"Faith, minus mystery and uncertainty, equals extremism." Brene Brown
I was raised in a religion that was certain of many things and never flirted with uncertainty...
They knew for instance what sins were and what would stop you from entering heaven, what was evil and what constituted high moral ground. I would almost say, they knew more about the bad than what was good or what was right, perhaps, what was moral.
In being re-introduced to this type of religion, via my visit with a woman whose faith is in the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, I feel the affects of this moral paradox when it sits juxtaposition with the laws of the land, how they are not mutually inclusive.
In the "Faith", one has to forgive their abuser for abusing them and even ask for forgiveness, and then life goes on a normal, well, almost. The pedophile actually gets a clean slate, and is now heaven ready, while the victim is left perhaps in a worse condition.
The victim is often shunned for 'exposing' sins or talking negatively about someone, and even tainting the pure image of the church and its high moral values. And, once this sin is forgiven, IT SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN, so each time it comes back into your awareness, you are dredging up and holding grudges against someone for behaviors that were forgiven. You are weak, IF you cannot become instantly friendly and trusting of him again. You are holding his sins against him.
There are NO expectations within the church and its ministers and members to take this sin to the Law of the Land. None. It never leaves the private meetings between the abuser and his victims. Nothing happens but wiping clean the slate of a man who has abused for generations...he returns back to his life and they to theirs.
I would call this behavior extreme in its lack of reaction.
I had to look up extremism...
"One who advocates or resorts to measures beyond the norm."
"A tendency or disposition to go to extremes or an instance of going to extremes, especially in political matters."
This collective accomplicity is astounding.
How is it that a group of people who base their lives upon living outside of evil perform such evil acts?
I know, some will call me an extremist, but come on people. They have a known pedophile and many victims and NO ONE ever suggests or demands, the pedophile be brougt to trial. It is like the laws of the land are secondary to the laws of the church, and adult members of this sect, conspire to agree.
I mean really...a man who has for decades and decades been free to abuse, is blessed and set free once again, when you have proof in the room of his sexual desires are for little girls...and you call yourselves people with high moral values and shelter yourselves from the evils of the world....REALLY?
Evils of the world like TV, make-up, birth control, music, etc, while entertaining and keeping quiet the activities of a man who abuses little girls.
When your preachers knowingly witness the account of abuse and do nothing, they are willingly aiding and abetting a known pedophile and endangering the lives of innocent children and standing in contempt of the law.
And, you members look up to and respect these men.
Really?
How in the world can you all say you are of high morals and values when the lives of innocent children mean nothing. When you willingly and knowingly return a pedophile to roam among the children again?
Is this extremism? Is your behavior beyond the line of norm? What makes the church extreme to me IS the lack of moral code to eradicate abusers in your midst...where instead you all join a tight circle of silence.
In fact, the woman I spoke to had a bit of remorse or second thoughts of giving me his name. The man is dead, and she is still protecting his 'good' reputation. My head swirls with the lack of normal reactions.
Why these men and women are not running over each other to report evil is beyond my comprehension? Why when they 'protect' their children from all manner of sin, do they let the mother of all evil flourish, is way beyond the realm of understanding or logic.
I even told this woman, that I could more easily understand my father doing what he did, than I could understand the reactions of the church people.
It is the sheer contradiction of what they profess in comparison to how they act that leaves you breathless.
How is it that these 'good' people act so extremely unflinching when they hear about abuse within their families and church communities? How is it that they are quick to shun you if you don't believe like they do, but not shun someone who hurts little girls/boys?
What stops them from demanding of their preachers to kick these guys off the boards and out of the pulpits, and to drag their sorry butts to the law of the land?
How is it that they will compliantly accept the unacceptable?
This is completely enthralling and terrifying to say the least...where all it takes for evil to flourish is for a few good men to do nothing...says Ellie Wiesel.
"This is a criminal disease that perpetuates itself exponentially from generation to generation"...says Tom Rosemurgy.
We all need to be concerned, for when these extreme churches are in our communities, they are breeding evil.
