Sexual Abuse, For the SCMC and LDS Believers

[_Inconceivable]

Young men are interviewed by the Bishop every 6 months. When I was 12, I was asked if I had any sexual encounters with myself or anyone else. Since he used the words like masterbation, petting and fornication I honestly had no idea what he was talking about at the time. Go figure, I was a kid, man.

These questions came up every 6 months and throughout the mission. Upon returning, it was only every 2 years to qualify for the temple recommend. The questions came up because young men prepare, bless and pass the sacrament. They can also baptise. They gotta be worthy or they can't participate.

As a Mormon, I saw nothing wrong with the procedure because I was taught that it was natural course to specifically confess my sins to a bishop in order to be forgiven by the church (and, at the time I thought by God too).

Please understand, if there is no confession of sins to the legal administrator, there is no Mormon church. Period (I'm noticing there's a lot of extra punctuation lately. hmm)

So if you would like to destroy the church, make this practiced doctrine punishable by law.

[_karl61]

I think the internet will bring to light a lot of what is has been going on - I think before long you may have CPS looking at chapel Mormons and the situations that they are putting their children in just like the FLDS. It may not happen in Utah but you may see it in other more "progressive" states - Why is person interviewing a child about their sex life. AND THEN MAKING A CALL AND JUDGMENT DECLARING THE CHILD WORTHY OR NOT - what are the repercussions socially at church or when they get home if they are found not worthy. Will they be teased or isolated at church or restricted at home if they don't give an adoring history. Will the child experience shame, guilt, depression, anxiety from the label of being unworthy.

What is this practice of taking children to temple (which you can't talk about what goes on inside) but the child said they were repeatedly immersed in a large pool of water sitting on twelve oxen - they were doing work for their dead relatives.

[_truth dancer]

Hey Fook, (Nice to see you),

So glad I am out. Any parent who willingly participates in this charade is culpable in the sexual abuse of their child. Period.

Yes... exactly!

Quoting from my training manual

The occurrence of child sexual abuse is a collective choice. It doesn't simply happen on its own. People have to collaborate, knowingly or unknowingly, for it to happen. It is not only sexual offenders who create sexual abuse. Adults who foster environment that allow it to occur also create the possibility of child sexual abuse.

The LDS church is basically setting children up for abuse, and parents are conditioned or indoctrinated to think this is appropriate. It is NOT.

It is unconscionable and has got to stop!

Eighty percent of child sexual abuse cases occur in one-adult/one-child situations, with a trusted adult.

The LDS church needs to rethink their practice NOW!

~td~

[_truth dancer]

Hi Karl,

I think the internet will bring to light a lot of what is has been going on - I think before long you may have CPS looking at chapel Mormons and the situations that they are putting their children in just like the FLDS. It may not happen in Utah but you may see it in other more "progressive" states - Why is person interviewing a child about their sex life. AND THEN MAKING A CALL AND JUDGMENT DECLARING THE CHILD WORTHY OR NOT - what are the repercussions socially at church or when they get home if they are found not worthy. Will they be teased or isolated at church or restricted at home if they don't give an adoring history. Will the child experience shame, guilt, depression, anxiety from the label of being unworthy.

You may be right. I'm actually surprised therapists, social workers, educators, family lawyers, and other working with children within the church have not put pressure on the church for some changes. This LDS interview practice should have stopped long ago and most likely will take outside intervention before it changes. Unfortunately.

What is this practice of taking children to temple (which you can't talk about what goes on inside) but the child said they were repeatedly immersed in a large pool of water sitting on twelve oxen - they were doing work for their dead relatives.

Oh, when you put it that way...

[_Inconceivable]

Hi TD, thanks for the OP.

I think the only 1 on 1 closed door interviews left in the church between a leader and adolescent/child are with a Stake President, Bishop, Branch President and I believe a Mission President (when interviewing new converts).

Yeah, these guys must be more moral than Joseph Smith's God to be trusted with our teenagers. Particularly the young women. Smith's God approved of his sexual advances on teenage women. I'll bet most Mormon bishops are unaware of this fact.

Honestly, both of us know that the majority or these leaders are decent men driven by love, duty, fear, to tight a schedule and guilt. So the incidents are rare or we'd be aware of more of them.

But you are absolutely correct. Off hand, I don't know of any other organization where a man can close a door and discuss the sexual weaknesses of my son or daughter with my son or daughter - alone. Talk about an Aquiles heal. You're right. This is truly crazy. I doubt if many Mormons born into the church even see this as unnatural because we are taught we can trust our leaders implicitely.

The Catholics have a little confessional booth where the sheep and shepherd are seperated. Even this is a little creepy.

[_ajax18]

Let's face it. Negative publicity is what the Church seeks to avoid at all costs. If there was a financial settlement, that would simply be a "double whammy".

I think you have a point. I may be off in my initial assessment. The Church probably fears negative publicity far more than money loss due to legal garbage.

If what the Church is doing is really that bad, than we should have a vote on it and write a statute. Deal with it in criminal court, not civil court. I see too much fundamental injustice in the entire civil court system. There must be a better way. Cases like this really shouldn't be about money.

I understand that nobody cares about an innocent Dr. or an innocent bishop when some bishop somewhere else hurt a child. If we had to hang 1000 innocent doctors to save 1 child it would all be worth it. But I don't agree with this. But the only potential cure for problems like this is revolution. Ultimately, rights are bled for, not argued for.

[_Yoda]

Children should be taught NOT to be in a one on one type of setting, NOT to discuss sexual matters with anyone other than a trained professional under specific circumstances, and NOT to keep secrets or have "private" conversations with adults. Children should also be able to talk to parents about any concerns but this is another topic! :-)

I agree with you completely here.

For the record, I have taught my kids NOT to discuss anything of a sexual nature with the bishop, or any other Church leader in private. If they have a concern about something, they have a close enough relationship with me, that they would come to me first. It is not the Church's business.....period.

I have also let every bishop we have had, under no uncertain terms, are they to question my child about ANY type of sexual practice without me being present. Basically, don't screw around with my kids. Leave them alone.

So far, so good. They have been allowed to go on all temple trips, etc. (Of course I intimidate most bishops...can't imagine why. )

[Guest]

Yet again, I understand just why I left this god forsaken intellectual and moral toilet and said I'll never come back.

After this latest nightmarish exercise in leftist moral hysterics that makes every adult male, every father, every Bishop, every scoutmaster, and every Church leader a potential child abuser, and brands every adult male in the nation as a potential risk the moment they are out of sight or alone with a child, I think I'll begin to take my own advice much more seriously.

The final Oprahfication of the world has begun as TD attempts to resurrect the long discredited child sexual abuse hysteria of the mid-eighties to mid-nineties in the interest of stigmatizing male LDS church leaders and driving a wedge of distrust and suspicion between male adult role models in Priesthood leadership positions - all of them, simply because of the the fact that they are male adults - and the children of members.

Yet again, the only thing that really does justice to this, and the mentalities that spawned it, are the opening and closing narration from the original Tales From the Darkside:

Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But....there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit....a dark side.

The dark side is always there, waiting for us to enter; waiting to enter us. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[_Droopy]

http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/vo ... _4_br1.htm

http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume2/j2_1_4.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=Kx3_XT ... PA157&lpg=
PA157&dq=child+sexual+abuse+hysteria&source=Brian Laundrie&ots=CWmdLb-aaS&sig=
CvErv_9G93TeuD_MUNjuSu0OSZg&hl=en&ei=va__Sa3rLpfItgee5-2VBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#PPA160,M1

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... _78177292/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... i_9051335/

[_Jersey Girl]

After this latest nightmarish exercise in leftist moral hysterics that makes every adult male, every father, every Bishop, every scoutmaster, and every Church leader a potential child abuser, and brands every adult male in the nation as a potential risk the moment they are out of sight or alone with a child, I think I'll begin to take my own advice much more seriously.

The final Oprahfication of the world has begun as TD attempts to resurrect the long discredited child sexual abuse hysteria of the mid-eighties to mid-nineties in the interest of stigmatizing male LDS church leaders and driving a wedge of distrust and suspicion between male adult role models in Priesthood leadership positions - all of them, simply because of the the fact that they are male adults - and the children of members.

Loran, please stop it. I don't know why you chose to magnify TD's postings the way you did except out of a sense of loyalty to your church. The safeguards that she discusses on this thread are common place, good sense safeguards that anyone who works with children in a position of authority should implement. They are put in place by those who want to ensure a protective environment not only for children but also for those people who are positions of authority "over" children as in the office of bishop in your church.