RE: Sexual Abuse in Social Context: Clergy and other (Secular) Professionals.
July 13, 2023 at 1:26 pm
Brian, noted, thank you.
To the others: no, it's not a question of "everyone else is doing it too, so it's ok". St. Augustine said: "wrong is still wrong if everyone is wrong and right is still right if no one is right". That's what I believe: it's more like this: "like crime itself, it's almost impossible to root it out altogether", otherwise why are there still criminals. As for those who try to hide it, that's another sin on their part, but as noted, there are Rabbis, Teachers etc who've done the same. Again, wrong is wrong, but this is a grave problem across vast sections of society, including Secular teachers.
Now, let me quote one salient excerpt comparing across denominations, and later across religions, then between religious and Secular people;
1. "Finally, in the authoritative work by Penn State professor Philip Jenkins, Pedophiles and Priests, it was determined that between .2 and 1.7 percent of priests are pedophiles. The figure among the Protestant clergy ranges between 2 and 3 percent.[xxii]". This one data point alone refutes the idea that there is an alleged endemic of child abuse in the Catholic Church; Catholic Priests are less likely, not more, to engage in that bed behavior than ministers in other denominations. And in some Secular fields, it is far worse than in any religion. Why ignore that?
Why people don't research these things on their own before jumping to false generalized conclusions is the real question. Also, none of you can show any passage in the Bible or Tradition or the Catechism that condones or encourages these crimes and sins, whereas there are many that condemn them in the strongest terms. You should read how strict the Church Fathers and traditional discipline was on that small minority of abusers and criminals whom it is always difficult to root out. All Good Catholics condemn it, and no one seriously striving for Heaven or for holiness would take part in or condone such sinful behavior. Those few bad Priests are criminals, but not all Priests.
To the others: no, it's not a question of "everyone else is doing it too, so it's ok". St. Augustine said: "wrong is still wrong if everyone is wrong and right is still right if no one is right". That's what I believe: it's more like this: "like crime itself, it's almost impossible to root it out altogether", otherwise why are there still criminals. As for those who try to hide it, that's another sin on their part, but as noted, there are Rabbis, Teachers etc who've done the same. Again, wrong is wrong, but this is a grave problem across vast sections of society, including Secular teachers.
Now, let me quote one salient excerpt comparing across denominations, and later across religions, then between religious and Secular people;
1. "Finally, in the authoritative work by Penn State professor Philip Jenkins, Pedophiles and Priests, it was determined that between .2 and 1.7 percent of priests are pedophiles. The figure among the Protestant clergy ranges between 2 and 3 percent.[xxii]". This one data point alone refutes the idea that there is an alleged endemic of child abuse in the Catholic Church; Catholic Priests are less likely, not more, to engage in that bed behavior than ministers in other denominations. And in some Secular fields, it is far worse than in any religion. Why ignore that?
Why people don't research these things on their own before jumping to false generalized conclusions is the real question. Also, none of you can show any passage in the Bible or Tradition or the Catechism that condones or encourages these crimes and sins, whereas there are many that condemn them in the strongest terms. You should read how strict the Church Fathers and traditional discipline was on that small minority of abusers and criminals whom it is always difficult to root out. All Good Catholics condemn it, and no one seriously striving for Heaven or for holiness would take part in or condone such sinful behavior. Those few bad Priests are criminals, but not all Priests.
