"The world's going crazy and no one gives a damn anymore."  So wrote Ray Davies way back in 1980s.  Oh if he thought that then, what he must think today.  Just a sampling of the things that are crazy in just the recent weeks.  We have a Presidential candidate who is being assailed about possible sexual harassment settlements.  A proud university community is being rocked by a child sex abuse scandal.

I can not speak for whether these acts are as they are portrayed in the media, because they are the only sources of information we have.  What troubles me is the situation of those who are the victims.  What I see are two patterns emerging. 

In the former scandal, the alleged victims are stifled from make statements as to the details by settlement agreements that were made with the employer in question.  For them to speak out one of two things must happen.  Either the other party to the settlement agreement must agree to allow the terms to be discussed, or the victim must violate a legally binding agreement and face legal sanctions.  This situation leaves the alleged attacker and his supporters free to take shots at the victims their mental state, their moral character and anything else to make them look unstable, or greedy or venal. 

In the latter scandal, the alleged victims are children and do not speak since the system is set up to protect their privacy.  They are reported to be 10 - 12 years of age and have suffered an unimaginable physical and emotional trauma at the hands of someone who appears to have been insulated and harbored by a great institution. (We have heard this story before haven't we.)  Instead of looking out for the well being of the young, the institution appears to have gone into CYA mode and looked to only protect the brand of the institution and the millions of dollars it generates annually.

The common threads that I find troubling are that institutions covering themselves and their names at the expense of those who are the victims.  I also find it troubling that so far no one is speaking for the victims.  The victims themselves are constrained by legal agreements or the need to protect their privacy.  Luckily the accused have shown little or no ability to cast themselves in a sympathetic light.

I await the outcome of both scandals and will hope that truth comes out and those who have been responsible end up facing the appropriate punishment.  The one thing that I find reassuring is that none are able to hide the truth from God and will thus be paying for their sins in eternity.