A "<I>PERFECT PANIC</I>"
Whenever one person is in a position of authority over another, there is an enhanced possibility of emotional, physical, financial, spiritual, and/or sexual abuse. Of these, sexual abuse of children and youth are generally considered the most heinous. When the abuser is a clergyperson -- an individual who is expected to act at the highest spiritual and moral level -- the public becomes particularly distressed. Such abuse represents a gross violation of trust and a massive misuse of human sexuality by a perpetrator who is supposed to be among the most trustworthy. When the church leadership systematically conceals sexual abuse, the public can go ballistic.
What little hard information that is available seems to indicate that:
Sexual abuse of children could probably be almost halved if women were allowed to be ordained in the church.(Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance 2002-2004)
These occurances can and have happened in the most unlikely places, our places of zen, worship and peace. Knowing all that we have found out, do these occurances diminish your ability to trust your church or clergy? On the flip side, do these happenings instill <I>more</I> faith, or just bury hatred against those who have committed said acts?
Whats your take on it?
Whenever one person is in a position of authority over another, there is an enhanced possibility of emotional, physical, financial, spiritual, and/or sexual abuse. Of these, sexual abuse of children and youth are generally considered the most heinous. When the abuser is a clergyperson -- an individual who is expected to act at the highest spiritual and moral level -- the public becomes particularly distressed. Such abuse represents a gross violation of trust and a massive misuse of human sexuality by a perpetrator who is supposed to be among the most trustworthy. When the church leadership systematically conceals sexual abuse, the public can go ballistic.
What little hard information that is available seems to indicate that:
These occurances can and have happened in the most unlikely places, our places of zen, worship and peace. Knowing all that we have found out, do these occurances diminish your ability to trust your church or clergy? On the flip side, do these happenings instill <I>more</I> faith, or just bury hatred against those who have committed said acts?
Whats your take on it?
