Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Sex Offenders R Us?

These are the scariest poll results I have seen in a while, concerning sex offenders and the church. Sex offenders, people.

only 29 percent of respondents think church leaders should talk with the police when becoming aware that someone in their church is a former sex offender.

That's right. 71% of respondents think church leaders should sweep sexual abuse under the rug. What the fuck is wrong with these people?

It gets even better than that.

Nearly 80 percent of churchgoers surveyed by Christianity Today International (CTI) said they believe sex offenders belong in the church under appropriate supervision.

Appropriate supervision? You mean the guy that isn't supposed to report known sex offenders? Scary.

One-fourth (26 percent) of respondents think a known ex-offender should be allowed to serve in a leadership position in church.

Even scarier. Sex offenders aren't known for using power positions to victimize people . . . oh, wait, they are.

And what should church leaders do when they become aware a member is a sex offender, since calling the police is out of the question? Oh, you know . . .

Most said church leaders should pray about it (82 percent), talk to elders (76 percent), and/or talk to staff (76 percent). Churchgoers where divided on whether or not the offender’s probation officer should be contacted or a conditional attendance agreement should be drafted – for both responses, 57 percent of respondents agreed.

Why do these people want to expose themselves and their loved ones to avoidable danger? Simple:

The survey also found that nearly 4 in 10 respondents (37 percent) think sex offenders can be completely rehabilitated to the point where they no longer pose a threat to others. A nearly equal number (38 percent) are not sure whether an offender can be rehabilitated or they are not sure about it.

Well, I suppose if you believe the magic man in the sky will help you find your car keys, you'll believe anything. Over here in reality, the recidivism rate for sex offenders is somewhere between 52% and 88.3%, depending upon whom you talk to. Even assuming the more conservative number is true, that means, to abuse statistics a bit, that every other sex offender in your church is going to commit another sex crime. Possibly in your church. Yes, let's allow them free reign over the children's choir.

8 comments:

  1. Okay, you had me at the first line. Who knew that the Catholic Church had taken over the world? Wow, a new reason to be an atheist. I don't want to go to church with sex offenders who got God instead of justice. Nope. Just don't.

    Who knew the Catholic Church wasn't alone on this, huh?

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  2. I would like to say that in many ways it would be conditional on the nature of the sex offense and the degree of treatment the person had undergone, and whether he is legally and psychologically considered predatory.

    While in any situation it is important to consider peoples safety, however the privacy and in many cases safety of the sex offender is also a factor.

    For example I know a man who is on the sex offender registry for streaking. Running naked on a dare. While it could be debated whether this is fair or not, I think it is safe to say a public announcement is not obligatory. I also know someone who was convicted of a serious sex offense, however it was over twenty years ago, he has had comprehensive counseling, both for his sex offense and his drug abuse. He has presented no danger to anyone in over two decades and the department of corrections considers him non predatory. Here too I think a public anouncement would be uneccessary and hurtful. In my state it is also possible to be a registered sex offender for frequenting prostitutes and a host of other things no automatically harmful to those around the offender.

    Of course many sex offenders, possibly most sex offenders, are dangerous to some degree or another and sometimes a warning or alert would be very appropriate, but I think it should be a judgement call not an automatic decision. I do agree that prayer is not a very good means of making such a judgement.

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  3. i'm with Ryk, on this one. i know a guy who's listed as a sex offender for "statutory rape" - he was 17, had sex with his 17 year old g/f, her parents found out, he's now a sex offender.
    [i know ANOTHER guy, who's a sex offender for BEING RAPED BY HIS 16 YEAR OLD BABYSITTER when he was 12. because HE was the male, ergo it was his fault. his fault that she put date rape drug in his soda. yeah...]



    many many MANY sex offenders are scarey bastards i don't want near me. it's just they almost never tell you what "sex offender" MEANS in this case, so you have no way to judge - is he a rapist or pedophile, or was it a stupid drunken frat dare to streak?

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  4. Ryk and Denelian, it's very true. I was just being snide. NPR's Talk of the Nation had this horrible report on Child Pornography this afternoon. It started out talking about an FBI raid on a home and it turned out that the 20 year old son of the homeowner had uploaded a single picture of what sounded like consensual sex with a minor. He's been jailed as a sex offender for 3 years and will have to register for the rest of his life. Was he wrong? Without question. Was she wronged? Without question. But a registered sex offender for life???? When I think sex offender I think child molesters and rapists. Not a 20 year old being nasty by revealing what was a private photo.

    Maybe that kid really would be better in a church setting rather than getting exposed to even more disordered thinking in a prison setting. I still remember one of my Guardian ad Litem kids doing a 6 month drug rehab for getting caught smoking marijuana. All the other kids were doing stuff like huffing, crystal meth and crack. She said she had never been around "so much information" before. And she did not mean good information...

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  5. There are so many nuances in sex offender registry law, when you get right down to it. It's the "former" in this that suggests them, of course. I think part of it is that our minds now see "church" and "sex offender" and think "priests and authority figures abusing children," which is..... UNDERSTANDABLE to say the least.

    Marzie, here's the Georgia kid I was telling you about after BlogHer. He was locked up for two years for consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old when he was 17.

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  6. and i have a current family drama along these lines. that i can't talk about. because the only person at risk of punishment [and at risk to be on the sex offender registry] is the VICTIM.

    so - can't say anything. but it makes me sick - the guy who raped me as a child was never punished for it, because the prosecutor "didn't want to ruin his life for just having some 'harmless' with a kid" [i was FIVE! but hyman-intact, therefor it was "harmless"] but teens are constantly being set unjust sentences then branded forever as sex offenders for consensual sex.

    CNymph - i remember that case - i donated $10 to his defense. hadn't heard the good news - thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. FAIR AND BALANCED!



    add comment moderation to your BS or more people will die with you...


    NO GODS AND NO POLITICS WITH THESE LITTLE IDIOTS!


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyEISfS15g4&feature=player_embedded



    plush safe he think

    http://www.christies.com/lotfinderimages/D14781/d1478164x.jpg




    http://vimeo.com/13704095


    but with recent revelations about James Randi, I think he likes DICKS!


    ____________________

    THE SECOND COMING!

    THE END OF ATHEISM

    FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smwrw4sNCxE


    THE B**BQUAKE - 911

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeblvLoVJCA&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpZZ2PPBzP8&feature=related

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    you are going to pay the price for this….

    THE RUBBER DUCKY OF PSEUDOSCIENCE III - JAMES RANDI



    http://daddytypes.com/archive/hofman_rubber_duckie.jpg

    there is a lot of sh*t to flush!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg2AezJo8aQ

    THE HEAD OF THE INFIDEL!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojR-XRt4rrA

    Is America burning yet?

    Maybe we need some more...

    we use the DIVINE against the ESTABLISHMENT... you?

    we do better DEMOLITIONS than you, savage...

    RENOUNCE YOUR ATHEISM AND JOIN THE SOCIALIST FAITH!

    let them know if the MDC continues more people will die...

    the WORLD TRADE CENTER PROPHECY - THE DANCE OF DEATH

    WORLD TRADE CENTER PROPHECY

    FLUSH ATHEISM!

    Actually it is a ROYAL FLUSH!!!

    Let me show you how ATHEISTS were partially responsible for 911

    These ATHEISTS NEED TO BE ON THE TERRORIST WATCH LIST!

    You don’t even have SCIENCE on your side…

    You’re a perfect example of when PHILOSOPHY becomes an ENEMY OF LIFE...

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    not quite samantha with her *supernatural spit*, eh?

    this isn't one of your little WORD GAMES...

    blasphemy is a DEATH SENTENCE

    you people actually BELIEVE the BS you preach!

    GOD 1 - atheists 0

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQcNiD0Z3MU

    Atheists,

    you are ENEMIES OF GOD AND ARE GOING TO BE ANNIHILATED...

    Repent and turn to God or be destroyed...

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    PRINCESS DI IS WEARING A NEW DRESS!

    http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speechesandarticles/a_speech_by_hrh_the_prince_of_wales_titled_islam_and_the_env_252516346.html
    ______________________________
    http://skepticblog.org/2010/04/06/would-i-ever-pray-for-a-miracle/

    Shermer, I WANT TO SEE YOU BEG FOR A MIRACLE...
    ___________________
    we do like your music Lady Gaga, but...

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    Let me show you the FATE OF TRAITORS...

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    they also preach a *VALUE FREE SCIENCE* called *POSITIVISM* that ignores the
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    how can these HEADLESS IDIOTS BET AGAINST GOD!!!


    http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/pascals-wager.htm

    THE BOOBQUAKE - 911!
    ****************************************************
    http://dissidentphilosophy.lifediscussion.net/philosophy-f1/the-boobquake-911-t1310.htm

    ReplyDelete
  8. You really speak like a true christian! Not!!! Grow up dude.

    ReplyDelete

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