Problem of Rampant Sexual Abuse Among Protestant Clergy

Reformation.com ^

[big'ol_freeper]

Special Bulletin

Welcome! Catholic sex scandals dominate the news. Are we next?

A sample of our own scandals is below:

ALL denominations - 313 instances

Baptist Ministers - 59 instances

"Bible" Church Ministers (fundamentalist/evangelical) - 150 instances

Episcopalean Ministers - 31 instances

Lutheran Ministers - 23 instances

Methodist Ministers - 25 instances

Presbyterian Ministers - 10 instances

various Church Ministers - 13 instances

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[Salvation]

We are all Christians, and we need to stop finger-pointing, and stick together!

Just thought this needed repeating!

[Salvation]

I protest those who say that homosexuality is "ok" and that its ok for a priest to be "gay."

So do many mainstream Catholic faithful.

[Salvation]

Yes, but the writings in both the Old and New Testaments were around a long time before the Catholic Church came into existence, right?

The Old Testament was around for a long time, but in Acts you can read about the first Council at Trent where Peter spoke with the authority that was given to him by Jesus Christ. Thus the Catholic Church has been around since that first Council. And even before that.

[Salvation]

Basically, if you don't believe in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, you are going against the Bible.

"This is my Body." "This is my Blood."

[Salvation]

but I wonder who they think will stand up for them; when the general persecution starts. Now is the time for all Christians, and other people of good will, to stick together.

This brings up one of my favorite quotes in times like these:

"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the communists
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out --
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me --
and there was no one left to speak out for me."
~~Pastor Martin Niemoller
(victim of the Nazis)

Is there anything we can learn from this?

Just something for all of us to think about -- is this picture larger than we currently see it?
When they came for the Catholics?
When they came for the Baptists?
When they came for the fundamentalists?
When they came for the agnostics?

Just something for all of us to think about -- is this picture larger than we currently see it?

[Theo]

It is a Protestant run website that is concerned with what they see as a problem that will effect them.

I don't think it is. I've looked at it, and at the WHOIS info on InterNic, and it seems quite suspicious. I'd suspect it's a Protestant basher looking for info to trash Protestants. Not to discount immorality in the Biblical version of Christianity, which exists and must be dealt with....

[Theo]

Very sad that so many are being led away from the Truth. The pastors would be better off with a millstone around their necks and hurled into the ocean.

You are one pathetic, sick puppy, pal.

No Christian of any kind, that's for damn sure!

You know he was quoting Scripture, right?

[DennisR]

"The Old Testament was around for a long time, but in Acts you can read about the first Council at Trent where Peter spoke with the authority that was given to him by Jesus Christ."

This is why I say Catholicism and, for that matter, much of Protestantism, is bound by traditional--not Scriptural--teaching. I may be splitting hairs here, but in the NT there is no such thing as the council of Trent. And Peter preached the gospel with authority in Jerusalem, not Trent (wherever that was/is).

"Thus the Catholic Church has been around since that first Council. And even before that."

Again, in the NT there was no "Catholic" church. Maybe "catholic," yes, but applied only as a loosely-applied adjective. And there was no Baptist church, no Methodist church, no nondenominational church, and so forth. There was just one thing: the Church. Period. No adjectives. That is the way it should still be.

[Theo]

"This is my Body." "This is my Blood."

See also:

Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

1 Cor. 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?

1 Cor. 11:27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

... which indicate that the "eucharist" is bread and wine that represent the reality of what our Lord did on the cross.

[iconoclast]

ALL sin is equal in the eyes of God.

Not quite 'mam, there's venial and mortal.

[iconoclast]

He spoke of fellowship with believers, but this means community and meetings. prayer meetings, etc.

By golly thanks! You really got me thinkin.

Gee, if only we could turn back the clock and eliminate those cathedrals, several centuries of religious art, the hospitals, the universities, the Mozart masses, (oops oh yeah, I guess the Bible, too).

Wow, I bet Peter is wishing "If I only could start over".

[sinkspur]

You know he was quoting Scripture, right?

He was applying the Scripture quote incorrectly.

[iconoclast]

There was just one thing: the Church. Period. No adjectives. That is the way it should still be.

AMEN, BROTHER!

We've never stopped believing that for over 2000 years ... why don't you all come home. We'd love to have ya.

[Torie]

I just thought I'd let you know, without the insults and mocking, exactly how us Catholics feel about you Protestants.

Thanks for sharing. The main thing that strikes me is your supreme hubris to presume to speak for Catholics as a whole.

[saradippity]

Many of the criticisms of Catholicism and the sexual abuse by clergy,on this thread,have been kind of "red-necky" and rude.The comments also display a lack of understanding of the problem,its genesis,the terms and definitions used,and the complexities of trying to accomplish a just resolution.

Your post,on the other hand,is smooth and facile.However,you have incorrectly identified the problem.In fact,what you call the root of the problem,is,in truth,the only remedy to the problem.The remedy is to require that Catholics abide by the teachings of the Holy Father and the Magisterium.

If you would read the official documents,including the Catechism,issued by the Vatican regarding homosexuality,you would find they have addressed it.If our bishops had promulgated them and led their priests and the lay people as Catholic successors to the Apostles should have led their flock,the problem would not exist for the most part. There will always be some transgressors.

Instead the clergy and the laymen in the United States,very frequently,decided that they were capable of determining good and evil,the old sin of Adam and Eve.Taking the documents of VaticanII,they were able to find passages,that taken out of context,could be twisted to allow some bishops to believe that they were independent of Peter and lay people to believe that their conscience was their guide.Through a series of deceit,obfuscation,omissions and reprioritizing,they were able to confuse others,who were blindsided,to follow suit.

Of course,there was complicity with some like minded allies in the Vatican,but for the most part the sex scandal can be laid at the feet of our very own american bishops and the lay people who were only too happy to learn there is nothing God doesn't understand and forgive. This allowed everybody to go blithely on their merry way,satisfying their own desires at the expense of others.

[saradippity]

I believe one item you may fail to factor in is important.

How do you know that a person who ministers in one denomination and is found to be an abuser and run off does not wait awhile and cross the country and find another small denomination to minister to and gets run off there and on and on?

Since the there is no Central Registry for ministers in most denominations and the number of denominations would preclude checking them all,if they did,what confidence can you place in the integrity and purity of your ministers?

[ReadMyMind]

Thread drift is an amazing thing. I wonder if anyone has the following numbers from a verifiable and reliable source....

1. What is the rate (number of abusers per capita) of all sexual abusers (gay, straight, over or underage) among the general population?
2. What is the rate (number of abusers per capita) of all sexual abusers among the Catholic Clergy?
3. What is the rate among all non-Catholic Clergy?

Raw numbers alone are most likely misleading. The protestant numbers in the article are certainly misleading because they include a significant number of non-Clergy.

I don't think any of us really want to talk about the sexual proclivities of entire populations broken out by faith.

[saradippity]

I don't know about whether anyone wants to discuss the problems broken down by faith or denomination.Since I am Catholic,I think my own Church needs to cleanse itself and be an example.It would be presumptuous for me to insist that Protestants do the same,at this point.

I am only interested in a breakdown of age and sex of the offender as well as the victim,type of offense,disposition of the case in both civil and criminal courts,disposition in complaints handled by the church(how much money was paid and to whom and for what reasons)in the Catholic Church.I have repeatedly suggested that the bishops committee require all bishops to give an accounting of all sexual complaints in their diocese.

If the Church is to be a light unto the world it is imperative that they bring these "secrets" out in the open.America is on the brink of the abyss and in order to avoid falling into it,the American public needs the information that would allow them to reconsider the path we seem to have chosen and go back to the Triune God.While it's a risk,I believe people are attracted to Truth,(which is God)and will choose Him.On the other hand it may be that they actually would choose the Culture of Death.

Nonetheless,I believe men,who are considered to be successors of the Apostles, have an obligation to present the teachings of Jesus Christ,Who is the Way,the Truth and the Life,clearly,honestly and completely.To do less is a to be a pawn of Satan.

[dsutah]

That's exactly the poem I had in mind when I made this post;
but I couldn't remember the whole thing. So I just sort of
paraphrased part of it. Thanks for putting it on this thread.
My hope is that some people see it, and maybe do a little
thinking before they do anymore bashing.

[RnMomof7]

The difference is we turn them over to the police and stop them from being Pastors..we do not cover their butts!