO SOMETHING. When kids' safety is at stake, a can't-do/won't-do/won't-even-try style of leadership just won't do.
James A. Moore and First Baptist Church-Farmers Branch: Music minister Moore knew about another minister's sexual abuse of a kid and kept quiet for decades while the perpetrator continued in children's ministry. Court documents allege that this single church has had at least 4 ministers who were involved in or complicit with sexually abusive conduct. Then they have the arrogant gall to threaten suit against a child molestation victim who finally reports the perpetrator.
Stephen Wakefield and Sonny Spurger: An attorney often referred to as the "hatchet man" for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and a BGCT director. This two-headed Texas monster has heaped a whole lot more hurt onto victims while letting clergy perpetrators remain in pulpits. AND they're still using secrecy contracts - a practice the Catholic Church ended in 2002.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
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3 comments:
If you think Ethics Daily and the Denton Record Chronicle are shining lights you are the on that is "dim". The things that happened to you are terrible, but it does not mean every accused pastor is guilty. You might want to be open to the possibility that occasionally someone is falsely accused. I have studies your website carefully and have determined that truth is not important to you. You are blinded by your bitterness and at even a hint of impropriety by any clergy or anyone connected by clergy you go into "destroy" mode regardless of truth or facts. You also twist facts to support your views. An example is settlements: Is a settlement always a coverup? We both know sometimes a settlement is preferable to bankruptcy. Larry Reynolds IS and good man and not a child predator. You either do not know the truth or just simply do not care about the truth. You are also a predator, just a different kind. I have more to say, but doubt you will have the courage to allow this post to stay. You seem to only want one side to every argument, so I am assuming the only posts left up will be the ones you agree with. If it stays, please accept my apologies and look forward to a spirited debate in the future!!! Thank you!
It’s reported that the case against Reynolds involved, not only a settlement agreement, but a confidentiality clause, precluding the parties from talking about it. I believe those sorts of agreements are absolutely immoral when what is being kept secret are allegations of clergy child molestation and evidence that might prove the truth about it. (For example, there could be letters and/or other sorts of documentary evidence.) In 2002, the U.S. Catholic Bishops adopted a policy against the use of such secrecy agreements in any diocese in the country. It doesn’t speak well of Baptists that they’re still using them. If there were ever a time when openness and transparency are most needed, it is when clergy abuse allegations are brought forward. Why did the newspaper article come as a surprise to the Southmont congregation? Why was the congregation not given all the information much, much sooner?
As for the possibility of false allegations, G.R.A.C.E., an organization started by Billy Graham’s grandson, reports how unusual false allegations of childhood sex abuse are, and expert Gary Schoener, states that when a clergyperson makes a complete denial of sex abuse allegations, the denial is “virtually never true.” Obviously, this doesn't mean that there are never false allegations, but it does mean that an independent, objective determination about the allegations is always essential.
hi, christa, this is my first time to your blog, but i hope to visit it weekly. i find it interesting, that the anonymous commenter seems to be quite bitter and even admits to his/her abusive language by actually apologizing at the end. sorry i am late in responder. in case the above commenter returns,would also like to point out an excellent resource, BREACH OF TRUST< edited by J. Gonsiorek where he does a chapter on profiles of predators and it helps people understand better how predators think...their thinking is twisted, that is, they justify their acts in their heads in order to live the incongruent lifestyle. anyway, thank you for being factual, for backing up your points and for NOT being bitter, but very level-headed.
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