Why is it that abuse is so prevalent among the religious?

dgp

I'm not trying to sling mud at anyone, but, while I am aware that pedophiles are to be found in all walks of society, why would it be that they seem to be so many among the religious? As a former Catholic, I often heard people say that priests would abuse children because a) they couldn't have a woman themselves (an outright lie) or b) because the Catholic Church gave them an "honorable" way to stay single and be in the company of many men and children. But then the JW's don't have such restrictions, and abuse still happens. Why do you people think that could be? The other perplexing thing is why the churches protect abusers at all. This is one area where zero tolerance would clearly be in their interest.

donny

Because it was/is a perfect place to "hide" and do your thing. People have always been more trusting when it comes to their religion and those who are a part of it than those on the "outside". Long ago these perverts realized that the best place to find victims was inside these institutions. They had ready access to many children and their parents had no qualms about letting their kids spend time alone with these creeps. When a child did complain, no one believed them because why or how would a man of God do such a thing. The only viable answer was that the child was mistaken or lying. The same could be said about school teachers or any other profession where many kids are to be found.

Donny

jordan12

What makes you think that abuse is more prevalent among the religions than anywhere else?

daniel-p

Pedophiles go where the children are. That can be churches, community groups, schools, family or friend's households, you name it.

aniron

Maybe it just gets reported more.

After all its expected that the "religious" are supposed to be much better at keeping their "desires" under control.

After all how many of us have had that little smile on our faces, when some self-righteous JW gets caught out.
That brother who spoke from the platform and told us how we should behave otherwise we die at Armageddon.
Only for him to be caught having an affair or is a paedophile.

Someone asked why the JW paedophile scandals have not generated as much publicity.
I think mainly because the Watchtower organisation compared to the Catholic Church are nobodies.
There is no publicity value in a JW brother,who is some janitor or window cleaner, being exposed as a child molester.
Compared to a Priest in a high profile church.
Where you can drag in Bishops, Cardinals and a Pope.

When a JW is caught he is dropped like a hot potato by the WT organisation.
Who will deny having anything to do with him.
Disfellowship him so they can say he is not a JW.

Unless you get some persistent journalist who will dig into the WT.
Writes a damning article or book, then the WT will carry on as usual.

After all are they not "Jehovahs true religion"

White Dove

Mix human nature in with the deifying of a book and you have abusive religions and abusive people. Sex is simply the tool some choose to use to exert power and control over others. It doesn't mean there is religion involved. Could be an atheist who does these things.

jordan12

Someone asked why the JW paedophile scandals have not generated as much publicity.

I think mainly because the Watchtower organisation compared to the Catholic Church are nobodies. There is no publicity value in a JW brother,who is some janitor or window cleaner, being exposed as a child molester.
Compared to a Priest in a high profile church.
Where you can drag in Bishops, Cardinals and a Pope.

I disagree. Of course there is publicity value in a Witness committing a crime. Newspapers routinely mention that a criminal was a Witness, even if it was just a 'rank and file' member rather than an elder.

In fact, they frequently say that the person was a Witness when they were only studying or had been inactive for years, or were ex-Witnesses.

We all know very well that there are opposers who would give their right arm to make sure any wrongdoing committed by Witnesses is publicized to the maximum extent possible.

When a JW is caught he is dropped like a hot potato by the WT organisation.
Who will deny having anything to do with him.

The Watchtower can't do anything right, can it? If they disfellowship a wrongdoer, that's wrong, because they're "dropping the person like a hot potato" to avoid negative publicity. If they don't disfellowship the wrongdoer, well, that's wrong as well because 'the elders just stood by and did nothing and the person is still a Witness in good standing"

The truth of the matter is that some wrongdoers have been disfellowshipped even when there was no publicity, and that some have not been disfellowshipped even when there was. The determining factor isn't how widely the offence is known, but whether the person is deemed repentant.

I've never heard the organization comment on any criminal case.

Disfellowship him so they can say he is not a JW.

No, disfellowship him because that is what the Bible says they should do. A policy that virtually no other religious organization has had the courage to implement.

Unless you get some persistent journalist who will dig into the WT.
Writes a damning article or book, then the WT will carry on as usual.

I don't like conspiracy theories. I have a simpler, if less exciting, explanation.

Could it be that reports of crimes committed by Jehovah's Witnesses are relatively rare because Jehovah's Witnesses as a group really are more law-abiding? I know that's heresy to most Watchtower-haters, but that is definitely the conclusion that objective observers come to.

PSacramento

I had a friend, operative word being had, and she was a musim.

She had been sexually abused and the person who did that had doen that to MANY other women and girls.

No one ever spoke of it becuase of the dire consequences.

We never hear of these things in the muslim religion, not because they do not happen BUT because they are NEVER reported and the victims jsut go on living, for as long as they can, with it.

Juts because we don't hear about it as much or at all, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

ziddina

Oh, Sacramento, anyone who's looked into Middle-Eastern male attitudes towards women is - or should be - aware that the situation is MUCH, MUCH worse there...

A woman - the victim - is ALWAYS to blame, and frequently is killed for being so unlucky as to be raped....

But PLEASE, PLEASE keep in mind that this is the underlying attitude in ANY Middle-Eastern religion, INCLUDING Christianity....

So many people seem to forget; Christianity is a Middle-Eastern religion with a Middle-Eastern mentality....

Diamonds

Jordan, I'm just curious, why would you want to read and post on a website like this? You seem to spend a lot of time posting comments here - what would the elders in your cong. think?

D.

Why is it that abuse is so prevalent among the religious?

Share this