General Chat

sorry Muffy you are right it could happen anywhere - on a train, abroad, at home, on holiday - the point was that it happens

jeeeeeeeze take it easy Eldrick and errol...i've just made it plain that I'm glad i wasn't exposed to the CHURCH where this was exposed.After all this was the context of the thread was it not?

Blimey...I'm not 9 I'm well aware it happens outside of holy orders too lol.

There are lots of adults out there doing WRONG and not being punished but to use the church as a cover is terrible and shows what slim these "humans "are!!!!

The words above do not show how nasty this situation is but I would be banned !!!

spot on Rose
The phrae "I am an atheist" is so often used as a get out clause

Child abuse has gone on for centuries,

I think it is the reporting of it that has changed, social attitudes to it, an acceptance that children deserve, have the rights to, a childhood.

The press will always focus on abuse by a priest, or teacher ..because it is supposed to be someone with whom a child is safe and because it is a 'shock' headline...

"An estimated 60% of perpetrators of sexual abuse are known to the child but are not family members, e.g., family friends, babysitters, childcare providers, neighbors.

About 30% of perpetrators are family members, e.g., fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins.

Just 10% of perpetrators are strangers to the child.

In most cases, the perpetrator is male regardless of whether the victim is a boy or girl. Heterosexual and gay men are equally likely to sexually abuse children.

A perception that most perpetrators are gay men is a myth and harmful stereotype.

Some perpetrators are female -- It is estimated that women are the abusers in about 14% of cases reported among boys and 6% of cases reported among girls.

Child pornographers and other abusers who are strangers may make contact with children via the Internet.

Not all perpetrators are adults - an estimated 23% of reported cases of child sexual abuse are perpetrated by individuals under the age of 18.
Other common characteristics of perpetrators include:

a.a history of abuse (either physical or sexual)
b.alcohol or drug abuse
c.little satisfaction with sexual relationships with adults
d.lack of control over their emotions
e.mental illness in some cases


So basically, the majority of child abuse is carried out by a person in a position of trust... their religion or lack of it is neither here nor there, in pure statistics perhaps?

debating with myself whether it is fairer to expect someone who follows a religion to behave better than an aetheist...or whether that implies one expects LESS of an aetheist ?

We are certainly a society who hurt our children and often our elderly. However I wouldn't say that this is the reason why numbers are dropping in church and Sunday school. If this was the case then perhaps numbers would also drop in preschools because of known cases of abuse.

I totally agree Eldrick - the crime is not down to the religion, sect etc. It is down to the individual whether atheist or not

I'm not an athiest despite having parents that are lol but I get your meaning...whatever *god* you worship..or not....it's WRONG..Im just glad i wasn't exposed to it........via the church.

Eh?????????????

Atheists are just as guilty of promising children spiritual care and gaining trust and using their positions as holier than thou paragonsof virtue?????????????

What planet are you on?

atheists are just as guilty - somewhat naive to think it is just the church - I think it is heinous that any human can do such a thing

Clearly I'm lucky to have had athiests as parents !!!

Apologies for not beating my chest in horror without knowledge of what I was supposed to be beating it over.

Must try harder to play dumb in future :-D

In most cases Sunday school serves an excellent purpose in my opinion but there are people that take advantage of situations - I suppose the usual get out clause is "we are only human" - fortunately mostly correct

Well where do the little under 15 kids go while their parents go to church ..............when we were kids we were taken to the vestury (sp) for sunday school!!!!

Muffy I can think of quite a few ways to deal with people like that!

um why Joy? It is a comment on news today

very insensitive thread

knowing people this has happened to :-( :-(

nasty barstool.

Shove him in an open prison and let the experienced lags deal with him.........THEIR way.


gggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

just sent the link - apologies - we crossed over

Did this event happen at Sunday school then?
without a link i have no idea x

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21903:french-catholic-priest-charged-over-child-sex-abuse&catid=81:news&Itemid=625