Fran,
I apologize. I did take your post the wrong way. I have read enough in past years that you have posted, I should have known better.
As to your question, there is no justice for a victim. No justice, no help, with the exception of those like Mabel Dunbar. But as I said in Abuse in the Adventist Church topic, after the rush to aid the guilty, hopefully Mabel Dunbar can reach the victim before he/she bleeds to death.
It does not matter what type of abuse, the guilty has many rushing to his side to make sure he is not feeling to much guilt, make sure he knows that the interest is in his emotional/physical/spiritual well being first and foremost.
We certainly do have "our" pedophiles". We know they are there,but if we don't rush to forgive them and feel all is well, we need to do one of two things. Say, "we do not care" which sounds pretty callous and unchristian, say we care and back it up. That takes a lot of dedication and hard work.
Far easier to offer forgivness we have no right to offer on behalf of a victim
Forgiving someone that has harmed another is a total slap in the face to any victim. I cannot forgive someone that has harmed you and what a insult.
Pedophilia,sexual immorality, sexual abuse of a vulnerable person of any age is evil, Calling it by it's right name crowds the comfort zone of many. IMO, many do so because if they can appear so forgiving/loving/righteous over something this evil, God will surey wink at their own "little" sins.
How many times I have had repeated to me that if I don't forgive this type of sin, God cannot forgive me mine.
They twist the meaning of forgivness and lay the twisted version of responsibility back on the victim, all the while feeling very righteous.
Looking at the evidence of the lives destroyed only confirms for the forgivness crowd, they were right. If the victim forgave, there would not be any lives destroyed.
Righteous and correct articles have been written as proof that, "Yup, we know we have a problem, we know how damaging,we know how evil. Then the work is done. They have taken that first important first step, what else do we want from them? Nothing different than an alcoholic acknowledging he has a drinking problem as he continues to drink. It has to go beyond that with dedicated committment. Sorry, it isn't there.
We can't have such a thing as a list of known pedophiles in the church. That is not christian. We must forgive them according to the dictates of those writing the rules.
As for the feeling it is just a sexual preference, I am convinced the majority don't see it as anything worse.
You have been around the forums a long time as I have, I am sure you have read the remarks.
One I remember well in response to the article written by James Cress on this type of abuse. Had I possessed any common sense, I would have understood way back then how this is viewed.
The remark was in response to a pastor being removed, no second chance. The statement or question was asked, What if a pastor bought gas on sabbath, isn't that a sin to? Doesn't God view all sin the same.
IMO What a evil thing to do to a victim. I am not talking about the abuser, but the person asking the question. Reducing the horrific acts of sexual abuse to "the sin of buying gas on sabbath".
Only when we as members react on the scale that has taken place with the demand for accountibility in org that represent our denomination, will any victim have a slim chance at any justice.
That will not happen. The problem has been solved and as soon as we can get that across to the victims and make them understand their responsibility,all will be well it is same song, same dance.
After all the Lord will come soon, let him take care of it
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Topic: What is the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Relationship to 3ABN? (Read 49299 times)
