Sex-abuse survivor group reacts to scathing church report

Church steeple Photo credit Getty Images

By Bernie Tafoya

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A scathing report made public over the weekend says the largest Protestant denomination in the country ignored allegations of clergy sex abuse for years.

There are a number of Chicago area churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

The new report indicates the convention acted, in many ways, like the Catholic Church did when priests were accused of abuse, by denying the abuse happened.

Larry Antonsen, leader of the Chicago chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the only real punishment religious organizations understand is when they’re hit in their bank accounts.

“Talk is pretty cheap if there’s no action behind it, and there doesn’t seem to be for any of these churches. They continue to lie and protect, trying to protect their own churches,” says the 75-year old Catholic and survivor of priest sexual abuse.

Antonsen says his organization does not hear only from those who were abused by Catholic priests. He said the report that the Southern Baptist Convention ignored and disbelieved allegations of clergy sex abuse hit home with him.

“It brought back all kinds of memories to me from my abuse of the Catholic Church and how I was treated, and it still hurts,” he said.

Antonsen said people who have been abused by religious leaders should speak out.