Comments on: Victims of Child Abuse Hotline http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2006/06/28/victims-of-child-abuse-hotline Contagious Thoughts, Mutating as Needed Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:07:23 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: VirusHead http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2006/06/28/victims-of-child-abuse-hotline/comment-page-1#comment-10022 VirusHead Sat, 01 Jul 2006 01:18:44 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2006/06/28/victims-of-child-abuse-hotline/#comment-10022 Jolly Roger. I agree that pedophiles are to be found within organized religion - and I think that authoritarian environments that encourage splitting rather than integration tend to breed all kinds of power pathologies.However, I believe that a true predator will simply utilize any convenient environment to be near kids - working in schools, clothing stores, camps, youth activites of various kinds - whatever it takes to be near children. So while I agree that the mindset of some religious communities may actually encourage sexual predators (if not help create them), I also think that such pedophilic predators can be just about anywhere. For me, the problem with the churches is that the more suspicious and insulated they are from the greater community, the less the congregants are protected from such things. In the case of the Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, they had a document listing known pedophiles and abusers. Because they believe that the police and the government are part of "Satan's Worldly System of Things", they do not share that information. Moreover, they only discipline such internally on the word of two witnessess. Often, the word of a woman or a child doesn't register. Victims are told to "wait on Jehovah" to put it right. Predators can thus operate in congregations, or move between congregations, for years. Meanwhile, someone can be disfellowshipped for questioning a teaching, or asking too many questions, or smoking, or having facial hair, or celebrating a "worldly" holiday with extended family, etc. etc. The priorities are very strange. Mr HK - Awwwww, shucks. Thanks for the compliment. I'm 42 this year, and it's very nice to be called "pretty." (grin) Jolly Roger. I agree that pedophiles are to be found within organized religion – and I think that authoritarian environments that encourage splitting rather than integration tend to breed all kinds of power pathologies.However, I believe that a true predator will simply utilize any convenient environment to be near kids – working in schools, clothing stores, camps, youth activites of various kinds – whatever it takes to be near children. So while I agree that the mindset of some religious communities may actually encourage sexual predators (if not help create them), I also think that such pedophilic predators can be just about anywhere. For me, the problem with the churches is that the more suspicious and insulated they are from the greater community, the less the congregants are protected from such things. In the case of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, they had a document listing known pedophiles and abusers. Because they believe that the police and the government are part of “Satan’s Worldly System of Things”, they do not share that information. Moreover, they only discipline such internally on the word of two witnessess. Often, the word of a woman or a child doesn’t register. Victims are told to “wait on Jehovah” to put it right. Predators can thus operate in congregations, or move between congregations, for years. Meanwhile, someone can be disfellowshipped for questioning a teaching, or asking too many questions, or smoking, or having facial hair, or celebrating a “worldly” holiday with extended family, etc. etc. The priorities are very strange.

Mr HK – Awwwww, shucks. Thanks for the compliment. I’m 42 this year, and it’s very nice to be called “pretty.” (grin)

]]> By: Mr. HK http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2006/06/28/victims-of-child-abuse-hotline/comment-page-1#comment-9986 Mr. HK Fri, 30 Jun 2006 16:45:32 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2006/06/28/victims-of-child-abuse-hotline/#comment-9986 This is an important post! And I love the new decorations around here! Including the pretty blogger's headshot... This is an important post!

And I love the new decorations around here!

Including the pretty blogger’s headshot…

]]> By: JollyRoger http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2006/06/28/victims-of-child-abuse-hotline/comment-page-1#comment-9945 JollyRoger Fri, 30 Jun 2006 08:39:43 +0000 http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2006/06/28/victims-of-child-abuse-hotline/#comment-9945 The sad fact of the matter is, organized religion structures itself around giving the clergy a lot of authority. It is no surprise that one finds disproportionate numbers of pedophiles wearing collars (the number may be as high as 18% of all clergy, substantially higher than in the populace as a whole.) More information can be found <a href="http://www.reformation.com">here</a>. Just another reason for you (and me) to distrust organized religion. On top of the many other valid reasons. The sad fact of the matter is, organized religion structures itself around giving the clergy a lot of authority. It is no surprise that one finds disproportionate numbers of pedophiles wearing collars (the number may be as high as 18% of all clergy, substantially higher than in the populace as a whole.)

More information can be found here.

Just another reason for you (and me) to distrust organized religion. On top of the many other valid reasons.

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