Hurt priests hurt children. However, we all know that this is not just a Catholic Church problem. Recently, a 10,000 page document from the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego has been made public revealing knowledge of abusive priests who were shuffled from parish to parish decades before any allegations were made. Attorneys for 144 sexually abused people worked to make these pages public, and last Friday after a three year battle a judge ruled in their favor. A more in-depth reading can be found at FoxNews.com. Hurt People Hurt People by Sandra D. Wilson describes the ongoing pattern of individuals hurting others (intentionally or unintentionally) because they themselves have been hurt in the past. People continue to operate and function in the world with unseen wounds and reproduce a generation of more hurt people. Furthermore, when in a leadership position like a priest or minister, that person has more potential to hurt numerous people because of his or her range of influence. When people seek the church they do not expect the church to become their enemy or abuser. In addition, when an institution like a church covers up or ignores sexual allegations they in effect continue to allow this pain to reproduce and spread to innocent victims. Worst of all, this tarnishes one's view of God; rather than seeing God as a comforting and loving Father (and certainly many other things), people begin to believe he is abusive as well, or simply distant and uninterested, thereby impeding the purpose of the Church: glorifying God (broadly).
There has been little research to gather statistics of sexual abuse in Protestant populations, but another article from Fox News reports that insurance companies insuring churches average 260 sexual abuse claims a year.
What can be done to weed through these authority figures? How can their unseen wounds be treated before they become influential? Its not that hurt people cannot serve God, that's all He's got! Rather, some unseen wounds have far more devastating repercussions.
Pray that God will open your eyes to your unseen wounds as you pursue a life of helping others.
Great post Tracie! Hearing stories like this make me sad all the time because people then begin to form, as you said, an abusive picture of God. It's interesting to note how Dr. Wilson pointed out that a child's dependency and trust in God will depend much on the dependency and trust they developed with their parents. This is important because when hurt people do not have their parents to turn to, they choose to turn to the church in search for God. But, when they encounter priests or ministers who misrepresent God by abusing them, they then believe that God will do the same in some way, shape, or form. We need to be able to become counselors who will represent God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ better than the way these priests and ministers have. And it's up to us new up-and-coming counselors to do so.
ReplyDeleteGood post!! We as a body of believers need to be more aware and discerning of the hidden hurt that people go through. Just because I am a pastor of a mega church who truly love God, that doesn't mean I do not have things I struggle with. The point is not how holy I am but, how ready my heart is and how I cam being used by God. No one is above counseling or advice. The Church as a whole needs to recognize this for their leaders. Good post!
ReplyDeleteKay... I didn't realize you were a pastor of a mega church! How in the world do you have time for volleyball? lol
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