Ky. Bill to Repeal Clergy "Silent Right"

Kenneson

Newsday.com carries an interesting story with that title. A few excerpts from the article will give you the gist. "But Democratic Rep. Susan Westrom, a former therapist who worked with abused children felt the law should go furher. She said 'horror stories' of sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church and Jehovah's Witnesses led her to introduce the legislation."

"That just made my skin craw," Westrom said Friday."

"Under her proposal, "clergy-penitent privilege" would be eliminated only in cases of child abuse or neglect."

The article continues with objections by Catholic authorities relative to the bill. Then after stating the number of Catholic abuse cases in Kentucky this bombshell appears: "The state also is home to victim advocates who have accused the Jehovah's Witnesses of covering up abuse within the denomination." Who says our lawmakers are unaware? Wonder if other states will follow Kentucky's lead?

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/

It's about the 26th headline: "Kentucky bill to Repeal Clergy "Silent Right"

Yerusalyim

If this law is approved you'll see a lot of clergy going to jail. Wrong headed law for sure. I wouldn't mind seeing the clergy penitent privelege defined a little more stictly, but to eliminate it will do nothing to help victims, and only hurt religion.

Trauma_Hound

I don't give a flying phuck about religion, as long as kids are being protected. All religions can fizzle out, as far as I'm concerned.

whyhideit

Unfortunately, the story you linked to said the problem

The Catholic Conference of Kentucky said Westrom's legislation violated the First Amendment right of religious freedom. A similar bill proposed last year in Connecticut failed.

Which is always the case in this country. No one is willing to attack the "Bill of Rights."

Trauma_Hound

What about the childrens rights? The rights of an entity, ie a religion, should not supersede the rights of the individual, it's not we the religions/coperations etc, it's we the people.

YERU2

trauma,

Do you support even the pedophiles right to invoke the 5th amendment and not testify against him/herself?

Trauma_Hound

This isn't a 5th amendment issue, if you or I were to know about a crime, and not report it, we could be held as an accessory to the crime. Why should the clergy be above the rest of the citizens?

YERU2

This isn't a 5th amendment issue, if you or I were to know about a crime, and not report it, we could be held as an accessory to the crime. Why should the clergy be above the rest of the citizens?

Because of the unique role clergy play in public life. If there is ANY issue I don't think I can trust talking to my clergy about, then NO issue is safe with them criminal or non-criminal.

I bring up the 5th amendment issue because if the penitent beleives what he tells the clergy is a sacred secret to reveal it would be almost like self incrimination.

If this law is passed for issues of child abuse then it's just the beginning of the slippery slope and NOTHING said to a clergyman will be sacred.

Trauma_Hound

So do you agree with the way the WTS has handled molestation cases? Because that's exactly what they did. BTW you sound pretty liberal to me.

Edited by - Trauma_Hound on 11 January 2003 3:4:51

siegswife

Yeru, I don't know where you're coming from, but as far as I'm concerned, as a Christian, I'd rather that "religion" take a nosedive than have one more child molested without recourse. Good for Kentucky!!! I hope they follow through with it!

Edited by - siegswife on 11 January 2003 1:43:54

Ky. Bill to Repeal Clergy "Silent Right"

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