California Bill Seeks to Force Priests to Report Details of Confessions

So much for the separation of church and state in California.

California statists are getting more aggressive in their attempts to be the epicentre of life--all life--including private religious confessions.

California Senate Bill 360 seeks to change its law to force priests to report when they hear of sins in the confessional regarding child abuse or neglect, or face prison time.

Certainly child abuse or neglect are horrific things, however, there are two points to be made here. This would be the state defining child abuse and neglect.

Is it possible a parent refusing to get her child vaccinated would be in the near future be considered a parent abusing or neglecting her child?

Is it possible a parent in the future who homeschools her child might be considered guilty of abusing or neglecting her child?

But, secondly, where is it said that a priest upon hearing a confession of true child abuse or neglect would not take action to remedy the situation without necessarily alerting the state? Perhaps a child abuse sinner would feel more comfortable revealing such abuse to a priest rather than the harsh and evil state.

This is not about protecting those who abuse or neglect children. It is about the evil state getting involved in such situations based on its definitions of abuse and neglect and its cold bureaucratic way of dealing with everything it touches.

 -RW