Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sunnyvale, California
Comments, Essays, and Sermons (Collection 1)
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Minister's Mutterings:
Sexual Atrocities
The news brings endless accusations of sexual abuse of children and teens by Roman Catholic priests. It is heartbreaking to think of the years of physical pain, fear, and shame of the victims. For decades the Catholic hierarchy did nothing more than reassign the perpetrators to other parishes.
What is the breeding ground for such evil? I think it is the culture of denial within the Church, especially about sexual matters. For centuries, the Church has forced priests and nuns to deny their sexual natures precisely when they are maturing sexually. It's one thing to require priests to take vows of celibacy (voluntary singleness) and chastity (abstinence). But it's quite another to saddle this burden on young men slated for the priesthood -- and then to ignore that they have sexual feelings and thoughts. Confusion, anguish, and misbehavior are the inevitable results. Denial should be added to the list of Deadly Sins.
I was prepared to criticize the Catholic Church as uniquely sinful in this regard, but it's not. In its April 6 issue, The Economist reports that numerous American public schools have also been "passing the trash." That is, when a school catches a perpetrator, they don't call the police. They fire him and send him off with a favorable letter of recommendation! Surely, most of these perpetrators were not single.
So what does it take? Thomas Plante, a Santa Clara University professor of psychology, told the Mercury News (March 26) that 70 percent of priests who abuse children or other vulnerable people were themselves abused as children. Hence, one way to reduce abuse is to help child victims to come forward. We must give them the professional care necessary for true healing. It is crucial to protect children from harm.
To this end, the UUFS Trustees have established a policy that no child in our nursery or Sunday School shall be left alone with only one volunteer or staff member who is not the child's parent.
A recent issue of the SF Chronicle reports that Catholic seminaries now speak frankly in teaching their candidates about all matters of sexuality. They strive to screen out those who seem to have the potential for trouble. Thank God! Our UUA and other liberal denominations have done this for many years. We have had our share of clergy sexual misconduct. In almost every case, adult males crossed the line with adult female parishioners. The feminist movement (coupled with the rapid rise of women in our ministry) sensitized the UUA to issues of power and pastoral boundaries. UU women and their male allies have insisted that we hold people accountable to ethical standards.
Moreover, our denomination has pioneered the use of responsible and honest sex education for youth in our church settings. In 1971 the UUA published a curriculum called "About Your Sexuality." It included thorough training of leaders and orientations for parents. In 1972 the National Council on Family Relations gave it an award.
After it became outdated, it was replaced by a curriculum called "Our Whole Lives." This is a joint product of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. It includes five sections to cover different age groups. The Rev. Dr. Roberta Nelson, our preacher for May 5, knows "OWL" quite well. She has been a leader in UU sexuality education throughout her ministerial career. Please be sure to meet her and her husband at the Wild Oats Market lunch after the 11:00 service on May 5th.
Yours in faith,
-- Roger Jones
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sunnyvale, California
Comments, Essays, and Sermons (Collection 1)
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