tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post7347011519854692562..comments2024-03-17T16:21:14.907-05:00Comments on Stop Baptist Predators: Princeton professor says SBC prevaricatesChrista Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560409585720043015noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-17839368913370928272008-06-18T09:06:00.000-05:002008-06-18T09:06:00.000-05:00In her new book, "Justice Denied," Marci Hamilton ...In her new book, "Justice Denied," Marci Hamilton talks in much more detail about how the courthouse doors are usually closed to survivors of childhood sex abuse and about the role of the insurance industry. She is precisely correct in stating that "private organizations are too self-interested and too amateurish to handle investigations into child sex abuse." This is exactly why local churches cannot be expected to responsibly assess reports of clergy child molestation. It's why the denomination needs to provide local churches with the resource of an independent professional investigatory body and review board that could consider abuse reports that are outside the time limit for criminal prosecution (which is most). And a review board would not need to exercise any actual authority over the church. An objective assessment would hold meaning in and of itself as a valuable piece of information. <BR/><BR/>The review board wouldn't need to actually instruct the church on what to do with the information. If a congregation chose to retain a minister even after a denominational review board concluded the child molestation allegation was credible, then I would expect the church's insurance carrier might step in and exercise some influence at that point. This is still another way that the insurance industry could play a role in this.<BR/><BR/>Junkster: Just noticed your own blog posting from last March on <A HREF="http://junk99mail.blogspot.com/2008/03/abusive-ministers-autonomy.html" REL="nofollow">"Abusive ministers and autonomy"</A> - well-said.Christa Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04560409585720043015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-41271699863494411712008-06-17T22:11:00.000-05:002008-06-17T22:11:00.000-05:00Christa,I read Marci Hamilton's full article; it w...Christa,<BR/>I read Marci Hamilton's full article; it was excellent. Her suggestion that the insurance industry could be an agent for positive change is intriguing. Perhaps you can collaborate with her to lobby the insurance industry to work toward the reforms she proposes. I have suspected that SBC leadership refuses to take action for fear that taking any responsibility would open them up to lawsuits. If that's the case, then maybe they'd respond to the greater liability that would be faced if insurance coverage might be at risk.Junksterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14422651080120306816noreply@blogger.com