SDA Litigation

[Gregory Matthews]

This post should not be understood as suggesting that people file lawsuits against the SDA denomination.  Rather, it is pointing out that a certain issue that has involved the SDA denomination has reached the point that a law firm has come forward to solicit people to use their services to file a lawsuit against the SDA denomination.

It is sad that this has happened.

Speaking personally, and from knowledge and experience that I have, I will say:  The SDA denomination, while not perfect, has come a long way in addressing this issue in a positive manner.

https://abuseguardian.com/child-sexual-abuse/religious-organizations/seventh-day-adventist-church/cases/

 

[Lone Ranger]

While I will be the first to acknowledge abuses in the SDA church, as I know several victims personally,  including a close family member, the article (which I read in is entirety) struck me as poorly documented and inflammatory. There was a lot of "a teacher" and "a man" and "charged with"...(but no mention of a conviction) and often a curious absence of verifiable names and convictions. 

So the whole thing stuck me as some blood-sucking lawyers trying to profit from someone else's misfortune. 

It is unfortunate that their agenda was given a public platform on Adventistan.

[JoeMo]

It's about time someone started doing something about this.  Our oldest son was molested by a "respected" SDA teacher.  Our son didn't tell us about it for several months.  When he finally did tell us, we quietly approached the Conference about it.  In response, the church shunned my son, spread horrid rumors about him, and transferred the teacher to a school on the other side of the country.  In response to the injustice, my son rejected the church and God.  He's dead now.  I personally know of two former SDA female employees who were fired after they reported unwanted sexual advances by pastors.

I get offended when I see others here post about abuses by Catholic priests when the same thing does on right under our noses in our own denomination.

I remain an SDA because of their truth, certainly not because of the "saints" within.

[bonnie]

If those in leadership that covered up the abuse had to pay the same consequences as the guilty, sexual abuse would be minimal. Five conferences were responsble in our case for the abuser being free to spread his questionable charms thru 5 states.   Everyone involved in the coverup should have paid a heavy public price

Were that to happen you would not see anyone in leadership passing the problem to the next conference

 

 

 

 

 

[Lone Ranger]

41 minutes ago, bonnie said:

If those in leadership that covered up the abuse had to pay the same consequences as the guilty, sexual abuse would be minimal. Five conferences were responsble in our case for the abuser being free to spread his questionable charms thru 5 states.   Everyone involved in the coverup should have paid a heavy public price

Were that to happen you would not see anyone in leadership passing the problem to the next conference.

Abuse happens in any and all organizations; that is neither a justification or normalization of it. And the above solution is a reasonably justified consequence to those who cover it up. In a secular entity.

The church is an entirely different matter. The fact that the abuse happens is revolting. However, the planned, systematic, endemic cover-up that is the de facto "solution" to the abuse reveals that those in leadership are neither Godly men nor led by God. A man here or there that tries to cover it up is to be as expected as the abuse itself. Again, this does not justify or legitimize it. However, it takes participation by a majority of "leaders" to execute cover-ups of the scope we see in the SDA organization. Bottom line: EVERYONE IN LEADERSHIP AT ANY LEVEL IS IMPLICATED IN THE COVER-UP. You're all guilty bas....ds.

As church "leadership" told us when we were terminated: "we want to go in a different direction..." You're damn right you're going in a "different direction..."

[GHansen]

"If we want justice, we must go to Don Corleone"