Posted on 09/10/2012 8:51:49 PM PDT by count-your-change
In my opinion, your post 41 seemed to imply that the abuse committed by “Regular Joe’s” was somehow not as bad as the abuse committed by “handpicked” priests. And my first link did provide a source, “Jenkins, Priests and Pedophilia”, which states that marrieds are just as likely as celibates to be abusers.
So, as is said, do the math.
www.yearbookofchurches.org site says there is about 600,000 clergymen and women in the U.S. and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (Georgetown Univ.) 2012 Total Catholic priests is 39,964.
For 2006, CARA showed 635 new and “credible allegations” were lodged against 394 priests or deacons from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. (CARA)
And there was about 43,000 priests in the U.S. at that time.
Since there was about 13 times the number of Protestant clergy as Catholic priests the same rate of “new and “credible allegations” would mean 13 x 635 = 8255 accusations against 5122 Protestant ministers.
Was anything that number reported?
If Protestant clergy had the same rate and not just gross totals we should expect thousands of reports of abuse by Protestant clergy. Has that occurred?
You surely have heard of sins of omission and surely this would be one of those and a serious one at that, even a grave one.
“635 new and “credible allegations” were lodged against 394 priests or deacons from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.”
This may be true but I’d like to see a breakdown of these credible allegations. Did they occur that year or did they occur 30 years ago to a priest that is now dead, for example? That is often the case in these allegations. Just because it is a “new” allegation does not mean it recently happened.
I’m a bachelor myself, and celibacy itself doesn’t cause anything. However, when you make celibacy required for priests—you will limit the pool of available men to either those who have lots of self-control...OR those who are running away from something.
Everything I’ve read—from Roman Catholics knowledgeable of the facts—indicates AT LEAST 35% of priests have a homosexual inclination. I bet most are celibate—great, more power to them—God bless them.
The fact though that so many are oriented toward homosexuality—MORE THAN 10 TIMES THE GENERAL POPULATION—tells me there is a problem.
What's he hafta do, take an interest in a female before they'll cut him lose from their priesthood???
So what else are you going to do after 8 years of school, only to realize you can not be celibate??? Throw away the 8 years of your life or try to live a secret life and continue on with the religion???
Impossible to know that...That 5% are the known molesters and rapists...How many have and are still getting away with it by having their tracks covered by former priests who are now bishops and cardinals, and maybe popes???
The priests that were involved in the sex scandal joined in the 1960’s. What government program were they trying to avoid? That’s right. The Draft. Two things you didn’t do in the 60’s was Dodge the Draft and be a Homosexual. Sure you could avoid the Draft by saying you were a Homosexual but that would embarrass your family as much as dodging the Draft. So how do you avoid the Draft? Stay in the close? AND not only not be a pariah? But get adulation?
Abuse done by religious leaders is far worse than when done by average people.
Just about any human agrees with that, better to be assaulted by a stranger, than your Priest at church.
What your site said was “” “In fact, married men are just as likely as celibate priests to sexually abuse children” “”
You find religious solace in that?
Maybe his “marriage” will be enough.
You would have to contact the source for a further breakdown, I suppose.
I admit that I have been troubled by what seems to be a percentage of Catholic priests with a homosexual orientation that is higher than the general population. I hope they’re not acting on their orientation. I think the pool of well adjusted men coming forward for the priesthood is fine. I see two other problems though. One, a number of conservative candidates have been weeded out by liberal bishops and seminaries in recent decades. And two, the powers that be in recent decades have seemed unwilling to admit that the homsexual orientation is disordered and a sign that a young man or man has emotional difficulties.
“Abuse done by religious leaders is far worse than when done by average people.”
Really?! I disagree.
“Just about any human agrees with that, better to be assaulted by a stranger than your Priest at church.”
Really?! I’ve never been sexually abused but I’m guessing the resulting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,confusion and other problems is similar whether a person has been assaulted by Daddy Joe, Father Joe, or Stranger Joe.
“You find religious solace in that?”
You’re the one trying to find solace based on who the abuser is.
I don’t know your motive, but you seem to want the abuse committed by priests to be thought of as worse than the abuse committed by anyone else, and I just don’t buy it.
I have never met a person, until you, that did not consider a youth’s Christian church leader abusing him, worse than him being abused by a stranger.
Being sexually abused by your holy father, a celibate Priest, or a Minister, the man who baptized you, is much, much worse, instead of running to your church for solace and comfort, it can destroy the church for you for ever.
Would you rather be seeking counseling and comfort for a child assaulted by a stranger, or for one assaulted by your own Priest? Wouldn’t you want to be able to depend on your Priest and the church for the help you needed, rather than dealing with the betrayal by them?
My extremely orthodox and scholarly Latin Mass priest did 6 sermons on priestly continence from Apostolic times. Yes, he cited sources. Did things fall apart from time to time as the Church grew? Of course. But the it comes from the beginning.
The anger comes from the well orchestrated ploy to attempt to cover up evil satanic deeds by men calling themselves Father, as in God the Father, abusing children in His Holy Name. The weird thing is the well orchestrated job of some is to diminish the evil by being at the ready to demonstrate that 'everybody is doing it'!!~!!
Typically, critics of the Church were indicting celibacy, which is why, when articles are posted regarding abusive teachers and ministers, I typically post, “If only teachers/ministers could marry!”
Others are appalled that Catholic clergy sin. But should this be surprising, considering the fact that we're all sinners, and considering what Jesus said regarding sheep and wolves?
Additionally, studies seem to indicate that priests are slightly less abusive than ministers, and both groups are three times less abusive than teachers. FWIW, but this conforms with common sense.
The newsworthy aspect of the clerical abuse crisis was the cover-up of abuse by bishops. But there has been sufficient ink spilled over this aspect of the story.
“cover up evil satanic deeds by men calling themselves Father”
Those evil deeds are also committed by men calling themselves Reverend, Brother, or Minister. Don’t try to cover that up by ignoring it.
I wish you took other Scriptures as literal as the “Father” one which the apostle Paul seemed to violate at least three times.
“Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, ‘I have made you father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God” -Romans 4:16,17
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.