SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE BY RELIGIOUS LEADERS

[JOHNTY]

Greetings Everyone,

ANDITMAKESMEWONDER: ... Yours was indeed a heartfelt reply. I could feel your emotion ooozing through every word.

Sex is indeed a strong feeling - especially in some men. And Karma and incarnation aside it is an urge that eventually has to be overcome or we all will never progress into Masters of 3rd dimentional Earth and move forward.

Olorin: ... I take your point about Methodists not taking a vow of celibacy. But I also see in the media that over the last few days the Methodist Church has admited that over 2000 children and vulnerable young men and women have been sexually abused by some of their ministers and clerical staff. It makes you wonder how many more will come forward and tell of their being abused.

Also, will this open the floodgates to other followers of other religions telling their sad tales of abuse? Personally I hope it does because it will hopefully make those who have these strong and overpowering feelings and ideas to think twice before going down that road.

It surely is a case of: Who can you trust these days?

[birds]

These people are/were far from religious yet used spirituality to control those looking to belong:

Jim Jones
David Koresh
David Berg
Warren Jeffs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...cted_of_crimes

I'm not even Catholic and I'm tired of people always blaming priests and that, looking only to the Catholics for examples of this. It is a fact that there have been a lot of cases in the Catholic church, but it's far from the only religious institution afflicted with people like this. There's been a lot of it in evangelical churches too. There have been a lot of people abused in Jewish communities, within Mormonism. There have Muslim cases, even some recent cases within Paganism. Probably within other religions too, I'm sure...

Outside of religion there's been a positive scourge of cases with teachers lately. In just the past year there's been half a dozen cases with female teachers where I live and more than a dozen with males. There have been cases within the scouts locally. It's just sickening how much there is of it going on. Most of these people aren't required to be celibate so you can't really blame it on that. Molesters are everywhere it seems.

[Rah nam]

How deep does the rabbit hole go?
Most are only prepared to look at the few, ok quite a few disgustingly sick individuals, not to many are prepared to look at the institutionalized child abuse, not just abuse, but child trafficking, child sacrifice, which involves not just churches but the higher echelon of our society.
I am sure this will all come out in the wash.

[PassionOfHybrid]

Originally Posted by JOHNTY

GREETINGS EVERYONE,

Hardly a month goes by without some religious leader being had up for sexual and/or physical abuse of children, or of adults with learning difficulties. Though it's mostly men there are times when women are involved too - including nuns who well known for their physical abuse of children in convents or schools where they teach.

I appreciate that these problems do occur elsewhere, but the last thing you expect is for religious people to behave in this way.

Any ideas as to why?

Being abused, can lead to abuse, of any kind.

Those selfish kind of parents that cannot take responsibility for the things they do to their kids, usually have children that "hurt" either themselves, or others. You can even mentally abuse yourself.

[birds]

The celibacy vow could play a part in lusting more for adults since that passion cannot, usually isn't, realized.
However, child predators are sick and it isn't about sex. Normal adults wouldn't lust after children, celibate or not.

[PassionOfHybrid]

Originally Posted by birds

The celibacy vow could play a part in lusting more for adults since that passion cannot, usually isn't, realized.
However, child predators are sick and it isn't about sex. Normal adults wouldn't lust after children, celibate or not.

In christian teachings, the bible encourages parents to beat their children. It damages the children psychologically, the children begin to feel inferior, and end up trying to "dominate" other kids for validation (false sense of power). And if this isn't discovered and dealt with as quickly as possible,it can manifest into something much more sinister like rape,molestation,pedophilia, substance abuse, or any other abuse,of any kind. This psychological issue can be carried on into adult hood, if not handled or prevented.

These are possibly a part of the reason why these things are so prominent in christian religion.

But remember, we cannot say that all christians do these things.

[birds]

I certainly don't believe in that "spare the rod, spoiled the child". I believe hitting only teaches to hit when one doesn't like something. I can understand tapping a toddler's hand and saying "no, no, that's hot", for instance, but they are generally yet too young to understand reasoning.

I would never disrespect the Bible and it's teachings. I though have noticed a few contradictions, well maybe interpretations, within it. I've always seen it as more of a guide than an exact way to live life.

I agree that children that are abused may turn into abusers. It isn't always about sex but any kind of power/empowerment. Hopefully most will realize they don't want others to experience the pain they have but many are too young to understand their feelings. Adults though should seek help instead of acting on their feelings; they know better.

[PassionOfHybrid]

It also takes a toll on a child's self-esteem.

[Amilius777]

Rah Nam-

I kinda know what your talking about. It goes worse than what we hear on the news. There are some sick societies and cults that are high authorities. The Catholic cardinals and priests are just easier to spot and far more vulnerable but 500 years ago that wasn't the case.

And I am tired of this "celibacy leads to child abuse". Does anybody on this forum even know the definition of CELIBACY?!

Celibacy- abstaining from sex and sexual relations.

This doesn't include- masturbation, sexual thoughts, biological urges, and possibly having a girlfriend on the side.

There are plenty of normal priests who are sexually normal, they masturbate, they may even have secret girlfriends and so forth.

It just means they can't have a wife and family and have sex with someone else.

Predatory individuals are either mentally ill or violently sexual. They have a problem that developed from upbringing or what they experienced in life. It is a belief system that some individuals with unhinged minds share. That it is okay to "go there". The same goes for people who are into bestiality. There is something mentally, thoughtfully wrong and screwed up in their thinking.

Jesus was a celibate, Buddha was a celibate, Francis of Assisi was celibate, Theresa of Avila was a celibate, Pope Francis is a celibate. The Dalai Lama is a celibate.

Young people from 12 to even into their 20s or 30s can be celibate and not have girlfriends nor have sexual relations with someone else.

Does that mean every teenager who enjoys exploring their body on their own will develop into a pedophile because they don't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend to have sexual relations with?

I am sorry but ignorance really bothers me and I can't believe people don't know the difference between Celibacy and Abstinence.

Btw a person doesn't need to be a priest. They can be a deacon and perform certain rituals during mass and be married. A previously married priest from another denomination can become a Catholic priest and remain married. A man married who loses his wife and wishes to become a priest later in life can do so.

I don't agree that priests should be restricted from marriage but I am defending why this doesn't cause a hideous sexual preference.

And whoever said we need to get past "sexual feelings" to reach level 3 like the universe is a Mario Luigi video game, I can't imagine the Universe being that stern and crude. Jesus had sexual feelings. He was a man. But he was also divine because of how he lived and expressed himself and revealed the God within himself.

Why is sex always an obstacle in the spiritual and religious circles? We have a dark side, we have an animal side. Better to accept it and know how to handle it then ignore it or try to destroy it. When you do that it hides it, feeds it more, and pushes it away and it becomes a demon in that dark you placed it.