Should religious preachers who try to convince gay kids they are sick or evil be prosecuted for child abuse?

Question

I have no doubt they are guilty of emotional child abuse: my main interest is whether sexual abuse charges would stick. The main psychological and forensic features of child sexual abuse are:

The perpetrator abuses a position of trust or seniority with respect to the child.

The perpetrator takes advantage of the child’s naivety and vulnerability.

The perpetrator is primarily concerned with his own sexuality agenda and rides roughshod over the child’s developmental needs

The perpetrator is motivated by a deep seated need to validate his own twisted view of sexuality, and lacks insight into the psychological damage his abuse of power has on his victim.

The abuse can have wide ranging effects on the child’s development of a healthy sexual identity.

I’d say, given the immense harm these people do, 10 years minimum, and lifetime on the sex offenders register. What do you think?

I'm possibly being unfair singling out the religiously motivated. But I have had conversations with many people who have suffered sexual abuse as children, and also with gays struggling with their sexual identity. The similarities are striking, and not just because gay kids are more likely to suffer sexual abuse. (The reason for this is that gay kids growing up in a homophobic society are extremely vulnerable, and paedophiles exploit vulnerability).

What many from both groups seem to have in common is experience of an adult or adults trying to impose his (or sometimes her) sexual agenda on a vulnerable child who is in no position to resist. To me, this is the core pathological process of sexual abuse.

Answer 1

YES! This is one subject that inspires me. It is disgusting to teach lies and hate to children.

Answer 2

You have made a very good point -- religious people are NOT qualified to counsel people regarding their sexual health.

I would agree that much of the activity of relgious leaders in America is abusive towards the members. Women are especially vulnerable, and children.

I have no doubt that enormous emotional damge is commited each day by religious people. There should be more regulation of what and how religious people are allowed to force upon children.

But if the parents permit the leaders to abuse their children, then the parents are also exercising their Freedom of Religion. This doesn't mean that their children won't grow up to hate them, and they usually do.

Laws to protect children from religious abuse are probably several years away in America.

Meanwhile, if you want to see a really funny but humourous film about Evangelicals and sexual abuse, buy a dvd of the film, Saved! It's funny and painful, as you might guess.

See: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saved-Jena-Malone/dp/B0007KVCNM/sr=8-1/qid=1167982622/ref=pd_ka_1/203-0584115-5146339?ie=UTF8&s=dvd

Answer 3

Preachers also say that it is a great sin to have sex before marriage. If one reads the Bible and is a Christian they will know sex before marriage as well as homosexuality are sins.
If a parents is putting their child in a religious school or sending them off alone with a preacher somehow then what is to be expected than to teach the Bible?
That is like a parent letting their child spend teh night with Michael Jackson and then taking him to court as though it were unexpected. Stupid people!
I will say I would not want any child of mine hating homosexuals which is why I would teach them myself about it. I would teach my child it is against the Bible , but so is lying, stealing, premarital sex. That does not mean we hate everyone who does these things. We just have compassion and hope they can change and if not then who are we to judge as humans. God will Judge.
Most churches feel homosexuality is not a sin and people can not help it! We know that...
BUT they can help carrying out the act. They can be celebate. A lot of people are.

Answer 4

That's a good R&S question there Snout, one of the few good ones I have seen. In our present society I don't think it would ever get past the Grand Jury but I'm not saying it's right.

Answer 5

I think that qualifies as psychologically damaging. But i liken this to when white preachers used to try to use the bible to make enslaved Africans believe that they were meant to be lifetime servants. They would use the story of the lineage of i believe Abraham- but i could be wrong. Anyway, the slaves never really bought into the idea of god creating a being that was not meant to be worthy of his love, equality, and liberty. According to the preachers argument, gays are "sick" and damned unless they repent and "go straight". Since according to the bible god is the creator of all things, this means that she also created gay people. So what the preacher's argument essentially means is that god made gays by mistake. But according to the bible the all-powerful, infallible god does not make mistakes. So either god made gays and loves them as he loves all people, or god made a mistake. However the idea of god making a mistake is blasphemous. So gays must be equal creations of god as are straight people, and god wants us straight people to accept them as she accepts them.
Sorry , most of that had really nothing to do with your question, but you get my point.

Answer 6

human beings from all walks of existence do this stuff. whether those adult men are in charge (which has yet to be shown), to generalize that all and sundry non secular leaders are as a result services to molest little ones, is as incorrect as announcing that all and sundry English human beings are stupid, malicious, conceited liars, merely because of the fact Brenda's international is one.

Answer 7

No my friend.

I have counselled many, many sexually abused children.

If a pastor councils a child (define "child" - age) because a child thinks she/he is gay, there is a problem in that the child has more than likely been sexually abused as a child should not be having sex and therefore not be thinking they are gay....

The pastor who counsels a teen (NOT children as you so say), is NOT sexually abusing them.

However, I do agree that some pastors do not act wisely and it would be wrong for them to make the person think they as a person are evil. Sick perhaps, but not evil. And the counselling MUST be done in love.

After all, its Satan who has deceived the individual who thinks he/she is gay.

Answer 8

It very definitely qualifies by the definition you've provided, but unfortunately, the judges in today's society perpetrate these beliefs, so it would be unlikely that a conviction would occur.

Answer 9

I get too bored to read the whole pamphlet some of you guys write, but the answer to your first question is , "No" The free exercise of religion is Constitutionally protected.

I suspect that, despite your Oprahism of "Think of the Children" that you are more interested in attacking religion.

Answer 10

Problem is that it is psychological abuse, and not sexual (though you might be able to argue that position). When I was a kid, my dad was showing me porn to try to "fix" me. If you go that far, it's technically sexual abuse.

Answer 11

Yep I agree because I believe u are born gay or straight! My uncle was playing with dolls and doing feminine things as a little boy and He is a very PROUD GAY MAN!