Should Clergy Members be Fingerprinted like Teachers Are?
Posted by Helen at 2/27/2008 5:23 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
Should there be mandatory fingerprinting and background checks for clergy before they're allowed to become a minister and counsel church members? Would they be less likely to put their hands where they don't belong if they were fingerprinted? Or at least slow them down.
Teachers must go through background checks and fingerprinting. Teachers spend many hours with children. Catholic priests work closely with altar boys. Protestant Pastors take children on church retreats, have access to children through bible study classes, choir practices, as well as many other activities in and away from church. There are many opportunities for them to be alone with children and adults.
There's no doubt that churches are a perfect hideout for predators and pedophiles. No background checks many times and no fingerprinting.
The country's leaders are calling for change--we think that changes must be made in our churches.
Teachers must go through background checks and fingerprinting. Teachers spend many hours with children. Catholic priests work closely with altar boys. Protestant Pastors take children on church retreats, have access to children through bible study classes, choir practices, as well as many other activities in and away from church. There are many opportunities for them to be alone with children and adults.
There's no doubt that churches are a perfect hideout for predators and pedophiles. No background checks many times and no fingerprinting.
The country's leaders are calling for change--we think that changes must be made in our churches.
Each person representing God, whether they act as clergy over a congregation or they represent God outside the building, should act accordingly to God's character. In no way would God allow such behavior to take place within his Church, nor would he endorse someone who has acted in such a manner.
God's Church lives on the inside of each one of us. We represent Jesus in all of his holiness the moment we take breath in our bodies and call him our Savior.
If we have been given authority and we misuse that authority, forgiveness should take place, but wisdom should be the front runner and authority should not be given to that person again.
Fingerprinting can only help establish the criminals from God's rightful heirs. There is much responsiblity given to someone who calls themselves a representative of God. Being holy as he is holy, walking in his character, being kind, fair, just and pure are just a few examples of what God would ask of his clergy. Therefore, my answer to your question: Should clergy members be fingerprinted like teachers are? I answer with a resounding "Yes!"
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Linda,
Thank you for your opinion which very much matches my own feelings. As a public educator, I have my own personal experience of being a teacher to stand behind my words. I'm actually stunned that there is no national data base of fingerprinting and background checks for
all religious clergy or priests.
In teaching, it has lead to many arrests of bad teachers. One of the main reasons the system works so well, is that in many cases fingerprints can now be traced across the country directly linking them to the offending teacher. Its that simple that the system works so well and all students are protected and defended by the fingerprinting national data base. It protects the students from all forms of professional exploitation, including misconduct and abuse.
It is a state law in Michigan that all teachers are fingerprinted, backgrounds are checked, and they are drug screened. It protects all the students by the state law. I feel the public has a right to know about this loophole and understand it directly from a teacher standpoint.
Here's my key point the public must understand! When it comes down to either priests or clergy members, there are no federal or state laws as there are with teachers! I've often wondered why this was so when you hear about the misconduct and about it happening at church retreats centers. The little children especially have no protection as they would if the religious retreat was run by teachers. At least the teachers have been screened vs. non-screened religious members.
Do others agree that its time for a change especially in our nation's churches? Do you think it would slow down the process of churches just moving the abuser on to another unsuspecting parish? Why would any priest or clergy member ever not want to be fingerprinted? I always thought that as God's representatives they would have been the first ones to step forward and be tested! I ask why not? Only you can make our churches safer!
Blessings,
Curt Szajnecki
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Our many thanks to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). They are the nation's oldest and largest help group for those who have suffered from misconduct and/or abuse by either priests, ministers, or clergy in general. SNAP has been very kind to have our book listed on their website. Please visit their web site at www.snapnetwork.org and scroll down to the section that reads "Books We Recommend" and click on that icon. Our book is the first book listed on that page. Again our many thanks to SNAP for making it possible for us and others to help raise awareness of the problem and to try and stomp out all forms of clergy abuse and misconduct!
Blessings,
Curt & Helen
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Curt & Helen,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my heart. Bless you for having a blog that opens up a forum for truth to be revealed.
Many people, after believing in God, find themselves in a position of hope. It begins to manifest itself within their hearts and no one can stop it from coming forth from their mouths. So, they find themselves standing on a soapbox preaching truth as they come to know it. This is how many of the buildings that are labeled church are erected today. You don’t even have to really have a degree, you can be a nobody and start a church in your very home. If it grows too large, then you rent a building and hold your services there. This is NOT Church!
Those that believe God ordained them to teach others his truth should feel blessed, even honored to be fingerprinted. For we were all created in his image and we have been given his Spirit, therefore our fingerprints, if we truly follow in his character, are one and the same. We should be proud that our backgrounds have been checked. I know from where I have come and I am proud to say I am a better person today for it.
There has been given way too much freedom to those that assemble together and call themselves church. They have the rights to design their services and give themselves a name. For which denomination they desire, that which they adopt. Yet, God’s true Church represents itself through the hearts and the love of those that really worship him. It is my understanding, that God would have us be true to his calling, and if we are given the place of church official and we operate inside a building teaching others, then we should be honored to be fingerprinted, for we are representing Jesus.
Thank you Curt & Helen for giving me a platform to stand on. My past does not allow me the place of clergy inside the walls of a building, but my past does give me the right as a co-heir together with Jesus to speak the truth from which I stand on.
Bless you!
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