--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is anything that has broken the…" description: "\"If there is anything that has broken the church's relationship with families, it is the global sexual abuse scandal.\" — Anthea Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/anthea-butler-7679_abuse_if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the_1271251.jpg" --- # If there is anything that has broken the church's… ![“If there is anything that has broken the church's relationship with families, it is the global sexual abuse scandal.” quote by Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/anthea-butler-7679_abuse_if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the_1271251.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/anthea-butler-7679_abuse_if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the_1271251.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/anthea-butler-7679_abuse_if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the_1271251.jpg) > “If there is anything that has broken the church's relationship with families, it is the global sexual abuse scandal.” [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The global sexual abuse scandal has damaged the church’s ties with families. **In simple terms:** Scandal harms church‑family relationship. Key Takeaway Address systemic abuse openly. Themes religion family justice Mood somber hopeful Type ethical sociopolitical When to use this quote - church leadership meetings - family counseling - policy reform - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts institutional failure trauma theory Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions rebuild trust? - What role should families play in reform? A Different Perspective Some may argue other factors also strain church‑family bonds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandal/) [Sexual abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-abuse/) ## Related quotes > [Inculcating the various competing - competing, note - falsehoods of the major faiths into small children is a form of child abuse, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/inculcating-the-various-competing-competing-note-falsehoods-of-the/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [I am deeply Catholic and always will be, but I'm no longer a member of the church. I left in 2003 because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/i-am-deeply-catholic-and-always-will-be-but-i-m-no-longer-a-member-of/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [To me, Christianity was so conservative and stuffy, but for me, it was just a relationship with God. The Church relationship was just so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-sandoval/to-me-christianity-was-so-conservative-and-stuffy-but-for-me-it-was/) [Sonny Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-sandoval/) > [It might work in the short term, but it's not going to keep the people who hop from congregation to congregation. Church is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-gordon-melton/it-might-work-in-the-short-term-but-it-s-not-going-to-keep-the-people/) J. Gordon Melton > [“The holiest place on Earth, is not a temple or a church, but our relationship to one another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/the-holiest-place-on-earth-is-not-a-temple-or-a-church-but-our/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [It's not about religion and church, it's about your relationship with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-about-religion-and-church-it-s-about-your-relationship-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I find that my upbringing in the Church and my relationship with God are huge benefits to me in helping me become the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-finau/i-find-that-my-upbringing-in-the-church-and-my-relationship-with-god/) [Tony Finau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-finau/) > [In a world where families are drowning on beaches to escape war, leaving the church because of sexual abuse, or denied access because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/in-a-world-where-families-are-drowning-on-beaches-to-escape-war/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [“As mandatory reporting laws and community awareness drove an increase its child protection investigations throughout the 1980s, some children began to disclose premeditated, sadistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/as-mandatory-reporting-laws-and-community-awareness-drove-an-increase/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“It’s hard to feel supported when you can’t tell people everything. People haven’t really got a clue what it’s like. It’s hard to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/it-s-hard-to-feel-supported-when-you-can-t-tell-people-everything/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [“The way in which the child is manipulated pulls them into considering the lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-way-in-which-the-child-is-manipulated-pulls-them-into-considering/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is one of the most vicious crimes conceivable, a violation of mankind's most basic duty to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-walsh/the-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-of-children-is-one-of-the-most/) [James T. Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-walsh/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) ## More by Anthea Butler > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [I went to Catholic school and experienced racism firsthand from nuns and priests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/i-went-to-catholic-school-and-experienced-racism-firsthand-from-nuns/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Graham promoted a white evangelical respectability that wanted to 'put the brakes' on the civil rights movement, and never really accepted women as equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/graham-promoted-a-white-evangelical-respectability-that-wanted-to-put/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Historically, narratives of forgiveness were part of both the anti-slavery movement and the civil rights movement in America. 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' for instance, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/historically-narratives-of-forgiveness-were-part-of-both-the-anti/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [What often happens in a court of law is that, if victims do get their day in court, they are on trial as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/what-often-happens-in-a-court-of-law-is-that-if-victims-do-get-their/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Whether Trump knew it or not, his strong language tapped into evangelical beliefs about the 'last days' and America's role in biblical prophecy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/whether-trump-knew-it-or-not-his-strong-language-tapped-into/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [The pope's instruction for priests to forgive may mean, in some cases, the difference between a woman staying in the Catholic Church or leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/the-pope-s-instruction-for-priests-to-forgive-may-mean-in-some-cases/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Despite a rich history of black Americans involved in the Catholic Church, invisibility is a big problem for black Catholics in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/despite-a-rich-history-of-black-americans-involved-in-the-catholic/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [My memories of Vatican II center on white parishioners turning away from me when I went to shake their hands at Mass during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/my-memories-of-vatican-ii-center-on-white-parishioners-turning-away/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Trump's defense of white Anglo-Saxon Protestantism is gathering those who support him into a strong solidified base. Since the election of Francis, Republicans have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/trump-s-defense-of-white-anglo-saxon-protestantism-is-gathering-those/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Not every conservative Christian is a dominionist, but to say a movement doesn't exist, as some pundits and journalists have, without even being able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/not-every-conservative-christian-is-a-dominionist-but-to-say-a/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [The University of Pennsylvania and my wonderful colleagues in the Department of Religious Studies have been routinely sent hate emails about me. Calls to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/the-university-of-pennsylvania-and-my-wonderful-colleagues-in-the/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Coldplay's 'Hymn for the Weekend' video featuring Beyonce is already caught in a heated conversation about cultural appreciation of Indian religion and culture versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/coldplay-s-hymn-for-the-weekend-video-featuring-beyonce-is-already/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [President Barack Obama cried during his announcement of new executive actions designed to curb gun violence in the United States by restricting the access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/president-barack-obama-cried-during-his-announcement-of-new-executive/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Bernice King, daughter of MLK, is an assistant pastor at New Birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/bernice-king-daughter-of-mlk-is-an-assistant-pastor-at-new-birth/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) [Explore all 88 Anthea Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there is anything that has broken the church's relationship with families, it is the global sexual abuse scandal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthea Butler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the-church-s-relationship-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the-church-s-relationship-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/anthea-butler-7679_abuse_if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the_1271251.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/anthea-butler-7679_abuse_if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the_1271251.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d0/anthea-butler-7679_abuse_if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the_1271251.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there is anything that has broken the church's relationship with families, it is the global sexual abuse…” — Anthea Butler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anthea Butler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there is anything that has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the-church-s-relationship-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/if-there-is-anything-that-has-broken-the-church-s-relationship-with/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```