Climate change, it’s worse than we originally thought. I’m reading “Hot, Flat, and Crowded,” by Thomas Friedman and I can’t help thinking of the parallels to the epidemic of sexual abuse of children. It’s worse than we originally thought. And when it comes to religious authority sexual abuse (RASA), there are parallels to how those addicted to oil and those addicted to holy oil respond to the abuse of the earth and children.
Some climate change deniers are paid by fossil fuel companies. Of course, these scientists conclude for various reasons that the rapid greenhouse gas escalation isn’t a threat. Some RASA deniers are paid by religious groups and they conclude, despite clear evidence, that this isn’t really a clear and present danger. These are the kinds of deniers that are so identified with the way things are that they just hate the solution more than the problem. Richard Sipe’s article, “Mother Church and Rape of Her Children” eloquently discusses the culture of clericalism and how it has perpetuated RASA.
Friedman describes our collective mentality about recognizing and responding appropriately to our dilemma as being like a frog in a pot of slowly heated water on a stove. We are boiling and don’t know it and we need a ladder to get out quick. I’ve referred to Doyle and Benkert’s brilliant writings about “Religious Duress and its Impact on Victims.” When it comes to RASA, there’s a breakdown of critical thinking akin to the frog example for victims and non-abused believers.
Climate change or global warming is not a political opinion. It’s a scientific fact. However, the numbers are often underestimated, like child sexual abuse (RASA and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children). Scientists often under-state rather than over state. This is to maintain credibility, as there is generally no blame for understating, but plenty of blame for overstating a problem. Also, the data is so difficult to pull together. Studies take years. And even with the many reliable metrics, many factors can be left out when making summary statements about climate change. Similarly, we probably greatly under-estimate the amount of child sexual abuse and RASA that exists in society.
Like climate change skeptics, I think that the average churchgoer expresses 3 stages of denial.
Stage 1: You’re wrong and I will come up with reasons you’re wrong (denial);
Stage 2: I agree with you, but it’s not so bad or happened so long ago that it really doesn’t matter anymore.
Stage 3: I agree with you. It matters, but it’s too late to do anything about that now.
A few nights ago, two programs at the same time spoke to these stages of denial. MSNBC screened three hours about human trafficking (CSEC) in the U.S. It was clear that child prostitution is widespread, practically invisible in broad daylight because so many do not understand or intervene, and without many resources for its victims’ healing once they are rescued from that life. CNN showed, “Predators in Plain Sight.” At one point, the spokesperson for the L.A. Archdiocese spoke about the failures of the diocese to stop pedophile priests. The interviewer pointed out that current ex-priests who molested many children were still free and had never been prosecuted. The interviewer asked, ‘Looking back, would you say that the church didn’t do a good job?’ Mr. Tamberg responded in textbook stage 3 denial, ‘I agree with you. It matters, but it’s too late to do anything about that now.’
What does it mean? An analogy for our oil consumption and energy consumption is that we are collectively in a global monster truck with the gas pedal stuck. We’re driving with bad brakes in a thick fog and we’re headed towards a cliff. We better do something.
Change happens, not when we tell people they should change, but when people see need to change. Child sexual abuse needs to stop.
450,000 children run away from home each year
1 of 3 teen on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours
According to End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT), 200,000 U.S.
Children are in danger of being forced into the sex trade.
12 to 13 is average age of entry into pornography and prostitution in the U.S.
Who will stop it? Not those who are too busy defending the image of churches. Not those in denial that civilization is threatened when profit seems more important than people in general and the safety and well being of children in particular. What will you do?
Jaime Romo, Ed.D. , is the author of “Healing the Sexually Abused Heart: A Workbook for Survivors, Thrivers, and Supporters” and “Parents Preventing Abuse”
