tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post7165053297388258080..comments2023-11-03T06:26:00.486-07:00Comments on Ms. Kitty's Saloon and Road Show: A disturbing phone call...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-91148227787870576942008-07-02T17:47:00.000-07:002008-07-02T17:47:00.000-07:00Thanks, Debra, I will plan to call on you if I hav...Thanks, Debra, I will plan to call on you if I have further questions. At this point, it's pretty much in the parole officer's court.Lilylouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02328027965155428624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-38397608463351494372008-07-02T17:06:00.000-07:002008-07-02T17:06:00.000-07:00Dear Ms. Kitty,Please feel free to call me before ...Dear Ms. Kitty,<BR/><BR/>Please feel free to call me before your board meeting or during the process. I'd be happy to share how other congregations have handled these situations. But, if a parole officer or treatment providers tells you someone is too dangerous to be around children at all, that is definitely a reason to say no. But, it's always important to remember that the offender you know about is far less dangerous than the person who is only known to themselves. Let me know if I can be of help.<BR/><BR/>Debra W. HaffnerDebra W. Haffnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03018331891805010135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-89619164806328469132008-07-01T13:13:00.000-07:002008-07-01T13:13:00.000-07:00Thanks, EBS. I remember Debra's blog mentioning t...Thanks, EBS. I remember Debra's blog mentioning that she'd been unable to attend.Lilylouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02328027965155428624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-84574008997409164252008-07-01T12:29:00.000-07:002008-07-01T12:29:00.000-07:00If I recall correctly (all my GA materials are at ...If I recall correctly (all my GA materials are at home & I'm on vacation), the Welcoming All workshop was cancelled for some reason. Another resource, too: The Safe Congregations Handbook, which is on the new MFC reading list.Earthbound Spirithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14042611502142798184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-10321115120360040082008-07-01T06:18:00.000-07:002008-07-01T06:18:00.000-07:00Thanks, Steve, this will be helpful. I have an up...Thanks, Steve, this will be helpful. I have an update and will post it later today.Lilylouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02328027965155428624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-27389566763011403122008-06-30T21:25:00.000-07:002008-06-30T21:25:00.000-07:00Ms. Kitty,I saw this on the 2008 GA event coverage...Ms. Kitty,<BR/><BR/>I saw this on the 2008 GA event coverage:<BR/><BR/>Welcoming All: When Ex-Prisoners Join Our Congregations<BR/>General Assembly 2008 Event 3034<BR/>http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2008/commonthreads/115729.shtml<BR/><BR/>Again, good luck.Steve Caldwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12333184436301854794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-55855739254085618202008-06-30T21:07:00.000-07:002008-06-30T21:07:00.000-07:00Thanks for the resources, Steve.And Pixie, I wonde...Thanks for the resources, Steve.<BR/><BR/>And Pixie, I wonder the same things.Lilylouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02328027965155428624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-72399162474271136392008-06-30T18:19:00.000-07:002008-06-30T18:19:00.000-07:00Wow, no kidding that was disturbing! I wonder, ar...Wow, no kidding that was disturbing! I wonder, are you allowed to minister to this fellow personally in his home, like how some ministers bring Sacrament to shut-ins or prisons? On the one hand, I don't want child sex offenders near children, because even if s/he wants to stop, they probably can't. At the same time, how are these people supposed to "live" if they're not able to go to work, have a residence, and even speak to God in peace? Why release them into the world at all if no one's going to give somewhere safe to go? It's a tough call either way. I'm glad to hear that you're going to stay in the loop on this and follow through to ensure your congregation's safety and peace of mind.Mile High Pixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03276750909800945131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-3942130711627989642008-06-30T17:45:00.000-07:002008-06-30T17:45:00.000-07:00Ms. Kitty,I'm sure you're already in contact with ...Ms. Kitty,<BR/><BR/>I'm sure you're already in contact with Rev. Debra Haffner about this.<BR/><BR/>I would point out two resources on this topic available on the uua.org web site:<BR/><BR/>Balancing Acts<BR/>Keeping Children Safe in Congregations<BR/>http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/balancingacts/index.shtml<BR/><BR/>Online Course Based on "Balancing Acts"<BR/>http://courses.neari.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=student.detailCourse&coid=1<BR/><BR/>The print "Balancing Acts" resource and the online course will be very helpful to your board, DRE, and staff when it comes to creating safety policies that protect children and youth while also respecting the worth and dignity of all persons (including the registered sex offender).<BR/><BR/>Good luck.Steve Caldwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12333184436301854794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-40399494150187360252008-06-30T15:58:00.000-07:002008-06-30T15:58:00.000-07:00Good questions all, LF. I think that the criminal...Good questions all, LF. I think that the criminality of the act is the important thing here.Lilylouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02328027965155428624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30312228.post-28560809390646108712008-06-30T14:48:00.000-07:002008-06-30T14:48:00.000-07:00No doubt it was disturbing, and I would not critic...No doubt it was disturbing, and I would not criticize anything that you describe of what you did in handling the problem. But of course what is disturbing varies somewhat with different religious groups. I am sure that what was alarming in this case would be alarming to almost all American religious groups, and to most non-religious Americans as well. But how different is the sexual addict who apparently joins a congregation to feed his habit? The minister who dates his parishioners? What about the person going through a divorce and celebrating independence? One can make a long and varied list. On the other hand, puritanism can also be destructive. Somehow those of us who stem religiously from the Genesis stories absorb problematic attitudes towards sexuality, and they are bound into the foundations of Western religion. Once I took Pagels very good "Adam and Eve etc." book as the basis for a small group discussion of this topic, for a couple of months. It was successful with all members except one person going through a catastrophic divorce, who I think really did not want any analytic insight into her own behavior (no, individuals were not discussed)any more than most people in surgery care about the nature of their anesthesia. Enough; you have done what was needed to protect your congregation, and make others aware of the proximity of the problem.LinguistFriendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02695715246663202212noreply@blogger.com