Protecting Which Children?

Excerpted fromrom an essay, Protecting Our Children, by TEC Presiding Heresiarch Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori at Episcopal Life Online:

I had a remarkable encounter recently with a young woman who still bears the scars from abuse she experienced as a child. She has a deep and abiding faith in God, but not much use for religion. She asked me a hard question: "How can your church help to prevent the same thing from happening to other children?"

It's a haunting question, but it is one that many, many Episcopalians and their congregations are engaged in addressing. How do we answer her question, and the same question that is asked on behalf of those who have not yet found their voices?

Our baptismal vocation includes helping those voiceless ones find the ability to speak, and it includes speaking on behalf of those who have no helper. As a church, we have learned a great deal in recent years about protecting children in our congregations from sexual abuse. We have perhaps learned less about the often greater need to respond to all kinds of abuse in our communities…

Wow! Terrific! Does that mean ++Katherine and TEC are therefore going to speak out boldly on behalf of all those voiceless ones who are slaughtered every day, right here in the USA, before they’ve even had a chance to be born?

I’m listening…

Dumdeedumdum...

Still listening…

Dumdumdeedoodoo...

Sigh…