Southern Baptists reject sex-abuse database

"Under pressure to fight child sex abuse, the SBC's executive committee said…the denomination should not create its own database to help churches identity predators or establish an office to field abuse claims.”  Associated Press >

"Instead of protecting its followers from sexual predators, Nashville's Southern Baptist Convention leaves churches to fend for themselves." Nashville Scene >

"The very fact that Baptist churches are autonomous signals that they need the information that the convention could provide." Tennessean editorial >

"To argue that a list of Southern Baptist ministers who are sexual predators violates the self-government of a local church is illogical." Burleson op-ed >

"Baptists miss an opportunity." Dallas Morning News editorial >

"Holy hypocrisy!" Winson-Salem Journal editorial >

"The SBC prevaricates by saying ...

... that the creation of a Baptist database would just confuse matters."  Marci Hamilton, Princeton law professor

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"Austin lawyer pushes Baptist churches to confront sexual abuse"

"The buck stops nowhere. There is no one...who will take responsibility."

Read more in the Austin American-Statesman >

Prominent religion writer explains why Baptist sex abuse is harder to track

"There are important reasons that it has been hard for activists... to bring more attention -- justifiable attention -- to the subject of clergy sexual abuse among Southern Baptists."  Terry Mattingly

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"The very fact that Baptist churches are autonomous signals that they need the information that the convention could provide."

The Tennessean's editorial >.