- Protecting an Abuser: Leaders of a Minnesota church didn’t report a parishioner to police though they knew he’d sexually abused girls for years and had been told reporting it was their duty.
- Forgive and Forget: Church leaders held meetings where children were told to forgive the man who sexually abused them and forget the abuse. If they spoke of it, the sin would be theirs.
- Missed Opportunities: Prosecutors had at least one opportunity to intervene but hoped educating church leaders about their duties would encourage them to cooperate with authorities.
Look, they have faith in god, and god is totally real, but we have to separate the religious people from those who are delusional, naive, hateful, or are using religion for their own gain.
The best way to do this is to let god, who is definitely, totally real, to choose who he favours.
So instead of a baptism we just have anyone who is following the lord leap off a cliff. God will save the ones that are actually religious, and we won’t have to worry about the rest of the bad ones.
The great thing is that this works for every belief system that maintains the existence of any kind of remotely sapient higher power.
Does your post intentionally recall the devil’s challenging Jesus to throw himself off the temple to be saved by his own angels. Because it sounds like your advice and the devil’s advise are about the same.
It sounds a lot like witch trials and inquisition.
How so?
Because they are women in the patriarchy. Either they give up their agency or they will be called the problem.
Sorry, I thought you were commenting on krooklochurm@lemmy.ca, who suggested to “have anyone who is following the lord leap off a cliff.”
Thank you, I appreciate your apology. I think too many of us are on the defensive, with everything happening, and it’s understandable. I think it would do us all good to step away from the screens and noise on the daily, if only for 10, 20, 30 minutes. That definitely includes me.
Once again, not a drag queen.
Never is.
They don’t like drag queens because the drag queens might teach their kids to be literate.
I wouldn’t say never, after all Rudy Giuliani has done drag, and there was that time he got caught in a hotel room with someone he thought was 15 and his hand down his pants.
I don’t think cross dressing a few times qualifies him to be a drag queen any more than changing a headlight makes someone a mechanic.
In front of the girl, her father and Bruckelmyer, Massie asked her for forgiveness. Looming over her, the three men wept. Then the girl’s dad and preacher allowed the man who had been sexually abusing her since kindergarten to hug her.
In accordance with one of the core tenets of their church, the matter was resolved. It was forgiven. It should now be forgotten. If she spoke of it again, she would be guilty of having an unforgiving heart and the sins would become hers.
What is this shit?
That’s organized religion.
Gaslighting. It’s gaslighting the poor girl into obedience. Never be afraid to name names of anyone who threatens, tries, or does abuse you. The “sin” is theirs and will always be theirs, and if you remain silent they are free to sin again and ask forgiveness.
Religion is for grifters and morons.
If they’re not making money off of it, you know which one they are.
Are church leaders mandated reporters in Minnesota?
According to this site MN mandated reporting they might be:
People who must report
Anyone who is a professional or a professional’s delegate engaged in the practice of the healing arts, social services, hospital administration, psychological or psychiatric treatment, child care, education, law enforcement, or employed as a member of the clergy.
I say might be because it states “employed as a member of the clergy”. I’m betting they would claim “everyone who knew” was a volunteer (i.e. not “employed”).
I’m a member of a Christian organized religion. I don’t think Christianity itself is to blame; PERVERSION OF CHRISTIANITY IS, but not Christinaty itself.
Any true Christian would report this (doesn’t matter if they are legally required to or not). I’m not willing to stand in front of St Peter & God on judgement day and try to defend that kind of inaction.
They should have many years in prison to work to atone for that.
The article says it was required:
But they never reported Massie’s crimes to police, as required by the law. Instead, Bruckelmyer and other leaders in the church encouraged the victims to take part in forgiveness sessions — which allowed Massie, now 50, to continue abusing children, according to an investigation by the Minnesota Star Tribune and ProPublica.
Later down:
He said it was up to the victims to report the crimes to police, a clear misreading of the law for mandated reporters — doctors, teachers and others who are required to report crimes against children.
“We don’t protect either one,” Bruckelmyer said of sexual abusers and their victims.
This is the churches defense:
Kimberly Lowe, a lawyer and crisis manager for the church, said its preachers are unpaid and therefore might not be legally required to report sexual abuse of children. Asked if she believes the preachers are mandated reporters under Minnesota law, Lowe would only say that the language of the statute is unclear.
Propublica does pretty deep research, so I’m inclined to believe them.
