He Preached Goodness but Committed Sin

Western Daily Press
October 6, 2015

http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/preached-goodness-committed-sin/story-27925113-detail/story.html

The Church of England is right to hold an inquiry into how it handled the sex offence complaints against former bishop Peter Ball.

But it will be of value only if the church is willing to publicly admits its mistakes and then to ensure that any similar complaints made today are investigated thoroughly and that the police are contacted at the earliest possible stage.

In Ball's case the church seems to have been in a state of denial initially and then only willing to impose the most lenient sanctions possible against Ball. The fact is he is someone who is a serious and perpetual child-abuser.

A man who cunningly used the apparent security of being a senior member of the church to take advantage of young boys to gratify his perverted sexual cravings.

A man who preached goodness but committed sin. A man who without question damaged many lives. A man whose sordid behaviour makes a mockery of the Christian office he held.

The best that can be said about Ball is that he was hypocritical, pretending to be one type of person while being another.

But of course he was much worse than that. He was calculating, deceptive and vile. He knew every time he allowed his perverted desires to get the better of him he was not simply going against his Christian code, he was going against the code of decency which every person should abide.

The boys he abused may well have suffered long-term psychological damage.

He may well have damaged their trust towards people in authority. He may have left them unable to sustain relationships as adults. Most certainly he will have left them suffering repeated flashbacks and even nightmares because people who have been abused never forget what they suffered.

Some will be haunted by it for the rest of their lives. Some, sadly, may have go on to abuse others.

The Church of England is not the first religious organisation to be affected by such a scandal but like the Catholic church and other social groups, it is one that had a duty to ensure all children were safe within its walls.

Years may have passed since Ball committed his crimes but time should do nothing to diminish our contempt for him.

His so-called Christian life has been laid bare as a lie. He is a man who took advantage of the trust placed in him again and again. It is outrageous that it took so long for his crimes to be revealed.

Sadly, the only real lesson anyone can learn from this affair is that child abusers can be found in any walk of life, within any organisation and holding high office is no guarantee of their honesty, integrity or goodness.