The Perverted Pastor Phenomenon
A visitor to this blog might be under the impression that I am predisposed to pointing out the failures of clergy, as I often write about pastors and ministers who are facing sexually related charges. In regard to this, I would like to offer the following explanation as to why pastors and churches are a frequent topic here.
First off, I would like to state that the crimes covered here are not limited to only sex crimes, and that the sex crimes discussed here are not limited to the clergy. I write about sex offenders and crimes related to all walks of life.
It just so happens that predators may be attracted to positions of trust and authority in order to commit their crimes. It may also be that those who find themselves in powerful positions may see new avenues in which to practice their darker ambitions. This phenomenon can be seen among many different positions of trust and authority. Teachers, instructors, principals, youth leaders, coaches, law enforcement, corrections, child supervisors, and many other persons to whom we give our trust and a certain amount of power to can be found in violation of that trust. They can be found to abuse the authority given them. We do see this a lot when it comes to positions in churches. Members of clergy are by no means immune to Evil. Every week, the tally of offenders related to churches and the clergy seems to rise. It is only natural that a site covering such topics would thus have more coverage related to those incidents.
Another part of this aberration that we often see is outright hypocrisy. Certain members of the church where the offending party belongs, or perhaps even leads, deny to themselves that the suspect is capable of the act. After all, they trusted him. They may have even placed him (or her) in the position which enabled him to cause someone harm. So, the defenders of the offender can be found in a state of absolute protestation. They tell themselves this cannot be. And then, they attack the messenger. But worse, much worse than attacking those that announce these wrongs to the public, they attack the very victim of the crime. They assert that the victim’s word cannot be trusted. She (or he), according to these self-appointed "avengers" is under the influence of pubescent hormones, or perhaps they are even jealous of the suspect. They either imply or blatantly state that the victim (even if, or sometimes, especially if, the victim is child) led the person on –that the victim enticed the perpetrator.
It is because of these attitudes that I continue to write about these cases. I am often told to "shut up" or that I don’t know anything about what I am talking about. I often hear that I am not close enough to the situation to understand what is really going on. The truth is, I am aware of what is going on. I am aware of the power that churches have over a community, and the power that the clergy have over their congregation. Where it may be convenient for a church to "forgive and forget" the horrible crimes, I know that it is not the right thing to do. You cannot forgive someone for sins committed to someone else. It isn’t your place. In fact, to do so is not only arrogant, but immoral. Too many times the "flock" is kept in ignorance of the "wolf" in their midst. If the "shepherd" doesn’t protect the "sheep," who will?
I do realize that not all churches are alike. It is not my intention to attack religion. My intention is to make public the crimes that would otherwise go unnoticed and forgotten. As long as I have the means of letting the public know about the predators in their communities, that is what I will do. When I am told to remain silent about such things, I will only write more. When the defenders of the perpetrators come here with their words of contempt and their gnashing of teeth, it will only help in proving where their heart really lies. Perhaps someday they will see their behavior for what it is and come out of that dark and ugly place. In the mean time, I’m not holding my breath.
Related posts:
