Catholicism - the only religion with child abusers?

[Must_B_Free]

This strikes me: "10,667 children reported abuse by priests"

What about other religions? Is there any abuse going in on the clergy of other faiths?

So far, it seems to be purely a Catholic phenomenon, yet my better judgement tells me that "people are the same whereever you go", so are we overlooking abuse by other religions' clergy?

[TlalocW]

1. I'm sure we are

I think part of the focus on Catholicism is that the priests are expected to be celibate, and it's a bigger deal for some reason because of that.

TlalocW

[mcar]

2. Of course there are abusers in other faiths

As the other poster said, Catholic priests' celibacy is one of the reasons this seems to be a purely Catholic issue. But, how many times do you read about a youth minister here or a pastor there being arrested, accused, etc.

The other issue is that protestantism has many demoninations, none of which are as large as Catholicism. So, there are probably no statistics on child abusers in the protestant faith.

[supernova]

7. Societal problem

not just a Catholic problem. There's problems with other clergy too. Everybody's human. :hug: I do agree the expectation of celibacy tends to underscore it more, however.

My own denom demon lol what a freudian slip!, Presbyterian Church USA, has a committee, that deals with clergy problems at the district level. Some are moral, some are criminal. I'm not privy to those disucussion, but my friends on that panel get their hair raised on a reguar basis. I don't know how much of it is child abuse, however. We also are fairly secretive about personnel problems. :evilfrown:

edit: the demon thing. And I'll add: For most of our youth activities, these are group activities with parent chaparones included. There is little reason for 1 on 1 time between the youth pastor and children, even if the YP is married.

[marie123]

3. you are kidding

there are child abusers everywhere, from believers in religion to athieism. (not sure if that is word, but it is today)

[Az]

4. It is not just Catholicism

Unfortunately for the Catholics theirs is one of the more organized and secretive religions around. Thus their descision to take matters in their own hands and not report the abusers has blown back in their face.

There is a sociological factor that draws predators to the clergy. These people do not wish to have the desires they do but are burdened with them none the less. They turn to religion as a means of making themself right with the world. To purge their demons they attempt to become closer to what they believe is good.

The problem comes from the fact that the clergy is given an aura of trust by the public (until recently). The churches do not address the real issues these people face. Thus the problem simply becomes hidden and for a time they are kept seperate from that which they are obsessed with. But then once they are ordained they released back into the environment clad with a near absolute trust. Children are handed over to them and the temptation soon overwhelms them and they become more dangerous than they ever were.

It is indivdiduals with real problems. It is not the religion. The Catholic church as an institution has made some very real tactical errors in trying to cover this up. But followers of the Catholic faith are in no way at cause for this issue. Any hostility pointed their way is unfounded. It is the people that acted that bear the brunt of responsibility.

[randr]

5. Let's think about this

My guess is this is the tip of the iceberg. No mention yet of any female abuse. The likelihood that this behavior is prevalent in similar situation of adult control over children, especially in other religious formats, is something that needs to be looked into.
Can you imagine what the reaction would be if this situation was found in the public school system or some organization like the Boy Scouts?

[Must_B_Free]

9. Format factor

The whole thing relies on "1 on 1 tiume alone" with the perp, which is somehow built into catholicism on a ritual level, although the confessional box has a wall in it.

Other faiths: Judiasm, Islam, Various Christian branches - maybe the solitude and celebacy are the big factor. I guess these others don't have the ease of access to victims logistics wise like catholicism.

[randr]

22. What about the "born again" bible camps?

[BlueEyedSon]

6. I'm sure it's the celibacy... then their sexuality finds a bad outlet.

[Rich Hunt]

20. NONSENSE

How many times do I have to post this article?

They are factually as well as ethically wrong, claims Blow: the fault is not with homosexuality, it is with the doctrine of celibacy. “It is Catholic dogma; the church doctrine dictating that priests must be male and must be celibate. In trying to shut off the faucet of human sexuality, the Church has created an unhealthy atmosphere, a single-sex House of Usher, in which frustrated men engage in sexual behavior they would not otherwise resort to.

“Sexually speaking, the church is akin to a prison, where men who are not gay have sex with other men—and children—because they desperately need an outlet for their sexual desires” (www. tompaine. com/feature.cfm/ID/5517).

Blow (et al.) have revived the antique notion of men as helpless victims of their own raging hormonal imbalances—what has been called “the hydraulic theory” of male sexuality. Despite its inherent ludicrousness, this notion has served for centuries as a convenient excuse for everything from the rape of adult women to the murder of “unfaithful” wives to the abuse of children.

http://www.zmag.org/ZMagSite/Oct2002/Feature/clarke1002.htm

Just because priests are expected to be celibate doesn't mean that they don't have adult relationships.

[demnan]

8. I think the celebacy issue

sets up Catholicism because the pristhood is the type of career that can attract sexual deviants. They hide behind the pristhood to pursue their sick fantasies.

That's not to say all priests are sexual deviants, but just to say it gives sexual deviants an institution that protects them, making it conducive to their activity.

[Must_B_Free]

12. In a way you could argue that the Church was open for Sexual Rejects

women who got pregnant joined the convent (possibly)
men who were gay - joined the priesthood (possibly)

I say "possibly" because I'm not trying to paint with a broad brush and say thats why all these people joined the clergy, but for people whoes lives have ... "obstacles" such as these, the Church offered a CULTURALLY ACCEPTABLE way to handle these.

Other forms of the same thing "join the army", "join the navy" - kind of like "I messed up on my own, so I'm going to a higher power to sort out my life for me"

It is arguab;le that the church offered a tidy "solution" to some sticky issues that were even spoken about in those times.

[supernova]

18. Similar to my thinking

The folks with these problems, pedophelia and pederasty, found an acceptable --respectable even-- outlet for their proclivities.

Just goes to show how little we know about human sexuality.

[NC_Nurse]

10. I remember reading

somewhere that often the fundamental christians (no specific sect) who participate in child sexual abuse believe that it is okay to do this as opposed to having sex with another woman (if they are married) or with any woman (if they are supposed to be celibate). Somehow they see this as not violating the rules. Pretty creepy if ya ask me!
I think it's pretty weird that Catholic priests are supposed to be celibate...they're human aren't they? What's wrong with being married? Aren't they just asking for a huge closeted clergy?:eyes:

[Az]

17. Communing with god

Recent studies on epyleptics who experience an excessive number of "religious" experiences show they are actually experiencing a neurological disruption. There is a part of the brain that over time learns to differentiate self from the universe around us. When we are born we cannot distinguish the seperation of self. We see everything as one.

Eventually the brain learns to seperate its observations. The portion of the brain that retains this ability to filter our flow of internal dialog can be shorted out. Drugs, physical exertion, sex, prayer, and a host of methods can be used to achieve this state.

Many of the early monotheistic sects were observed by the Romans as being oddly experential in their approach to their beliefs. They partook in all manner of rituals and rites attempting to communicate with their god. The early Christian sects were included in their observations of these rites. Christian tradition still retains echoes of these practices. The taking of the sacriment and prayer are just two examples. They are means of attempting to commune with the diety.

The conflicts between the early sects of Christianity purged most of the more extreme forms of achieving this methodology of communing with god. Combining with Judaic tradition the surviving sects began to control the means by which one could achieve communion with god.

They eventually cast any unapproved method that changes the state of mind as an aberation or sin. Thus sex became an issue. It is a method to change one state of mind that they cannot control. But because a group that does not procreate cannot propogate the religion had to adopt a balance between no sex and hedonism. Thus sex only for procreation is what they ultimately adopted as the official stance.

[emad]

19. Temporal lobe activity can do funny things to people....

...like making them think they've seen visions of saints/deities etc OR being abducted by aliens in UFOs.....

[kcwayne]

11. Remember David Koresh?

There were some nutbags a couple of weeks ago that broke the back of their 5 year old daughter trying to perform an exorcism.

Christian Scientist would be thrown in jail, and sometimes are, for witholding medical care from their children. They are allowed to do things to their kids that you would be arrested for if you didn't claim religion was the reason.

[emad]

13. Here's the latest link today:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x387741

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

14. BBC report on Jehovah's Witness'

from a couple of years ago:

With the Catholic Church still reeling from revelations that it kept child abuse quiet, Panorama investigates a world-wide religion that stands accused of shielding abusers: the Jehovah's Witnesses.

The programme tells the harrowing stories of children put at risk by the Watchtower Society's bible-based policies and unearths evidence of a database of members suspected of child abuse - many of whom have never been reported to the police.

The organisation claims to monitor the men accused of raping and molesting children but now faces allegations that it covers up crime and pressurises victims not to go to the police.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/2114320.stm

[emad]

15. Let us not forget Utah where polygamy and incest was big news

last year I think - some man called Green got busted...can't remember the exact info.

Mormons are a very secretive society and many believe that enforced marriages beteen under 16 year olds and their aunts/uncles etc is tantamount to child abuse.

[emad]

16. Sorry another dupe here, the mouse on this k/board is double

double clicking I think....

[Festivito]

21. Catholicism tried to hide it and exacerbated the problem.

It's not just religions, it's school teachers, coaches, police officers, fathers, mothers, any pillar of society. The more out of suspicion, the better.

People stereotype religions as being more helpful to the weak, and when it doesn't follow their stereotyping it makes people angrier.

[randr]

23. Seven Day Adventists have a bad record

I recall a special on TV about the hidden files they keep. Apparently whenever anyone in the church is accused the church rallies around the accused and ruin the accusers life. Many cases of spousal and child abuse have been recorded.
Then take a look at the child abuse within the Mormon Church. Children are given into what amounts to slavery.