As a community, you are shocked, confused, and don't know who or what to believe.
You don't want to abandon or reject someone -
but feel like you must decide between defending the priest or the victim?
You replay your own experiences with the religious leader over and over again.
What is God asking of you right now?
Dear Faithful Community
Experience has taught me that your experience of the clergy, which may have been positive, is a great blessing. But so is the fact that you do not share the experience that the victim is describing. It is possible that the clergy have been wonderful to you and harmful to someone else.
,,,
Some members of a community do not want to hear the truth, and block congregational healing, because it is too painful, but...
Clergy are human beings.
They can exploit messages of forgiveness to avoid the consequences of sin.
They can blame others in order to save themselves.