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The Mormons are being sued for doing the right thing:

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Mormons face $9.5 million lawsuit after reporting an abusive father

The wife of a man that sexually molested his daughter, and yes he has been found guilty and is in prison so no need of the term "allegedly". is suing the church for $9.5 million. She lists herself and four of their five children (the daughter that was molested is not listed) as plaintiffs. He went to a panel of elders of his church and confessed, hoping for forgiveness and absolution. It did not quite work out that way.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
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As the old saying goes:


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SoyLeche

meh...
I was being more than a little snarky.
But the fact remains that religious folks commonly claim that members of their religious communities weren't true "whatever" when their community members get caught out doing ugly things.
Tom
Yeah - those people are pretty dumb.
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
Mormons face $9.5 million lawsuit after reporting an abusive father

The wife of a man that sexually molested his daughter, and yes he has been found guilty and is in prison so no need of the term "allegedly". is suing the church for $9.5 million. She lists herself and four of their five children (the daughter that was molested is not listed) as plaintiffs. He went to a panel of elders of his church and confessed, hoping for forgiveness and absolution. It did not quite work out that way.

I'd thought that there was such a thingy as clergy–penitent privilege, meaning whereby there is clergy privilege, confessional privilege, priest–penitent privilege, clergyman–communicant privilege, or ecclesiastical privilege being a rule of evidence hereby forbidding judicial inquiry into certain communications (spoken or otherwise) between clergy and members of their congregation.

If there is such a thing as "clergy-penitent" privilege, which the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints had infringed upon the legal rights of a parishioner, then this parishioner might just be entitled to damages done to her by the Church having violated her trust in clergy confidentiality.
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Mormons face $9.5 million lawsuit after reporting an abusive father

The wife of a man that sexually molested his daughter, and yes he has been found guilty and is in prison so no need of the term "allegedly". is suing the church for $9.5 million. She lists herself and four of their five children (the daughter that was molested is not listed) as plaintiffs. He went to a panel of elders of his church and confessed, hoping for forgiveness and absolution. It did not quite work out that way.
I trust that everyone here who cited the conscience of religious ministers as their justification for protecting Catholic priests' right to protect predators will chime in here shortly to proclaim their support of this religious minister who reported a predator.

Any minute now...
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
I'd thought that there was such a thingy as clergy–penitent privilege, meaning whereby there is clergy privilege, confessional privilege, priest–penitent privilege, clergyman–communicant privilege, or ecclesiastical privilege being a rule of evidence hereby forbidding judicial inquiry into certain communications (spoken or otherwise) between clergy and members of their congregation.

If there is such a thing as "clergy-penitent" privilege, which the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints had infringed upon the legal rights of parishioner, then this parishioner might just be entitled to damages done to her by the Church having violated her trust in clergy confidentiality.
Priest-penitent privilege means that a religious minister can't be legally compelled to share material heard during confession. It doesn't mean that the religious minister can't choose to share this voluntarily.
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
I trust that everyone here who cited the conscience of religious ministers as their justification for protecting Catholic priests' right to protect predators will chime in here shortly to proclaim their support of this religious minister who reported a predator.

Any minute now...

Priest-penitent privilege means that a religious minister can't be legally compelled to share material heard during confession. It doesn't mean that the religious minister can't choose to share this voluntarily.

Apr 05, 2012 ·" A county judge deemed the inclusion of the pastor's statements to be a violation of the state's clergy-penitent privilege laws, and tossed it out from the county prosecution's case against the man. The suspect, who is accused of raping a girl when she was 9, faces a mandatory 25-year prison sentence if convicted."

Is a Confession to a Pastor Always Confidential?
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
If there is such a thing as "clergy-penitent" privilege, which the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints had infringed upon the legal rights of a parishioner, then this parishioner might just be entitled to damages done to her by the Church having violated her trust in clergy confidentiality.
My understanding is that molester was unaware of official church policy.
His wife's claim is that the church should have told him that the policy is to report crimes like his. He had no such protection, but failed to become sufficiently familiar with current policy on the subject before admitting to the crime.

She is blaming the church.
Tom
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
Priest-penitent privilege means that a religious minister can't be legally compelled to share material heard during confession. It doesn't mean that the religious minister can't choose to share this voluntarily.

So if I were a Church parishioner who'd confessed to a Clergyman or panel of Clergymen that I'd committed a crime, then the Clergyman or panel of Clergymen could report me to the state who could then in turn prosecute me? If this were the case, then I'd bet there'd be far fewer confessions.
 

columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
So if I were a Church parishioner who'd confessed to a Clergyman or panel of Clergymen that I'd committed a crime, then the Clergyman or panel of Clergymen could report me to the state who could then in turn prosecute me? If this were the case, then I'd bet there'd be far fewer confessions.
That's exactly why so many people support "The Seal of the Confessional".

It's highly controversial. But the controversy has solid opinions on both sides.

I'm really glad nobody expects me to even give a firm opinion, much less decide church policy.
Tom
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
So if I were a Church parishioner who'd confessed to a Clergyman or panel of Clergymen that I'd committed a crime, then the Clergyman or panel of Clergymen could report me to the state who could then in turn prosecute me?
Only if the panel were ethical.

If this were the case, then I'd bet there'd be far fewer confessions.
It's very rarely the case that clergy are ethical enough to report the crimes they hear about in confession.
 
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