Sol Reform

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  21

  Californian Jehovah Witnesses - Sexual abuse victims....California Child Victims’ Act Passes Judiciary

  by Sol Reform in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://theworthyadversary.com/1886-california-child-victims-act-passes-judiciary.

  from today's oc register:.

  sexual abuse victims seek more time to sue.

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  Sol Reform

  http://verdict.justia.com/2013/08/08/the-california-catholic-bishops-fight-access-to-justice-for-child-sex-abuse-victims
  
  August 8, 2013
  Marci A. Hamilton
  
  The California Catholic Bishops Fight Access to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims
  
  At the end of July, Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archbishop Jose Gomez sent the following letter to the editor of California Catholic, Bob McPhail, asking him to publish Gomez's letter encouraging parishioners to contact their state elected representatives urging them to vote against statute-of-limitations (SOL) reform for child-sex- abuse victims, by voting against Bill SB131. The primary target of the Catholic bishops, and bishops nationwide, is this statute-of-limitations window which would open a one-year period during which those victims of clergy child sex abuse whose statutes of limitations had expired (which is the vast majority) could still file lawsuits against their abusers and those who covered up the abuse.Here is an excerpt of what Gomez said:Friends, my brother bishops and I in the California Catholic Conference are asking all Catholics to contact their Assembly members and Senators and urge them to vote "No" on Senate Bill 131.SB-131 fails to protect all victims of childhood sexual abuse, discriminates against Catholic schools and other private employers, and puts the Church's social services and educational mission at risk.This is the same playbook that was first conjured up by now-Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput when he was the Archbishop of Denver, Colorado. The main idea is that, once SOL reform is proposed in the legislature, the bishops then mobilize their parishioners against it, with messages that misrepresent the actual impact of such legislation, and then play a false anti-Catholic card to really get their parishioners out of the pews and onto their computers and phones. The trouble is that neither claim is true, nor is either truly in the spirit of Catholic teachings.Who Is Listening to Catholic Bishops on the Issue of Child Sex Abuse, and What Religious Values Fuel Their Opposition to Victims' Access to Justice?The natural response to such a push is to ask who now, in 2013, is looking to the Catholic bishops for guidance on the protection of children? When it comes to child sex abuse, they have proven themselves deceptive and dangerous.Why are elected representatives of the people giving them any traction on this particular issue? There are plenty of others and this is just one of many they have put on their agendas. Currently, they are chattering up a storm trying to keep gay couples away from the altar, keep contraception away from working women, and to stop abortion and the death penalty. While many do not agree with them on these issues, at least, each of those positions has a home in their theology.For the Catholic Church, the sexual abuse of children, and their continued endangerment, however, are not acts sanctioned by theology. And, while the bishops have observed in the past a theologically-based "rule against scandal," which led them to shield abusers to protect the reputation of the Church, they now say that they are engaging in "zero-tolerance" of abuse, and "cooperating" with authorities. They are also committed, we are told, to transparency.So, what religious values are served by their opposition to victims of childhood sexual abuse? I am told that Catholic theology does embrace the pursuit of justice. While the Church litigators fighting the victims of the Catholic hierarchy and priests in court frequently intone Canon Law to avoid discovery and liability, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which John Paul II issued in 1992, is also part of their theological system. Father James Connell, one of the brave founding members of the Catholic Whistleblowers, recently brought the definition of "justice" in Section 1807 of the CCC to my attention:Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the 'virtue of religion'. Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.This refreshing reminder about justice, one's neighbor, respect for rights, and the common good provides a sharp contrast to the campaign to keep victims out of the justice system. Where are these values in the public relations-fueled campaign against victims' access to justice? Nowhere. Instead, the plea to parishioners tells them that SOL reform is about money, or more specifically, about putting services and schools at risk.The Factual Shortcomings in the California Bishops' Plea to Parishioners to Fight Victims' Access to JusticeA cardinal problem with the Catholic bishops' claims in this vein, however, is that, in fact, SOL reform has not led to shutting down schools or services. Catholic schools have been shuttered because of demographics, not victims. To triangulate the relationship between victims and parishioners, so that the victims are purportedly the enemies of the parishioners, is indefensible and about as far from the spirit and letter of CCC Section 1807 as you can get.It is interesting to note that the California bishops are not fighting SB131 with the argument they have tried elsewhere: they have irresponsibly alleged that SOL reform leads to diocesan bankruptcies. They have had to pull back on that whopper, because only one state has had a diocese file bankruptcy following SOL window legislation, which actually went forward-Delaware. Under the 2003 window in California, only one diocese, San Diego, filed for bankruptcy, and it was ushered out of the bankruptcy court because of its copious holdings and wealth. The other diocesan bankruptcies, in Spokane, Portland, Davenport, Tucson, and Milwaukee have had nothing to do with SOL reform.Moreover, the California settlements that were paid to those victims who could come forward in 2003 were paid out of insurance proceeds and the sale of property that was mostly unrelated to religious uses. To tell parishioners that they must oppose SB131 in order to protect their programs and schools is the height of misleading propaganda.What religious values sanction the bishops' fabrication of arguments against victims' access to justice? None I could find.The bishops are upset in part, because there was a statute-of-limitations window that was open in 2003 in California, which assisted over 800 victims of the church hierarchy. I suppose they figure that having meted out partial justice to a fraction of their victims, it should all just go away. But many victims of the hierarchy, other institutions, and those in the largest number, victims of incest, did not know that the window was open, or understand what it meant. This new window, and the accompanying extension of civil SOLs, is intended to reach those victims whose needs were left unmet by the prior window.Let us also look to history to learn what the bishops fear the most from such lawsuits. When settlements were reached following the 2003 California SOL window, they were paid expeditiously. But the bishops then litigated, hammer and tongs, for ten years, in order to keep the files that they promised to release as part of the settlements, shuttered in darkness. Only in 2013 were those files finally released, and they are embarrassing to the bishops, because of the depravity of their actions in letting criminals have easy access to children, and because of their instinct to protect themselves, rather than the children of their own believers. Cardinal Mahoney lost public credibility and his position of authority because of the files' release, and every bishop in the United States fears similar treatment when the files on which they are perched are eventually released.If Gomez were being sincere with his parishioners, he would have written that he needs them to contact their representatives in order to protect his and his brethren's already-tarnished reputations from going all the way down the tubes. It's not the services, or the schools, or the money that is motivating this frantic and expensive fight to keep clergy child abuse victims out of court. What they fear is the ugly truth's finding its way outside their mansions, cathedrals, and file drawers.It Is Not Anti-Catholic to Provide Victims of Incest and Every Private Institution Access to JusticeThe anti-Catholic charge in Gomez's letter is pure "malarkey" to borrow a phrase from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, because SB131 is aimed at all private institutions and entities. How is it that an institution that presumably has contact with families everyday that are struggling with incest can lobby against giving those victims access to justice, just to protect their own hides?And where is the Catholic value that leads the bishops to fight to keep victims of incest out of court? Which fathers, grandfathers, mothers, aunts, and cousins should be protected from legal accountability under Catholic theology?True, SB131 does not cover public institutions. As I argue in Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children, public institutions need justice for sex abuse.I wholeheartedly urge the California legislature to take up that issue as well, and to consider a separate bill involving state and local institutions. These institutions are always treated differently than private institutions, and issues like sovereign immunity, which are irrelevant to the private sphere, need to be considered when such institutions are at issue. Let's create justice for all victims of child sex abuse. But there is no necessity that all entities are included in any one bill. SB131 includes some of those that absolutely need to be addressed: families especially.The claim by Gomez that SB131 is prejudiced against the Catholic Church, because it does not address public institutions, also needs to be taken with a large grain of salt (one that is about the size of California), because it is not as though the bishops want justice for victims of public institutions. Instead, Gomez only floats this propaganda in order to kill the bill, not to make it more inclusive. His fear is the potential access to the files of the victims on the private side, not any concern for the victims on the public side.SB131 Is ConstitutionalThe other argument the bishops typically try to float against victims' access to justice is the weak argument that windows are unconstitutional. Gomez did not mention it in his short missive to parishioners, but his lobbyists are pushing it in the halls of the legislature in Sacramento. Surprisingly, Professor Stephen Bainbridge posted a blog with a weak constitutional argument against it. He does not take into account any of the actual cases or arguments that are relevant, and appears not to fully grasp all of the work that has already been done on the issue.My explanation of why it is obviously constitutional is here.If I were Professor Bainbridge, I would have declined the "opportunity" to defend the indefensible.The Lobbying Picture in CaliforniaThe bishops have been exerting the only truly active and well-financed lobbying pressure against sex-abuse victims' access to justice in California, and any legislator who kowtows to their pressure on an issue over which they deserve absolutely no deference is no better than they are. There are rumors that USA Swimming is lobbying against the bill as well, with the same lame argument that it's "unfair," but their involvement is less obvious, and harder to pin down. Olympic athletes across the country should be scared if this is where the USA athletic leagues are headed-against access to justice for athletes. USA Swimming should be ashamed of itself, and, again, any legislator deferring to an institution that has a history of child sex abuse on the protection of children and victims' access to justice is no better than the institution pressuring them.The choice is plain: protect children, or protect predators and the institutions that gave them access to children. The victims of child sex abuse who are suffering right now need state legislators to do the right thing, for the right reasons, and to send packing the bishops who have lost their way on the issue of justice.The pending California SOL reform bill, SB131, and the SOL window within it, is about access to justice for child-sex-abuse victims, and offers the only means to justice for thousands of survivors of sexual abuse that California law has currently barred from the system. Every parishioner needs to understand what is really at stake: justice for those who allowed children to be terribly abused. - See more at: http://verdict.justia.com/2013/08/08/the-california-catholic-bishops-fight-access-to-justice-for-child-sex-abuse-victims#sthash.WslsQ7in.dpuf
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  10

  Jehovah's Witnesses among six other groups added to hate crime stats of USA Justice Department.

  by Sol Reform in

  1. social
  2. current

  in june, an fbi advisory board approved tracking crimes against sikhs, hindus, arabs, buddhists, mormons, jehovah's witnesses and orthodox christians.

  fbi director robert mueller signed off on the board's recommendations.. http://www.jsonline.com/news/usandworld/sikhs-added-to-hate-crime-stats-b9967444z1-218102831.html.

  meanwhile, congregants not warned of the danger of member pedophiles is not a 'hate crime'.. u.s. and worldsikhs, six other groups added to hate crime statsjustice department makes change near anniversary of killing of 6 sikh worshippers in oak creekby ashley luthern of the journal sentinelupdated: 2:33 p.m.. sikh temple shooting.

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  Sol Reform

  Sorry, Regular Christians don't count.
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  10

  Jehovah's Witnesses among six other groups added to hate crime stats of USA Justice Department.

  by Sol Reform in

  1. social
  2. current

  in june, an fbi advisory board approved tracking crimes against sikhs, hindus, arabs, buddhists, mormons, jehovah's witnesses and orthodox christians.

  fbi director robert mueller signed off on the board's recommendations.. http://www.jsonline.com/news/usandworld/sikhs-added-to-hate-crime-stats-b9967444z1-218102831.html.

  meanwhile, congregants not warned of the danger of member pedophiles is not a 'hate crime'.. u.s. and worldsikhs, six other groups added to hate crime statsjustice department makes change near anniversary of killing of 6 sikh worshippers in oak creekby ashley luthern of the journal sentinelupdated: 2:33 p.m.. sikh temple shooting.

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  Sol Reform

  In June, an FBI advisory board approved tracking crimes against Sikhs, Hindus, Arabs, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Orthodox Christians. FBI Director Robert Mueller signed off on the board's recommendations.

  http://www.jsonline.com/news/usandworld/sikhs-added-to-hate-crime-stats-b9967444z1-218102831.html

  Meanwhile, congregants not warned of the danger of member pedophiles is not a 'hate crime'.

  U.S. and World

  Sikhs, six other groups added to hate crime stats

  Justice Department makes change near anniversary of killing of 6 Sikh worshippers in Oak Creek

  By Ashley Luthern of the Journal SentinelUpdated: 2:33 p.m.

  Sikh Temple Shooting
  Special Section: Complete coverage of the Oak Creek Sikh Temple shootings and aftermathThe Justice Department announced Friday it will now record statistics on hate crimes committed against Sikhs and six other groups, as Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the killing of six Sikh worshippers in Oak Creek.

  The decision was praised by Sikh-Americans and lawmakers."This is a process toward understanding the magnitude of challenges that this community has been facing," said Jasjit Singh, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.The organization has tried to capture data about Sikh-American hate crimes for years, but "it's not in the best place to do it, frankly speaking,"

  Singh said.Singh addressed federal officials in 2010 about the need to record that data, but said that effort really didn't gather momentum until last year."If nothing else the horrific tragedy and memory of these victims has helped shine a light on this community in a way that there hasn't been before," he said.The victims in Oak Creek must never be reduced to mere crime statistics, Attorney General Eric Holder wrote in a blog post about the decision."But, in order to honor their untimely losses by ensuring that justice can be done, they do need to be counted," he wrote.

  In June, an FBI advisory board approved tracking crimes against Sikhs, Hindus, Arabs, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Orthodox Christians. FBI Director Robert Mueller signed off on the board's recommendations.Some members of Congress had urged the FBI and Department of Justice to begin tracking hate crimes against Sikh-Americans in April 2012 - months before the temple shooting in Oak Creek.

  After the attack, Wisconsin members of the House of Representatives introduced a resolution recognizing the contributions of Sikh-Americans and called for action on hate crimes. That action was followed by more than 100 members of Congress writing to the FBI's advisory policy board to express strong support for the hate-crime tracking changes.In a joint statement, Reps. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), Michael Honda (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said they were "thrilled" by Friday's decision."

  This groundbreaking decision to collect valuable hate crime data will go a long way towards protecting communities living in fear of being victims of a hate crime," according to a prepared statement.The Justice Department's Office on Victims of Crime also will offer an emergency assistance grant of more than $512,000 to help reimburse, and continue to pay for, mental health and trauma services for those affected by the Oak Creek shooting.

  The grant will be administered by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
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  2

  Jehovah Witness victims of Childhood Sex Abuse - and all supporters from Massachusetts - Action Alert ! ...

  by Sol Reform in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  action alert!

  to all massachusetts residents - please call house speaker robert deleo & members of joint judiciary comm before tues may 7.. http://sol-reform.com/massachusetts/#rep.

  we need their support of statutes of limitations reform for massachusetts' child sex abuse victims!.

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  Sol Reform

  Your Action on SOL Reform is Still Needed! As we reported on Friday, in a strategic effort to move civil Statute of Limitations (SOL) reform forward, Senator Brownsberger personally reached out to his Senate colleagues to urge them to add their names to a letter that he and Rep. Lawn have drafted. The letter urges Senate President Murray and House Speaker DeLeo to shepherd SOL bills S. 63 and H.1455 out of Committee and on to the Senate and House floors for a vote. As of this afternoon at least 30 of 40 Senators have signed on and nearly 70 Representatives have as well.

  Please check the list of Representatives below; these Reps have signed the letter to show their support.

  If your Representative is NOT on this list please call them as soon as possible.

  If you are not sure who your Representative is this link - will take you to the Massachusetts Legislature's "Find Your Legislator" tool.

  This letter may be sent to Senate President Murray and House Speaker DeLeo tomorrow so your action is needed today!

  Rep. Denise Andrews,

  Rep. James Arciero,

  Rep. Brian Ashe,

  Rep. Cory Atkins,

  Rep. Matthew Beaton,

  Rep. Ruth Balser,

  Rep. Carlo Basile,

  Rep. Jay Barrows,

  Rep. James Cantwell,

  Rep. Gailanne Cariddi,

  Rep. Tackey Chan,

  Rep. Coakley-Rivera,

  Rep. Nick Collins,

  Rep. Ed Coppinger,

  Rep. Mark Cusack,

  Rep. Josh Cutler,

  Rep. Marjorie Decker,

  Rep. Geoffrey Diehl,

  Rep. Stephen DiNatale,

  Rep. Diana Dizoglio,

  Rep. Carolyn Dykema,

  Rep. Lori Ehrlich,

  Rep. Ann Margaret Ferrante,

  Rep. Mike Finn,

  Rep. Sean Garballey,

  Rep. Denise Garlick,

  Rep. Tom Golden,

  Rep. Anne Gobi,

  Rep. Ken Gordon,

  Rep. Carlos Henriquez,

  Rep. Paul Heroux,

  Rep. Kate Hogan,

  Rep. Kevin Honan,

  Rep. Bradley Jones,

  Rep. Louis Kafka,

  Rep. John Keenan,

  Rep. Kay Khan,

  Rep. Peter Kocot,

  Rep. Jay Livingstone,

  Rep. John Mahoney,

  Rep. Liz Malia,

  Rep. Brian Mannal,

  Rep. Ron Mariano,

  Rep. Paul McMurty,

  Rep. James Miceli,

  Rep. Aaron Michlewitz,

  Rep. Leonard Mirra,

  Rep. Michael Moran,

  Rep. Dave Nangle,

  Rep. Shauna O'Connell,

  Rep. Keiko Orrall,

  Rep. Thomas Petrolati,

  Rep. Denise Provost,

  Rep. Angelo Puppolo,

  Rep. Dave Rogers,

  Rep. John W. Scibak,

  Rep. Frank Smizik,

  Rep. Tom Stanley,

  Rep. Walter Timilty,

  Rep. Adam Vega,

  Rep. Dave Viera,

  Rep. Chris Walsh,

  Rep. Steve Walsh,

  Rep. Dan Winslow

  Thank you,

  The CORSAL Team
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  1

  'Enough is Enough' - August 1 has been designated as Clergy Sexual Abuse Awareness & Prevention Day

  by Sol Reform in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://clergysexualabuseawarenessday.com/.

  august 1 has been designated as clergy sexual abuse awareness & prevention day, an event to be celebrated with various activities throughout the month of august.. clergy sexual abuse (also known as misconduct and exploitation) is a prevalent problem in every denomination around the globe.. our goal is to raise awareness of the issue of clergy sexual abuse and its devastating and destructive effects on individual lives, congregations and religion as a whole.. this campaign is necessary because the issue of clergy sexual abuse is little understood by most people.

  education and awareness are essential in both prevention and healing.. news reports abound about spiritual leaders having an "affair" with a teen or adult, male or female.

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  Sol Reform

  http://clergysexualabuseawarenessday.com/

  August 1 has been designated as Clergy Sexual Abuse Awareness & Prevention Day®, an event to be celebrated with various activities throughout the month of August.

  Clergy sexual abuse (also known as misconduct and exploitation) is a prevalent problem in every denomination around the globe.

  Our goal is to raise awareness of the issue of clergy sexual abuse and its devastating and destructive effects on individual lives, congregations and religion as a whole.

  This campaign is necessary because the issue of clergy sexual abuse is little understood by most people. Education and awareness are essential in both prevention and healing.

  News reports abound about spiritual leaders having an "affair" with a teen or adult, male or female. The term "abuse" is rarely used in the media, though it needs to be understood and labeled as such.

  Will you join us in telling the world that Enough IS Enough?
  Resources you can use to Get Involved!Download, print and share the flyers (Flyer 1; Flyer 2)

  Download and distribute the public service announcement to local radio stations (:30 spot; :60 spot)Order buttons and other materials to share with others during your campaign event

  Review additional website resources here.

  http://clergysexualabuseawarenessday.com/get_involved.asp

  http://clergysexualabuseawarenessday.com/radio_psa/CSAAPD-THOS-30.aif

  http://clergysexualabuseawarenessday.com/radio_psa/CSAAPD-THOS-60.aif

  Though the Clergy Sexual Abuse Awareness & Prevention Day ® campaign (CSAAP, for short) appear to be members of Seventh day Adventists, who go by the name http://www.thehopeofsurvivors.com/ ; from last report they are not involved with (the mother organization) - Seventh day Adventists in California that are lobbying against SB131.

  http://www.churchstate.org/index.php?id=1500

  SB 131 Legislative Alert - May 8, 2013

  Legislative Alert - May 8, 2013

  SB 131 - OPPOSE

  Yesterday Dennis Seaton was in attendance at the Judiciary Committee where SB 131 passed with only one vote against. This bill is harmful to Adventist Church schools. The bill is being vigorously opposed by the California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO). Seventh-day Adventist schools are affiliated with CAPSO.
  SB 131 changes the statute of limitations period for suing private organizations only, in respect to sexual abuse cases, despite the fact that public schools account for the vast majority of both students and abuse complaints.
  SB 131 fails both victims and private schools by ignoring the actual perpetrators of sex abuse, and doing nothing to strengthen criminal penalties against abusers or extend the criminal statute of limitations.
  The Legislative Aides at the Capitol have told us that 5 phone calls/emails make a difference. Please take time to contact the Appropriations Committee members and tell them that you oppose this bill. You will most likely reach a Voice Mail, all they want is your name and that you oppose SB 131.
  Kevin de Leon [email protected] 916-651-4022
  Mimi Walters [email protected] 916-651-4037
  Ted Gaines [email protected] 916-651-4001
  Jerry Hill [email protected] 916-651-4013
  Ricardo Lara [email protected] 916-651-4033
  Alex Padilla [email protected] 916-651-4020
  Darrell Steinberg [email protected] 916-651-4006

  - See more at: http://www.churchstate.org/index.php?id=1500#sthash.7438siB9.dpuf
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  How Religious Indoctrination Enables Clergy Abuse - clergy are viewed as conduits to some sort of god or gods

  by Sol Reform in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  but #3 is where things really get interesting.

  in many religious traditions, clergy are viewed as conduits to some sort of god or gods.

  eternal damnation is at stake.

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  Sol Reform

  But #3 is where things really get interesting. In many religious traditions, clergy are viewed as conduits to some sort of god or gods. Eternal damnation is at stake. Talk about an incentive to cooperate and keep quiet afterward!

  Read more: http://www.atheistrev.com/2013/07/how-religious-indoctrination-enables.html#ixzz2aXHVohsJ

  July 28, 2013 How Religious Indoctrination Enables Clergy Abuse
  
  This will be a short post because I really just want to highlight something I read at Bitchspot, which I think is important. Cephus (Bitchspot) has been writing a weekly series of "Horror Show Sunday" posts in which he focuses on some of the worst religion has to offer. In today's installment, Horror Show Sunday: Take Those Little Girls Home, he tells us about Nigerian pastor Fidelis Eze and how he has admitted taking two 11 year-old girls home and having sex with them. Pastor Eze first claimed that the 11 year-olds consented to sex. When police did not buy that, he claimed he was possessed by evil spirits.
  The part I want to highlight is what Cephus had to say to those who complain that it is unfair for him to pick on clergy. As someone who addressed clergy abuse, I've certainly received this same complaint. It usually goes something like this: "People in many professions abuse children, so why do you focus on clergy as if it is somehow worse when they do it?" Well, because it is worse when they do it.
  Cephus provides three reasons why it makes sense to consider clergy abuse as a special category:The clergy is taught to be respected across wide swaths of American life, parents teach their children to listen to, respect and obey their priests and ministers and to turn to them in moments of crisis, both religious and physical. True, this respect and obedience also extends to a select few other occupations like police, firefighters and teachers, but they do not share other detrimental aspects.The clergy has unfettered access to children at virtually all times. Parents trust and respect the clergy to do what is in their children's best interests and have little problem leaving their children in the care of men of the cloth, even in situations that they'd be uncomfortable leaving them with other professions. Teachers may have some access to children, but usually only in controlled conditions and rarely in very private situations where abuse can occur.Finally, the clergy has a particular hold over the minds of children, whereas a teacher or a police officer can offer an earthly threat to a child should they disobey, a priest or a minister can offer a heavenly one. Clergy are often looked upon as being closer to God and thus, having in "in" with the almighty. A cop can out you in jail, a teacher can give you detention, many people look upon the clergy as people who can see to it you're sent into eternal perdition. That's a powerful incentive to not only comply with a minister's wishes, no matter what they want to do, but also to keep quiet about the whole situation after the fact. Excellent points that we do not address nearly enough. One could argue that #1 and #2 apply to other professions, as Cephus acknowledges. Parents teach children to respect people in many professions (#1), and some professions may have even greater access than clergy (#2). But #3 is where things really get interesting. In many religious traditions, clergy are viewed as conduits to some sort of god or gods. Eternal damnation is at stake. Talk about an incentive to cooperate and keep quiet afterward!
  Those of us who cover clergy abuse from time-to-time would do well to highlight the aspects of religious doctrine that facilitate abuse and enable perpetrators to escape detection and punishment.
  
  Read more: http://www.atheistrev.com/2013/07/how-religious-indoctrination-enables.html#ixzz2aXIAnAaL
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  21

  Californian Jehovah Witnesses - Sexual abuse victims....California Child Victims’ Act Passes Judiciary

  by Sol Reform in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://theworthyadversary.com/1886-california-child-victims-act-passes-judiciary.

  from today's oc register:.

  sexual abuse victims seek more time to sue.

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  Sol Reform

  http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_23754486/mercury-news-editorial-bill-would-allow-victims-child

  Mercury News editorial: Bill would allow victims of child abuse to seek justice

  Mercury News EditorialPosted: 07/29/2013 01:45:00 PM PDT | Updated: about 5 hours ago
  
  Pope Francis made two statements of historic proportion Monday.

  He said of gays: "If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized. The tendency (to be homosexual) is not the problem. They are our brothers."

  What a heartening declaration from the Roman Catholic pontiff. We hope it helps open the minds of some vocal Christians opposed to gay rights.

  We also were heartened to hear the pope carefully distinguish between being gay and being a predator. Chastising reporters for dwelling on possible homosexual affairs by priests, he said they are matters of sin -- not crimes like sexually abusing children.

  It is a distinction that opponents of gay rights often blur, and the pope's reminder is timely. His church in California is strongly opposing a bill by state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, that would help victims of abuse. SB 131 should be approved as quickly as possible, and Gov. Jerry Brown should sign it.

  Current state law allows childhood victims to sue abusers or abusers' employers until age 26, or three years after psychological problems have been linked to the abuse. Beall wants victims to have another chance: SB 131 would open a one-year window Jan. 1, 2014 to file suit. One year is the most that victim advocates think can pass -- partly because of intense lobbying by the church and some non-profit organizations.
  Studies conducted for the federal Centers for Disease Control found childhood abuse frequently linked to emotional, behavioral and physical problems later in life, including substance abuse, depression and conduct disorders. It can take years for victims to understand the link, let alone feel prepared to confront abusers.
  The societal costs of these problems are enormous. Nationally, the CDC puts the damage at $124 billion a year, and if abusers do not pay, taxpayers do. Lawmakers need to act in their interests.
  California opened a similar window in 2003, when more than 900 plaintiffs came forward and won $1.2 billion in damages from the church alone. They also forced the church to produce files it kept on priests accused or suspected of abuse.
  Edward Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, told the Los Angeles Times once was enough. "Are you going to open another window five years from now? When does it end?"
  A better question is: Why should it ever end? Why should those responsible for abuse get a pass if enough time goes by?
  Beall's bill has passed the Senate and the Assembly Judiciary Committee; it moves to Assembly Appropriations on Aug. 14. The estimated cost is $160,000, pennies by state standards, so it should quickly move to the Assembly floor and to the governor's desk.
  Pope Francis' clarity on the seriousness of abuse should influence California's church to stand up and, if necessary, pay up for all victims of priests it once sheltered. This would bring everyone a step closer to closure -- which we suspect is the aim of this pope, whose stature continues to grow.
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  21

  Californian Jehovah Witnesses - Sexual abuse victims....California Child Victims’ Act Passes Judiciary

  by Sol Reform in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://theworthyadversary.com/1886-california-child-victims-act-passes-judiciary.

  from today's oc register:.

  sexual abuse victims seek more time to sue.

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  Sol Reform

  http://sol-reform.com/News/analysis-in-support-of-sb-131/

  Analysis in Support of SB 131

  27 Jul 2013 | California
  
  Professor Bainbridge (view article http://www.professorbainbridge.com/professorbainbridgecom/2013/06/an-open-letter-to-assemblyman-adrin-nazarian.html ) has failed to deal with any of the arguments in favor of a window.

  Here is the analysis in support of SB 131:

  http://sol-reform.com/California/HamiltonCASB131testimony3413.pdf
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  Michael Jackson Accuser - I Can Help Victims Of Child Sex Abuse - Translation: a whole lotta meditation and yoga.

  by Sol Reform in

  1. social
  2. current

  wade robson -- the choreographer who claims michael jackson molested him -- is launching his own foundation to help child sex abuse victims through new age healing ... tmz has learned.. robson founded a non-profit organization called "hearts in our hands" on july 1 -- registering a domain name and a facebook page.

  a rep for robson tells us all the required legal docs haven't been filed yet -- but the group will be dedicated to preventing abuse ... and will take a holistic approach to treating victims.. translation: a whole lotta meditation and yoga.. a source close to wade says the choreographer's gotten deep into yoga himself lately -- and now wants to quit professional dancing forever.. as tmz previously reported ... wade is suing mj's estate, claiming he was sexually molested by jackson from the age of 7 to 14. .

  the jackson estate and several family members have dismissed wade's claims as little more than a money grab.. read more: http://www.tmz.com/2013/07/27/wade-robson-charity-sexual-abuse-victims/#ixzz2af1rp7yc ;.

• 

  Sol Reform

  Wade Robson -- the choreographer who claims Michael Jackson molested him -- is launching his own foundation to help child sex abuse victims through new age healing ... TMZ has learned.

  Robson founded a non-profit organization called "Hearts in Our Hands" on July 1 -- registering a domain name and a Facebook page.
  A rep for Robson tells us all the required legal docs haven't been filed yet -- but the group will be dedicated to preventing abuse ... and will take a holistic approach to treating victims.

  Translation: a whole lotta meditation and yoga.

  A source close to Wade says the choreographer's gotten deep into yoga himself lately -- and now wants to quit professional dancing forever.

  As TMZ previously reported ... Wade is suing MJ's Estate, claiming he was sexually molested by Jackson from the age of 7 to 14.
  The Jackson Estate and several family members have dismissed Wade's claims as little more than a money grab.

  Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2013/07/27/wade-robson-charity-sexual-abuse-victims/#ixzz2aF1Rp7yc ;
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  2

  Jehovah Witness victims of Childhood Sex Abuse - and all supporters from Massachusetts - Action Alert ! ...

  by Sol Reform in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  action alert!

  to all massachusetts residents - please call house speaker robert deleo & members of joint judiciary comm before tues may 7.. http://sol-reform.com/massachusetts/#rep.

  we need their support of statutes of limitations reform for massachusetts' child sex abuse victims!.

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  Sol Reform

  Latest Action Alert Your Action on SOL Reform Needed Today!
  
  In a strategic effort to move civil Statute of Limitations (SOL) reform forward, Senator Brownsberger yesterday personally reached out to his Senate colleagues to urge them to add their names to a letter that he and Rep. Lawn have drafted. The letter urges Senate President Murray and House Speaker DeLeo to shepherd SOL bills S. 63 and H.1455 out of Committee and on to the Senate and House floors for a vote. Within hours, 30 of 40 Senators had already signed the letter. Rep. Lawn is reaching out to his House colleagues and expects strong support as well.
  
  Your voice needs to be heard today. Call your legislators and urge them to add their names to the letter. If they have already done so, thank them and encourage them to ask their colleagues to do the same. (Because Sen. Brownsberger and Rep. Lawn are reaching out personally to their colleagues, legislative aides may not yet be aware of this effort. You should know this, in case aides tell you they have not seen such a letter.) The letter will be sent to Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Murray on July 31 just before the August recess. It may be publicly released to the media at that time. Make sure your legislators' names are on it.
  
  Tell them that survivors and advocates intend to take the issue of SOL reform to the mat. We expect them to take it to the Floor and vote to abolish or retroactively extend the civil SOL. Survivors deserve justice and our children deserve action now. Thanks and check our website or Facebook page for regular updates!
  
  Thank you,
  The CORSAL Team
  
  
  CORSAL
  Coalition to Reform Sex Abuse Laws
  www.corsal.org
  617-742-8555
  Find us on Facebook