They just disappeared Sunday School?
Charlotte Clymer
Writer
On Tuesday, House Republicans passed sweeping legislation that would prohibit all minors from entering Christian places of worship, ban Christian clergy from public K-12 campuses, and otherwise restrict interaction between children and Christian clergy in public spaces.
The Children’s Health and Religious Integrity, Safety, and Trust Act of 2023—CHRIST Act—was introduced only weeks ago in response to a massive public outcry over widespread sexual abuse of children across numerous Christian denominations in the United States.
“I am thankful to my colleagues for ensuring rapid passage of this bill, and I urge our Senate counterparts and the White House to seek immediate passage and implementation,” said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has won praise for his leadership in confronting sexual abuse in churches.
The sexual exploitation of children by Christian clergy has come to the forefront of the nation’s conscience following seemingly unending revelations over the past two decades of adults in positions of authority assaulting and raping minors within their congregations only for that abuse to be swept under the rug.
In the United States, sexual abuse of children in Catholic parishes, alone, have led to about $4 billion in payouts to more than 17,000 survivors, according to data compiled by U.S. Catholic dioceses. Despite the widespread documented abuse, only one arrest has been made in connection with these cases: a defrocked priest charged with lying to FBI agents.
Some experts believe those numbers are just scratching the surface and could as much as double within the next decade as more investigations conclude their findings.
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