Everyone agrees that clergy sexual abuse is a bad thing, yet clergy are still abusing
By James Newton Poling
We have trained thousands of
congregational leaders on clergy sexual abuse, yet many churches continue to
deny and minimize when a beloved leader betrays their trust.
What is going on here? Why is this
problem so stubborn?
» Some people say it is just human sin. Individuals enjoy abusing their power
to manipulate and control others.
» Some say it is because of our confused ideas about sexuality. We can’t talk
about sex in church without creating a mess.
» Some say it is theology. As long as we promote ideas like “sacrifice,”
“servanthood,” obedience and forgiveness, we create clergy who put themselves
in the place of God and expect others to serve their needs.
I say that it is all of the above,
and the thing that links them together is abuse of power. The problem the
church doesn’t talk about is power and how God wants us to use power.
Human sin can be understood as the
abuse of power. In our failure to find the nurturing relationships and
prosperity we want, humans engage in manipulation and power plays to get what
we think we need. In this sense, clergy sexual abuse is just one among many
forms of abuse of power in the church, one of “the many temptations that
inevitably accompanies power.”
Sexuality can be understood in relation
to power. Sexuality is a human drive that permeates all our relationships.
Sexuality as a commodity drives advertising and U.S. values. Because we don’t
talk about sex in a sensible way, we push sexuality into the unconscious world
where its power multiplies. The structure that creates this mess is male
dominance or patriarchy.
Theological doctrines are forms of
power. All the terms above – sacrifice, obedience and forgiveness – depend on
power. Who is sacrificing for whom; who is obedient to whom; and who is asked
to forgive whom? Who decides these questions is a matter of power.
So what do we mean by power and the
abuse of power? What is power for, and how can we recognize the abuse of power?
How can we use power to prevent clergy from abusing their power? Through our
public debates, our policies on sexual misconduct, our training programs, and
our response teams, we are challenging the usual power arrangements to provide
healing for the victims of clergy sexual abuse and accountability for everyone.
Every reform movement is a claim on
power, and the movement to prevent clergy sexual abuse is no exception.
We need
to change the way the church mistreats victims – by silence, by shunning, and
sometimes by forcing them to leave the church. We need to change the ethics of
church leadership so that vulnerable people will no longer become victims of
sexual exploitation in the church family. We need true repentance and
rehabilitation for offenders as they are restored to membership in the
community. We need to restore the faith and trust of the congregation so it is
empowered to fulfill God’s mission of love in the community.
I believe that all power is from God.
Abuse of power is the abuse of a gift that God gives to us.
If we want power, we need to
understand what it is and what God intended when God gave human beings power.
We live in the power of the Holy Spirit that calls us every day to “do justice,
love mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). We believe that we have power
to change all of these things “through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians
4:13). We have received power from God to live fully in the excitement and
challenge of this world until God’s kingdom comes.
Read the full article, “Clergy Sexual Abuse as Abuse of Power,” under Articles and Lectures
at http://jamesnewtonpoling.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment