Seeker196

I don't see why Catholicism should be special.

Does anyone know if comparable numbers of ministers,vicars, pastors, etc are molestors?

Orpheous99

There is such a shortage of priests in our area that at the family church they had a deacon, with his family staying the the glebe house, and he would conduct mass. After a couple of years they had to move "up the line" suddenly because it turned out that he was molesting a young boy who would come to the house.

sullster

The answer to your query must be connected to an issue which I am unsure of. Are most child-molesters heterosexual or homosexual? The answer to that question would have a bearing on your question, as most protestant sects are fiercely desirous of only heterosexual clergy. Thus if most diddlers are hetero, then yes there must be a slew of prod molesters.

I'd keep the kids away from any clergy, no matter what sect, just to be safe.

Triple Six

You only need to look at the current scandal in Australia with the Governer General covering up his priests molesting activities back when he was an Anglican bishop for an answer to that.

I wouldn't be surprised if the catholic church had a higher percentage of these types simply because of their ridiculous celibacy rules, that's got to twist a person's mind.

[ February 28, 2002: Message edited by: Proud atheist ]</p>

MortalWombat

It's been often jokingly said that people become pyschiatrists and psychologists because they think there's something wrong mentally with themselves and want to find out what's wrong with them.

I wonder if there isn't something similar to that with regard to priests: maybe the reason why there seems to be an overrepresentation of child molesters among priests compared to the general population is that many of the men who have these feelings or inclinations but also happen to be religious think that that by becoming a priest, they might either cure or control their "sinful desires".

Ron Garrett

The answer is yes. The Freedom From Religion Foundation prints a summary of all the arrests and charges of pastors, priests, deacons etc. for molestation rape, etc. from around the country in each issue, an there are dozens a month of all denominational stripes. My impression is that protestant clerics tend to molest girls more than boys while it's the opposite with Priests. I thik it mostly has to do with the church as a whole portrarying women as sub-human, and the Catholic church in particular portraying women as filthy, seductive, sensual and defiling, whichis really the tradition behind celibacy for priests if you know your history.

[ March 01, 2002: Message edited by: Ron Garrett ]</p>

DarkBronzePlant

I'd expect religious sects, like Catholicism, that do not allow their priests/ministers/preachers/etc to get married and fullfill their human sexual urges, to be the ones producing the most sexual predators.

Grumpy

I thought protestant ministers were more into hookers & strippers.

And everyone knows Orthodox patriarchs are hopeless gamblers.

And don't get me started about Imams! (Let the record show that the witness made a drinky-drinky motion.)

Corwin

I've never personally met anyone who was molested by a catholic priest....

Friends of mine who were molested by fundie youth ministers? Yeah... I know a bunch.

Hobbs

I grew up in born-again-type protestant churches, and I never found any reason to fear the pastors in those churches, nor do I know of any of my friends who had such "priestly" experiences. From what I could tell, the pastors of those churches were too busy going after wives/mothers in the congregation to bother with the kids. But it may have been different in other congregations.