vixstile

Many people have been attributing the pedophiles in the catholic church to abstinence. Personally, im not buying that argument one bit.

So, does abstinence pervert your sexuality?

Why is it that pedophilia is so prevalent with American catholic priests?

Corwin

Abstinance perverts your humanity. It's a rejection of a basic human drive.... if people starve themselves we consider them to be sick... but for some reason we hold up abstinance as being this laudible, worthy goal. It's sick really.

The world needs a lot less abstinance.

That having been said, I'd say that clerical abstinance is a red herring as far as pedophilia is concerned. Has nothing to do with it. What's causing it is the nature of the priesthood itself.

With regards to the clergy, what we have is people who are set up as an unassailable authority and simply by virtue of their profession rather than their acts are considered to be inherently trustworthy in all cases. There is virtually no peer review, the clergy is an OLD 'old boys club' that protects its own, and they have a lot of resources to do so in most cases.

This situation is a magnet to pedophiles. They get unquestioned authority, nobody pokes around in 'their business' and they are implicitly trusted with any child of a congregation member, and frequently the children of people outside the congregation. From their perspective it's a smorgasbord.

You can make similar arguments about other professions, (police and such) but overall there are two major differences: Police aren't considered an absolute moral authority by default, and they have an antagonistic internal regulatory body. (Internal affairs. Most of the time it's intentionally set up so that IA officers DON'T personally know the cops they're investigating and have no personal interest in the case.)

CX

My evangelical protestant father's theory is that people who are running away from their homosexuality or other sexual dysfunction run to the church. Great theory, eh?

Corwin

How closely is your evangelical father watching his youth pastor?

[ May 08, 2002: Message edited by: Corwin ]</p>

Friar Bellows

Personally speaking, no. But a constant lack of human physical contact (of any kind, even a hug) can have a negative effect on your personality and mental health.

elwoodblues

I think the catholic thing has much more to do with the recruiting practices they used circa 30 years ago. Singling out young males who weren't fitting in. Or possibly self-selection. Someone guilty about homosexual or pedophilic feelings might try to bury or deny them by becoming a priest.

Certainly, denying sex tends to be unhealthy, just like denying any other urge. But I don't think it's the MAIN causal factor here.

Nu

When I practice abstinence I feel a strong, inner temptation to masterbate and have sexual fantasys.

But sex seems so yucky and animal. What a paradox.

scombrid

Actually, I know one priest that saw homosexuality as God's way of calling him to the church. His reasoning was that if he wasn't attracted to women then he wasn't meant to have a family. If he wasn't meant to have a family then the next best way that he, a devoted Catholic [In the school I attended we were taught that men were to answer one of two callings: family or priest], could serve God was to become a priest. As far as I know he had no perversion toward children. He was likely just as attracted to men as a hetero priest would be to female parishoners and would have to repress his urge in the same manner. Whether this is a common way that priests end up in the clergy I haven't a clue. It does seem plausible that perversions could be construed to be callings away from normal family life.

On a lighter note. On the Tonight Show yesterday, Leno quoted an AMA press release that stated: "Men that have &gt;=100 orgasms per year were 33% less likely to develope coronary artery disease." Leno then said:"Okay men, your life is in your hands". I guess abstinense just isn't heart smart .

snatchbalance

Where I come from, sex is a misdemeanor; the more you miss, the meaner you get.

Badda boom, badda bing.

SB

nogods4me

I used to practive abstinence, but I was lousy at it, so I gave it up!

(Man we really nead a little rimshot icon for this place)