Gunny-sacking

Last week, a prominent Texas Baptist chastised me, saying “you seem to enjoy gunny-sacking every time a new episode emerges.” He said other arrogant, foolish things, but that one stuck with me.

There is absolutely nothing at all that I “enjoy” in hearing about new “episodes” of clergy child molestation. I felt that reality in the pit of my stomach today in reading about the Missouri case. Thirteen children were horribly wounded by a minister they trusted, and the man likely could have been stopped so much sooner if only other Baptist leaders had taken action.

I grieve when I read reports like that. I anguish over them. For the love of God, I do not understand how so many religious leaders can seem to care so little.

New "episodes" like this may be repugnant to hear about, but I will continue to talk about them and to try to shine light on the problem. It's a shame that a Baptist leader would call that “gunny-sacking.” I call it “working to try to make kids safer.”

[Read more : the Missouri case shows many of the common patterns in how Baptists leave kids at risk by failing to adequately address clergy sex abuse.]