Windy Sydney

As a kid I was taught that all callings were inspired by God. All of them. From the Primary teachers to YW & YM teachers, from Bishops to Stake Presidents, from Apostles to Prophet. Everyone is picked because God wants them picked.


Now I realize just how stupid that is:

By Gene Kennedy-A former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing three young girls in his Harrisville ward, cried today as he was sentenced for his crimes.

But the emotion Timothy McCleve showed wasn't enough to get a lighter sentence: He will spend two to 30 years in prison for molesting the three sisters.

There were no apologies for the cameras, but in court it was a different story. With his lip quivering, Timothy McCleve told the parents of three girls he abused that he was deeply sorry.

The mother, equally emotional, said, "We want to say that we do not hate the defendant, nor do we wish him harm. However, we do not want him to be able to hurt others with his sickness. He has been free all this time while they [the victims] have been withdrawn, suicidal and full of anger."

While he was an LDS bishop, McCleve sexually abused three sisters from his ward. The molestations took place more than a dozen times in their home.

In September, McCleve pleaded guilty. This afternoon, Judge Ernie Jones had to weigh two very different recommendations on the bishop's fate.

The defense pushed for probation and presented a report from a psycho-sexual doctor saying McCleve's condition is treatable. But the prosecution wasn't going for it, and argued that McCleve abused five victims over a period of several years.

The other victims are now adults and came forward after the Harrisville sisters did. Despite all the emotion today, in the end, a bailiff handcuffed the former bishop and took him to prison.

At one point during the sentencing, the father of the victims actually wanted to physically approach McCleve to reassure him that the family still cares for him and holds no ill well against him.

So, this guy was sexually abusing girls during the time he was an acting bishop. Nice.

Let me pause while I wait for believing Mormons to jump in with "but he is just a man!" comments. Go ahead, get it out of your system.

How is it that you can rationalize that he was called by God to be a bishop? How is it that people all over the world don't question sending their children into one-on-one meetings with their bishops with the doors closed? How is it that these men get so much respect and trust without earning it?

I know that there are good men out there acting as bishops... but I think they are the exception. Bishops *are* just men. That is part of the problem. These men have no formal training on how to handle important things like abuse if they are reported to him. Let's not forget to bring up the fact that if someone were to accuse a bishop of this kind of thing, they would face all kids of opposition... "Bishop Greene? He wouldn't do that!!!"

Problem is, it happens all the time.

Will the church ever wake up and realize that they need to do background checks, train their leaders, and screen then more carefully? Or will they continue to live with their blinders on?

Andee