Could repressing sexual impulses be one of the reasons behind sexual perversions within the clergy?

Question

When I hear about pedophilia and other sexual perversions amongst the religious, I always think of that line from Cool Hand Luke; “What we got here is failure to masturbate.” I know that’s not what they say in the movie, but that’s what I always think.

I know, we can’t have a society where people just act out whatever sexual impulse is in their minds or their loins whenever they want, we need to exercise some kind control but a society under the rigid control of a delusion based religion is at the other end of the spectrum and equally as repulsive to me. Don’t you think we need to establish some set of accepted rules, some kind of ‘sexual constitution’ one that is not based on primitive superstitious nonsense but one that is decided via a democratic process and is ethical as opposed to moral?

Answer 1

Of course it is. It's extremely unhealthy to completely suppress your sexual needs. If they aren't expressed in a healthy and natural way, then eventually they're going to force themselves to the surface in a sick and destructive way. Sexuality isn't an optional entertaining diversion - it's a biological imperative. Enforced celibacy combined with all the ridiculous guilt and shame Christianity attaches to sex has turned the Catholic Church into a pedophile factory.

Answer 2

I'm not sure the repression causes the perversion, but if you make having a normal adult sexual life (heterosexual or homosexual) an EXCLUSION criterion for a position, then you are going to select for people with sexual difficulties.

I think the rules are basically very simple: as with any other type of morality, a sexual act is wrong if it harms someone. If it doesn't harm someone it isn't morally wrong.

Most of the religious elaborations on sexual morality miss that fundamental point. Having a disproportionate number of people in church hierarchies trying to escape from their own sexuality - and to justify that escape to themselves - compounds the problem.

The other cause of clergy abuse is the lack of accountability. All abuse is an abuse of power, and accountability is the mechanism that prevents abuse. But if religious hierarchies say they are accountable only to God, but then they are the very people that claim to define what God is and wants, then you have a self serving circular argument, not accountability.

Answer 3

First, it is only your opinion that religion is "superstitious nonsense". Secondly, if the people were restraining other "urges" because they are unscriptural, it would stand to reason that they should also restrain the urge to commit pedophilia.

That said, I don't believe that celibacy should be required of clergy, the Bible never requires that ministers refrain from marriage.

There is one link between pedophilia and celibate religious sects that I think does deserve looking at: The possibility that a pedophile, being racked with guilt and unsure how to stop himself, might join a celibate religious sect thinking that this will "cure" him, or be a form of penance for his sin. Then later he realizes that the urges are still there, and since he doesn't seek help, eventually he acts on them.

Answer 4

I think sexual repression is responsible for a lot more than that. If young teens were encouraged to explore their sexuality in a safe environment with people their own age, and responsibly educated in the various issues that come along with sex we would have a much more well adjusted society. I think that under those circumstances we could have a society in which people could act out their sexual impulses, because people would have much healthier ideas about sex.

With Love,
Shane K.

Answer 5

You do realize that Protestant religions allow married clergy, and for clergy to marry. The Eastern Orthodox church allows married men to be ordained, but ordained men must not marry. So it's largely the Roman Catholic church that requires unmarried clergy.
What's your issue here? And do you know whether sex offenses, either same-sex, adulterous, or child abuse, are concentrated within any given denomination?
Fortunately, American sociiety is unlikely to come under the control of any religion, delusion-based or otherwise, so we don't need to establish any rules except "keep your eyes, hands, and other body parts away from the children."

Answer 6

There is a type of self denial that is healthy, and a kind of self denial that is potentially harmful. Yes, I think the Roman Catholic Church is ladened with secret sexual practices. The men who go after other men within the clergy are just not about to complain. They are into it too much.

I am not relying on evidence other than the common sense God gave me.

Answer 7

Different churches have different rules. the Catholic Church doesn`t believe in clergy marring or the nuns either. They go by what Jesus said when he said it was better if we were like him but if you couldn`t be that way then it was better to marry then to burn. People who go into the clergy no the rules and they agree to it. We are finding out that it doesn`t matter who you are or what you believe that there are bad element any where you go. We today have access to news where years ago people didn`t know what was going on in other places. Today the world is a small place and there seems to be more and more corruption or is it we just have more ways to here about it?

Answer 8

I think it represses a person's sense of logic. Most of the people who say sex is a sin seem to be a few bricks short of a full load. And, btw, it also seems to affect their grammar and spelling. -- I wonder why? example on this page: " .... god says we either control areselves in a controled manner or be foolish and follow loose conducts,but we control our desires and dont act on them if there bad or wrong"

Answer 9

Repressing one's sexuality is not going to make them orientate themselves towards sex with a child. That fixation is there no matter what. Sexual repression is not a healthy thing of course and can lead to other problems. But the person would be attracted to a child with or without the repression. Rather, the sexually deranged person is attracted to a system where they can hide their perversion with holiness.

Answer 10

Excuse me married men are pedophiles also. So being celibate does not cause pedophilia. Pedophilia is a disease of the mind. Pedophilia is in all walks of life, not just in religions. The majority of pedophiles are married men,teachers, fathers,coaches,policemen, firefighters etc.