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CALL + RESPONSE

In theaters: October 10th, 2008 Fair Trade Pictures

A feature length documentary film that reveals one of the world's 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. CALL+RESPONSE takes viewers deep undercover where slavery is thriving - from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India and reveals that in 2007, Slave Traders made more than Google, Nike, and Starbucks combined.

What response should someone have when a person makes an allegation of abuse? Here are two of the best articles I have found about dealing with clergy sex abuse.



This information highlights the need for all parties involved to take a neutral position. After all, with sexual abuse, who can say who did what and when? The only people who know the truth are the people in the situation. An outside party can only make a judgment call one way or the other.

Statistically speaking very few people ever come forward to authorities regarding abuse and less than 2% of all allegations nationwide are proven false. And false allegations usually mean the person who made the allegation had something to gain in return (i.e. child custody). The perpetrator is typically given a very light sentence (although, this is starting to change). If the victim is a young child, depending on jurisdiction, the DA may decide the child is too young to stand trial, so the perpetrator ends up with no record, but the abuse victim spends the rest of their life picking up the pieces (many times at the loss of a church home, family, and friends). I think anyone who assumes a "flippant" allegation was made against a member of clergy surely has no understanding of the emotional toll this situation takes on a person who moves forward on an allegation.

   Ultimately, is it the churches job to decide who is telling the truth? There is nothing more complicated then sex abuse. But in the end, this is just not a Matthew 18 situation. This is a crime and you can"t counsel a crime. I think this is where churches get themselves into messy situations that they can"t get out of. They try to handle matters on their own and become the self-appointed judge and jury.

   Regardless, both parties deserve to be handled with respect and dignity as the allegations unfold. Both parties need outside help to handle these matters. In my opinion, this is where the professionals come in. Professional counselors, psychiatrists, law enforcement, sex abuse advocates, medical professionals, etc. understand situations like this. They know what to look for. They have the training and the ability to see things that others don't see. Let's leave things to the professionals.

How long before the church tackles the tough issue of clergy sexual abuse? How many people will come forward before active measures are taken to eliminate this problem altogether within the "safety" of our church buildings? When will the religious leaders rise up and say, "Enough"? Why is the media, the watch blogs, the politicians, libertarians and law enforcement working harder and harder to bring awareness to the problem, but the church continues in its long historic journey of SILENCE?

Excuse my cynicism, but I can almost hear the men at church in the back room pontificating after the ordeals: "Why Susie, she was always wearing that provocative clothing and she's always been a troubled teen," and "Jeanette, well she had some real issues and no one knows if she's really telling the truth. But poor pastor John, being falsely accused like this, we really need to pray for him." And Susie and Jeanette go away like "bad girls who ruin good men's ministries" do, all because they forgot to put the video camera in the bathroom stall before the youth pastor made his move. Sick. Yes, it happens, its real, and justice ultimately remains a futile attempt by those who are brave enough to finally come forward. What a tragedy.

What about the verse in Holy Scripture that says, "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Or another interpretation states, "What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me. But if you give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't. You'd be better off dropped into the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck."