PASTORS WHO PREY
Regarding " Unfaithful: When Shepherds Become Wolves" (Feb. 27, 2003), while the subject is not pleasant, nothing is served by ignoring it any longer. The Adventist Review is to be commended for opening up the discussion this widely.

Several things come to mind: 1) As pastors occupy positions of authority and power, they are always predators in these situations. The victim, no matter how apparently complicit or seductive, is still the victim in clergy abuse situations. 2) As the responses point out, there are several opportunities for ministry to take place in these situations, but one was not mentioned, the pastor's children. 3) As proper, biblical processes are followed, healing can begin sooner. 4) Further damage occurs when nothing is done about the crime, or worse, when the offender is simply transferred.

We must also take steps to be sure the victims are not further victimized by our processes. While the Sexual Ethics Committee process outlined in Ms. Banks' presentation has worked well in some situations, in others it has been most unproductive. The process must not be construed as a court of law where the accused has the right to face the accuser. It has been my experience that many victims will not come forward at all if they are forced to tell their story in the presence of their abuser.

And lastly, even though we deplore what has happened, the pastors who have succumbed to this temptation are still souls for whom Jesus paid redeeming blood. We must not fail to remain available to them as they deal with personal guilt, shame, and loss of family and other support.

Sadly, our track record as Adventists is not much better than some other denominations, and worse than some. Good judgment and resistance to temptation is not something that can be infused in pastors from the outside. But we are in deep trouble if we don't do all we can to prevent as much of this from happening as possible.

Tom Lemon
Ministerial Secretary
Oregon Conference
Clackamas, Oregon


Your article does not involve sexual abuse, but sexual misconduct on the part of consenting adults. Sexual abuse is vastly different in scope and context than sexual misconduct.

The woman in your story, "Cherie," although perhaps hurting very much from her divorce, and undoubtedly struggling with the unfathomable demands placed on a single parent (I am a single [adoptive] parent of a severely handicapped child, and no one who hasn't undertaken single parenting has any idea how difficult it is), nevertheless is an adult who made a choice to become involved with the pastor. She could have made other choices (the first one that comes to mind would be asking the pastor if they could go to the privacy of his office, picking up the telephone, and calling his wife). The behavior of the scheming, unfaithful, predator pastor speaks for itself.

Nevertheless, it is not sexual abuse. Sexual abuse involves the exploitation of someone unable to exert control over the situation; the most obvious example, of course, is in cases involving children; but other examples would include the mentally ill or the physically handicapped, even if adults. The power or control of the predator is key to abuse.

Because your story was written for the purpose of instruction, I can understand why you changed the identity and circumstances in the story; though I believe it would have been wiser for the Review to have used a fictional story to illustrate this lesson.

In the case of true sexual abuse (as opposed to sexual misconduct), what possible reason would you have to protect the identity of the offender? People (statistically males more often than females) who are sexual abusers usually do not limit their abuse to a single incident or a single victim; they are serial abusers. And, as such, they should be exposed as completely and thoroughly as possible, to as many congregations as possible. Many jurisdictions have legislated public notification methods to warn the general community when a sexual predator has moved, and to what address. God's dear children deserve no less.

Any church official or administrator who fails to warn their flock their entire flock about a sexual abuser is enabling the abuse to continue, and is therefore complicit in the behavior and implicated in the abuse as well. Those in the Roman Catholic Church's cover-up and transfer of abusive priests were as guilty as the abusers. No excuses.

Deborah Toms
Adelphi, Maryland


In this day and age when everything seems so foggy and unclear, the church of the living God is supposed to demonstrate what the Bible teaches about such matters. If indeed a shepherd has become a wolf, he or she must be treated like a wolf and removed from the flock wherein he or she will do even greater damage. Wolves have only one goal when it comes to sheep: to devour as many as possible to satisfy their appetites. A grave disservice is done to the body of believers when church administrators gloss over these issues in the name of mercy.

God is indeed merciful; but there are consequences for our sins that He does not remove from our experience. Remove the shepherd-gone-wolf from the sheep so that they may indeed be safe. The wheat and the tares must grow together until the harvest, but we must be more accountable than we are as a church body of leaders. God is counting on us to do what needs to be done, or we will be judged accordingly.

Loyd Mallory
Dover, Delaware


Thanks for the article on sexual abuse by clergy. I (and properly numerous other Adventists as well) have several questions on this issue that I hope will receive a response.

1. What have been the decisions of the Sexual Ethics Committee (SEC) for similar cases in the past? Will the clergy be removed from office and stripped of their ministerial credentials if the SEC determines that there is truth in the allegations? Or will "confessions" simply remove them from one particular church and give them care of another, more distant one?

2. How can any one (including the SEC) determine whether the "confession" (if any) from the accused pastor is genuine or simply a result of the exposure of his or her sin?

3. What does a member do when he/she alone has been the witness to sexual misconduct of the clergy that neither the clergy nor the other "consenting adult participant" will admit to? What can the church administration do in this case?

Jovitta Thomas
Kosovo

OLD NEWS
The author of "Love, Sex, & Romance in the Twenty-first Century" (Feb. 20, 2003) apparently thought he was breaking new ground by discussing human sexuality in the Adventist Review. In his opening paragraphs he speculated that some readers might consider the topic inappropriate for the church paper. He and other young readers and writers no doubt would be surprised to learn that 33 years ago, in 1970, C. E. Wittschiebe discussed the subject in a three-part series beginning in the February 26 issue. The articles were entitled, "The Bible and Sex," "Love and Sexuality," and "Toward a Theology of Sex."

The Review has always been on the cutting edge!

Kenneth H. Wood
Silver Spring, Maryland


The writer did an awesome job with "Love, Sex & Romance in the Twenty-first Century" in terms of how he presented the information from the Bible perspective and the world. The fact that "missionary dating" was brought up impressed me to no end. Women of God should not date with the intention of converting someone for marriage.

Nonetheless, I think an even better topic for the Review to explore is: "How to Find an Adventist Mate." This is no longer a problem in one particular congregation, but in all of them. Women strongly outnumber men, and the worldly idea of competition comes to mind, although it never should. What kind of encouraging biblical advice can you give the thousands of women who are seeking a Seventh-day Christian mate?

I've heard the testimonies and ideas about how to meet someone, but what do you say to a woman who desperately wants to get married, doesn't have any prospects, and doesn't want to turn to men in the world?

Many of my Adventist sisters would like to know.

A Concerned Member
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

IT'S A PLEASURE, I'M SURE
I'm sure that you're getting plenty of mail regarding Ed Christian's piece, "So What About Sabbath Pleasures?" (Feb. 20, 2003), so I will keep this as short as I can.

Do you publish such articles for their shock value, or do you truly believe and agree with what Ed Christian says in his column?

If what he says is correct about Isaiah 58:13,14, that it only pertains to business and we are free to do anything else, why not go the local amusement park after church on Sabbath and take in a few roller coaster rides or maybe watch that important college football game? After all, these bring me pleasure.

We live in sad times when we look to other people for an example of what is right and wrong; I thought our example was Jesus Christ. When we start looking to other people to find out what is right and wrong we will surely fail.

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1 Pet. 2:21,22).

James Burgess


Ed Christian wrote an excellent column. Many Adventists have lived, or are living, in a guilt-ridden Sabbath day. How attractive can that be for the unchurched? Sounds like it would've been better to grow up in Europe.

Glenn Grider
Union, Ohio


In the Sabbath School lesson this week we have the story of the origin of Sabbath. In this same lesson we learn again that ancient Israel was forbidden to harvest manna on the Sabbath and the reasons were clear.

Now along comes Ed Christian, very cleverly casting doubts on the sacredness of the Sabbath. Notice the example he gives and the implication that he was held back in his youth.

I wonder whether the Review staff realizes that it is personally responsible, along with Christian, should souls go astray because it permitted a highly questionable column in both the print and online editions of the Review.

G. M. Freeman

HE'S NOT GOING AWAY
One question regarding the Harry Potter books ("What About Harry," Feb. 20, 2003) is: Can a work of fiction and fantasy carry important moral lessons?

Ask the Man who told the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). If our Adventist beliefs are correct, this story is not only fiction, it is fantasy, impossible. It includes spiritualism, communion with the dead. But it is a valuable story. It is short, effective, and memorable. It illustrates two important truths: 1) There is no second chance. 2) We have all the evidence we need to make our eternal choice.

Those who judge Potter books need to do it on some other basis than their fiction/fantasy/spiritualism. Those who recommend Potter books need to let us know something good about them, some important lesson they teach.

Would I chose a Potter book? Although I read perhaps 50 books each year, I choose not to read Harry Potter books. Not because I consider them evil, but because they don't interest me, and they don't seem to communicate anything of importance.

David Patterson
Chattanooga, Tennessee


As I was reading the letters concerning the Harry Potter books/movies, I was shocked to see the one from Atle Haugen, Tromso, Norway. It is totally political.

I always thought our publications and official church statements were to be apolitical. To be wise as serpents and gentle as doves and give Cesear his due we must be officially neutral.

The vicious attack on George W. Bush should never have been printed. Any attack on a government's elected officials should not be permitted in official publications. Why was this letter allowed to be included? Does it reflect someone on the staff's opinion? Will you now allow rebuttals to that letter to be printed? Shall we have a political forum going on? I wonder if you could and should print a disclaimer for printing the letter, and make a statement that political letters will not be printed in the future.

I appreciate and support the Review and its writers and editors, my prayers are that this publication will uplift Christ.

Alice Peck
Sedalia, Missouri


When I read the letters about Harry Potter, I was deeply troubled by the letter from Atle Haugen. Was it really necessary to print it? This was not a letter on Harry Potter as much as it was about the untruths, character judging, and criticism of our president from someone who is not even a citizen. This is not the way Christians should react, nor should the Adventist Review have printed it.

Honest opinions have been printed before, but I have never seen one with a definite political agenda in the Review before. With the climate in politics now days, it behooves us to stay out of the fray.

Ellen Casebolt

MILLENNIAL THOUGHTS
While reading the column by Angel Manuel Rodríguez (Millennial Thoughts, Feb. 13, 2003), I was impressed with how perfectly just God's judgment is. Would it be fair to allow the universe to judge a fallen world? Absolutely not!

God had not only a better idea, but the only fair solution to judge Him (for it is God and His government on trial). Our Father will have us judge our brothers and sisters. Who better to acknowledge the judgments of God before the universe than those who have gone through the fire and survived because of God's amazing grace? We will see for ourselves that all God's decisions were His only course of action and not have one shadow of doubt that we were given every opportunity to choose our own destiny.

Through God's judgment we may also see how many chances we had to lift our fellow travelers, yet chose to remain indifferent. Isn't that the reason God, at this point in time (when there's so little time left), points us toward the heavenly sanctuary? Would God stretch out a mighty hand from the Holy of Holies over those around us if only we could learn to pray for them? Christ intercedes for us, so let's return the favor for those around us before it's too late and their chances are gone forever.

John Bradshaw
Alberta, Canada