Aries –
thanks for your honesty. If I understand you correctly, you are agreeing with me, but telling that unfortunately it’s just not possible.
Surely , you’ve seen the difficulty of convincing the general community of this, which is used to following Rabbinic lead, but you are convinced – based on experience in the field – that it’s the only way to protect our kids.
Maybe you’re right. But I think, we both hope that you are wrong. Maybe things can change; maybe after the lid was blown off now we can build a consensus. Nothing wrong with hoping, and I think that things are different; so much has changed. 20% of the frum community has been in therapy. Things are changing. So much is coming out from under the rug. Apparently, it got crowded. We are growing as a community. I really believe that.
I had the zechus of watching two abuse victims – one by his father, one by a counselor in camp – rebuild there lives through intense therapy, kind mentoring, and spouses sent from the kisey hakavod itself. The second actually abused another child – when he was child as well (eight years old) – and later looked him up and asked mechila.
It was a beautiful thing to be involved in. Both are Talmidey Chachamim, with healthy families. It was a magical thing to watch and be involved in. There is hope. And hope starts with hoping.
This has gotten me thinking. I think I need to start writing & researching…I’ve never articulated a plan so clearly…and we’ll see where that goes, eh? I have been directly involved for a while…but…
You may still hold you are correct, but at least pray you are wrong. I think we can both agree on that.