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On January 15th, 2013, the Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois, turned over six thousand
church documents detailing *** misconduct among local clergy. Proponents of the disclosure,
including victims themselves, have worked nine years to bring this evidence to the public,
and now hope to shed bright light on the somewhat darkened inner workings of America's third
largest Roman Catholic archdiocese.
Cardinal Francis George advised his flock that these documents, including victim statements
and personnel complaints pertaining to about thirty priests, have been given to the attorneys
who represent the victims of those priests. The turnover is part of settlements between
the archdiocese and the victims. Their advocates hope that the disclosure will expose the church
for its decades of silence and pattern of protecting child abusers from justice.
The Archdiocese has responded by apologizing. Bishop Francis Kane, speaking at a news conference
convened by the church to announce the release of evidence, apologized openly "to all victims
affected by these sins and crimes". Victims' attorneys say they intend to make the information
public very soon.
One of those victims, 62 year old Joe Iacono, praised the disclosure, saying, "Hopefully,
it will help others out there struggling to come forward and get help." This sentiment
is echoed by Peter Isley, Midwest director for the Survivors Network of those Abused
by Priests, also known as SNAP, who wants all Chicago Catholics to read the formerly
private documents. "It's physical, material evidence and truth," Isley told the Christian
Science Monitor. "It's something that can't be denied and wished away."
"I'm willing to work out anything. But as far as plea deals and things like that, I
feel like that would be me taking down on the word of God and stepping down on how we
believe." These defiant words were pronounced by Pastor Andrew Hamblin of the Tabernacle
Church of God in LaFollette, Tennessee.
So what was Pastor Hamblin so boldly unwilling to compromise on? Hamblin, star of the National
Geographic network's reality show "Snake Salvation," insists on his right to ignore a state law
in effect since 1947 barring the possession of certain breeds of poisonous vipers because
the Gospel of Mark Chapter 16 verses 17 and 18 says, "[T]hey shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them."
So far, Hamblin is not insisting on his right to ingest sulfuric acid.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, in 2012, no fewer than 537 Pakistanis
lost their lives in sectarian violence. This represents an increase of 71% over 2011. Following
violence at a Sunni seminary in Rawalpindi late last year, 32 sectarian groups signed
on to a voluntary code of conduct prohibiting hate speech.
However, the promise carries no force of law and has accomplished little or nothing toward
curbing the attacks. The main feature of the code is a promise not to declare others as
non-Muslim, an action which creates an out-group mentality which often leads to violence. Those
signing the code also promise to form or attend local conferences promoting religious tolerance.
The code also includes a push to beseech Parliament to make these ideas enforceable under the
nation's legal framework. In a quote to the Christian Science Monitor, the head of the
Pakistan Ulema Council, Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said, "If we don't put an end to such fighting,
Pakistan will suffer, and the rest of the world won't be spared either."Ashrafi should
know. He was a member of the Sunni group Sipa-e-Sahaba, an organization disbanded by the Pakistani
government in 2002, due to their ties with militant groups.