It is time for legislation to prohibit ecclesiastical leaders from receiving “sexual related confessions.”
I am LDS, and in recent years have been surprised when a bishop felt that it was warranted to publicly disclose information regarding sexual misconduct confessed by a child. Such shame and embarrassment, if publicly revealed, might even invite the child to take their own life.
A child is open for coercion when adults with significant power and authority, coupled with powerful personal information, are left alone to discuss such intimate details. In the LDS Church it is common for a bishop to be alone with a minor when they are receiving such confessions. Being separated from their parent(s) in the interview, it puts the child at unnecessary risk by speaking to an adult about information that might at worst encourage latent perversions in that adult, or at best allow an unhealthy change in the power dynamics between a minor and adult.It would appear from regular news events that religions seem to be unable to exercise the necessary controls on religious leaders to continue to allow them to be discussing such intimate subjects alone with minors.
Mike Heberling
Farmington