Church politics

This story kind of summarizes some of why my faith in organized religion has diminished over the last couple of years. Basically, a church elder sexually abused a three-year old child in his congregation then admitted his sin to her parents. They contacted police, and the elder is being prosecuted. The church stands by him with the hope of ministering to him and reforming him. The offended family left the church, and some are treating them as though they are over-reacting.

Now I understand the need for the church to minister to the worst of offenders. That is essentially the call to the faithful, right? Bring in the lost sheep...reintegrate them back into the fold... That said, the victims in this case need the support of the church too, and it looks to me like they were brushed aside because of the status of the offender. I mean he's an elder in the church...a pillar of the community. It is understandable that they would leave the church in order to find a community that has their best interests at heart...where they don't feel like the community has taken the 'bad guy's' side. What is really alarming here is that this guy was a leader of this community, but noone knew who he really was.

Church these days stinks of politics...I guess it always has. I look back on my youth sometimes, and I miss my naievite. I feel like I have become jaded...these things are no longer even surprising to me...just another example of a person put into a position of trust only to betray that trust...and betray the faith...the very heart of the religion they espouse.