I have always wondered this. It affects my views of people rather than religion. I have always wondered how someone can abuse their power and take advantage of the people who look up to them like that and believe that they are carrying out "god's will."
Does sexual abuse in churches affect your views on religion?
02/01/2013
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I agree with you. It doesn't specifically affect my views on religion, but it really makes me worry about people who are put into positions of power that way.
02/01/2013
I doesn't really affect my view of religion because I know there's bad people in every group. And it's not like the religion itself promotes it.
But yeah, I don't get how people who say that they're so faithful would be so selfish and do some of these things. It's sad because so much trust is given to them.
But yeah, I don't get how people who say that they're so faithful would be so selfish and do some of these things. It's sad because so much trust is given to them.
02/01/2013
My views on religion were already negative, so this doesn't change it. However, religions do promote bad behaviours. This does actually include child rape:
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males…. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? …. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. - Numbers 31.
This is further elaborated on in Deuteronomy 21:11 and following verses.
The child rape cases themselves certainly affect my views on the churches and organisations involved.
And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males…. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? …. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. - Numbers 31.
This is further elaborated on in Deuteronomy 21:11 and following verses.
The child rape cases themselves certainly affect my views on the churches and organisations involved.
02/01/2013
I agree with Errant Venture. My opinion of religion was already very negative, and the molestation cases and how the church groups deal with them ruin my view of the churches and organizations involved.
I won't dislike one parish for what happened at another, but I will be disgusted with the higher ups within the church structure (archdiocese and archbishops, etc) for their utter silence. But I'm from Milwaukee and was raised Catholic, and there was recently a huge case of sexual abuse within the archdiocese here that was handled very improperly. Even though I started questioning my faith when I was 11 and ended up leaving the church, I still felt very let down about what happened and how long the stories were silenced.
I won't dislike one parish for what happened at another, but I will be disgusted with the higher ups within the church structure (archdiocese and archbishops, etc) for their utter silence. But I'm from Milwaukee and was raised Catholic, and there was recently a huge case of sexual abuse within the archdiocese here that was handled very improperly. Even though I started questioning my faith when I was 11 and ended up leaving the church, I still felt very let down about what happened and how long the stories were silenced.
02/01/2013
It does affect my reviews of organized religion, yes. It's a disgrace. Any human who claims to be the messenger of God, just makes my eyes roll.
02/01/2013
Absolutely not! I am a Roman Catholic by choice. I received my sacraments by choice as an adult a few years ago. I taught in a catholic school. The simple truth is, every single group of people has bad apples and its disgusting. People aren't screened properly for positions sometimes. How many times do we see a headline about a clergyman or teacher or coach or director of a kids program that abused their power... It's so sad.
02/01/2013
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no, just affects my view on the person.
Originally posted by
Bleu
I have always wondered this. It affects my views of people rather than religion. I have always wondered how someone can abuse their power and take advantage of the people who look up to them like that and believe that they are carrying out
...
more
I have always wondered this. It affects my views of people rather than religion. I have always wondered how someone can abuse their power and take advantage of the people who look up to them like that and believe that they are carrying out "god's will."
less
02/01/2013
Like a few who have posted, my view is already fairly negative, but it is impacted by each case of sexual abuse I hear involving churches. The fact that so much of it gets buried, the truth kept from getting out, bothers me. I also have a strong distaste for people using the power they are trusted with for evil. Religion is a special case for me, more than a coach or a teacher.
02/01/2013
It does. The sexual abuse changes my view of the individual who committed the crime. What changes my views on religion itself is how churches frequently handle it. Moving the perpetrators to a different location and covering up the crimes is terrible. There isn't enough of an effort to right their wrong.
02/01/2013
I'd say that it negatively affects my view of the organizational heads that allowed things to go on, but not the faith itself. There is a separation between a faith and the religious organization that follows (or claims to) follow it
02/02/2013
Not the religion itself, but definitely the organization and the people within the church.
02/17/2013
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I have never liked organized religion to begin with however what has been going on with children being abused and them not doing anything about it has not improved the way i feel about organized religion,so i would have to say that it has affected my views on religion for the worse.
Originally posted by
Bleu
I have always wondered this. It affects my views of people rather than religion. I have always wondered how someone can abuse their power and take advantage of the people who look up to them like that and believe that they are carrying out
...
more
I have always wondered this. It affects my views of people rather than religion. I have always wondered how someone can abuse their power and take advantage of the people who look up to them like that and believe that they are carrying out "god's will."
less
04/08/2013
I knew a minister who molested women in the name of God. I totally lost all respect for him & couldn't have anything to do with him anymore. he even had started grooming me to be his victim too
04/08/2013
It makes me think people don't really practice what they preach ever.
04/09/2013
not really because I already don't have a very good view of organized religion. no offence to anyone. I think that it's good for people to have something to believe in. but I think certain religions or people take it too far.
10/03/2014
tiffacult27
Quote:
sexual abuse in churches I feel is fueled by a few factors.
Originally posted by
Bleu
I have always wondered this. It affects my views of people rather than religion. I have always wondered how someone can abuse their power and take advantage of the people who look up to them like that and believe that they are carrying out
...
more
I have always wondered this. It affects my views of people rather than religion. I have always wondered how someone can abuse their power and take advantage of the people who look up to them like that and believe that they are carrying out "god's will."
less
one is that its mentioned in the bible quite a bit and my be accepted by some as ok or feel encouraged to do so by some with strong religious backgrounds coupled with serious mental heath issues.
this is a verse about a man who met a couple angels.
"Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
at the end of the story god basically blew up the whole town and the family went to live in a cave. the daughters had no other men to procreate with so the got their dad drunk and had babies by him.
I also saw another quote in this discussion where Moses had the officers slay all the men and keep all of the virgin women and children to do with what they will.
also I believe that the sick individuals who have these desires will do what they can to get what they want if it means stalking a park, becoming teachers or priests. This way they can be close to their prey and even have easier targets. most people who see a priest or teacher see someone they feel they can trust, to be alone with them, or their children. I believe this is a huge mistake. no matter what position of authority or social status a person may have, they are yet people, with flaws and personal goals whether they may be good or bad, it is unknown.
Going back to religious figures and the corruption of sexual abuse I have another thought. what if they commit these acts simply because of their practice of celibacy? once again they are humans and part of that is the desire of intimacy. being abstinent for so long may have some role in the sexual abuse within the church.
so there's your answer to how someone could abuse their power and take advantage of people. remember, there are wolves in sheep's clothing in any place of power
03/21/2015
Yes. Very much so.
02/10/2016
Total posts: 18
Unique posters: 18