Protestant sex abuse figures released; Three big insurers say they get at least 260 reports a year involving minors.

[Daniel_Marsh]

Of the Christian men and women who responded to the survey, 50 percent of the men and 20 percent of the women demonstrated addictions to pornography.

The survey also revealed that 30 percent of all pastors are dealing with or have problems with pornography.

catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=9570

• April 6, 2007: 70% of Christians admitted to struggling with porn in their daily lives. From a non-scientific poll taken by XXXChurch, as reported by CNN.
• August 7,2006: 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography. 60% of the women who answered the survey admitted to having significant struggles with lust; 40% admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year; and 20% of the church-going female participants struggle with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis.
  From the results of a ChristiaNet poll reported by Marketwire.com
• In December of 2000, the National Coalition to Protect Children and Families surveyed 5 Christian Campuses to see how the next generation of believers was doing with sexual purity:
  48% of males admitted to current porn use
  68% of males said they intentionally viewed a sexually explicit site at the school
• Roger Charman of Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Ministries reports that approximately 20 percent of the calls received on their Pastoral Care Line are for help with issues such as pornography and compulsive sexual behavior.
• A 1996 Promise Keepers survey at one of their stadium events revealed that over 50% of the men in attendance were involved with pornography within one week of attending the event.
• Out of 81 pastors surveyed (74 males 7 female), 98% had been exposed to porn; 43% intentionally accessed a sexually explicit website
  National Coalition survey of pastors. Seattle. April 2000.
• In his book, “Men’s Secret Wars”, Patrick Means reveals a confidential survey of evangelical pastors and church lay leaders. Sixty-four percent of these Christian leaders confirm that they are struggling with sexual addiction or sexual compulsion including, but not limited to use of pornography, compulsive masturbation, or other secret sexual activity.
• 34 percent of female readers of Today’s Christian Woman’s online newsletter admitted to intentionally accessing Internet porn in a recent poll.
• In March of 2002 Rick Warren’s (author of the Purpose Driven life) Pastors.com website conducted a survey on porn use of 1351 pastors: 54% of the pastors had viewed Internet pornography within the last year, and 30% of these had visited within the last 30 days.
• In a survey of over 500 Christian men at a men’s retreat, over 90% admitted that they were feeling disconnected from God because lust, porn, or fantasy had gained a foothold in their lives.
  As reported in an article on Pastors.com by Kenny Luck.

blazinggrace.org/pornstatistics.htm

 

[truthnlight]

ChristiaNet Poll Finds That Evangelicals Are Addicted to Porn
HOUSTON, TX – (MARKET WIRE) – August 7, 2006 – If there could be one place protected from the cancerous infection of pornography and sexual misconducts, one would assume that the Christian church would be that sanctuary. But, recent research is revealing that no one is immunized against the vice-grip clutches of sexual addictive behaviors. The people who struggle with the repeated pursuit of sexual gratification include church members, deacons, staff, and yes, even clergy. And, to the surprise of many, a large number of women in the church have become victim to this widespread problem. Recently, the world’s most visited Christian website, ChristiaNet.com, conducted a survey asking site visitors eleven questions about their personal sexual conduct. ([christianet.com

](http://www.christianet.com )

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” -1st Peter 2:11

There is no greater evil in America than that of pornography! Pornography is a road to hell. Jesus said in John 3:20 that it is the love of sin which prevents so many people from coming to Christ for salvation. Pornography is wicked sin! Pornography turns people away from God and His Holy Word. Most people automatically associate the word “pornography” with total nudity; however, the evil influences of “soft porn” (partial nudity) are equally damaging. Whereas women are aroused by TOUCH, men are aroused by SIGHT. Of course, this is no secret. I won’t spend a lot of time in this article trying to explain all the things wrong about pornography because it is self-evident. Any idiot knows what’s wrong with pornography. I simply want to do my part as a born again Christian to take a Biblical stand against this great evil of our time. Pornography is a Trojan horse sin…from it spawns fornication, wife beatings, rapes, adultery, child porn, pedophilia, homosexuality, and every other godless form of immorality imaginable.

That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." -Matthew 5:20,27,28

I a pastor that believed it was GOOD for his teenage son to play hanky-panky with all the girls in the church…and he did. He would sleep over at different girls homes and date one after another. I heard him telling someone that he had “made out” with Natalie. Then it was Jackie. Then it was Yvonne. Then it was Barbie. Then it was Cindy. He was a whoremonger in training. That father thought that his son wouldn’t want to sow his wild oats when he grew older if he played around before he got married. Wicked!!! Years later, word came that the pastor had molested two teenage girls in his church.

pornography contaminates a man’s mind for life. Once a man’s mind is corrupted, it can never be the same as it once was. Yes, a man can find forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Yes, a man can still serve God. Yes, a man can once again have a decent mind. However, a man who has willingly compromised his integrity by indulging in pornography WILL have scars for life. Just as asbestos leaves scar tissue in the lungs, so does pornography leave scars on the soul. Men who have indulged in pornography have more than likely also indulged in prostitution or other sexual sins. Such activities cause a man to be far more vulnerable to commit the same sins again in the future.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” -Romans 6:6

Young people should NOT sow their wild oats! Sowing your wild oats will only create an unquenchable appetite that will last a lifetime. Once you’ve been DESENSITIZED to the sinfulness of sexual sins, then you WILL likely struggle with it for the rest of your life. No wonder sexual sins are skyrocketing in America! Turn on Fox News and that’s all you hear nowadays…one sexual crime after another. The pornography industry and the music industry are inseparably related. The average music video is nothing but pornography. Women don’t have to be completely naked to commit the sin of pornography. In fact, a woman who is gyrating or lying down in tight clothing can be just as arousing as a completely naked woman. Who’s kidding who? ALL modern marketing companies KNOW that “sex sells” and they’re using every form of sexual perversion and wickedness permissible to sell their products. The bar (standard of ethics) keeps dropping. The devil has used cable TV as a means of bringing more pornography into America’s homes. The one who is most to blame

 

[manualman]

The foolish man looks at the scandals in the priesthood and gloats that this demonstrates the character of catholicism. The wise man looks at it and sees that it demonstrates the character of humanity.

The fool learns nothing. The wise man learns that he must safeguard his children and prevent access to them by ALL adults and teens who have not personally EARNED a position of trust through personal experience. Credentials are no substitute for earned personal trust, not even clerical credentials (of any stripe).

There are IMO, four factors that make this SEEM to be a catholic scandal.

1. Predators inherently seek positions of power over their victims. (priesthood is one such position among many)
2. The media and lawyers LOVE dirt on the catholic church.
3. US Catholic seminaries far too often failed to adequately discern between those with a legitimate call to celibate priesthood and those who had a sexual disfunction that made them THINK that celibate priesthood was the answer.
4. Too many bishops took the route of covering up scandal and believing the offenders had been rehabbed.

Number 4 has been fixed and the bishops have been harshly educated that they cannot risk believing in rehab for an offender anymore. Number 3 is a question mark. The Vatican sure gave clear guidance that those with unresolved sexual disorders must not be ordained, but it is unclear of seminaries have taken it seriously. Number 2 we cannot control. Number 1 is the biggest of all and the least recognized. When a gymnastics teacher in Boston is caught molesting kids, we don’t hear about it in Chicago. When a priest in Boston is caught, it is national news. What gets missed as a result is that these sickos seek out ALL KINDS of positions that give them opportunity and authority over those they seek to victimize. IMO, this was the only truly useful lesson taught in the “Protecting God’s Children” program that all volunteers and eventually all catholic parents will need to go through in my diocese.

 

[quantumDeus]

A point to ponder: Why is it surprising in non-Catholic sects that the congregations reflect the temptations of society?

To be sure, Catholics face the same temptations, and many undoubtedly fall prey to them. Catholics have the sacraments to help lead them back to the fold, to re-establish their state of grace with God.

Protestants struggle, perhaps, because they do not have these traditions inherent in their doctrinal practice. Once Saved Always Saved? A mere prayer of “Oops, God, I goofed?”

It has always seemed to me that maintaining salvetic grace was far easier outside the Catholic Church. Penance, done properly, requires self-critical examination and an earnest attempt to reconcile with God’s will. How does one do that when there is a lack of guidelines in Protestant faiths? When the sects themselves follow the relativistic values of society?

Yet another reason to pray for our wayward brothers and sisters in Christ. As Catholics, our concern in apologetics and in prostelizing ought to be driven by our concern for their state of grace.

 

[Randy_Carson]

Its the world news
not from me. The only point I am trying to make is, that if it was going on in my church and they did not get that pastor out. I would leave. Thats all sorry if I upset you:blush:

Leaving is certainly an option since there are so many Protestant denominations to choose from. You don’t like the “church” you’re in…try one down the street. The doctrines might not match exactly, but that’s okay…as long as everybody agrees on the “essentials”. Just turn in your Bible to the list of essentials to brush up on these “lowest common denominators.” Did you find them, yet?

In the meantime, for those who worship in the one, holy catholic and apostolic church, we’ll have to stick around and deal with the issues like grown-ups instead of cutting and running.

 

[quantumDeus]

In the meantime, for those who worship in the one, holy catholic and apostolic church, we’ll have to stick around and deal with the issues like grown-ups instead of cutting and running.

And a painful exercise it is proving to be. However, it also gives me an opportunity to re-examine myself and the Church. While tardy, the Church’s response (at least at the Vatican level) has risen to the crisis.

Let us pray that it also rises to the crisis at the local level. Physician, heal thyself. comes to mind here.

 

[MugenOne]

Where is SNAP when we need them?

 

[BelFarfalla]

No if he did that sex crime and was still preaching in my church not for aids.

Tell me this, what in the news is hard fact.

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated then the man who reads nothing but newspapers.
Thomas Jefferon

Nothing in the article you posted about AIDS and priests has anything at all to do with anyone committing a crime. So I am confused why you posted it. I hate to be uncharitable but it appears to me that your entire point was to smear the CC since this thread is about crimes not physical illness.

What in the news is hard fact? A good question… one we should all ask EVERY time we read an article. The hard fact is generally there, along with the propaganda, bias, untruths and outright lies to fit the agenda of the publishers and writers.

The only facts in the article you posted are that some priests have AIDs, some died from AIDs, some priests know of other priests who have Aids or have died from it and all priests are human with human faults. The rest is conjecture and rumor. One fact that is not there is anything about any of the priests having committed crimes of any kind… so the article is way off topic.

You did not answer my question about what church/sect/denomination you belong to so of course I cannot go and investigate your church and see what has been going on there. Makes it very easy for you to make blanket statements. Of course it is easy to attack the CC as it is a very large and very public Church. Almost every religious I know of has been stained by this sort of scandal and mishandling. I truly doubt your has escaped…Unless yours is very new and very small.

As for leaving the Church because a person who committed sex crime is preaching… for me, leaving the CC is the same as leaving Christianity or leaving humanity. I cannot do either as I am both a human and Catholic Christian. I do not believe that any other church is valid. So instead of leaving I do what I can to change the way things are done by the humans in the church. If all good people leave, then what becomes of the Church? It is OUR (those of use who believe) responsibility to keep the Church in line. This is the same thing that I do in with humanity. I don’t leave humanity; I fight to make humanity better.

Instead of leaving I would go to the person or the family of the person who was molested and stand by them while the filed the police report and had charges brought against the offending priest. Then I would get on the case of the other priests and bishops to handle it the right way.

And the right way is for the cases to the police and the courts for criminal charges first… not the law suits for hundreds of millions first.

 

[mark_a]

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated then the man who reads nothing but newspapers.
Thomas Jefferon

Your signature reminds me of Thomas Jefferson, who wrote his own gospel because he thought the Greeks ruined the bible.

 

[whatevergirl]

Why don’t you clean up your own backyard instead of looking at how bad your neighbor look.

actually…in most cases this sentiment applies…but when it comes to kids…we need to be watching our neighbors’ backyards…

 

[Randy_Carson]

actually…in most cases this sentiment applies…but when it comes to kids…we need to be watching our neighbors’ backyards…

Unless you’re an adult male…in which case, watching your neighbors’ backyards can get you accused of stalking.

 

[Renton405]

Actually the OP intend is to show that sex scandals is **not limited **to the Catholic Church. It has always been a major problem in this society. It does **not discriminate **what religion you are.

The cause of these abuses are of course the consequence of original sin.

It is a human issue not a Catholic issue alone.

The media wants to make you think its only a Catholic issue… thats why most people think it is… but when you start researching you find that it isn’t the case… The only difference is that Catholic sex abuse scandals gets shown more on the media than Jewish and protestant groups, simply because the number 1 enemy to hollywood is the Catholic Church…

If you go to refomation.com(or org I think) you will find almost a thousand reports from the protestant denominations…

 

[truthnlight]

The media wants to make you think its only a Catholic issue… thats why most people think it is… but when you start researching you find that it isn’t the case… The only difference is that Catholic sex abuse scandals gets shown more on the media than Jewish and protestant groups, simply because the number 1 enemy to hollywood is the Catholic Church…

If you go to refomation.com(or org I think) you will find almost a thousand reports from the protestant denominations…

Hollywood is all are enemy!!!

“Ye that love the LORD, hate evil…” -Psalm 97:10

“That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” -2nd Thessalonians 2:12

Bible Skeptics and God Haters

“Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” -1st Timothy 1:4

What Do Hollywood Academic Critics Believe about the Bible?

God is Evil (“Family Guy” on The Cartoon Network).

Jesus was a Drunk (“Family Guy” on The Cartoon Network).

“He (God) is my favorite fictional character” (The Simpson’s on FOX).

The Bible is a 2000 year old sleeping pill (The Simpson’s on FOX).

An animation of Jonah’s skeleton still inside the remains of the great fish or whale
(The Simpson’s on FOX).

Adam’s wife (Lillith) was a promiscuous demon (“Adam and Eve” on A&E).

God was jealous of Adam (“Adam and Eve” on A&E).

Noah’s Ark boat dimensions were incorrectly stated (“Noah’s Ark: The True Story” on The Discovery
Channel and BBC America).

Noah’s Ark was many small boats tied together not one large vessel (“Noah’s Ark: The True Story” on The
Discovery Channel and BBC America).

Noah was a king who sold beer and animals but was not permitted to return home after the flood due to
debts (“Noah’s Ark: The True Story” on The Discovery Channel and BBC America).

The flood was a small occurrence within a village (“Noah’s Ark: The True Story” on The Discovery Channel and
BBC America).

Noah was an albino and babies fought demons (“Noah and the Ark: Voyage to a New Beginning” on A&E).

Sodom was Noah’s home, Lot tried to burn Noah’s Ark, a waterspout destroyed Lots water Navy and Noah
was an insane drunk (“Noah’s Ark” on NBC).

Sodom and Gomorrah was a myth (“Sodom and Gomorrah” on The History Channel).

Joseph never existed (“Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors” on BBC/National Geographic Channel).

There was no Satan in the story of Job (“Job: The Devils Test” on A&E).
Moses used a magic rod (“Moses” on A&E).

Jericho’s walls did not fall nor is there any other evidence for the Bible story (“Joshua and the Walls of Jericho” on BBC/America and The Discovery Channel).

“The Bible is a Fairy Tale” - Bill Maher, host of Politically Incorrect on ABC. August 22, 2001.

“The people who wrote the Bible…it was not meant to be history, it was not meant to be literal.” - Bill Maher, host of Politically Incorrect on ABC. - CRI: 1-28-2002

"The Biblical tradition is a composite of…“legends that still may be regarded as containing moral truths but until now they must be regarded as uncertain historical provenance.” -William Dever, University of Arizona, frequent Bible Archaeology Review magazine contributor (Digging for Answers).

who wants to buy a 60 inch plasma ?

 

[truthnlight]

Your signature reminds me of Thomas Jefferson, who wrote his own gospel because he thought the Greeks ruined the bible.

Luke6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

 

[RevDrNorth]

This is something rarely reported about. The media would normally have us think that these crimes are the purview of only the Catholic priesthood.

detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706150339

True! I get impatient with Protestants who rather arrogantly assume that it is an RC problem. I agree with Fr. Groeshel that it is a problem in society and that the Church just makes a big target. There is concern with the pederasty issue and homsexuality in the Catholic church and it needs to be examined but yet the figures are not different from Protestants or from society at large. It is a disgrace when clergy of any denomination fail to live up to their high calling Christ Jesus. A Priest on one of the other Forum/threads expressed his sadness and upset over Priests who have brought disrepute on Catholic clergy and made them subject to suspicion and so on. I felt bad for him. There are many…many good devoted and Orthodox Priests.

North

 

[Allweather]

who wants to buy a 60 inch plasma ?

LOL, not me!

I gave my TV away two months ago. I’ve missed it at times, sort of like when I quit smoking and wanted a cig whenever I had a cup of coffee.

But it is great without that constant chatter of Hollywood and marketers selling me stuff I don’t need or want.

Try it. You’ll like it!

 

[BelFarfalla]

LOL, not me!

I gave my TV away two months ago. I’ve missed it at times, sort of like when I quit smoking and wanted a cig whenever I had a cup of coffee.

But it is great without that constant chatter of Hollywood and marketers selling me stuff I don’t need or want.

Try it. You’ll like it!

I agree about the TV. We most use ours to watched cd’s and a some news. We don’t really like most TV programing