SDAs and child abuse?

[Dreadcrumbs]

I've tried looking for stuff about Seventh-Day Adventists and child abuse, and I've had a hard time finding anything much other than the SDA official stance on child abuse.

Anyone know of some stuff? (sorry if this is kinda vague?? I'm foggy today)

[Palimpsest]

These should probably go in the Hall of Shame too.

Just a quick google brings up.

Oregon.  Over abuse occurring in the 1970s:  

http://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-men-suing-over-sex-abuse-say-they-want-seventh-day-adventist-church-to-change/

Miracle Meadows, child abuse at SDA boarding school:   

http://crewjanci.com/employees-of-seventh-day-adventist-boarding-school-miracle-meadows-face-child-abuse-charges/

https://abuseguardian.com/sexual-abuse-crimes/seventh-day-adventist-church/

http://wvmetronews.com/2015/03/18/probable-cause-found-in-case-of-former-miracle-meadows-school-employee/

Baltimore.  Perp sentenced to 150 years for sexual abuse of three small girls:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/columbia/ph-sex-abuse-sentencing-20130711-story.html

Missouri.  http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/28/high-court-hear-religious-mans-child-abuse-case/16410841/

Australia:  https://lewisblayse.net/2013/03/02/seventh-day-adventists-or-same-old-same-old/

(book chapter)  http://sk.sagepub.com/books/sexual-abuse-in-nine-north-american-cultures/n8.xml

Article on domestic abuse: http://archives.adventistreview.org/article/1401/archives/issue-2007-1528/abuse-in-the-adventist-church

Hope that helps.  

[Dreadcrumbs]

@Palimpsest Thanks a million! 

[livinginthelight]

I would have a hard time putting Adventists under the category of "abusive cult." I know many, and they are very nice people. Yes, they have their own schools and colleges, but others are welcome to attend. One of my children did, in fact, attend an Adventist middle school. I got no weird vibes from anyone there. They don't keep to themselves and they don't force weird beliefs on anyone.

I'm sure there are abusive Adventists just like there are abusive Presbyterians and Methodists but I don't think the church, as a whole, is dangerous.

Jehovah's Witnesses, on the other hand.....

 

[Palimpsest]

@livinginthelight, I'm glad your experience with SDA was positive.  I'm sure there are many nice Gothardites and Scientologists too.  Of course if you dig a little you can find abuse in many denominations, including mainstream churches. 

The important thing to look at is whether the church tries to cover up the abuse or deals with it appropriately.  Miracle Meadows sounds like a nightmare.  The school is now closed.

Here is a fairly thoughtful article asking whether or not SDA is a cult.  http://leavingsda.com/seventh-day-adventist-cult/  Yes, that website is all about leaving SDA so it has some bias.

Apparently there is a difference between traditionalist and progressive SDA churches, but what it says about the control of information and difficulties people face in leaving SDA is interesting.

[Leftitinmysnood]

I'm late to the conversation, but I have worked with many SDA members over the years. I would say as a whole they are probably like evangelicals in general. Good eggs and bad eggs, high control groups and low control groups. I had a series of conversations with one SDA coworker after I caught her singing the "Have Patience" song  (Herbert the Snail, from Music Machine) and her childhood sounded pretty identical to mine before we joined a cult when I was in junior high. Also, our SDA Chaplin was amazing. I still miss her. She treated everyone with compassion and equality and her attitude went a long way in helping me deprogram from our cult.

[bionicmlle]

Hi! Late, too.

 

Grew up SDA and did the whole boarding school thing, etc.  I'm curious about exactly what the question is.  Certainly, as mentioned, there are pockets of very traditional, conservative branches of the church that take your typical "hate the sin, love the sinner" and try to brush abuse under the rug but I probably wouldn't say there is systemic sexual abuse denial.  That being said, one of our teachers at boarding school ended up offing himself because his years of molestation finally was uncovered....