THE bishop of Hamburg – the world’s first female Lutheran bishop – has resigned amid criticism of her handling of a sex abuse case.
Maria Jepsen
Maria Jepsen denies having known before May this year about a priest in the town of Ahrensburg who reportedly sexually abused boys and girls in the 1980s.
Said Jepsen:
My credibility has been put in question. Consequently, I feel that I am no longer able to spread the good word, as I vowed to do at my ordination. I expect that the… cases in Ahrensburg and elsewhere will be swiftly investigated and that the truth will come to light.
The Telegraph reports that a 46-year-old woman claims to have been the victim of repeated sexual abuse by the pastor between 1979 and 1984, abuse to which the pastor admitted when confronted by his superiors in the church.
The victim said she had revealed the abuse to Jepsen as far back as 1999.
But the bishop, who had been re-elected for a ten-year period in 2002, said she was only told about “unworthy behaviour” by the pastor, and only learned about the precise nature of the abuse this year.
Margot Kaessmann
The Protestant Church in Germany, which has about 25 million members, is still reeling from the shock resignation in February of its head, Margot Kaessmann, who was caught drunk behind the wheel. Kaessmann is described here as:
A cross between Mother Teresa and Demi Moore.
Jepsen is the third bishop to resign in Germany in recent months.
Two months later Roman Catholic bishop Walter Mixa resigned after claims he hit children.
Hat tip: Rosemarie P
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
July 17th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
“…she was only told about “unworthy behaviour†by the pastor, and only learned about the precise nature of the abuse this year.”
Does kind of beg the question, ‘didn’t she think to ask what “unworthy behaviour” actually meant?’ I mean, you just would, wouldn’t you.
July 17th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Another case where the reputation of a religious institution is put before the welfare of its victims.
July 17th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Another one down, plenty more to go. I only wish I could be here to see the end of these churches but, I think they will all be here for a very long time to come. I have actually thought, wouldn’t it be terrible if religion was around until the end of humanity and this ball of rock we are living on is smashed to pieces by an asteroid. What a pity that we would never have reached our full potential as a species because of cowardly religious idiots who were to afraid to except responsibility for their own actions. For want of a better word they are wankers
July 17th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Graham, I think that you are going to have to make do with a slow and inexorable decline. At least in that respect there is room for optimism, not only from attendance stats but also the ever aging profile of church attenders.
I am also with you on the sad state of humanity were we all to check out with so many of us suffering from poisonous delusions. I think that is a big shame that so many people go to their graves without ever gaining even a basic scientific worldview, something that to me is so valuable and yet free to anyone, as if the pavement was littered with one million pound notes and they couln’t be arsed to pick them up.
Radio Four’s 6:30pm comedy slot on Thursday featured a sketch in which David Beckham was phoning up James Cameron because he had promised his son a rainbow at his birthday party. Cameron then had to explain that putting special effects into movies was not the same thing as controlling the weather. My thought was that I wished that the story had been real because I could have laid on a rainbow at minimal cost just because I know how they are formed.
July 17th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Graham/Stony
I sometimes wonder if some are born with religious minds, the astrophysicist in the previous article being a good example. Here we saw religious dogma overriding science in the mind of a very clever man. The experiences of other contributors here suggest that you just can’t argue with such people. I agree that religion will dwindle but I don’t see a point where it will eventually disappear. The secular world must ensure it gets progressively sidelined to a place where it can do harm.
And Stony, if you ever visit the US, perhaps you’d like to go and explain rainbows to this ignorant lady:
http://www.keepbusy.net/play.p.....d-rainbows
July 17th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Gentlemen, you may well be delighted to learn that the curse of xtianity will actually be pretty much dead by the year 2240. Or so says a website called Futuretimeline. Their prediction was included in an article posted about this very subject on the excellent Pharyngula blog only the other day. You can find it here:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyn.....he_fut.php
Enjoy!
July 17th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Broadsword – WTF?!? That link is just insane! She really does think rainbows come out of the ground and are the result of pollution. Or something. I very nearly wet myself I was laughing so hard! Priceless.
July 17th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Marcus
There’s a link below it entitled “Guy Excited about Rainbows”.
Have a look and be honest, has that ever been you? I admit I’ve been there.
July 17th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Broadsword
Too right. I’ll happily admit that I have been moved to tears by nature. Frequently, as it happens. It is a deeply moving experience to witness something of raw beauty, right there before your eyes. (However, I can’t help thinking the guy who filmed that particular movie had his senses ‘enhanced’ just a little bit.)
By the way – I tried to post something earlier which, for whatever reason, seems to have disappeared into the ether. Basically, it was saying that you and Stonyground and Graham might be interested to learn that according to an article I read recently on the brilliant Pharyngula blog, our delightful xtian brothers will, it has been predicted, have all but disappeared by the year 2240. Here’s hoping! Check out the link below.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyn.....he_fut.php
July 17th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
@Marcus
Re. the graph.
Religion never gave us linear regression, just regression.
July 17th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Broadsword – perfectly put, my friend.
By the way, if you or anyone else is in the least bit interested, I have (in a gesture of abject futility) literally put my life on the line to demonstrate to some religiots that their god doesn’t actually exist. Indeed, I have even challenged them to pray for my demise. However, it remains to be seen if they will take me up on it. (My money is on no they definitely won’t!)
Anyway, join me, dear readers, as I await death by religion:
http://whywontgodhealamputees......7#comments
July 17th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Broadsword…
“I sometimes wonder if some are born with religious minds”
I hope not …all are empty vessels at birth …it is parents and others that surround us during the young years that “insert” dogma and superstition….It is like everything else we experience in life a “learned” behaviour.
Now that lady with the rainbow……..sad to think that this person is a member of the most powerful nation on the face of the planet…..with nuclear weapons yet …… pity her grand children for what she will teach them….A recent stat ranks the USA just ahead of Turkey in percent of population that cannot swallow the concept of evolution…..it will be a very time before the USA shakes off the shackles of faith….a very long time ….
July 17th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
So Jepsen says her credibility has been put in doubt. Seems to me it was put in doubt the minute she started believing in religion.
July 17th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Dogon
Your mention of American might has jogged my memory. We currently have three servicemen in our family. With the ongoing war I recieve many emails and pass-me-rounds in their support. Occasionally something from our allies arrives expressing similar sentiments. There is one important difference however. Invariably, anything about the US troops mentions god and prayer. What is it with the American military and god? I know the US army has discriminated against atheists before. Every British serviceman I know thinks religion is a load of bollocks, particularly now we’re fighting the pious Taliban.
Rant over. I’m intrigued by your pseudonym.
Are you a Dogon?
July 18th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Marcus
I enjoyed your discourse with the xians. As a well-fed troll you must be replete. Anyone doing that here would eventually get ignored. If I knew my end was prayed for, I’d probably walk about with a smile all day.
July 18th, 2010 at 9:54 am
It still amazes me how much respect is accorded to these buffoons here in Germany. There’s even an automatic 2% income tax that goes direct to the church (you have to specifically opt out of paying it by declaring yourself an atheist to a Notary (and that’ll cost you €200-300)). Add that to the 5% ‘reunification tax’ and the 35% base rate of income tax—and you still get a country with no national health service and cripplingly expensive health insurance.
But I digress. You still get a fair amount of respectful religious imagery used in advertising here. There was one last year featuring the fully-wimpled head of a nun saying “God can’t do everything. There’s still enough left over for us to do.” (begging for money, natch). I just love the delicious irony of that.
As for the rainbow lady, she had her own channel on YouTube that was just full of crazy (she has problems with moiré patterns as well), but I can’t find it at the mo.’ Still, here’s another one for your delectation and delight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
July 18th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Although, having said that, the above YouTuber’s account is equally full of crazy…
July 18th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Nice clip Tim.
She mentioned gravity waves which exist in theory but we haven’t seen any yet.
I love the nutters in these vids. They should take her off medication and give her a gun.