Pastor steps down after being found naked in school
We don’t know what time of day or night that he was nude in the school. We don’t know, where in the school, halls, classrooms, office, etc. We don’t know why he was nude. Was he being free range and has other nude activities? Did he have a secret naturist inclination and went for it. Was it a way for a man in a boring contained lifestyle to release, or rebel, or just get a rush and feel more alive? Did he have the notion to be seen, found out, or not? Did he know that the secretary was there? She didn’t know that he was there. She’s the one who freaked out and called. The police weren’t in a position to do anything, apparently. I remember one Saturday, I was at my small school getting caught up, and began to entertain the idea of wishing that I could do this nude and comfortably, and the fun that it would be to be working nude in an inappropriate place, but I didn’t let go to the impulse and stayed carefully professional. I thought that I was alone and nearly jumped out of my skin at the copy machine, when as I contemplated this, the secretary came out of nowhere. I had been certain that I was alone and wouldn’t have even considered it, or thought of it otherwise. Maybe, the priest just went with it. Maybe he thought that he was alone.
I don’t see a great deal of what is “appropriate” in school settings, especially church run, as actually appropriate, myself. The atmosphere is nutty and unhealthy in many ways. One has to accept these nutty ways, just as the game, if you want to be paid and be privileged to give something to kids. I think that the artificial, just plain wrong notion of repression of nudity, dress codes and the like are wholly overblown. The reality is play your role, keep your persona, costume and control, but that doesn’t make it right.
I’m also disagreeing with Nuduke on this one. I go along with what Bob says, “I disagree that there is any inappropriate place for human beings to be seen as human beings. I strongly disagree with those who attack and shame this priest.” BUT, I see the priest shaming himself as well. It may only be my imagination, but according to the system, he is supposed to be ashamed for his lapse and wrong doing. That is, if he believes the game is real and healthy. He resigns, because as is the game, he can do nothing else in his position. Perhaps he recognizes it as a game (as I did) and his nude antics are to him another game. He played and lost. He repents and he still has a job somewhere in the church, it passes. If he tries to hold on and he exposes his true self, he gets booted. SN takes a big risk and gets caught, but like Bob says, it shouldn’t be a risk in the first place.
I hope that I understand Bob’s point, and don’t misrepresent him. My apologies if I just did.
It is a shame, as Nuduke offers us, that this kind of publicity has a message that says nudity is bad, shameful, a lie and a disgrace. A priest or authority can have no humanity in many ways under severe punishment systemically and that is a wrong in my book. The priest could stand up and declare that he has done no wrong and stand his ground as it opened up under his feet and he dropped to Hell. Perhaps, the priest HAS declared that he has been a hypocrite. Perhaps he has decided to end his lie, or perhaps extend it.
Jbee
