Posted on 06/15/2007 5:33:53 AM PDT by Between the Lines
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The three companies that insure the majority of Protestant churches in America say they typically receive upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members.
The figures released to The Associated Press offer a glimpse into what has long been an extremely difficult phenomenon to pin down — the frequency of sex abuse in Protestant congregations.
Religious groups and victims' supporters have been keenly interested in the figure ever since the Roman Catholic sex abuse crisis hit five years ago. The church has revealed that there have been 13,000 credible accusations against Catholic clerics since 1950.
Protestant numbers have been harder to come by and are sketchier because the denominations are less centralized than the Catholic church; indeed, many congregations are independent, which makes reporting even more difficult.
Some of the only numbers come from three insurance companies — Church Mutual Insurance Co., GuideOne Insurance Co. and Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co.
Together, they insure 165,495 churches and worship centers for liability against child sex abuse and other sexual misconduct, mostly Protestant congregations but a few other faiths as well. They also insure more than 5,500 religious schools, camps and other organizations.
The companies represent a large chunk of all U.S. Protestant churches. There are about 224,000 in the U.S., according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, although that number excludes most historically black denominations and some other groups, which account for several thousand congregations.
Church Mutual, GuideOne and Brotherhood Mutual each provided statistics on sex abuse claims to The Associated Press, although they did not produce supporting documentation or a way to determine whether the reports were credible.
The largest company, Church Mutual, reported an average of about 100 sex abuse cases a year involving minors over the past decade. GuideOne, which has about half the clients of Church Mutual, said it has received an average of 160 reports of sex abuse against minors every year for the past two decades.
Brotherhood Mutual said it has received an average of 73 reports of child sex abuse and other sexual misconduct every year for the past 15 years. However, Brotherhood does not specify which victims are younger than 18 so it is impossible to accurately add that to the total cases.
Abuse reports don't always mean the accused was guilty, and they don't necessarily result in financial awards or settlements, the companies said. The reports include accusations against clergy, church staff and volunteers.
Even with hundreds of cases a year "that's a very small number. That probably doesn't even constitute half," said Gary Schoener, director of the Walk-In Counseling Center in Minneapolis, a consultant on hundreds of Protestant and Catholic clergy misconduct cases. "Sex abuse in any domain, including the church, is reported seldom. We know a small amount actually come forward."
Tom Farr, general counsel and senior vice president of claims for GuideOne, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, said most abuse cases are resolved privately in court-ordered mediation. Awards can range from millions of dollars down to paying for counseling for victims, he said.
One of the largest settlements to date in Protestant churches involved the case of former Lutheran minister Gerald Patrick Thomas Jr. in Texas, where a jury several years ago awarded the minister's victims nearly $37 million. Separate earlier settlements involving Thomas cost an additional $32 million.
When insurance companies first started getting reports of abuse from churches nearly two decades ago, the cases usually involved abuse that happened many years earlier. But over the past several years, the alleged abuse is more recent — which could reflect a greater awareness about reporting abuse, insurance companies said.
Insurance officials said the number of sex abuse cases has remained steady over the past two decades, but they also said churches are working harder to prevent child sex abuse by conducting background checks, installing windows in nurseries and play areas and requiring at least two adults in a room with a child.
Patrick Moreland, vice president of marketing for Church Mutual, said churches are particularly susceptible to abusers.
"By their nature, congregations are the most trusting of organizations, so that makes them attractive targets for predators," he said. "If you're a predator, where do you go? You go to a congregation that will welcome you."
A victims' advocacy group has said the Southern Baptists, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, could do more to prevent abuse by creating a list of accused clergy the public and churches could access.
"I think they should have a list of credibly reported clergy child abuse," said Christa Brown, a member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a group initially created to hold the Catholic church accountable for sex abuse by its clergy.
"These are things people are entitled to know," said Brown, who says she was sexually abused as a child by a Southern Baptist minister. "The only way to prevent this crime is to break the code of silence and to have absolute transparency when allegations are raised."
At the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in San Antonio this week, the Rev. Wade Burleson of Enid, Okla., proposed a feasibility study into developing a national database of Southern Baptist ministers who have been "credibly accused of, personally confessed to, or legally been convicted of sexual harassment or abuse."
A convention committee referred Burleson's motion to the SBC executive committee, which will report back with findings and a recommendation at next year's meeting in Indianapolis.
Southern Baptist President Frank Page said leaders are considering several options to help churches protect children against abuse.
"We believe that the Scripture teaches that the church should be an autonomous, independent organization," Page said. "We encourage churches to hold accountable at the local level those who may have misused the trust of precious children and youth."
Several years ago, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which represents moderates who have increasingly distanced themselves from the conservative-led Southern Baptists, started a list of accused clergy for churches, but not the public. Under pressure from victim advocates, the Texas group just released the names of some convicted sex offenders who may have been ministers in local congregations.
Joe Trull, editor of Christian Ethics Today and retired ethics professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, helped the Texas convention create its registry and says there are now about 11 cases involving clergy abuse with minors.
But he believes these are just the "tip of the iceberg" because churches don't have to report abuse cases to the registry and aren't likely to.
"The problem we're having is that churches just weren't sending the names," Trull said. "In the normal scenario, they just try to keep it secret. We're going to have to be more proactive and let them know if they don't come forward, they're helping to perpetuate this problem."
LOL. Good one. 8~)
I seek to preach the Gospel and the truth of Christ risen, as all Christians are instructed to do.
I'd be interested in your take on the linked essay by the Roman Catholic priest in the Roman Catholic publication that identifies Roman Catholic priests as "another Christ."
Is that what you believe?
Some Proddie folks handle this and other sins responsibly and some don’t. Things are improving.
Sometimes I think hard heartedness is more destructive and deadly than sexual abuse, as horrid as that IS.
A lot of times, the responses of the people around the victims of sexual abuse determine the severity of the damage—all other things being equal—of course.
I think PREVENTION by healthy parenting of all children is a crucial super high priority.
Of course, alertness on everyone’s part is important.
Everyone loses with this horror and other abuses of all kinds.
The silence with emotional abuse is pretty horrid, too.
Prisons are filled by REACTIVE ATTACHMENT DISORDERS—most probably from single parent homes with absent and/or abusive dads . . . but also abusive mothers.
Then perhaps I can also remind you that when you refer to another FReeper by name in your post, it's FR courtesy to ping that poster.
Romans12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
. 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ?
2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off , even as many as the Lord our God shall call .
2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
2:44 And all that believed were together , and had all things common;
2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Compare apples with apples. The protestant numbers come from 224,000 protestant churches. How many Catholic churches produced their numbers?
Alright!! A mind reader!! I'm impressed.
And yet you still chose to misquote me...again.
Ahhhhh...so I chose to misquote you. IOW, I did it deliberately. Oh dear. Then allow me to correct my errors and rephrase the question. We wouldn't want a misquotation to allow you to wiggle out of giving an answer by changing the subject, would we?
Let's see if I can get it right this time.
It is your position that the ranks of the Catholic Church's clergy is "literally filled" (care to throw out a percentage value, Doc?) with sexual deviants .....and the Church is engaged in teaching fables which are (allow me to add one more quote) "massively shocking".
Did I miss anything?
You'd surely agree that such a horrific institution would never be blessed with Divine grace, yes? Which would suggest its condition was terminal, right?
Discuss the issues all you want, but do NOT make it personal.
Christ did not ordain Alexander the Great, yet because of him, the gospel was carried far and wide by the Greeks. At any rate, the church is composed of all who repent and believe, period. The superstitious rites of an institution has nothing whatsoever to do with it. Nor are you born into it, as Catholics believe.
I was accused of knowingly misquoting someone (Post #97). IOW, I did it deliberately.
That isn't making it personal? It's an accusation of deliberate dishonesty.
And I am saying that this theory is not consistent with the New Testament account of Christ and the Holy Spirit working through a particular set of men.
Is that what you believe?
I would hope so. It's what the Catholic Church teaches.
Right HERE in Her Catechism.
Here's the relevant paragraph:
#1142 "But "the members do not all have the same function."12 Certain members are called by God, in and through the Church, to a special service of the community. These servants are chosen and consecrated by the sacrament of Holy Orders, by which the Holy Spirit enables them to act in the person of Christ the head, for the service of all the members of the Church.13 The ordained minister is, as it were, an "icon" of Christ the priest. Since it is in the Eucharist that the sacrament of the Church is made fully visible, it is in his presiding at the Eucharist that the bishop's ministry is most evident, as well as, in communion with him, the ministry of priests and deacons.
Read it and learn.
Urban legend which you continue to perpetuate.
Sexual Abuse of Children by Protestant Ministers
Sex abuse spans spectrum of churches
The truth is that anyone who thinks that protestants don't have a problem which either equals or exceeds that of the Catholic Church are fools, liars or both. It's telling that you don't mention the abuse rate in public schools. Another example which blows your "celibacy is the problem" argument right out of the water.
"For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee:" Titus 1:5
"And when they had ordained to them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed." Acts 14:22
"For every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins:" Hebrews 5:1
"Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood." 1 Timothy 4:14
"And indeed they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is to say, of their brethren: though they themselves also came out of the loins of Abraham." Hebrews 7:5
"Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5:14
"Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5
" Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" Acts 20:28
"Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons." Philippians 1:1
"A faithful saying: if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." 1 Timothy 3:3
"Deacons in like manner chaste, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre:" 1 Timothy 3:8
"For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee:" Titus 1:5
"And when they had ordained to them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed." Acts 14:22
Perhaps you could tell us just what version of the Bible you are using there? You see The Holy Bible published by The Catholic Press 1950 uses the word "presbyters" in all those verses you listed --- not "priests". You need to find and quote an honest translation.
# 795: Christ and his Church thus together make up the "whole Christ" (Christus totus). The Church is one with Christ. The saints are acutely aware of this unity:
Let us rejoice then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ himself. Do you understand and grasp, brethren, God's grace toward us? Marvel and rejoice: we have become Christ. For if he is the head, we are the members; he and we together are the whole man. . . . The fullness of Christ then is the head and the members. But what does "head and members" mean? Christ and the Church. Our redeemer has shown himself to be one person with the holy Church whom he has taken to himself. Head and members form as it were one and the same mystical person.
Is there something wrong with this magisterial reasoning???
Some Proddie folks handle this and other sins responsibly and some don’t. Things are improving.
Such as is common for man.
I think PREVENTION by healthy parenting of all children is a crucial super high priority.
I would go so far as to say that an increase in abuse is simply a reflection of the current pathos of our society.
God created within us a sexual desire. Part of the natural desire to reproduce: "be fruitful and multiply"
The devil perverts that desire. Nothing new here...he always has and he always will until he is finally cast into the lake of fire.
What makes things particularly bad now is that the technology currently makes communicating bad behavior so much easier than it ever has been.
The existence of broadcast radio and television has managed to normalize societal norms and 'advance' them to those norms that are determined to be appropriate by a few rich folk in New York and Los Angeles. People who would never be given a face-to-face audience in a typical city now have access and a forum to spread their lies. And then weak-minded people, on an individual basis, can buy into those lies. And they can do so from the privacy of their homes...thus not falling to the moderating influence of their communities.
And what has happened: rather than sexual purity being exalted as a virue, it is now called sexual repression. Rather than modesty in dress being exalted, audaciousness is currently highly valued. Chastity is a joke. Desire is the norm that simply must be fulfilled.
And then we look at the truly modern technologies: cable, satellite, and Internet: now all of a sudden the natural desire of man for all manner of perversion can be fed...and from the privacy of the person's bedroom.
And people get fed this no matter what. Unless they totally isolate themselves from the world like the Amish claim to do. It's pushed on them no matter where they go. And if they want more, they can get what they want. And nobody has to know.
The protections that we would have as a result of living in a basically Christian society are gone. A person can sin in his bedroom on Saturday night and go to church as a pillar of the church on Sunday morning...and nobody has to know.
As a result of this, our society is collapsing. And there is nothing we can do about it.
Each of us has a dark spot in our soul. It's called original sin and we inherited it from Adam. While the accountability for that dark spot is washed away in baptism, the damage left by that dark spot exists and can be fed and can spread like a cancer through our soul. When that cancer has gone far enough, we will act. What's happened with the explosion of communication that I mentioned earlier is that the bar to cross for action is lower. And it is continually getting lower and lower. And that bar is going to affect clergy as well as laity and no denomination is exempt.
More so now than ever before, we need to have a revolution. That revolution needs to happen in the hearts and souls of each of us. We EACH need to make an INDIVIDUAL decision to follow Christ. And that decision is not a one-time thing, it needs to be made every day. We need to put on Christ and make NO provision for the flesh. And it's an individual thing that each person must do interiorly.
What does that have to do with prevention? Well, clergy are human just like the rest of us. They are subject to the same pressures, the same desires, and the same weaknesses as is common to man. I know there are wolves who gravitate to that existence, as it improves their access, but I also believe that those wolves are few and far between. All clergy, without exception, are men and are descended from Adam. All clergy are subject to the same forces that the laity are...they have made the decision to radically follow Christ as witnessed through their lives (with the exception of a few televangelists, I know of very few rich clergy...regardless of denomination), but they, like us, must make the decision on a moment by moment basis to continue that radical lifestyle. And they need our intense prayers on a daily basis. After all, it has got to give the Devil particular joy to cause a member of the clergy to trip...even moreso than his joy at deceiving a member of the laity.
Bottom line is that we need to pray for all of them. Just like it's more difficult now than ever for us to live as Christ willed, it's got to be as difficult or even worse for a member of the clergy to follow his calling in this day and time.
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