Comments on: Resources for Congregations Dealing with Abuse http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/resources-for-congregations-dealing-with-abuse Religion and spirituality from a Unitarian Universalist perspective Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:23:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Shelby http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/resources-for-congregations-dealing-with-abuse#comment-7320 Shelby Sat, 08 Dec 2007 21:07:01 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/resources-for-congregations-dealing-with-abuse#comment-7320 Hi Bill, You're right that a church should never be standing in the way of a survivor's decision to prosecute an abuser, nor should the church be hiding the results of fact-finding in order protect an abuser. My understanding was that the Eclectic Cleric was describing a parallel process that congregations can use to facilitate healing, but that it was not intended as a substitute for criminal prosecution. Hi Bill,

You’re right that a church should never be standing in the way of a survivor’s decision to prosecute an abuser, nor should the church be hiding the results of fact-finding in order protect an abuser.

My understanding was that the Eclectic Cleric was describing a parallel process that congregations can use to facilitate healing, but that it was not intended as a substitute for criminal prosecution.

]]> By: Bill Baar http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/resources-for-congregations-dealing-with-abuse#comment-7300 Bill Baar Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:46:16 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2007/resources-for-congregations-dealing-with-abuse#comment-7300 Having watch some of these cases unfold at the Catholic Church in the community next to mine, and another at the local mega church, my concern is when Churches try to deal with criminal abuse without calling the police. That Catholics went to court to withhold the results of their own investigation claiming the privelege to do so under Church State seperation. There is abuse, and there is criminal abuse and it seems to me folks need to be pretty clear when the thought is a crimes been committed, they need to call the cops. Having watch some of these cases unfold at the Catholic Church in the community next to mine, and another at the local mega church, my concern is when Churches try to deal with criminal abuse without calling the police.

That Catholics went to court to withhold the results of their own investigation claiming the privelege to do so under Church State seperation.

There is abuse, and there is criminal abuse and it seems to me folks need to be pretty clear when the thought is a crimes been committed, they need to call the cops.

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