The Sins of the Church
I’m sorry God, but I can’t ignore your church’s involvement in child sexual assault scandals. I was unprepared for how intertwined Christianity and child sexual abuse appear to have become. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses of Child Sexual Abuse involves several religious organisations encompassing various doctrines.
Now, I intend to be antagonistic here, and for that I shall not apologise. I feel that diplomacy and child abuse should never coexist. The Royal Commission has addressed the poor institutional responses to child abuse and I shall applaud that wholeheartedly. As a result of such an investigation, shouldn’t we address and challenge our longstanding or customised acceptance of these same institutions?
In my recent unusual visit to a church, my husband was admonished for being “a protective parent” for not allowing his four children to attend Sunday School, which was located in another building. Why, when I’ve been in a situation for several minutes, should I completely relinquish parental control of my children to a 20-year-old stranger for Sunday school? That would be incredibly poor parenting in any other environment, yet in a church situation we were berated for not trusting. If I walked up to you in a non-church situation and introduced myself and had a brief three minute conversation, would you give me your children? I doubt it very much. Yet, in a church it was completely expected that I should hand over my children to a complete stranger. When a group believes they’re above reproach and, therefore implicitly trusted, it makes you recognise how easily things can end up poorly.
As a result of the Royal Commission, I have significant concerns about religious institutions, especially Hillsong and the Catholic Church. Why are these churchgoers and parishioners not questioning and demanding action by their leaders? Why do they turn up to the church service each week without protesting? Do these members not understand their attendance power or, more likely, their wallet’s attendance power? My solution is simple: stop donating to the offering plate that is funding child sexual abuse or the defence of perpetrators. Church attendees burying their head in the sand and ignoring the investigations are carrying on the same institutional apathy and behaviour that their leaders have displayed. It’s the whole reason there has to be a Royal Commission.
Having spoken to several Christian people in relation to the abuse accusations, I get a similar response from each of them, “Oh, they’re nothing to do with our church” or “Most Christians aren’t like that” or “No, my priest is fine” or some other dismissive response. It implies that because their abuse claim didn’t involve their particular church (for now) that they are somehow not involved. I would expect to see church members in an uproar over their leaders’ involvement in child sexual abuse scandals. Yet, sadly, I see people attending church on Sunday without question. Is it because they weren’t abused so maybe it doesn’t apply to them? Do they so blindly trust the institution around them?
As for the Frank Houston crime, let’s be honest, folks; the entire Hillsong church has been established by a paedophile as have many Christian Life Centres. That is a debilitating foundation for a so-called “house of god” and I contend that that poses terrible spiritual repercussions that are unlikely to ever be corrected. Isn’t there a scripture involving wise and foolish builders? My childhood recalls a song about not building your house on the sandy land, but building it on solid rock. A child sex offender establishing a church seems like sandy foundations to me, regardless of any mighty works done by them in God’s name. It appears, alarmingly, the man who also agreed to cover up the abuse is still preaching from the pulpit. Q.E.D. Hillsong is built on spiritually compromised foundations that may defy the recommendations of the scriptures.
Is your religious institution being investigated by the Royal Commission? Are you still making monetary donations to this same institution? Being totally honest with yourself, to what cause do you expect your money is being directed? Why are you still placing money in the offering plate? Donating money, via an offering plate to an institution being investigated for child sex offences is very strange to me indeed. Do you think that you’re not funding their legal response? Your donated cash is supporting the defence of or harbouring a perpetrator. Your donated cash is funding those abusers still hiding in the institution you trust.
Imagine what would happen if all members of the Catholic Church donated just one Sunday’s offering to the victims instead of the institution hiding the perpetrators. The power of that gesture would be undeniable to victims and the institution. The priests would be held accountable and the victims would be supported. That is the way of Jesus Christ, isn’t it? I can’t understand why all these lovely, sensible people continue to donate money to the institution supporting child sex offenders and still deny the reality of the situation. In my view, this is guilt by association. While ever you place money in that institution’s offering plate and remain apathetic, you are funding sex offenders and ignoring the victims.