Rhetorical Questions

[Charity]

In light of the “Blast from the Past” thread in About the Way, this thread in the Atheism subforum is a way to ask rhetorical questions about topics like clerical sexual abuse. 

A rhetorical question (RQ) is asked to make a point, rather than get an answer.  When it comes to God, many questions are rhetorical because only God knows the answers which he may or may not reveal in the afterlife which is not helpful in the hear and now.  

One of the heinous part of CSA is the cover up that is done within the religious group (like what happened in twi).  CSA became well-known in the cases of the Catholic Church scandal, and the Julie Roys website below gives examples of this happening in protestant churches as well. 

 Catholic Church child sexual abuse scandal

Julie Roys

There are now laws, and often civil lawsuits, against those involved in cover ups because of the seriousness of turning a blind eye to victims in order to protect the church/ministry instead of the flock.  

So here's my RQ.  If it's so important to hold humans responsible for not immediately revealing abuse so the abuser can be stopped and held accountable, what about Christ?  How is it that as head of the church who sees all is not being held responsible as well?   

Christians might consider this an absurd question because the spiritual world does not work in the same way as the physical world.  God's absolute judgments come in another life. 

However, I think as a rhetorical question, it can make the point that this problematic scenario of Jesus being the head while abuse is frequently occurring is an impossible one since Jesus, as the resurrected son of God, cannot even be proven to exist (that is outside of the claims of the bible and claims are not evidence).   

So, what seems to be left is the continued abuse of children and adults under Christ's watchful eyes where questions as to why this is must become rhetorical ones because they simply can't be answered in this lifetime. 

[oldiesman]