Once again, an incident of large-scale sexual abuse of minors by religious figures has come to light.
This time the abusers were Catholic Church clergy members in Portugal. This latest example of abuse of minors by people in religious positions of power was preceded by similar scandals involving American Catholic priests and Southern Baptist pastors.
One has to wonder why there hasn’t been an outpouring of condemnation, boycotts and laws directed at these apparent “grooming” institutions.
Why aren’t the Proud Boys showing up armed in front of churches shouting at parents taking their children into such dangerous environments? Why aren’t legislatures across the land passing laws to outlaw performances by priests or pastors? If protecting children from the dangers of men in drag reading stories to young children is so potentially dangerous to impressionable children, where is the concern for children who seem far more likely to be abused by their priest or pastor?
Perhaps the contrasting responses are due more to people’s discomfort with the existence of people who don’t conform to traditional gender roles than it has anything to do with protecting vulnerable children.
Jim Astin, Salt Lake City
