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Sex abuse rife in other religions, says Vatican

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posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 01:54 PM
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The Vatican has lashed out at criticism over its handling of its paedophilia crisis by saying the Catholic church was "busy cleaning its own house" and that the problems with clerical sex abuse in other churches were as big, if not bigger.

In a defiant and provocative statement, issued following a meeting of the UN human rights council in Geneva, the Holy See said the majority of Catholic clergy who committed such acts were not paedophiles but homosexuals attracted to sex with adolescent males.

The statement, read out by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican's permanent observer to the UN, defended its record by claiming that "available research" showed that only 1.5%-5% of Catholic clergy were involved in child sex abuse.

He also quoted statistics from the Christian Scientist Monitor newspaper to show that most US churches being hit by child sex abuse allegations were Protestant and that sexual abuse within Jewish communities was common..



...The statement concluded: "As the Catholic church has been busy cleaning its own house, it would be good if other institutions and authorities, where the major part of abuses are reported, could do the same and inform the media about it."

The Holy See launched its counter–attack after an international representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, Keith Porteous Wood, accused it of covering up child abuse and being in breach of several articles under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Representatives from other religions were dismayed by the Holy See's attempts to distance itself from controversy by pointing the finger at other faiths.

www.guardian.co.uk...


Apparently according to the pope they're all at it.



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 01:56 PM
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Of course it is rife, anyone who knows anything about spiritual matters knows sex plays a massive part.

the ignorant masses, have no idea what role the sexual energies play in your life.



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:02 PM
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Originally posted by karl 12


The statement, read out by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican's permanent observer to the UN, defended its record by claiming that "available research" showed that ONLY 1.5%-5% of Catholic clergy were involved in child sex abuse. (same source/emph. mine)


Never mind the lame deflective excuses ... THAT has to be one of the most disturbing statements I have EVER heard!




[edit on 29 Sep 2009 by schrodingers dog]



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:07 PM
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According to the previous Pope, there is no hell.

On topic: So, of course there is. No one said that there wasn't. However, when has pointing fingers at others when one has their own problem ever been mature?



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:09 PM
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reply to post by schrodingers dog
 


agreed so thats like how many, 150 odd thousand? more? i dont know how Big exactly is the cathlic church...



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:11 PM
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It is rife everywhere.
Be it within religious establishments or family homes, it is everywhere.

The problem being is that the Vatican was happy to keep it all hush hush until the few voices became hundreds saying that they were abused.

The tip of the ice berg has only just been revealed, it will get worse, much worse before it get's any better..



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:21 PM
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Originally posted by karl 12
the majority of Catholic clergy who committed such acts werenot paedophiles but homosexuals attracted to sex with adolescent males.


A pedophile is still a pedophile, no matter how you try to paint it or sugar coat it. That statement made me sick to my stomach...



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:23 PM
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The sex abuse scandal (including both the actual acts and the cover-ups) were horrific and inexcusable.

The scandals and their memories are an indelible stain that the hierarchy of the church will never be able to remove.

Unless there were claims that the percentage of Catholic clergy involved in such acts was disproportionate to other clergy, bringing up sex abuse in other religious organizations was spurious and uncalled for.

Eric



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:28 PM
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reply to post by karl 12
 


IMO The title should read....


Sex abuse rife in all religions, admits Vatican





posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:29 PM
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Anywhere there is access to children (and in some cases adults particularly women), and authority.....

The pervs are attracted to it. It gives them status, power, and access. They can swing their friends in, and cover for them too.

Catholics aren't the only ones. They just deserved a massive spanking of the order they would understand. Monetarially. They continued to pander and allow sexual sadists to dictate and cover.

Does this mean that other religions and churches don't? No. Quite of few of them don't have the same entrenchment of authority though, so holding them responsible is slightly more problematic, and slightly less incriminating of a particular sect/religion because it isn't entrenched.

There are some fundies, some protestants, some jews, and some muslim groups that need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the lime light.

I have no problem with the Catholic Church shining a light on that.



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:30 PM
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I think it's more of a power thing.

You have these people who will live their lives by what these people tell them.

Power corrupts.

The ultimate show of power is making someone perform sexual acts willingly.



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:33 PM
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Originally posted by TheOneElectric
According to the previous Pope, there is no hell.

That's not true.
PJPII said that hell is a place AND a state of being.

And the vatican is correct.

The percentage of pedophiles who entered the priesthood as cover is a small percentage of the priesthood overall AND sex abuse if rampant in other religions as well. Sex abuse is higher in American public schools then in the Catholic church and yet the 'in vogue' thing to do is slam the Catholic church and give the public schools a free pass. :shk:



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:36 PM
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Originally posted by MR BOB
i dont know how Big exactly is the cathlic church...

approximately 1 billion people on the planet claim to be 'catholic'.
There are 6 billion people on the planet.
people counter



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:38 PM
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Originally posted by FlyersFan

Sex abuse is higher in American public schools then in the Catholic church and yet the 'in vogue' thing to do is slam the Catholic church and give the public schools a free pass. :shk:


Perhaps ... but public schools, as far as I am aware, do not represent God and virtue.

In any case, no one is denying that this issue isn't universal, we're just discussing unacceptable excuses and disturbing rationalizations.



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 02:49 PM
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It is a pandemic. Peadophiles have infiltrated nearly all organisations that deal or have contact with children.
The Catholic Church hasn't been immune and as the Vatican says, it should be hunted down and stamped out no matter where it happens.



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 03:00 PM
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What is really sad is that the Catholic Church fails to take a leadership role and actually opens its doors to the world to show them what they are doing to clean their own house up. Most other places and businesses that have to deal with the public, you get convicted of sexually abusing a child, and you get fired, and black listed, and a whole mess of troubles. Perhaps they need to take more of a hard line approach topic, and condon such, even have the Pope offer an edict that states, you do it, you will not get into heaven as it is an unforgivable sin. Course offering an apology to the people of the world for the harm that it has done to those victims, and to realize that such not only hurts the Catholic Church, but all religious organizations, as it makes one pause and think do you really want your children exposed to such or to be alone with any orgainzed religion?



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 03:20 PM
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reply to post by FlyersFan
 


yes but how many of them are clergymen, and how much is one point 5 percent



posted on Sep, 29 2009 @ 04:43 PM
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Originally posted by schrodingers dog
Originally posted by karl 12


The statement, read out by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican's permanent observer to the UN, defended its record by claiming that "available research" showed that ONLY 1.5%-5% of Catholic clergy were involved in child sex abuse. (same source/emph. mine)


Never mind the lame deflective excuses ... THAT has to be one of the most disturbing statements I have EVER heard!


While it amazes me that I am doing this, I have to agree with FlyersFan

While it is certainly despicable that there is ANY child sex abuse occurring, you have to understand that the statement was used as a comparison to other institutions.

For example, according to this, there is child sexual abuse of up to 62% for females and 16% for males in the United States. And if we look at the public schools (from the same report): "nearly 9.6% of students are targets of educator sexual misconduct sometime during their school career." In studies of student sex abuse by male and female educators, male students were reported as targets in ranges from 23% to 44%.[100] In U.S. school settings same-sex (female and male) sexual misconduct against students by educators "ranges from 18-28% or reported cases, depending on the study".

Now compare that to the 1.5-5% of the clergy being involved.


Some more info derived from here:
There were apparently around 1.4 million personnel that made up the official catholic church in 2000 (this being the whole world, not just the USA). If you remove the people that wouldn't have come un contact with members of the congregation, you'd wouldn't even get 1 million. Now 1.5-5% of that may be an awful lot, but I don't see how it is disproportionate to any other institution that comes into regular contact with children.

PS: This is just from 5 minutes of research. Feel free to blow my findings apart. Also, I have not been endorsed by the catholic church



posted on Sep, 30 2009 @ 03:43 PM
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I thin they are trying downplay their own faults. I do agree with them, though. U.S. gov. stats. say that kids are more likely to get molested in public school.



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