Now I have heard everything. A bill to protect children from abuse is…an attack on religion? Talk about losing sight of who the victim is. Everyone, not just clergy, but everyone, including clergy, should report child abuse whenever they become aware of it. Indeed, clergy and all truly religious people should feel a special obligation in this regard, being not only legally but morally bound by the tenets of their religion to protect the most vulnerable. To turn this simple truth on its head as Emil Monda did in his Aug. 16 “Common Sense” column is head-spinning hypocrisy. We need California State Assembly Bill SB 360 to bring child abusers to justice. The brave supporters of this bill should be praised, not vilified. The bill would prevent hypocrites from misusing religion to hide dark deeds. It is not an attack on religion. It is an attack on the misuse of religion by some evil people. It is an attack on hypocrisy, and on behalf of abused children everywhere I say, “Charge!”
Lee Otterholt, Laguna Beach
