Recently, Arizona's Supreme Court ruled in favor of upholding clergy privilege when it comes to concealing crimes against children. Essentially, clergy privilege allows priests, pastors, etc., from having to report crimes- such as child sex abuse to local authorities. In Arizona, a lawsuit was filed by victims of child sex abuse as the hands of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This lawsuit made its way to Arizona's Supreme Court, where it was ruled that religious officials were exempt from answering questions and from reporting the details of a crime if it is discovered through a confessional setting. Basically, Arizona's Supreme Court ruled in favor of concealing crimes against children at the hands of religious officials. Religious officials should have to report these crimes, their religion should not protect criminals from serving time. Doing so only creates more victims of the endless counts of abuse that occurs throughout religious institutions all over the nation. Separation of church and state does not exist in many parts of the United States, with laws written to explicitly ensure religious leaders protection instead of accountability.
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