Featured StopBaptistPredators.org -- are these scandals real?

It is irresponsible to report someone who hs not been convicted. If it should turn out that the allegation is false then you have ruined a mans career for no reason. And in this country we are innocent until proven guilty. All of which has nothing to do with BP News.

By the way by report I mean we should not tell another church or place anyone's name in any database unless they have been proven guilty (unless someone wants a reason to bash the SBC) and I am shocked anyone would suggest such a think.

 

Today's (June 27) "Focus on the Family" program has an excellent interview with professional people on child sexual abuse. Everyone needs to listen to it!

 

Are you leaving your child in the care of an adult that has been only rumored, but never convicted of child molestation? Are you willing to have explain to your kids "I'm sorry Suzy, but Mr. Jones wasn't convicted of anything, so we couldn't say he couldn't go as a camp sponsor"

Of course not, you would take necessary precautions if you got wind of such a rumor - that's all that anyone is asking churches to do. The normal, decent thing.

I don't get the whole, "since they aren't convicted we can't do anything" mindset. In life there are risks, we take them everyday. There is the risk that someone will be falsely reported, no doubt about it. It would terrible on all kinds of levels. But to do nothing while we await a conviction to me is a far greater risk, one that I'm not willing to take.

 

Which is sad. Again in this country people are completely innocent until proven guilty. Anyone can make an accusation and all accusations should be thoroughly investigated. But to condemns someone because of an accusation that is found to be wrong is unjust and ungodly.

At my church we do not let adults alone with children. There must always be at minimum two adults. This protects adults from false accusations and children from abusers. There are any number of other ways to handle these things without creating a public database of innocent people. I am completely shocked that anyone would ever suggest such a thing. There are just no words to describe such idiocy.

 

Well I don't believe this is totally true. Sure sex crimes are on the rise but no other church orginization has the reputation of the RCC and the Mormons. I can tell you this no church or any orginization is immune from sex crimes. I've been going to a baptist church all my life and no matter which one I went to and there were several there has never even been a hint of accusation of such things.
Am I blessed to be guided so well or what.
MB

 

More likely it was there but you were blind to it or it was well covered up. I was a member of a large IFB church for a number of years and I never suspected that the long-time, well-known pastor was a pedophile, while some staff members and deacons knew about it.

 

So *every* church has a pedophile on staff, or in its membership? Or "most" churches? Or only baptist churches? Or only IFB churches?

Is it possible MB actually did find a church that had no pedophiles in it? Or should we go on the assumption that every church has at least one?

Need to be careful with those generalizations, my friend.

 

Ridiculous...............

 

I note you didn't answer the question about your own child. Let's change it to accusation, would you allow your child to be cared for by someone accused of improper behavior? I doubt it, and neither would I, just common sense. What about accusations where the statue of limitations has run out, they are not convicted, should not a church be warned of such things? Do you really think having two adults is a guarantee that abuse can't or won't happen?

I'm not looking for some kind of smear campaign against anyone, but I want people of questionable character/ behavior be unable to hide. Is what other denominations do a violation of the individuals rights, they make decisions based on more then convictions?

There are so many scenerios that could be created that could make either side of the discussion look wise or foolish, but shouldn't caution be the rule of the day? Note, a database doesn't mean you cant hire an individual as a Baptist church is still free to hire whomever they want. This is information that I guarantee any church member about to hire someone of a questionable past would want to know.

 

Of course I would if they have been cleared.

Yes

And in doing so you do not care that innocent people get ruined.

Yes it should be the rule. And caution on ruining an innocent persons life because of a false accusation should never happen.

You cannot legally put a persons name in a database based on an accusation. There would be all kinds of lawsuits.

If they have not been proven guilty there is no questionable past.

 

Gee, you love to put words in my mouth - I never said such. I do not know how many churches MB has been a member of or where they were. But I do know that it is VERY easy to think that all is well in your church when it is not so.

 

No words were put in your mouth. Every sentence was ended with a question mark meaning you were being asked if that is what you meant.

 

Mock all you want- it is equally ridiculous to say "It has never happened at a church I have been a member of" when you don't really KNOW.

It was nearly 20 years after the fact when we were made aware of our former pastor's crimes. It was well-hidden from the church and outsiders by the leadership.

 

Why don't they really know? That is an assertion without foundation and based more on assumption. By the way saying something is ridiculous is not mocking.

 

You should never assume that your children are safe from sexual predators ANYWHERE.

And you should never assume that anyone who has a position of leadership in a church (school, community organization, etc.) CANNOT do awful things.

 

I'm speaking from personal experience- actually several personal experiences.

 

Oh, so you have been to every church everyone else has been to? I personally have never been to a church where there has been any sexual abuse to children.

 

You assume.

 

No you assume without foundation. You assume everyone wants to sweep it under the rug. This is false.

 

This is really sad that you are so paranoid about such matters. Static’s have shown that most Children who have been molested were molested by a family member and not so much there pastors. I believe it is a horrible crime that effects the child the rest of there lives. On the other hand to go around making the false accusation that this sort of thing happens mostly in the Baptist community is absurd and is not true at all. Most likely in my opinion this accusation was made by someone who literally hates Baptist in general and seeks to destroy the reputation of all Baptist.

I do not deny that there may be some Baptist preacher is involved in this kind if thing but I do believe that the accusations made here on this board are uncalled for. Let the accuser come forward and show definitive positive proof before they work so hard at out destruction.

This kind of thing carries with it a stigma that sticks to innocent people harming them irrepairably
MB