Issuing "directives" for church problems?

The April 2010 question posed by the Lexington Herald-Leader to its FAITH BLOG members was:

 

“The Catholic Church has now issued a directive that explicitly requires church officials to report some crimes to the police. When dealing with abusive situations within a congregation, do communities of faith have an obligation to do more than what the law requires? What steps, if any, does your church or congregation take to protect its membership from sexual predators, spouse or child abusers? Does your faith community have specific ministries to help such victims or to prevent such problems?”

 

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My reply to this question was as follows:

 

The question reveals a problem that is in existence because church leaders have empowered themselves with the right to legislate religious practice.  History reveals that this was one of the major factors in the formation of the Catholic denomination, (which later split=Greek Orthodox & Roman). 

Does the Bible contain instructions as to how to handle such situations?  If so, ought not ALL churches be in unison as to practice?  If not, why not?  The fact that there is diversity (if any) evidences that all protestant denominations have followed Catholic tradition in legislating practice as if the Lord’s church has a democracy-type government.  If the Catholic church had been following the bible in this area, rather than uninspired men, would it now have to take the action that your question mentioned?

The New Testament epistles from Romans to Thessalonians were written to either one local church or churches in an area (Galatia), but the instructions did not vary as to how to handle ANY situation.  There were sexual predators, spouse or child abusers in those churches in the first century as now, and the instructions, if followed will remedy the situation.  Man does not have the right to deviate from Christ’s instructions as revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures; man is to obey them by faith.

A good question, perhaps better question for all to consider and give answer to on this matter is: “What is the Bible teaching on it?”

If the Bible was followed, two things would result: such abuse would not exist and churches would be in unity in their practice.  That is just what Jesus mentioned in His prayer in John 17:20-21.  “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”  Note the effect of this unity upon those still in sin: “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. 

Yes, the church here has ministries to protect and help-they are those teachings of Christ as preached by His chosen apostles in the N. T. epistles. We teach the Bible here, and our instructions ought to be those of every church who makes the same claim; if not, why not?

RDB