Note from the Editor: This article contains discussions of abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

This article was written for the SDC by psychologist and member @Jan A. Jan A. works part-time, taking on clients under the Medicare Mental Health Care Plans. She works with people of all ages, from children to seniors!

Abuse can take place in any organisation where there is an imbalance of power such that one person can hold over another the threat of significant financial or other losses. It happens in workplaces of all kinds where a person’s livelihood is at threat if they object to predatory behaviours by a more senior person in the organisation. It happens in families where a predator/s will use their position of trust to engage in abusive sexual behaviours towards other family members, knowing that their targets will not reveal the abuse for fear of not being believed or being rejected by the family.

Abuse that happens in religious organisations is about a person’s faith. It involves a threat to the person’s belief system and plays upon their trust in those who mediate their beliefs to them.

In this discussion, the term ‘clerical abuse’ will be used to refer to people in positions of spiritual authority in any religion illegitimately exercising their influence for personal gain, usually sexual in nature. The term ‘cleric’ includes any person with authority within a religion. They may or may not be officially appointed, but they hold authority over members of that religious organisation. By their selfish actions, the cleric betrays the faith and trust of their targets while revealing themselves as hypocrites.

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[Jo Piper3]

Thank you, Jan - another very informative article.

 

[DLHM]

Your clear, concise article is very much appreciated once again @Jan A.

Clerical abuse. Just one of many evils of religion. I don’t know of any religion without its evils and damage it does to its followers.

 

[marni]

So when someone is condemned to hell as part of their religion how come it is popular? My parents were warned that the devil would sleep between them, just because their parents were of different religions. It still happens in so many communities. Wake up - not every scam is financial !

 

[Luckyus]

Religious organisations haven't helped their cause by shielding these bastard arseholes.

 

[BigAl6164]

THanks for this. It's also crucial to point out that it usually takes several decades for victim-survivors to come forward to make a complaint. Institutional defence lawyers continue to trawl the old "why did you take so long to report the alleged abuse" question even though the factors mentioned in the article provide logical and understandable answers. Typically, a victim will bury the abuse itself, being aware only of the pathology from which they suffer, before realising its cause.

 

[magpie1]

May the devil take the souls of these abusers to the fire pits of HELL.

 

[Veggiepatch]

RELIGION IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

Anyone care to argue?

 

[Greentrees]

Your clear, concise article is very much appreciated once again @Jan A.
What about the damage done by non-religious personnel? Quite a bit more I’m afraid.
Clerical abuse. Just one of many evils of religion. I don’t know of any religion without its evils and damage it does to its followers.

 

[mylittletibbies]

RELIGION IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

Anyone care to argue?

Not me. My brother and I were sent to Sunday School and Church as children, went on many Church camps which we thoroughly enjoyed.
When I was 16 I was working in the office of a church organisation. It was here that I began to realise how
hypocritical and money hungry these places are.
There was never any sexual abuse or anything like that.Once there was a transport strike and I couldn't get home from work. My mother couldn't pick me up, she was a single mum struggling to make ends meet, no car.
I rang a neighbour and my mother told me to ask the reverend to give me money for a cab. He refused and told me to hitchhike.
It took me an hour and a half to walk home.
Never went back to work there,never set foot in a church since except for weddings and funerals.

 

[Luckyus]

RELIGION IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

Anyone care to argue?

With certain "RELIGIONS, THE EVIL OF ALL ROOTS"!!!!!