Background Child Abuse Clearances For Church Callings

[Robert F. Smith]

Actually the first 3 questions Danzo outlined do make sense. All members will at some time in their life, deal with children, and according to this PA law will need a background check so they might as well get " on the books " so to speak. All  people who are to be baptized should have a check run first to avoid future problems. And temple recommends? Well the chances are quite high that one will be asked to serve the youth when they come to do youth type temple work so a check would be needed then also. It all seems logical to me given the wide open interpretation of that law.

I see no likelihood that anything like that will become normative.  You are baying at the moon, strappinglad.

[Gohan]

Actually the first 3 questions Danzo outlined do make sense. All members will at some time in their life, deal with children, and according to this PA law will need a background check so they might as well get " on the books " so to speak. All  people who are to be baptized should have a check run first to avoid future problems. And temple recommends? Well the chances are quite high that one will be asked to serve the youth when they come to do youth type temple work so a check would be needed then also. It all seems logical to me given the wide open interpretation of that law.

I don't see that going well at all. "Want to get baptized? Sorry, you'll need to pay the state $45 and wait six months." (I'm assuming that length based on current time waiting for education paperwork to clear.)

 

Doesn't seem logical to me at all. The more I read about this bloody law, the more I hope someone with sense will try and get some amendments passed for it. But sense seems to be a rare commodity in Harrisburg these days.

[strappinglad]

I see no likelihood that anything like that will become normative.  You are baying at the moon, strappinglad.

" when they came for the pedophiles ... " I actually find baying at the moon a good alternative to singing in the shower.

[Danzo]

None of these suggestions make any sense to me, and I doubt that anyone else would follow such extremist requirements.  Get serious Danzo !!  Or should I say, "Book 'em, Danzo !"  Sorry about that.  Couldn't help it.

So you think there are limits on government mandated "protection of children"

 

Where would you draw the line?

 

In our church, minors and adults are always mingling.  Church socials, church sports, church dances (at least with Hispanic units), Service projects, Temple trips, Home teaching, Visiting teaching, all have adults and minors mixing. all could give a predator an opportunity to do something bad.   

 

Everyone wants a bubble around all minors,  But I don't think living in a bubble is part of the plan.

[Rain]

But there really is no evidence at all that background checks prevent even one instance of abuse at church, and it give parents and leaders false comfort that may interfere with their acting on what they see and hear that COULD actually protect.

 

The reason they don't help is that it is estimated that most abusers are guilty of multiple offenses before they are caught.   People who are known pedophiles (a very small portion of those even on sex registries which include lots of behavior that isn't pedophilia) whose background will be identified by that background check  are unlikely to be in a church where there are children, and will honor that because being around children will violate their release provisions.

 

I know it wouldn't have stopped a man in my last stake who was a primary teacher.  He was caught because someone caught him at the school where he was a teacher.  

[Yirgacheffe]

I know it wouldn't have stopped a man in my last stake who was a primary teacher.  He was caught because someone caught him at the school where he was a teacher.  

So because it wouldn't have caught him, backround checks are pointless because    they don't catch people the first time?

[thesometimesaint]

So because it wouldn't have caught him, backround checks are pointless because    they don't catch people the first time?

 

Would have background checks stopped Dennis Hastert? I'm not saying that they are pointless, but they are not the panacea some claim.

[Robert F. Smith]

So you think there are limits on government mandated "protection of children"

 

Where would you draw the line?

 

In our church, minors and adults are always mingling.  Church socials, church sports, church dances (at least with Hispanic units), Service projects, Temple trips, Home teaching, Visiting teaching, all have adults and minors mixing. all could give a predator an opportunity to do something bad.   

 

Everyone wants a bubble around all minors,  But I don't think living in a bubble is part of the plan.

The Soviet state had a very low crime rate, and there are many Russians today who would like to return to that era in which one did not have to fear being mugged.  We can have background checks for everyone, and allow the secret police to watch us all constantly.  We can have a surveillance state in which everyone is forced to be "good," and in which only the state is allowed to be a criminal.  And we can build gulags for those who disagree . . . 

 

Or we can apply restrained and rational standards and methods of enforcement in keeping with the Constitution.

[Calm]

"The Soviet state had a very low crime rate"

Perhaps, but I have never seen homes as barricaded as they were built to be in the Soviet era in Moscow. Getting into our apartment through the two massive doors was like entering a bank vault.

[Rain]

So because it wouldn't have caught him, backround checks are pointless because    they don't catch people the first time?

 

Where did you get any idea that I meant that?

[rodheadlee]

The other side of the coin is NEVER be alone with children. You could be falsely accused and have your life ruined.

[Tacenda]

The other side of the coin is NEVER be alone with children. You could be falsely accused and have you life ruined.

I've noticed that every week a member of the Primary presidency will open the door to our classroom and make sure there are two teachers in the classroom. It's the routine now, and if there aren't two teachers, one of the presidency will sit in there or find someone to sit with the class.

[Robert F. Smith]

Here is merely the latest incident and conviction:  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629700/Ex-teacher-who-abused-students-asks-judge-not-to-send-her-to-prison.html?s_cid=Email-1 .

 

 

 

Edited to add:  http://news.yahoo.com/child-sex-abuse-claims-shake-un-revelations-continue-042336279.html .

[Robert F. Smith]

Here is merely the latest incident and conviction:  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629700/Ex-teacher-who-abused-students-asks-judge-not-to-send-her-to-prison.html?s_cid=Email-1 .

 

 

 

Edited to add:  http://news.yahoo.com/child-sex-abuse-claims-shake-un-revelations-continue-042336279.html .

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/31/megachurch-stay-with-your-kiddie-porn-watching-husband-or-face-discipline.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29&ref=yfp .

[jwhitlock]

 

Here is merely the latest incident and conviction:  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629700/Ex-teacher-who-abused-students-asks-judge-not-to-send-her-to-prison.html?s_cid=Email-1 .

 

 

 

Edited to add:  http://news.yahoo.com/child-sex-abuse-claims-shake-un-revelations-continue-042336279.html .

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/31/megachurch-stay-with-your-kiddie-porn-watching-husband-or-face-discipline.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29&ref=yfp .

 

 

The last link to the TVC megachurch was quite interesting. They had a link to Mars Hill (of Mark Driscoll fame) that they severed as Driscoll's corruption came to light. The article you linked has its own link to that situation, for anyone who wants to dig deeper.