Places of worship should be safe. They’re supposed to be places where you can go and find out about God and Jesus, love and acceptance. Unfortunately, some really awful people take advantage of that trusting atmosphere.
Just in general, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys will be sexually abused in their lifetime. This is appalling. Even worse is seems that the very nature of the Christian church creates the perfect setup for abuse. You’re taught that the church is safe. You’re taught that the leaders know best. Women are taught to be subservient to their husbands, and children to their parents.
Everyone is taught that those in charge are trustworthy. That they are to be obeyed.. That they know what God wants and that they have his favor. It’s this very set up that what draws abusers to Christianity. Deepak Reju stated in On Guard: Preventing and Responding To Child Abuse At Church:
“Many Christians don’t know how to distinguish likability and trustworthiness. They confuse the two categories, assuming that if someone is courteous and nice, they must also be trustworthy. Moreover, some Christians behave as though the problem doesn’t exist, and some look with suspicion on reports of abuse. They believe children are lying and are more prone to take an adult’s word. Sexual predators know that these dynamics operate in churches, and they know they can get away with a lot on account of it”
Abuse within the Christian community took center stage in 2015 when it was revealed that Josh Duggar had molested some of his sisters when they were younger, and that his parents knew and covered it up. This scandal cost them their TV show.
Just in March 2016 alone, there have been 12 cases of molestation by Christian Pastors — 12 — in one month. Let that sink in. In a place that should be full of love, a safe place to worship and learn about God and his love, 12 Christian pastors have abused the ones that trusted them.
Let’s also keep in mind that sexual abuse is severely under reported. So these 12 are just the ones that were reported, and not covered up by the church.
h/t to Raw Story
Featured Image via Getty / Sean Gallup
