Just how guilty are we Protestants of the same sexual abuses that we like to point our finger at the Catholics. Maybe we need to take a close look in the mirror and see the 'LOG' in our own eye!!!!!!!!
How Common Is Sexual Abuse in the Protestant Church?
A recent study sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources reveals that
10% of Protestants under the age of 35 have left the church previously because they felt that sexual abuse and misconduct were not taken seriously by the church. This is is twice any many people as the 5% of churchgoers from any religion who have walked away due to the mishandling of sexual abuse. Among younger people,
9% stated that they were no longer attending their former church because they did not feel protected from sexual misconduct.
Churchgoers between the ages of
18 to 34 are more likely than older churchgoers to report sexual abuse or harassment at church.
Twenty-three percent of parishioners also know more people in their congregation who are victims.
More on Sexual Abuse in Protestant Churches
More than 375 leaders and volunteers in the Southern Baptist church have been charged with some form of sexual misconduct over the past 12 years. Over 200 of these volunteers and leaders pled guilty or were convicted for their crimes. However, the Southern Baptist Convention will not take significant steps to stop abuse in churches, claiming that each church should act independently to tend to this matter. As a result, several pastors and leaders who are registered sex offenders or accused of sexual misconduct are permitted to maintain their position in the church.
Several victims were pressured by their church leaders not to report sexual abuse.
In some cases, victims were told that they brought on the abuse because of their sinful nature.
For sure we don't like to hear these things about ourselves, but they are true.
It is easy to research Protestant sexual abuse cases on line, but we prefer not to. Hear no evil/See no evil........Out of Sight and out of mind. But, but, but God sees what's going on.