Monday, December 6, 2010

This Little Light reaches France

“L’Église baptiste, paradis des pédophiles”

That’s the headline that people in France are reading when they open the December/January edition of the Paris publication, Books magazine. In English, it says:

“The Baptist church: Paradise for Pedophiles”

The headline is for a review of my book, This Little Light: Beyond a Baptist Preacher Predator and His Gang. It's a book that not only tells my personal story, but also documents the denomination’s do-nothing response to the problem of clergy child molesters.

The review, written by investigative journalist Patrick Lindsay Bowles, is “fantastique.” In the space of a page, he illuminates the irrational arrogance of many Baptist leaders and their "systematic persecution of victims." And amazingly, Bowles even manages a touch of humor, as when he talks about former Southern Baptist president Paige Patterson, whose hobbies include “hunting dangerous game” and who is shown on his website “kneeling behind the much-dreaded zebra.”

Ooh-la-la. Think about what this means. There are now people in France who are reading about the ugly reality of America’s largest Protestant denomination. They are learning of how the “Convention Baptiste du Sud” offers no compassion or care for those wounded by clergy sex abuse, and no accountability or consequence for clergy who commit abuse.

It’s awful stuff, but it’s real. So I’m glad that at least some people are learning the truth.

After all, the Southern Baptist Convention is an evangelical faith group that is intent on going to “all nations” and “teaching them.” (Matthew 28:19-20) So it certainly behooves those in other nations to consider exactly who these “teachers” really are and to assess the sort of values that they actually manifest.

Why should people in other nations care about the teachings of a faith group that turns its back on protecting “the least of these”? Why should people in other nations care about the teachings of a faith group that allows clergy predators to church-hop without anyone imposing accountability? Why should people in other nations care about the teachings of a faith group whose own institutional integrity is so utterly tainted?

Bowles’ review was published earlier by the Times Literary Supplement of London (which is sort of like a British version of the New York Times Review of Books). Now it has been translated into French and republished in this Parisian magazine. Bravo to Patrick Lindsay Bowles!

Here is the original English version of Bowles' review from the Times Literary Supplement. And here is a pdf of the French version from Books magazine.
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Related post: “In the London Times!” 4/17/2010

See also: "Church honors advocate for abuse victims," ABP, 12/7/10 ("A translation just out in the Paris publication Books magazine carries the headline, 'L’Église baptiste, paradis des pedophiles,' French for, 'The Baptist church, paradise for pedophiles'.")

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for your work spreading awareness about evangelical predators, a scourge that needs to be stopped.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad word is spreading! And since I can't see them ever changing how they do things, maybe they'll use some of the millions from all the churches to hire a good PR firm to get their tarnished image in better shape!

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Patrick, for this work. Way to go, Christa! We're out here cheering for you!

Wendy said...

Christa asked, "Why should people in other nations care about the teachings of a faith group that turns its back on protecting 'the least of these'?"

Wow! That is powerful and something to seriously ponder. When you turn your back on children - on victims of horrific crimes - there is no credibility. Your faith is a lie. When you allow children to be abused and exploited and do nothing to rescue them or protect them, I don't believe you truly walk with God. What you profess with your mouth and the "good deeds" you do cover up what's really in your heart.

Phyllis Gregory said...

"When you turn your back on children - on victims of horrific crimes - there is no credibility. Your faith is a lie. When you allow children to be abused and exploited and do nothing to rescue them or protect them, I don't believe you truly walk with God. What you profess with your mouth and the "good deeds" you do cover up what's really in your heart."

Wendy, amen and amen! I so agree with every word.

Anonymous said...

The way the SBC handles this problem just clearly shows that, as for all of us, our actions, not what we say, reveal our true values and beliefs.

Christa Brown said...

As my wise friend Elana would say, “Stop listening to their words. They have shown you what their true values are, and they have shown you over and over. Believe THAT!”