Clergy Abuse Reporting Requirements

A man in New Zealand was excommunicated from the LDS church for indecent acts with one boy under age 12, and several others aged 12 to 16, including an act including a bull mastiff dog. The church excommunicated him without notifying law enforcement…

A man in New Zealand was excommunicated from the LDS church for indecent acts with one boy under age 12, and several others aged 12 to 16, including an act including a bull mastiff dog. The church excommunicated him without notifying law enforcement…

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4584766a11.html

Does a church have an obligation to report illegal activities disclosed in the confessional? Legally, in many US states, they do not:

http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/clergymandated.cfm

Ethically, however, should a clergyman be required to report known or suspected child abuse?

4 thoughts on “Clergy Abuse Reporting Requirements”

  1. clergy

    They absolutely should be required to report it. The needs of some foolish church or churches should not supplant the needs of society to deal with offenders

    1. The way of things…

      That’s the way of things around barnson.org lately. We haven’t had any new people show up to stir things up in a long time 🙂

      It’s OK, I still blog about what I want to write about, keep the juices flowing. Twitter absorbs some of that, though, as does my technical writing for work.

      —
      Matthew P. Barnson

      1. I’ll come back..

        Dammit, why do I have to hold up the rest of the class.. I’m making a freakin movie.. trust me, I’ll come back vehemently defending religion or right wing views.. here.. I’ll go post something.

        Sheesh.. 🙂

        UPDATE 2 DAYS LATER …and I’m spent.. youre welcome.

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