I find it shocking.

[Bazza]

The amount of vicars and priests that have been revealed to be molesting Choir boys. Surely this is a sin and I find it hard to believe that these type of people should be forgiven. If homosexuality is an act against God then why do these people with faith carry out homosexual activities? What makes it worse is that the children aren't at the age of consent. How can people be expected to have faith when people with this amount of power in the churches are abusing their power and children? What has the world come to?

*SIGHS AND SHAKES HEAD*

[bluehorizonx10]

What has the world come to?

My sentiments exactly, but I don't think this subject needs any elaboration due to respect for too many people maybe reading this that have been hurt because of the abuse of others. :bluesad:

[tiger_rascal]

Originally posted by Bazza
How can people be expected to have faith when people with this amount of power in the churches are abusing their power and children? What has the world come to?

I think a problem is that many people put their faith in church authorities and not God. That may answer your first question. Faith is not something you expect to lose because you have been abused. What has the world come to? Indeed!

[butterfly]

Can I just point out that there is a difference between homosexuality and child abuse. I don't want an argument about whether or not homosexual acts are sinful or not, so I'll stop here.

[Bazza]

Originally posted by butterfly
Can I just point out that there is a difference between homosexuality and child abuse. I don't want an argument about whether or not homosexual acts are sinful or not, so I'll stop here.

Well they must have homosexual feelings to want to engage in sexual activities with people of the same gender.

[butterfly]

What is mist is always moist, but what is moist is not always mist.

[bekahbeans]

Originally posted by Bazza
Well they must have homosexual feelings to want to engage in sexual activities with people of the same gender.

actually that's not true. It's completely different to want to behave in sexual activitiess with people of the same gender, than to want to have sexual activities with children.

[shining star]

Let's not forget all the priests who molest little girls. That isn't interesting and controversial enough to make a splash in the media, though.

And pedophilia does not equal homosexuality. :mad:

[Allie Lowell]

Well the way I see it, it don't matter if your gay or straight, your still a human being and you have the right to have faith and a religion and stuff what the bible say's. You can be gay and still spread the word of whatever your God is, it's only silly people with stuffy belief's who make it taboo.

I'm not commenting on child abuse.

[bombastical]

Unless you have personally dealt with sexual abuse, you do not need to be speaking for anyone who has.

If you're an adult and you've never been sexually abused, it's really easy to say that being sexually abused by a religious leader such a priest should not interfere with your faith in God. And maybe you're right, perhaps it shouldn't.

However, you really must understand something. Just the emotional aspect of being the victim of sexual abuse as a child is horrible enough. If you've been raised in a religious home where your faith is ingrained in you from birth, I can only imagine it must be ten times worse when you are being abused by your priest. These men are considered religious leaders and icons, the LAST people you'd expect to be committing these disgusting acts. How is a child supposed to understand that? How is a child supposed to differentiate between this person abusing them and their own faith? Unfortunately, they will most likely always associate their religious faith with what happened to them as children.

Don't make excuses for these priests, and don't act as if children are supposed to understand that what happened to them has nothing to do with their God.

In fact, until you've been through it, don't even comment -- you don't even know what it's like.

[tiger_rascal]

Who was the above directed at?

[bombastical]

Originally posted by tiger_rascal
Who was the above directed at?

You. Where you said this...

Originally posted by tiger_rascal
I think a problem is that many people put their faith in church authorities and not God. That may answer your first question. Faith is not something you expect to lose because you have been abused. What has the world come to? Indeed!

Sorry if I came off as crude, but this topic is sensitive to me.

[tiger_rascal]

This topic is sensitive to me as well.

Im not making excuses for anyone!

I never comment on something just for fun, not having known anything about it, and I always try and come to an understanding. I apologize, I was speaking from my own experience.

I believe that if a child is abused, even by a priest, the child could still grow up to know the true love in Christianity. I understand how hard that love is to accept after having been abused, very hard. Its difficult to comprehend that there really are people who care. Im grateful for those who shared the gospel with me. Jesus always believed in me. Why should I not believe in Him? I know that Jesus is the only one who could help me and is still helping me.

[bluehorizonx10]

Bombastical, you shouldn't ever assume any of us are speaking on a subject without some personal experience to speak on. We never know anyone else. I've learned online we can talk for even years and still, unless we decide to share our life with others, they don't know our past. Jesus is the way to always have love no matter what happens. I agree with Chad, He is the only way when you've gone through any tragedy. If you don't get past the pain back to the love of God, it's hard to overcome the past. He gives us a clean slate so not to look back and torture ourself. If He can forgive with all His mercy, then why can't we?

This all brings a song to mind.........The Love Of God by Mercy Me.[/i] The first line says The love of God is greater far, than tongue or pen can ever tell........

[Mattio]

Originally posted by bluehorizonx10
My sentiments exactly, but I don't think this subject needs any elaboration due to respect for too many people maybe reading this that have been hurt because of the abuse of others. :bluesad: :manson:

Also, nobody said that paedophilia=homosexuality :rolleyes:

[Bazza]

I'm gay and not a paedophile. I wasn'tr implying they come hand in hand. As for the other religious belief that gay people have a choice when it comes to their sexuality, utter rubbish. Why would any person choose to face the daily prejudice that go with being gay, lesbian or bi? And no amount of God understands will make everything OK.

[bombastical]

Originally posted by bluehorizonx10
If He can forgive with all His mercy, then why can't we?

Why does a person who's been a victim of sexual abuse need to be forgiven? And why must they forgive the person who abused them? Some things cannot be forgiven.

[oldernow]

God can forgive anyone, if one truly repents, God will forgive. We also can forgive if we want to.. We may never forget but we can forgive.

Priests who commit sexual abuse are not representing God. God forbids this kind of behavior and I assure you that God will hold them accountable. What Bluehorizon is saying is although one has been victimized by a person of the church it does not mean one has to turn away from God. It was not God who victimized it was a man. The Bible is also used to verify if what a priest or religious leader teaches is from the scriptures. If what is being taught is not in the scriptures then we know that what is being taught is false.

[Mattio]

Originally posted by oldernow

Priests who commit sexual abuse are not representing God. Er, the whole point is that they ARE.

[bekahbeans]

They're in a position where they should be representing, however when they do things like that, they are not representing God.

[DecemberDream]

I've never really told anybody, especially not on here, but I was a victim when I was younger around five. So this topic is really sensitive to me. All I can say is that it's tarnished my views on churches and the people in them forever. My trust won't be rebuilt, ever.

[oldernow]

Decemberdream, there are far to many churches that are not teaching the way that God wants. My views were also tarnished with the Church. That is why the only trustworthy thing we have is the Bible. It is because of the church and it's way of teaching that made me seek out the truth myself. I was very angry that my Church betrayed me with all that I had once beleived.

[Mattio]

They ARE representing god. Maybe they're bad people who shouldn't be, but they ARE.

[tiger_rascal]

They are supposed to be representing God, but when they commit such acts they are not.

[Earl Purple]

Being gay is not forbidden in the Old Testament but homosexual sex is. It is also one of the relationships forbidden to all people, not just Jews.

The obvious question you will ask is why - if two adults are consenting then surely it does not harm anybody else, and as for G-d, well you might say it is His fault for making you that way in the first place.

I don' t really know that answer to this - you would have to consult a Rabbi or a knowledgeable Noahide.

They might answer that the purpose of sexual relationships is primarily for child-bearing and not for personal pleasure. There is nothing wrong, however, with two men loving each other, and in fact that Sages say that the best kind of love is that without a cause, that is where you don't gain any personal benefit from the love, and they give the love of David and Jonathan, two men, as the prime example. Neither David nor Jonathan were gay, or at least they never indulged in homosexual sex, and both were married - David had many wives and we know that Jonathan had a son called Mefiboshet.

[Earl Purple]

Yes, obviously it is hypocritical. I bet even in Christianity it is not enough to sin and rely on Jesus to save you from it.