Summary

Elastic Consciences Word on the Week 7th September 2024.
This week has been revealing in a tragic way. There was the scoping inquiry into 2,395 allegations of abuse in schools by 884 alleged abusers. The report features schools run by many religious orders.
This was followed by the report on London’s Grenfell flats fire on 14th June 1917, which claimed the lives of 72 people and injured many others. The Irish company, Kingspan, were involved in the external cladding which turned out to be inflammable. It claimed the report’s “wholly unacceptable historical failings” were regrettable but it did not cause the tragedy. They said, “The principal reason for the fire spread was the PE ACM cladding, which was not made by Kingspan”. It said it produced only 5% of the combustible foam insulation used on the tower.
Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who wrote the 1,700-page report, found that Kingspan and two other firms engaged in a deliberate strategy to mislead the market about their products. He also said that Kingspan had “knowingly created a false market” for insulation products and demonstrated “deeply entrenched and persistent dishonesty...in pursuit of commercial gain”.
Kingspan’s practices go back. Consciences adapt to company culture!
Some allege the school culture was one of silence. The turning of the blind eye. Others say there must have been collusion between teachers. But over the school system there was non-involvement which permitted the practice of pedophilia to continue unchallenged.
Some 182 survivors spoke in detail to the inquiry about what happened to them between the early 1960's and the early 1990's. The abuse was not confined to boarding schools but was present throughout the system. Special needs schools were also involved with a quarter of all those abused coming from 17 special schools.
Those interviewed told the inquiry that the abuse they suffered followed them through their lives as feelings of shame, responsibility, isolation, powerlessness and secrecy. And how it would manifest as mental health problems, confusion about their developing sexuality, poor academic performance, failed relationships and marriage breakdown.
As for the abusers the Bible speaks of those whose conscience has been seared by a hot iron (1 Timothy 4 v 2). It’s as if it has become calloused to the point that truth can scarcely reach it. It has lost even its elasticity!
What hope is there for the abuser and the abused, the dishonest businessman and the victim of the Grenfell disaster? Only Christ can cleanse the conscience - He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Hebrews 9 verses 11-14)
Then having come to Christ ‘honour Christ in your heart as Lord, always being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that you have. But do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander’ (1 Peter 3 verses 15 to 17).