Thanks to Old AP for the link:
Key figure in Laestadian movement sentenced to prison
A middle-aged man described as an influential figure in the Conservative Laestadians, a revival movement of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, has been sentenced to prison for molesting a girl who is a relative.
According to the article an internal study has also been done by the SRK regarding abuse, to be released in April.
If you read the original story you will see other news links on the bottom. One of the stories details how this type of behavior was excused by the congregation because the guilty party 'would ask for forgivenss' through confession and then the matter was dropped. The victim was then told that they had to forgive the perpetrator. I recall reading one time that legalistic religious people are prone to perversion as they are so internally repressed. When I attended various AP churches, I began to see this whole confession thing being grossly misused and taken totally out of context with the Bible. One person used it as a washboard, another used it as a weapon against others, speakers used it to whip the congregation, others used it as a source of gossip, still others used it as an escape to avoid legal persecution for financial fraud etc.... It made me wonder if the Catholic concept of confession was more conducive to normal mental health and if confession/absolution was really just a cop out that people used to prevent real spiritual growth in Christ. Old AP
ReplyDeleteI just recently found your blog, I am a member of the FALC who is in the process of leaving. I just need to say that reading this blog has only confirmed my decision, altho I do know my road ahead may be rough, I do have the support of my family. Not sure about my friends as they are all from the FALC, and I dont know how they will react, but Ive found comfort knowing I am not the only one. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSorry if I write a little bit boarder issue than the opening article upon there.
ReplyDeleteThe central board of the Conservative Laestadian movement in Finland have now confessed openly in the media the widespread child sexual abuse in the laestadian community (7 April 2011).
The press release of SRK here, translated via Google Translate (sorry for perhaps funny English):
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&langpair=fi%7Cen&u=http://freepathways.wordpress.com/&rurl=translate.google.com
There is ongoing crisis in the board and in the field. In the congregation there are expanding voices insisting that the members of the board of SRK should leave. The next annual meeting will be held in summer services in Lumijoki.
One question set by the Association of Human Rights in Finland is how to threat those laestadian criminals who are free and happy among the laestadians because for the apologizing system which has caused that too long time has gone and their crimes have dated, and those criminals have escaped the court and sentences. The national central criminal police in interested in the issues as well, according to the latest news.
Xsa
Thank you for very interesting views.
ReplyDeleteTomte said: "...an internal study has also been done by the SRK regarding abuse, to be released in April."
SRK has not published the study but let a press release on it. In Finnish: http://freepathways.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/srkn-lehdistotiedote/
You might be interested in the current situation within Conservative Laestadians right now. People are confused and puzzled by the turning point of the SRK board.
"Conservative Laestadians admit serious mistakes in dealing with child abuse issue – trust is gone in SRK"
http://freepathways.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/child-abuse-srk/
Xsa