The report released this week about the six dioceses in Pennsylvania that covered up the fact that 300 priests abused over 1,000 children in my lifetime is shocking. There was no immediate response by Pope Francis whom we generally think is for the people.
More shocking than that is that few Roman Catholics will write their priests, bishops, or the Pope to make their concerns known. How do I know they won’t? Because I know that Christians will not stand up for what we see is wrong when the church does it.
- Christians did not stand up when women were burned at the stake.
- Christians did not stand up and demand an end to slavery.
- Christians did not stand up to give women the right for full citizenship by allowing women to vote and run for elected office.
- Christians did not stand up and demand that women be included in juries.
- Christians did not stand up when churches began teaching that women must obey their husbands.
- Christians did not stand up when women were abused in churches.
Of course Catholics knew about these abuses. When I was 18 years old in 1961 and moved from the country to the city, I met Catholics for the first time. For the first time, I heard that priests had “nephews.” Everybody knew it, but nobody stood up.
The secular world brought these things to our attention. The secular world said “times up!” The secular world voted for women’s equality.
The church still will not give women or children equality. They will continue to give men the power over women and children.
Until we stand up.
When there is no voice raised in protest, it is assumed no one protests.
bWe Baptist Women for Equality's Blog 