Lutheran pedophiles

[Tero]

http://blog.beliefnet.com/deaconsbench/ ... -out.html/

[klr]

Not surprised in the least. It seems it takes the Catholic Church to do this on an industrial scale, but most of the other smaller churches are not immune. They were just further away on the radar.

[Tero]

The ones in the news in Finland have been these fundie Lutherans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laestadianism

the ortodox catholics, so far have not heard anything about them.

[Jason]

I wonder if it's something intrinsic to 'churches' or rather to organizations in which persons are vested with complete trust and no rigorous checks are in place to ensure that trust is not abused?

[redunderthebed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laestadianism

They have bonfires but prohibit the consumption of alcohol i always thought that was one of the main reason to have a bonfire.

Child sexual abuse is by no means a thing exclusive to the catholic church one of the most notorious pedophiles in South Australia was an anglican priest and the lutherans and joho's and uniting church all have being investigated here.

I was watching the news when a story about sexual abuse in the uniting church and how some pastors etc got arrested my old pastor got mentioned although he was mentioned in the same breath as the pedos later in the story it was mention that he didnt get arrested for being a pedo but.....exposing himself to his neighbours.

[Rum]

I wonder if it's something intrinsic to 'churches' or rather to organizations in which persons are vested with complete trust and no rigorous checks are in place to ensure that trust is not abused?

It is well known that pedophiles actually look for professions where they have access to kids. Some of them go to enormous lengths and build a whole life around their means of access to a source of victims. It is one reason that the vetting procedures for teachers and people working in schools were ramped up to vigorously a decade or so ago.

[maiforpeace]

I wonder if it's something intrinsic to 'churches' or rather to organizations in which persons are vested with complete trust and no rigorous checks are in place to ensure that trust is not abused?

It is well known that pedophiles actually look for professions where they have access to kids. Some of them go to enormous lengths and build a whole life around their means of access to a source of victims. It is one reason that the vetting procedures for teachers and people working in schools were ramped up to vigorously a decade or so ago.

They've already been found in sports activities, it's just a matter of time before the boy scouts report instances of it.

As far as religions go, known instances of pedophilia have now been found among Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, now Lutherans.

[cowiz]

It is well established that pedophilia is caused by damn sexy kids

[maiforpeace]

It is well established that pedophilia is caused by damn sexy kids

And the first sign of a pedophile is someone who rationalizes it.

[cowiz]

It is well established that pedophilia is caused by damn sexy kids

And the first sign of a pedophile is someone who rationalizes it.

The best thing about having sex with 26 year old's is that there are 20 of them.... I'll get my coat

[Rum]

Shouldn't that be 'Mac'?

[Jason]

I wonder if it's something intrinsic to 'churches' or rather to organizations in which persons are vested with complete trust and no rigorous checks are in place to ensure that trust is not abused?

It is well known that pedophiles actually look for professions where they have access to kids. Some of them go to enormous lengths and build a whole life around their means of access to a source of victims. It is one reason that the vetting procedures for teachers and people working in schools were ramped up to vigorously a decade or so ago.

Exactly my point.

All too often Atheists, and members of other sects of Christianity or other religions entirely, point to pedophiles in particular Christian organizations as if it is somehow indicative of an ideological failure on the part of that organization when this isn't the case at all.

[Blind groper]

Frankly I doubt there is anything special about any church.

A certain percentage of males in any society (probably a little under 2%) will have pedophile tendencies. This percentage will apply to members of a church also. With the catholic church, there are tens of thousands of priests out there. It is inevitable that some will be pedophiles. Ditto any form of clergy.

The only thing that makes this noteworthy is that religious leaders are supposed to rise above sexual temptations and be good little religious leaders. So there is a big element of hypocrisy.

[Rum]

Frankly I doubt there is anything special about any church.

A certain percentage of males in any society (probably a little under 2%) will have pedophile tendencies. This percentage will apply to members of a church also. With the catholic church, there are tens of thousands of priests out there. It is inevitable that some will be pedophiles. Ditto any form of clergy.

The only thing that makes this noteworthy is that religious leaders are supposed to rise above sexual temptations and be good little religious leaders. So there is a big element of hypocrisy.

I think there is a difference and that is that certain professions do have more opportunities to access children because it is part of their job. Given that is it recognised that a proportion of pedophiles organise their lives around how to get to kids it makes sense that certain professions would attract some of them.

Let us not forget however that the majority of abuse of this kind takes place in families and is done by close family members.

[Hermit]

I wonder if it's something intrinsic to 'churches' or rather to organizations in which persons are vested with complete trust and no rigorous checks are in place to ensure that trust is not abused?

It is well known that pedophiles actually look for professions where they have access to kids. Some of them go to enormous lengths and build a whole life around their means of access to a source of victims.

Sounds plausible, but can it be backed up with statistics? One would expect that the percentage of paedophiliacs among kindergarten teachers would be higher than among university lecturers, at least in the decades before screening was de rigeur.

I have not seen any statistics yet that show a higher percentage of paedophiles among priests than, say, among process workers either. What gets me about the catholic church, though, is the persistent and systematic coverup and protection of them by members of its hierarchy at least as high up to the level of Cardinal (Ratzinger). It seems to persist despite protestations to the contrary.