Below are three items on child abuse and the Bible




On Australian Story (Channel 2, February 18) the Governor-General — formerly the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane — seemed to condone an incident in which a married priest, aged 27, had sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Explaining in the interview why the priest was not dismissed Dr Peter Hollingworth said, "My belief is that this was not sex abuse, there was no suggestion of rape, or anything like that, quite the contrary. My information is that it was the other way around…"

The incident occurred 40 years ago in a church-run hostel.

Dr Hollingworth's statement implied the girl had been a willing participant — even a predatory female — and he supported his claim by stating that as adults the girl and priest resumed a relationship. (Apparently it resumed when the woman sought counselling for depression.)

Australia-wide criticism followed Dr Hollingworth's remarks since by definition an adult having sex with an under-aged girl commits child abuse. West Australian Premier Geoff Gallop, for example, said Dr Hollingworth should resign.

In the furore over this issue I've not seen anyone stating what the Bible says, which is:


The Bible also teaches that in the last judgment "fornicators" (persons who practice pre-marital sex) get the same punishment as murderers. (Revelation 21:8) Nor is this unfair. In the article The Bible, Science and Sex Relationships (#48) I showed that immoral conduct causes more devastation than all wars combined — even in the 20th century when we had antibiotics!

The Biblical answer, then, is that the fornicating priest should have been dismissed. 

Furthermore, the Bible tells Christians to obey the secular authorities whenever God's commands are not compromised. Since a 14-year-old is under the legal age of consent the priest should have been reported to the police.

Had Anglican leaders followed the Bible – the textbook which as "Christians" they're obliged to follow - Dr Hollingworth might now be Governor-General without embarrassment.

Anonymous—SA

 

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I write in response to Anonymous' letter in #83, regarding our Gov'r General.

As I write (7/3), Dr Hollingworth is still in office, but the controversy seems likely to continue.

I agree with Anonymous' presentation of the case's facts, but not his interpretation. Not for the first time, I express distaste for his judgemental and moralistic views which he supports with the selective use of Biblical quotations. Obviously, the reason he has "not seen anyone stating what the Bible says" is because the Australian public is assessing the issue in a secular way, realising the futility, and the wrongness, of using the Bible in a literal manner to damn wrong doers.

The priest who had sex with the 14-year-old girl ought, to have been dismissed and reported to the police for the offence of carnal knowledge. Whatever the Bible says — and it says many somewhat conflicting things, for example the wide disparity between the views of Jesus and Paul — is irrelevant because we have laws. We've moved some way from ancient prejudices and crude punitive customs. One supposes that a truly Christian system would include compassion, tolerance and some forgiveness, a bit lacking in those of the 'eye for an eye' school.

The crime was serious and a significant punishment, after mitigation, would have occurred. Having 'avoided' the sentence, by committing a 'mortal sin', some would imagine that, for 'him', Hell's flames would be doubly hot.

I've looked at Revelation 21:8. My King James says: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable (yetis?), and murderers, and whoremongers…and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." A bit hard on scared skeptics and fibbers, one would think, but it’s just another wildly apocalyptic warning of those longed for end times when all would be judged.

Also, just like other species, we die, and the 'let's scare people into believing' 'second death' in the bowels of an active volcano ('Hell') is but a figment of literalists'/fundamentalists' fervid imagination. Of course, the self righteous have the 'extra insurance' of facing up to Judgement day with a clean sheet, so they believe that the part of them that remains extant after the "dust to dust" bit will be 'saved'.

Anonymous mentioned an article he once wrote (in #48) which "showed that immoral conduct causes more devastation than all wars combined". Since I strongly disagree with this, I believe that he ought to have used the words 'attempted to show', since the selected data to 'prove' something about which he clearly has a powerful bee in his moralistic bonnet, so his figures and thus his thesis are highly suspect.

Anonymous persists in propagating a mis truth, that the Bible is a 'textbook' with a particular teaching purpose, when even the non expert can see the inconsistencies, as well as the folly of a mind set that applies apparently 'God-given' (which assumes one exists) ancient rules and 'laws' to contemporary issues.

 

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The problem of child sexual abuse by clergy sprang to world attention this year (2002) with the televising of the sentencing of a priest who abused 130 boys during 30 years. The priest's bishop, had reassigned the priest to parish after parish after each abuse became known and silenced the victims with bribes.

Many churches have a history of sexual abuse of children and of denial regarding its occurrence:

Australia: About 100 Catholic and Anglican clergy convicted of child sex abuse in the past five years. In Queensland one victim received $830,000 compensation from the Anglican Church and dozens more are suing.

Canada: Several Anglican dioceses went bankrupt and closed down due to compensation payments. Over 2,000 compensation claims have been filed by Indians alone.

England:  Twenty-one priests convicted in the past 7 years.

Ireland: Irish taxpayers are contributing 1/5 of $500 million to pay off claims by 3,000 victims covering 30 years.

USA: About 2000 Catholic priests have been disgraced including about 1200 legal proceedings. The Church has paid $1000 million in 17 years on court settlements, lawyers, hush-money and treatment (US$350 per day) for pervert priests.

In April, 2002, there were hundreds of priestly resignations, firings and settlements in dozens of countries and the Pope called American Cardinals to the Vatican to organise a policy change.

Child sexual abuse is also endemic in fringe religions. In America 44 students of seven Hare Krishna boarding schools filed a $A675 million lawsuit for child abuse in America and India. The abuse started in 1972 at the cult's first school in Dallas and allegedly eventually affected 1,000 children. (Herald Sun, June 14, 2000 p.43) The cult has since filed for bankruptcy.

Christianity Today (March 5, 2001) interviewed Jehovah's Witness abuse victims and added:


The Coloradoan (February 11, 2001) reported on a JW elder facing excommunication for demanding that church leaders acknowledge complaints of abuse victims.



Child sexual abuse in the community vastly exceeds the abuse by ministers of religion. Community awareness started in the late 1970s due to TV discussions and stories in women's magazines.

Freda Briggs, consultant for the Victoria Police, said in 1985:


A 1987 study of 104 cases of kids assessed for abuse in hospital and which went to court: "only five resulted in conviction and these abusers received good-behaviour bonds or suspended sentences." (Haynes, 1995)

What about child abuse in the Muslim world?  Burns (1994) writes:


If available estimates apply generally, then worldwide over 1,000 million people experienced sexual abuse as youngsters.

For child abuse to be so extensive the medical and psychological professions must have colluded besides the legal system. The Kinsey Reports, published in two books by Alfred Kinsey, helped spark the "sexual revolution".  It's now claimed that:


The paedophile movement often quotes Kinsey in its effort to get paedophilia accepted as a valid sexual orientation. (Reisman & Eichel 1990)

Most child sexual abuse occurs in the home but there’s also child prostitution:


Consequences to victims of sexual abuse include lifelong emotional problems, damaged sexual development, pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, low self esteem, depression, poor school results, prostitution and criminal conduct. If 1 billion people are affected the financial costs to society must be incredible.



There is a clerical culture of protection of clergy and the institution. Many child-abusing priests were forgiven by bishops and reassigned to another parish.

Most priests work well with parents who respect them and happily entrust their children to them. Priests are also in positions of power and moral authority. They can define right and wrong and tell a child, "It's OK. It's only a sin if you tell anyone." The result has been extraordinary betrayals. One priest of 50 years in Victoria is estimated to have abused 2000 children commencing in 1946. Church leaders knew but took no action:


Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, America's most powerful Catholic, shared in the cover-up. In 1997 he supported one priest's bid to run a guesthouse housing teenagers — a priest known to approve of incest, paedophilia and bestiality and who had abuse allegations stretching back to 1960s.

In May Cardinal Law repudiated one financial settlement reached with Church victims of abuse because new cases threatened the Church’s ability to meet escalating payouts.

The evidence is that in every American diocese Cardinals knew of child abuse by priests and did nothing. 

Rainbow Sash, an organization promoting homosexual rights, is using the scandal as leverage in its campaign for Church acceptance. The abuse scandal has weakened the Catholic Church's moral authority in every area.



An excuse some church officials use is that they had no guidelines regarding sexual abuse of children. Canon Law (1917; revised 1983) has only one clause against paedophilia:


The "just penalties" were left up to the bishops.

Was there no other guidance? The basis and sourcebook of Christianity is The Bible. The Bible does not have the words "child abuse" or  "paedophilia". However, it does say:


Both these Scriptures clearly rule-out child abuse.

The Bible teaches:


The Bible does not distinguish an "age of consent". Sexual immorality — including premarital sex, homosexual practise, prostitution, sexual abuse of children or of adults, bestiality, etc—are wrong irrespective of age. Immoral, child-abusing clerics should be removed from their positions and association with them ended — "Drive out the wicked person…"

What about the excuse that church leaders were not aware child abusers would re-offend? It’s a common observation that anyone who gets away with wrongdoing feels rewarded by getting away and will likely re-offend:


We see this principle at work in thievery, drink-driving, lying, drug-trafficking, gambling, adultery, etc. Unless stopped by force perpetrators often continue. Church authorities therefore knew from observation and The Bible that many child abusers would re-offend unless stopped.

What about bribing victims of abuse to keep quiet? Bible statements on bribery mainly concern judges and rulers who take bribes:


The Bible reasons for opposing bribery — "corrupts the heart" and "pervert the ways of justice" — are also true of "hush money" paid to sexual-abuse victims or their parents. Furthermore, Jesus foretold a time when every secret is revealed (Matthew 10:26) and if this is believed it's incompatible with paying "hush-money".

Secrecy associated with child abuse usually also requires disobeying the commands to be truthful:


Bishops who acquitted child-hurting priests and so subjected children to further hurt ignored this proverb:


The Bible also teaches obedience to governing authorities whenever the laws of God are not compromised:


Therefore every child-abusing priest should have been reported to the police in every country with laws against child-abuse.

The Bible uses children as examples of innocence. That's why it calls adult Christians "beloved children", "little children", "children of light", "children of God" and "obedient children":


Forcing shame, guilt and sex on children is inconsistent with them being examples of innocence to adults.

Jesus taught:


Sexually abused children usually reject the religion wherein they were abused. They no longer feel "welcome" in Jesus' name:




John H Williams (#84) interpreted my quote from Revelation 21:8 as "let's scare people into believing". However, he's wrong. It reads:


Some commands in the Bible applied temporarily to a few people. Jesus' command to Peter to walk on the water, for example, applied to one person on one occasion.

Other commands are intended universally. Whether there really will be eternal punishment is irrelevant in the present discussion. I cited Revelation 21:8 not to "scare" – since to unbelievers it would be an empty threat – but to establish that in the Bible sexual immorality (fornication) is permanently, not temporarily, prohibited. 

Furthermore, the ethics and commands in the Bible are for the benefit of humankind. They are intended to promote the goods everyone values but often fails to achieve such as long life, health, peace, sound mind, good relationships, happiness and prosperity:



Therefore many values taught in the Bible are scientifically testable by testing whether they promote life, health and peaceful relationships. Consider, for example, "Abstain from immorality". Sexual immorality killed over 200 million people in the 20th century and led to even more abortions — compared to about 150 million deaths by all 20th-century wars. Around 1990 the World Health Organization estimated sexually transmitted disease at 250 million cases per year. Hence my comment — "more devastation than all wars combined…" (#83 p. 5) Scenes of bombed cities and destroyed military equipment portray the waste of war. The cost of immorality is less vividly seen because it's ongoing and built into the cost of daily life and of running societies.

AIDS alone now takes 3 million lives per year. Initially AIDS was spread by sexual immorality — heterosexual and homosexual. Six million new HIV infections now occur annually. Life expectancy in 35 African countries is decreasing. In part it's a gift from the West:


As argued in Investigator 48, sexual relations without enforceable responsibility and commitment weakens the emotional bonding process and mutual adaptations necessary for stable relationships. Premarital sex is, therefore, the first step to breaking up and hence to problems that often accompany (or augment) breaking-up such as anger, violence, adultery, suicide, psychiatric illnesses, financial distress, murder, depression and child abuse.

The authors of The Myth of Safe Sex (1993) foresee a time when the survival of society will require making non-marital sex illegal and jailing publishers of pornographic magazines.

Williams rightly says that Australians should obey the law against child abuse but he's wrong in claiming the Bible is irrelevant. Modern Australia with its laws has existed two centuries and like all societies it will eventually end. The Bible, however, spans time, place and language and offers guidance to all humankind.

Furthermore, with adultery and defacto, bisexual and homosexual relationships now acceptable perhaps child abuse will eventually also be accepted as a lawful, "natural orientation" and experts present "safe" ways to do it. After all, it was lawful in ancient Greece. People who disapprove might then face labels like "paedophobes" and "paedophobia". If so the Bible’s guidance to the contrary will still be here.

The scandalous thing in all this is the betrayal by "Christians" who ignored their Christian role of being examples of right conduct. Back in 1993 the director of South Australia’s Sexual Offenders Treatment and Assessment Program complained that the churches ignored the law and his treatment program. He said, "In my opinion the churches are harboring child abusers by not sending them to us for treatment." (Church, 1993)



The Bible teaches that every teaching, every individual and every authority contrary to God will be proven wrong and fail and eventually pass away:


We see this in the defeat of ancient idolatry, the demise of the Roman Empire, the decline of slavery and polygamy, the defeat of Nazism and Communism, the deaths of millions from immorality, the Bible’s many victories in conflicts with science, and currently in religions facing bankruptcy for child abuse. A copy of The Bible may cost only $10 but principles taught therein are worth $billions! In April the Pope declared:


Human laws change and societies and governments pass away. The Bible, however, teaches values and beliefs that promote human good and which therefore endure and eventually prevail.


References:

Ankerberg, J. & Weldon, J. 1993 The Myth of Safe Sex. Moody Press, Chicago. p.163.

Briggs, F. Sexual Abuse of Children: the frightening truth. The Advertiser (Saturday Review), July 20, 1985, p. 8.

Briggs, F. 1986. Child Sexual Abuse. Pitman, Australia. p.12.

Burns, R. E. 1994. The Wrath of Allah. A. Ghosh, USA. p. 136.

Canon Law:  www.ourladyswarriors.org/canon

Church, J. Fallen 'angels'. Sunday Mail, April 4, 1993, p. 132.

Eccleston, R. Priest was evil one, says cover-up victim. The Weekend Australian, April 20-21, 2002, p. 16.

Haynes, A. Child Molesting. Reader's Digest, May 1995, pp. 39-44.

James, C. Sins of Silence. The Advertiser, March 23, 2002, p. 65.

Kelly, P. Dirty little secret’s out. The Weekend Australian, May 18, 2002.

Mawyer, M. 1987. Silent Shame. Crossway Books, USA.

Merriman, J. Few recognize full extent of child abuse. Sunday Mail, May 6, 2001, p.18.

Morgan, T.C. Sexual Revolution Speeds Spread of HIV Among Africans. Christianity Today, February 1, 2000, p. 39.

NRSV Reference Bible. 1993.  Zondervan Bible Publishers, USA.

Reisman, J. A. & Eichel, E.W. 1990. Kinsey, Sex and Fraud. Lochinvar, USA. pp. 4, 205-214

The Weekend Australian, April 20-21, 1996, p. 9.

Wildavsky, R. Sex, Lies and the Kinsey Reports. Reader's Digest, July 1997, pp. 125-130.