Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal (really?)

The Maccabean ^ | 27 March 2011 | Fr. Chori Jonathin Seraiah (Anglican)

[buccaneer81]

Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal (really?) If you believe that the clergy sex abuse scandal is a "Catholic" phenomenon, then (sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but...) you are likely another example that Americans usually hear what they want to hear, prefer to believe what makes them happy, and accept things that the pagan media tells them without discernment.

[buccaneer81]

A timely article written by a Protestant who "gets it," and speaks the truth.

[buccaneer81]

Ping!

[G Larry]

Why no word about PUBLIC SCHOOL teachers involved in sex abuse, caught and transferred to other districts or schools?

[bcr100]

There is also the belief that when many churches started allowing homosexuals and about any and everybody to become priests or ministers, that this sex abuse started to go way up in number. So seems like to me mnay of the molesters are already in that frame of mind and it isn’t the churches that make them become that way as some believe.

[buccaneer81]

Why no word about PUBLIC SCHOOL teachers involved in sex abuse, caught and transferred to other districts or schools?

In a word...unions.

[buccaneer81]

Plenty of hetero molesters out there, too.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Actually a Catholic-in-waiting, as he and his congregation are going through a formal switch from Anglican to Roman Catholic.

Getting good “data” is as hard as finding hen’s teeth, but the meme that has stuck out to me is that honest secular psychologists, those without personal agendas against religion in general, estimate the clergy child abuse rate to be about the same across all religions, except that Islam is known to be worse. That this is a human problem, not a Catholic or Evangelical or Protestant or Orthodox or Hindu or Buddhist or whatever religion problem.

[khnyny]

Here is another factor in this discussion that is not put forward in the media. The numbers in public schools are far worse. It is hard to be specific since many of these cases get swept under the rug and are settled privately, but a rough estimate would place the annual numbers of sexual abuse of minor students by educators in the US at about 1,250. That would mean that while your children are almost twice as likely to be sexually abused by a Protestant minister than by a Catholic priest, they are actually five times more likely to be sexually abused in a public school than in a Protestant Church! Why aren't these statistics published by the media? Because the public schools are a "sacred cow" and you will be crucified if you criticize them. It is easier to talk like every Catholic priest is a pedophile, because modern Americans enjoy being seen as a victim. We have been taught to accept the lies and continue to promote them and not to seek out the truth.

And that about sums it up.

[bcr100]

True, we are seeing many teachers doing this sort of thing, including women.

[WPaCon]

Thanks for the ping

[HiTech RedNeck]

It would be tempting to a prospective molester to get himself (or rarely, herself) into a position where he has frequent secluded contact with children. For several decades at least, the Roman church was not careful to watch for this, and it’s hurting in public relations even as the mopping up is well under way.

[buccaneer81]

That this is a human problem, not a Catholic or Evangelical or Protestant or Orthodox or Hindu or Buddhist or whatever religion problem.

Spot on.

[bcr100]

True, and we are seeing it more and more with the teaching profession or schools at least.

[HiTech RedNeck]

“Including women” is right. Adolescent boys have probably always had hots for pretty teachers, but it seems to be a modern phenomenon for the pretty teachers to accommodate those boys.

[buccaneer81]

It’s interesting with women. This is just my opinion, but it seems that we as a society have a subset of women in their 20s and 30s who long to be teenagers again. Movies, TV and advertising recognize it (ever seen the lineup on The CW network?) I have a 37 year old SIL, mother of three girls, who fits the profile to a tee, right down to wanting to go to Florida for Spring Break, at 37 years of age.

[Boogieman]

I don’t know that the problem, in terms of scope, is any worse in the Catholic church than other similar institutions. However, I think a big reason that this is seen as a “Catholic” problem, is that the hierarchy is seen by the public as having done many things to exacerbate the problem, rather than to alleviate it. It’s that impression that makes this different than most other cases.

[bcr100]

Yes, I agree. My sister, who is older than me, is that way and started acting like that when she was in her 30’s too.

[G Larry]

And what of an incurious press?

[buccaneer81]

the hierarchy is seen by the public as having done many things to exacerbate the problem, rather than to alleviate it.

I agree.

[WaterBoard]

I don’t view it as a “Catholic” abuse problem as it is seen in all layers of our society.

It just burns more because priests have a very high moral position in our society especially when you seen countless news stories of priests being arrested and bishops/cardinals engaged in cover-ups.

If you can’t trust your priest any more to be alone with your children in parochial school, it’s just a sad time in our long cultural decline.