Christians, how do you explain that so many Catholic priests turn out to be child molesters?

Question

Aren't these people supposed to be "men of god?" Doesn't paint your religion in a very good light does it? Especially since many churches just relocate the offending priests to a different church.

Answer 1

Same way YOU explain cops, teachers, aunts, uncles, fathers, and protestant ministers "turn out" to be child molesters.... They are HUMAN. They don't represent all priests.
I think the church did something incredibly stupid by not, at the very least, sending them into exile, but it doesn't "paint" my church in any worse a light than it does cops, teachers, aunts, uncles, fathers, or protestant ministers.

An entire page of NON Catholic abusive ministers...
http://reformation.com/CSA/variousabuse.html

I don't really expect the asker to read the page, but I put it up for those who choose not to remain ignorant.

**To those idiots who think it's because of celibacy... FYI... Child molestation and rape aren't about sex, they are about POWER.

Answer 2

Lets make one thing clear here, priests are normal male human beings just like your next door neighbour who could be a married man or someones uncle and is just as likely to be a child molester. It has nothing to do with the fact that they are a priest or that they are Catholic. I agree it doesn't paint the religion in a good light but with your logic it doesn't paint marriage or relatives in a good light either. The bad thing about priests is that they have been placed in a public position of trust so that makes it worse as they should be people you can go to without fear. Your question is quite self righteous and is more of a statement, if you really have deep issues with christians then maybe you need to see a counselor as not all priests and christians can be put in the category of the molesting minority

Answer 3

I agree with you to some extent. Pedophilia is a social illness, and it can affect anyone anywhere.

Catholic priests are probably given more media attention because they are God servants that aren't allowed to get married. Some people, with the media sometimes acting as unwilling accomplices, put more emphasis when a Catholic priest is the one charged of such a horrible crime, only because of prejudice or because of religious bias motivations.

But don't let that make you believe that the rate is higher among Catholic priests, than over Protestant ministers or other religious leaders. Because the fact is that the ratio of Catholic priests and other religious leaders charged for being pedophiles are about the same.

Answer 4

Reality check!

The ONLY barrel in existence where you will NEVER find a rotten apple is the one called "Heaven".

If you want to live in a perfect barrel, then drop dead and hope for heaven.

That being said: the percentage of Catholic priests who are child molestors is actually much lower than the percentage of NON-priests. Fewer than 1% of priests vs. more than 3% of all other adult males. But the rest of them don't make good press and don't sell advertising, so don't get air or print time. Pity. You want an eye opener, try the percentage of child molestors who work in the juvenile justice system. There it's rampant. Rampant to the point that the State of Texas shut down its juvenile detention centers and is working on a complete overhaul for that very problem. But is the press trumpeting this? HAH!

Answer 5

I used to be Catholic now I go to a Four Square Christian church...all fall short of the glory of God, trust me when I say as a formerly-abused child I despise child-molesters...I hate what they do and I think that harsh punishment should be inflicted on anyone who steals the innocence of a child. This is why I really think all vows of celibacy need to be done away with. In the over-sexed world we live in very few people can actually stick to their vows. In the end I think celibacy causes more harm than good.

Answer 6

You aren't painting Catholicism in a good light. You are making it out to be "so many" priest when it is really only 6% of clergy. That percentage is the same as pedophiles is society in general, let's be real.

Granted, that's 6% too many. the point is, the facts don't need any embellishment from people like yourself.

Answer 7

Friend it don't paint anything about my religion, I am not catholic, But Aposotlic Pentacost, Even though we my have a bad apple in the basket does not mean all the apples are bad. Now to answer your question, The catholics believes that they are following St. Peter, They claim Peter was the first Pope, well Peter was not a pope, but an apostle, The catholics fail to see that peter was a married man. & the Catholics does not follow anything the Apostles teached, The catholics baptise by sprinling, & the use the name of the father, son, & holy Ghost. There is not ONE person that was ever baptized in those TITLES, But All Christians were Baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ & By complete immursion, Can you see a dog getting kill & you go to buried it, that you only sprinkle only a hand full of dirt, That is not burying the dog The same with a person in water baptism They have to be completely immursed.

Answer 8

It has been going on for hundreds of years.
See the Almanac of Evil.
http://one-faith-of-god.org/final_testament/end_of_darkness/evil/evil_0080.htm

Catholics will tell you it is just a few bad apples. In truth it is not just a bad tree, but an evil orchard we are dealing with.

If the Vatican was serious about stamping out child molestation and setting a clean slate- why today do they refuse to pay compensation and instead hide behind the courts- dragging out settlements?

If you don't believe me, just do a search and see for yourself the hundreds of cases the church still refuses to acknowledge. What does that tell you?

Answer 9

These animals are born bad. They definately choose a profession where they can prey on their targets on easy turf. I think it is due to the safety net that the church brings these awful people. And with the Catholic church, they can just confess to some 'bad-stuff' and get off with it scot-free! Its about time this all stopped if you ask me, surely there should be a law against all this child molesting by Catholic Priests!

Answer 10

I know, I know, that all of these so-called "priests" dont exactly make all Christians look good. BUT, don't be judging all Christians, just on what the minority do. For example, many people look at Americans in a bad light, just for what the Ku-Klux-Klan, has done in the past. We know that the KKK is a very small minority of our population, but it STILL doesn't paint Americans in a good light, does it! The only way I can truly explain this situation, is because priests aren't supposed to get married. If they are weak, and not TRULY Christian, than they get lustful, and turn bad. My only point is, don't judge all Christians, on what less than 0.01% of Christians do.