Question

Why is it that only priests are often reported as perpetrators of sexual abuse within religious contexts?

Answer 1

Personally I think the reason why Priests are "picked on" so much is because the Catholic Church is the closest to the "right" church that practices the true belief in God. So they are a threat to Satan.

Answer 2

Because Priests have been found time and time and time again to be molestors. This was not made up it started from fact.

Answer 3

They aren't. However since priests take a vow of celibacy I feel they are going against human nature and therfore since they don't have a healthy outlet for their sexual urges, they become molesters more than clergy that are allowed sex.

Answer 4

The Catholic church has a policy on tolerating critism. In other words it won't fight back. So the bristling throng of cowards in the world like to throw rocks at it. Does anyone complain that being homosexual is practically a death sentance in most islamic communities? Or that women are systematically raped and it is called "Honor"? Or ostrisized from the jewish faith for marring outside of your religion? no. Thanks to terrorism and politics ain't no shivering little twerp is going to say boo. If the Church said, "I'm comming after everyone who screws with me" it would stop

Answer 5

Just as many child molestors exist in all the faiths. The only reason why catholic priests is because we are so recignizable. Also because priests take a vow of poverty that no other religious figures take. The reason why catholic priests take such a vow is because it was typicle back in those times for a priest or a holy figure to remain single (or become single) and abstain from sex so as to focus there thoughts more on god and less on women. Another reason this became catholic doc. is because back in the early church priests who did marry and have children would give the church property to there children and spouse puting a strain on the next priest/bishop.

Answer 6

Its just like the difference between a pick-pocket on the street and a thief in jail. One got caught. Get it? It doesnt matter WHO did it cause its just a $@#! shame for anybody to act in such a way. Caught or not.

Answer 7

They aren't!! Many ministers and gurus have done the same thing.

Answer 8

There are a lot of jokes and media about it because a servant of God molesting an innocent has shock value. But most of the actual stink and outrage associated with the church has to do with cover-ups. Reassignments etc...

Answer 9

Maybe because other confessions are more secretive in this issue.

Answer 10

The imagery of a Priest is "HOLY" throughout most of Western and Eastern cultures . . . This image has power. When a priest falls, it's powerful. It's similar symbolically to the fall of the angel Satin. . . Men <& women> have placed so much hope, faith, trust into the 'Priest' that they forgot that 'Priests' are just human flesh and bones. This leads to extreme disappointment in society and sometimes rejection of the faith by the Church members. However, all men are sinful. This concept is difficult to accept when we place such imagery to the 'Priest'.. . I was watching Oprah, on "Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery". Interestingly, there was a Baptist Minister who bought and sold girls for sex from Asia. He kept them in the basement of his Church. He probably trafficked 50 young girls and made a fortune. I think this crime is 1000 times greater than the Catholic Priest, but Baptist Ministers do not have the same stigmata , as do Catholic Priests though ... so it didn't get as much coverage .. . Before the start of the Iran war, Saddam's holy brothers, were steeling little girls from the schools <7-14>...but muslim cultures has little value for women, so it's all ok for them.