Just a quick follow up to our recent post on Washington’s new requirements vis a vis its clergy law requiring clergy to report instances of child abuse or neglect, even if the information is disclosed during confession, the US DOJ is intervening. The US DOJ has filed a federal lawsuit to thwart Washington’s requirements of clergy disclosure. The US DOJ claims Washington’s law is a brazen act of religious discrimination that forces priests to choose between breaking the sacred seal of confession or face jail time. Under Washington law clergy now are part of a list of professions required to report suspect child abuse and/or neglect, similar to teachers and health care workers. This ostensibly violates the balance between church and state, i.e. the First Amendment and Equal Protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. What say you, should priest be legally required to disclose certain things told to them during confession?
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