Evangelical Sex Abuse Record 'Worse' Than Catholic, Says Billy Graham's Grandson

[SecularMotion]

The Christian mission field is a “magnet” for sexual abusers, Boz Tchividjian, a Liberty University law professor who investigates abuse said Thursday (Sept. 26) to a room of journalists.

While comparing evangelicals to Catholics on abuse response, ”I think we are worse,” he said at the Religion Newswriters Association conference, saying too many evangelicals had “sacrificed the souls” of young victims.

“Protestants can be very arrogant when pointing to Catholics,” said Tchividjian, a grandson of evangelist Billy Graham and executive director of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), which has investigated sex abuse allegations.

Earlier this summer, GRACE spearheaded an online petition decrying the “silence” and “inattention” of evangelical leaders to sexual abuse in their churches.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/protestant-sex-abuse-boz-tchividijian_n_4019347.html?ir=Religion

[gopiscrap]

1. I woiuld agree with that

there's no over sight in so many of those independent mega churches and the pastors tend to build their own little kingdoms.

[cbayer]

2. Billy Graham's grandson? While it is good that he is shining some light on this

there doesn't appear to be any data to back up what he is saying.

Truth is that whenever you have system based on levels of authority and access to possible victims, you are going to see higher rates of sexual abuse.

That's true in both religious and non-religious environments.

[SecularMotion]

3. Do you have any data to back that up?

[rug]

4. The answer's in here.

http://www.victimsofcrime.org/media/reporting-on-child-sexual-abuse/child-sexual-abuse-statistics

[cbayer]

6. There is a lot of data available.

Here is an interesting summary article.

http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/revealing_statistics/

[SecularMotion]

7. The article is from the Catholic News Service

and is based on data from a study by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Not exactly an unbiased source.

[cbayer]

9. It's from RNS, which is a good source, but is purely speculative on the part of

Boz Tchividijian.

It also contains nothing that would contradict my initial statement in this thread.

[pinto]

10. Tend to agree. It's not solely an issue in religious structures.

Jerry Sandusky is one high profile example of sexual abuse based on an authoritarian system and access.

[trotsky]

11. Has anyone said it *wasn't* an issue outside of religious institutions?

I don't believe I've seen anyone assert that.

[trotsky]

5. Would not surprise me, but I don't think an accurate comparison could ever be made.

Too difficult to get actual numbers.

Of course the sexual exploitation of children is atrocious no matter who does it - but the reason why the RCC is particularly criticized is the past and ongoing institutional coverup and protection of pedophiles in its ranks. This fact seems to be lost on most knee-jerk RCC apologists, as if "everyone else does it too" is supposed to get the unique abuse going on within their church off the hook.

[skepticscott]

8. Not just the protection of rapists, but the actual abetting of child rape

by transferring known child rapists to new parishes and telling no one of their history, while continuing to provide them with contact and access to new victims.