Has a church official ever denied sexual abuse claims?

[Bea Kiddo]

I am curious if they have ever directly stated anywhere that sexual or child abuse does not exist in the church? I dont recall ever seeing any such statement. Has anyone seen that?

Or a denial regarding not turning offenders over to the proper authorities?

[ChaoticPsychotic]

Have they ever been directly confronted on the matter? I don't recall ever hearing of a specific occurrence of someone making a public accusation in a court of law or anything.

I know that the dude who raped Tommy Gorman's wife is now in jail and declared...?

[gomorrhan]

Some scientologists are evil bastards, plain and simple.

What, about 2%?

[Bea Kiddo]

People do things.

My point is the church not turning them in. That is what I am talking about.

[alex]

I am curious if they have ever directly stated anywhere that sexual or child abuse does not exist in the church? I dont recall ever seeing any such statement. Has anyone seen that?

Or a denial regarding not turning offenders over to the proper authorities?

I would doubt that the church would deny it, as PR policy would rather have statements of positive but opposing realities or better yet attacks on the accuser as the message.

But If the CoS has any semblance to the rest of society, abuse is occurring.

http://www.catholicleague.org/resear...al_context.htm

The thing is that when it occurs, unless it is found as a pattern as in the case of the Catholics (1% of priests facing charges), it is usually dismissed as isolated individuals acting on their own.

And in the case of churchs, reporting is not required by law when the information is gotten in the course of religious practice.

Yeah you read that right.

Sexual abuse of children is more prevalent than most people realize, not just in churchs and such but in life in general.

"But the "silentlambs" gather in the field,

and ponder Gods wrath.

Is it on them?

or soon to come?"

alex ( who cant remember the church ever denying anything)

[Bea Kiddo]

What about the ones discovered through investigation, or something. IE: Not through auditing? Hmm?

And what about NAY confessionals?

[alex]

What about the ones discovered through investigation, or something. IE: Not through auditing? Hmm?

And what about NAY confessionals?

Bea, its all religious practice.

Religions themselves define what is and is not religious practice due to the establishment clause of the first amendment.

The Catholics were brought down by people outside reporting and putting pressure on them, not from self revelation.

That is what is so sick, that even organizations that have the noblest goals act on their basest instinct.

alex

[Zinjifar]

And in the case of churchs, reporting is not required by law when the information is gotten in the course of religious practice.

alex ( who cant remember the church ever denying anything)

This is not true, or, at the very least, it's misleading. There are very strict limitations on 'priest/penitent' confidentiality, but, despite Scientology claims to the contrary, and even some pussilanimous reluctance on the part of prosecutors to take on the 'Church' of Scientology, very little in Scientology 'practice' fits within the guidelines for 'confidentiality'. At the very least even the so called 'confidential PC Folders' are reviewed not only by the auditor, but by the C/S and others. That's not even to address the common practice of 'culling' PC Folders for extortion material, or merely for the general amusement of 'staff'.

A 'catholic' confessional is under absolute confidentiality, even within the 'Church' and is never written down or saved. For any purpose.

That's not even to mention the so called 'Ethics Folders', which don't even make any pretense at 'confidentiality'.

A report of molestation or abuse would be in a 'Knowledge Report' or in an 'Ethics File', and have no confidentiality whatsoever.

Nor is there any dispensation for 'religious organizations' reporting crimes once they become known.

Certainly the Roman Catholic Church knows this well, (by now), since the attempts to cover up and hide crimes and the deliberate obstruction of justice that was practiced for 'PR' reasons is exactly what has the 'Church' in hot water.

Note that obstruction of justice and covering up of crimes is *not* official church policy and in fact violates it at every turn.

Not so the 'Church' of Scientology. Obstruction of justice and handling of 'PR Flaps' through lies, perjury, obstruction of justice and witness tampering is not only Standard Practice, but *religious practice* and supported by both public and confidential 'Church' policy.

Zinj

[Zinjifar]

Bea, its all religious practice.

Religions themselves define what is and is not religious practice due to the establishment clause of the first amendment.

The Catholics were brought down by people outside reporting and putting pressure on them, not from self revelation.

That is what is so sick, that even organizations that have the noblest goals act on their basest instinct.

alex

Bullshit.

Zinj

[alex]

This is not true, or, at the very least, it's misleading. There are very strict limitations on 'priest/penitent' confidentiality, but, despite Scientology claims to the contrary, and even some pussilanimous reluctance on the part of prosecutors to take on the 'Church' of Scientology, very little in Scientology 'practice' fits within the guidelines for 'confidentiality'. At the very least even the so called 'confidential PC Folders' are reviewed not only by the auditor, but by the C/S and others. That's not even to address the common practice of 'culling' PC Folders for extortion material, or merely for the general amusement of 'staff'.

A 'catholic' confessional is under absolute confidentiality, even within the 'Church' and is never written down or saved. For any purpose.

That's not even to mention the so called 'Ethics Folders', which don't even make any pretense at 'confidentiality'.

A report of molestation or abuse would be in a 'Knowledge Report' or in an 'Ethics File', and have no confidentiality whatsoever.

Nor is there any dispensation for 'religious organizations' reporting crimes once they become known.

Certainly the Roman Catholic Church knows this well, (by now), since the attempts to cover up and hide crimes and the deliberate obstruction of justice that was practiced for 'PR' reasons is exactly what has the 'Church' in hot water.

Note that obstruction of justice and covering up of crimes is *not* official church policy and in fact violates it at every turn.

Not so the 'Church' of Scientology. Obstruction of justice and handling of 'PR Flaps' through lies, perjury, obstruction of justice and witness tampering is not only Standard Practice, but *religious practice* and supported by both public and confidential 'Church' policy.

Zinj

The fact still stands that the government is very reluctant to even hint at examining religious practice, even in the case of the Catholic church with such a well documented pattern of MOLESTING CHILDREN.

The catholic church is not being accused of furthing abuse but of covering it up, even though it is clear to any thinking person that the way the catholic church is set up DOES contribute to the SEXUAL MOLESTATION of CHILDREN. Mostly the criminal prosecution is targeted at individual priests for the abuse and the organization for covering it up.

So it seems that the CoS is at least mainstream in one respect....

It would take first establishing a pattern of abuse before then looking for the cover up.

Not that I think that sexual abuse is as prevalent in the CoS as it is in the Catholic church, but it occurs every where and there is simply no excuse.

alex