Why do so many Christian Priests/Preacher (a lot of them sit along side the Pope) molest children?

Question

Are they not supposed to be the main representatives of God. They don't have spirtual enlightment after all....That is just sick..sick..sick

Answer 1

I agree. But if you made a vow of celibacy for life, I'm sure you'd have difficulty maintaining that lifestyle. I'm not making excuses for their behavior, but that's the only thing I can think that would make a grown man violate an innocent child. It is sick and they will have to answer for all they have done regardless of the high position they hold in the church. The Bible never said that priests should be celibate-- it was a suggestion by a bitter old man named Paul.(read up on his history and how bitter and cold hearted he once was before he met Jesus. Sad case. I'm sure that his personality was not totally reformed.)

Answer 2

Because as much as people want to believe that other people are holy and closer to god, especially if they people sit in judgement of you, they are just people. And people when they get power either use it for good or for ill. The solution is never to give anything away that you can't afford to lose. You place the care of your son/daughter into someone elses hands, then watch out for trouble.
Anyone who has power over a child can take advantage of that child--teachers, preacers, priests, baby sitters, extra curricular activity leaders, your significant other. God has nothing to do with it, it's a human problem. People placed power in these people, God didn't. And people sometimes trust where they shouldn't.
Child molesters come in all shapes, sizes, and occupations, the only thing really wrong with the Church is the fact that they cared more about their reputation and public image, than locking the monsters that they found up.

Answer 3

I was raised a Catholic with a very legit priest. He's a good man and I have never heard of any encounters with him among my peers that was anything but religious. That being said, my grandpa, who was a religious man was a child molester. I don't think religion is the problem. It's trying to find the people in this world who have been hurt in their childhood and getting them the help they need before they can harm anyone else. I think the only reason that priests and other clergy seem to be in the news is because their victims are speaking out. This is good an d should be done. But many organized religions mayabe need to screen upcoming canidates, even do criminal checks, esp if they will be working with youth in the church. The only problem I have with religion (esp with the Catholic religion) is that they try to protect their clergy who are the abusers. And in the case of my grandpa, a priest was the person he choose to get counsel with his sickeness, and the priest told him to pray it out. If this is what priests are telling their church members, then you can imagine how they are counseling each other. I don't know if this helps, but that is my personal opinion.

Answer 4

I think the Catholic Church made a big mistake by not letting priests get married. Bottling up your sexual energy, never acting on it, never releasing it, is what you are supposed to do, and that is as unnatural as not breathing. They'd all be better off and a lot happier if priests could have normal healthy sex lives like any other human being. No release warps the mind. I am convinced of it.

Answer 5

Let priesta get married.
Let them gat laid. Let them be gay.
Sex deprivation in the long term is definitely NOT healthy.
I understand that clergy wants to be dedicated to god, but at what cost? Aren't there other HEALTHY ways to live for god?
Besides, couldn't they get married until like the 1300's or something like that?
I think that the church needs to act more strongly in these cases of molestation, as there is nothing worse one can do to a child.
If the church is so damning about pre-marital sex, why not be more damning about MOLESTATION? That might get some positive publicity for the GOOD priests.

Answer 6

It's mainly the Catholic church. It's because they require them to repress sexual desire. They cannot marry and must be celibate. I grew up Catholic, I never understood why priests couldn't marry.

Because sexual desire still lingers, it kind of makes them a little crazy!! I'm guessing that they feel it's somehow "ok" if it's with male children since it's not going to form into a relationship and it's not "technically" sex.

I do not condone priests doing this.. it's horrendous and they need to be brought to justice. But I do believe the Catholic church needs to be a little more lax on the celibacy rule.

Answer 7

Because despite the Catholic teachings, human beings are sexual creatures. It's part of our DNA, we need to have sex for survival of the species. So, the Catholics take boys at the age when they are just figuring out what that extra appendage is really for and tell them they can never use it again and it is shameful to think about using it. Then this represses in their brains for many many years untill they can no longer surpress their biological calling. Then the brain signals are so mixed up from all that catholic guilt that they don't act sexual towards woman, because that's a "sin". They then act out in sick ways at the young and innocent children.

Answer 8

They allow themselves to succumb to the temptation of the devil. I would say that they had a tendency towards this prior to entering the clergy. Screening methods for the clergy are very poor, so it is easy for these types to gain entry to the church. The opportunities to molest children abound because of the close contract that the clergy has with families. Better screening methods and closer supervision would cut down on most of this, but it would be very, very difficult to illuminate it. Jesus loves them the same as he loves everyone else. It is only his love that correct the problem.

Answer 9

It is disappointing that the press did not focus on this point. In the various court cases regarding sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic clergy. . .the vast majority (>80-90%) involved incidents that took place decades ago. The directed outrage is that the leadership covered up the incidents. . .and left the offending parties unaccountable for their actions. . .out of a misguided sense of love for their service. . .and fear for any reputational or financial harm that would come to their part of the Church!

That said, people forget the broader aspect of human nature. . .whenever someone is in a position of considerable influence (esp. client-professional relationships, which especially includes religious, as well as educational situations), and the injured party is in a position of vulnerability and ease of being victimized. . .then the mutual conditions for "temptation" are ripe for problems. . .and, sadly enough, they will occur.

Religion has nothing to do with this. . .but what recent history has given our legal system the courage to do. . .finally. . .is to hold religious leadership accountable for the action of their members who are in a position to influence or harm.

Answer 10

While not defending these people's actions, I don't know if it's fair to say "so many".

The cases make much higher profile news, and people are inclined to remember them more.

Finally, I would believe the priesthood is probably not a random sampling of the average population. It is possible that there is a somewhat higher percentage of pedophiles w/in the priesthood. I said "possible", I've seen no evidence that says this is true.