Post by @uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone

@uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone

2026-09-21 23:57 UTC

Without question. Corruption and abuse within institutions is epidemic throughout human history. Child sexual abuse runs lousy in religious institutions. The youth-pastor problem is pervasive. If you want to create a church, and figure out how to keep its elders free of vice and corruption, I applaud you. But I don’t think you’re going to succeed, if ever your ministry gains any significant following. A more realistic ambition (if your congregation is more than a dozen folk) is for absolute transparency. A bigger problem in the religious sector is the incentive by ministries to cover up scandals, and silence victims in order to preserve the reputation of the institution. (And predators looking for a hunting ground often seek positions of authority in religious institutions because of this trait.) If your church had the policy of reporting wrongdoing to the authorities and to the press, quickly and openly, then, yes, your ministry will have a lower rate of misconduct, but it will appear to be more corrupt, because of your sunshine rules. Kinda like Florida. The primary reason the Catholic church is so ridden with corruption and scandal is because it’s big and it’s old. It’s the largest Christian denomination, and it’s been around the longest. Don’t think this doesn’t happen to non-Christian religious institutions as well. Unchecked power breeds abuse of it, and scandals run thick in temples, in mosques, in secular community centers. The larger the institution the worse the entrenchment.

Replies (1)

@ReconciliationTime22128@sh.itjust.works 2026-09-22 00:03

Don’t think this doesn’t happen to non-Christian religious institutions as well Absolutely, and that’s all evidence that the church of Christ is not with them people either. You must understand: the true church of Jesus Christ does not have molesting preachers. Try as you may, you simply won’t get that conduct wrapped up in anything even remotely Christ-like. The primary reason the Catholic church is so ridden with corruption and scandal is because it’s big and it’s old. It’s the largest Christian denomination, and it’s been around the longest It’s not quite the oldest, but it is old I agree. But the bigger point about your statement there is, they are big — they have over a billion members. What did Christ say about the number of people who would be saved? Luke 11: 23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. Also Romans 9:27: “ 27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved” The Bible explicitly says a tiny number of people shall be saved, yet the Catholic Church has over a billion. That is not consistent with what the scripture says (and don’t forget: 8 people survived Noah’s Ark, out of millions or possibly billions) that’s all the more evidence that the Catholic Church is not the church of Christ (combined with their history of murder, rape, corruption, greed, lies and other sins). And if they’re not of Christ, they are not true Christians (christian in name only). I’m not having a go at what you posted, I’m just elaborating that that’s just my view. If you want to create a church, and figure out how to keep its elders free of vice and corruption, I applaud you. But I don’t think you’re going to succeed, if ever your ministry gains any significant following. Only God creates his church really. Plus, it wouldn’t matter: both Luther and Erasmus agreed that the Catholic Church was corrupt, but they couldn’t agree on how to fix the issue (they couldn’t agree with certain aspects of theology either, but that’s a whole other debate). On a side note, I forgot to ask: you said you’re not Christian, may I ask are you atheist or do you just follow another religion? (E.g. Judaism, Hinduism, etc.)?

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