What's the reason behind religious leaders betraying God, church, their congregations and basic humanity?

[Anonymous]

The whole idea of "forgiveness" in Christianity (or in some brands of Christianity) has always been very unsettling to me.

And yes of course, these kinds of horrific crimes occur in people of all faiths. But the idea that God/Jesus always forgives... is an extremely, extremely dangerous attitude imho.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Put people in institutional settings with positions of power over others, limit their ability to express their sexual needs in healthy ways, and add the belief that the guy is a Godly person with high morals, and you end up with molestation. See the entire history of the Catholic Church for reference.

Amen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People do awful things to each other. It's not more or less common among religious people.

This is what I think. It just is more attention getting when it's a religious person or a religious establishment that's doing it. Religion is also a good cover for bad behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole idea of "forgiveness" in Christianity (or in some brands of Christianity) has always been very unsettling to me.

And yes of course, these kinds of horrific crimes occur in people of all faiths. But the idea that God/Jesus always forgives... is an extremely, extremely dangerous attitude imho.

Jesus may forgive, but the criminal justice system does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People do awful things to each other. It's not more or less common among religious people.

This is what I think. It just is more attention getting when it's a religious person or a religious establishment that's doing it. Religion is also a good cover for bad behavior.

Maybe. But the people committing the acts as a whole are religious whether in leadership positions or not. That means there is a link to the actual religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People do awful things to each other. It's not more or less common among religious people.

This is what I think. It just is more attention getting when it's a religious person or a religious establishment that's doing it. Religion is also a good cover for bad behavior.

Maybe. But the people committing the acts as a whole are religious whether in leadership positions or not. That means there is a link to the actual religion.

PP here. Yes - I agree with this too. I don't know, because I'm not religious and I've never done anything really awful, but I think that knowing that you'll be forgiven by the big guy upstairs allows for a lot of bad behavior.

[Anonymous]

Abusers realize that religious people are taught to follow authority no questions asked so they seek out a religion/church/congregation where they can thrive as an abuser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People do awful things to each other. It's not more or less common among religious people.

This is what I think. It just is more attention getting when it's a religious person or a religious establishment that's doing it. Religion is also a good cover for bad behavior.

Maybe. But the people committing the acts as a whole are religious whether in leadership positions or not. That means there is a link to the actual religion.

PP here. Yes - I agree with this too. I don't know, because I'm not religious and I've never done anything really awful, but I think that knowing that you'll be forgiven by the big guy upstairs allows for a lot of bad behavior.

I also think there are just a lot of thinking errors with religious people. Chosen people. Worshiping crazy things like going to heaven for being a martyr to your religion and having many virgins for sex in heaven, having all your sins forgiven. None of these make sense in the real world. Then you have kudos for praying to an imaginary being but not actually doing anything helpful in your own life or others. Then you have this fascination with the perfect rather than the normal which leads to hiding things. The Amish as well. Tons of abuse. It all creates dysfunction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole idea of "forgiveness" in Christianity (or in some brands of Christianity) has always been very unsettling to me.

[b]And yes of course, these kinds of horrific crimes occur in people of all faiths. But the idea that God/Jesus always forgives... is an extremely, extremely dangerous attitude imho.[twitter]

This right here. At least the Catholics recognize that forgiveness requires repentance and a commitment to go forth and sin no more (although many of them act like going through the rite is all it takes).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole idea of "forgiveness" in Christianity (or in some brands of Christianity) has always been very unsettling to me.

[b]And yes of course, these kinds of horrific crimes occur in people of all faiths. But the idea that God/Jesus always forgives... is an extremely, extremely dangerous attitude imho.[twitter]

This right here. At least the Catholics recognize that forgiveness requires repentance and a commitment to go forth and sin no more (although many of them act like going through the rite is all it takes).

I thought that's supposed to be what all Christians believe, but clearly not all do.

I also think that church leadership roles can attract very narcissistic personality types, people who don't mind using others or bending the rules for themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Abusers realize that religious people are taught to follow authority no questions asked so they seek out a religion/church/congregation where they can thrive as an abuser.

This. And usually the abuser grew up in the same sort of conservative religious environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are human.

Its more than that though. Its thinking errors that both draws these people to religion and uses religion to mask their real personality.

That's not how I see it. I am a person of faith and see leaders everywhere betraying basic humanity. It's not related to religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are human.

Its more than that though. Its thinking errors that both draws these people to religion and uses religion to mask their real personality.

That's not how I see it. I am a person of faith and see leaders everywhere betraying basic humanity. It's not related to religion.

When leaders betray basic humanity it can be related to faith -- if they are religious.

[Anonymous]

They know that there is no God and that their religion is a power game. They have no remorse because they don't actually believe what the little people believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They know that there is no God and that their religion is a power game. They have no remorse because they don't actually believe what the little people believe.

I agree with this. If these people actually believed, they wouldn't be doing even minor power acts like taking an extra cookie much less behaving in the horrible ways they do. I do think at some point reality and imagination confuses them to where they really don't take their life on earth with others seriously and dismiss it as something God doesnt really care about or something they have God given power compared to other and are special. They end up believing their own delusions which started as wishes for their wants. This is why deep down I think most people are athiests or at least agnostic. I'm just not seeing a lot of people that are particularly worried about the afterlife based on their life behaviors.