Clergy Sexual Misconduct

Tell me what you think of the following article!
Does it surprise you?

Survey Reveals Prevalence of Clergy Sexual Misconduct
By Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Fri, Sep. 11 2009 03:43 PM EDT
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Findings from a nationwide study reveal that clergy sexual misconduct is more prevalent than many people believe.

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According to research by Baylor University, 3.1 percent of adult women who attend religious services at least once a month have been victims of clergy sexual misconduct since turning 18. In other words, seven women in every congregation of 400 adults have been victimized.

Ninety-two percent of the sexual advances were made in secret and 67 percent of the offenders were married to someone else at the time of the advance.

"Because many people are familiar with some of the high-profile cases of sexual misconduct, most people assume that it is just a matter of a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said Dr. Diana Garland, dean of the School of Social Work at Baylor University and lead researcher in the study, in a statement Wednesday. "What this research tells us, however, is that Clergy Sexual Misconduct with adults is a widespread problem in congregations of all sizes and occurs across denominations. Now that we have a better understanding of the problem, we can start looking at prevention strategies."

The study, which was conducted on more than 3,500 American adults, is the largest scientific study into clergy sexual misconduct and is being published later this year in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

It is part of an effort by Baylor to identify and prevent clergy sexual misconduct. With virtually no research or information available to inform prevention strategies, Baylor University's School of Social Work sought to provide data for that purpose. Along with spreading awareness and educating the public, the team at Baylor hopes the findings will be used to draft model legislation to make it illegal for clergy to make sexual advances just as it is with patients and doctors.

Sexual misconduct by clergy is only illegal in Texas and Minnesota.

Garland hopes the study will prompt congregations to consider adopting policies and procedures designed to protect their members from leaders who abuse their power.

"Many people – including the victims themselves – often label incidences of Clergy Sexual Misconduct with adults as 'affairs,'" said Garland. "In reality, they are an abuse of spiritual power by the religious leader."

The research study also includes a paper co-authored by Garland on first-hand accounts from men and women who are victims of clergy sexual misconduct, family members or spouses of victims, religious leaders who have committed CSM, and helping professionals who have provided care for offenders and survivors.

Data from the 2008 General Social Survey – an in-person survey conducted by National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago – was used to estimate the prevalence of clergy sexual misconduct. Questions developed specifically for this project were administered by the Baylor team.

Clergy sexual misconduct was defined as minister, priests, rabbis, or other clergypersons or religious leaders who make sexual advances or propositions to persons in the congregations they serve who are not their spouses or significant others.

11% of youth still in church after college??

If the above number is correct, it is quite an alarming percentage. A research group has done some polling and have determined the percent of youth still in church after college is only 11%. If the truth were known, the number probably does not deviate much from the true believers who sit in church today. In a world where everyone wants to be entertained and fed feel good stories of personal lives touched by Jesus, it is no wonder that the church is faltering in its duties politically, socially, morally and obviously spiritually.

Many youth have already "checked out" of church even though they attend church, attend sunday school and attend youth group meetings.

What can be done to change this alarming trend?

The main thing is to preach the Word to them!
Teach the Word to them!
Live the Word to them!
Correct them in line with the Word!

Let's put an end to all of the entertainment going on in churches.
Want to make it fun for them?

At what cost are you prepared to do that?

Skit by our youth group!

As youth leaders in our church we believe wholeheartedly that the youth need to be taught the truth. We never back down from actually teaching the Bible to them. This youth group has gone from being a large group of 40+ kids, down to low teens in numbers. The large group with the former youth leader did a lot of playing and not much learning of the Bible. We have changed the culture to one of biblical integrity. We might have fewer in numbers but the kids are more spiritually mature and have grown leaps and bounds over where they used to be. Praise God! Keep us in your prayers to continue doing the Lord's work!

Is Obama who he says he is?

Check this out! I found this over at www.wnd.com

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=105527

After you read the article, come back here and let me know what you think.
No need to be mean or nasty if you don't agree, it won't be posted. Just comment on how eery it is!

God bless you all, it has been a long time since I have been on here posting. I hope to get back into the groove on a daily basis again. Thank you all for your prayers over the past several months!
Brian

Amazing Dog!

And we humans have no compassion whatsoever to talk to our neighbors about Jesus Christ. They are lying in the roadway of hell, destined to be run over and consumed by Satan. Unless, we as Christians, are willing to go against the stream of traffic, and drag, pull, kick, whatever it takes, to bring our neighbors to safety, then we don't have the common sense that God gave us.



AND OTHERS SAVE WITH FEAR, PULLING THEM OUT OF THE FIRE; HATING EVEN THE GARMENT SPOTTED BY THE FLESH-Jude 23.

The cross we carry is not one made of plastic. It is heavy, it can cause splinters, it will consume your time, it will come with a cost attached to it. But it is well worth it! You will face persecution because of your faith in Jesus. You will not always have bright sunny days waiting for you when you wake up. But the one thing you do have is HOPE. Hope for a new day found in Christ Jesus.

As we prepare to celebrate Resurrection Sunday (Easter to those C&E people [you know, they only attend church on Christmas and Easter]), let us not forget that people are dying every day. And unless they have put their faith and trust in Jesus alone for their salvation, they are headed for hell. They are lying on that freeway of life, just waiting to die. They are hurting (and some of them don't even know it!). Do you love your neighbor enough to save them? Not save them in the sense that they are saved because of what "you" do, but save them in the sense that you give them God's Holy Word. Then wait upon Him to do the rest! God's Word will not return void. It is quick and alive! Not dead, just sitting on a piece of paper. It is more than able to open their eyes. When we use God's Law to show people how sinful they are in God's eyes, it will awaken them to the reality that they are lying in the middle of a freeway and are about to be steamrolled by a semi-truck!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life! John 3:16

The dog saved the life of that other dog.
Have you risked anything for the sake of the gospel?

A day might be coming soon when you will be persecuted here in America because of your faith. I am not talking about persecution in the sense of people saying bad things about you, I am talking about the kind of persecution where you will lose all of your rights as a citizen and as a Christian. Your voice will be silenced, your right to speak to others about Christ will be taken away.

But have no fear, we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us! No matter what Obama tries to do to our country, and our rights as Christians, we shall not be silenced. May you always go against the worldly flow for the sake of Jesus, who died on the cross for you that you might have eternal life!

Christian College has gay housing!

At a time when our country is falling deeper and deeper away from its roots, it is apparant that God's Word means absolutely nothing to one Christian College in particular. The Bible condemns homosexuality, yet, this Christian College seems it is okay to advertise gay housing. They want it to be a college where people feel accepted. Didn't Jesus say that the world will hate you because of Him? I would suggest that if you are thinking of attending a Christian College, that you think twice about this one. No, let me rephrase that. Read this article and just give no thought whatsoever of attending here!

Are people in your church accepting this as normal?
Do you see anything wrong with this?
What are the dangers of allowing gay housing in a Christian School?

Check this out...
I found this on their own website at http://www.tcu.edu/mission.asp
Our Mission
To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.
Our Vision
To create a world-class, values-centered university experience for our students
Our Core Values
TCU values academic achievement, personal freedom (?) and integrity, the dignity and respect of the individual, and a heritage of inclusiveness, tolerance and service.

Nothing in the mission, the vision or the core values includes anything remotely Christian. Where is the name of Jesus. Where is the idea of giving God the glory. This is liberal garbage!

Then when you go to their newspaper on campus, you read an article like this...
Can't have it both ways!!

Revelation has it right...
Rev 22:20 "Come, Lord Jesus!"

Time for your feedback!

Here is a scenario for you. Please give Scripture references for your answers. If unable to provide Scripture, then please be prepared to give a detailed explanation for why you answer the way you do.



here you go...



You have just sat through the church service. The sermon is over and everyone is heading out the door. All of a sudden, the pastor's child comes up to you and confesses something to you and tells you not to tell anyone about it.



The thing that is confessed is something that shows absolutely no fruit of the spirit within them. Immorality at the highest level for that child. No desire to repent of the sin, in fact, this person actually enjoys the sin very much and is very proud of it. This person's dad (pastor of the church) spends much time bragging about this child to the congregation.

You have told the child what the Bible says.

Here is your question...

What if anything do you say to the child?
What if anything do you say to the parents of the child? (by the way, the child lives at home and is 19 yrs old)

The dilema here is that this person shows no fruit of being saved. Do you keep quiet? Do you hold on to the confidence that they had in you? If you keep the confidence, and this person should die in an accident, then their eternal destination is not going to be pleasant for them.

This presents a moral vs ethical dilema. Which side do you take?

remember, please try to back everything up biblically. If not, please give strong support for your answer.

thanks! God bless

Repost of "You Asked For It!" the Obama Plan

The following is a post that I did back in November. I raised some questions. How long will it be before we some of these things happen?
**********************************************************

Obama wins the election.
You asked for it!

Obama wins the electoral college votes.
You asked for it!

Obama wants to bring in change!
You asked for it!

Can you remember a time when people asked for something and God gave it to them?

1 Samuel 8 comes to mind...
Israel Demands a King 1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.” 10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. 11 And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12 He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16 And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men,[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. 22 So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

What have we as a nation asked for in this new president?
Be very careful for what you ask for! God is giving us what we as a nation asked for.

Religious freedom out the window?? (have you been watching some of the court issues lately??)
Abortions run rampant and increase?? (gee, guess who is going to allow stem cell research to begin again? at OUR expense?)
Taxes raised to help fund the abortions?? (uh, can you say TAXES???)
Gas prices will sky-rocket within the next couple of months?? (give it time!!)

Immorality will reign over our country. It has already begun and it is only going to get worse. Can you feel the Last Day's are upon us?

Put everything to prayer.
Spend your time reaching out to the lost before it is too late. There is not much time left. If we are not doing the Lord's work, then we are wasting our time. God is looking for obedience to His Word, not just smushy, lovey-dovey kind of love for God. He wants to see action. Doing His will while we are still on this earth.

If He comes back today, are you ready? Are your friends saved? Family members saved?
Or are you just concerned about yourself and meeting "your" needs?

You asked for a president to lead this country. Where will he lead us?
I don't know what the future holds with our president but I do know what the future holds for us from God.

Put your faith and trust in God while there is still time. Repent of your sins and be obedient to His Word. (this is one thing that will NEVER change!!!! and even Obama, can't change this!!!)

The world is going down hill fast! Is this what you want for us?
You asked for it

Miracles are present daily!

Miracles do happen every day! The year 2009 has been a very trying one for me personally. If it wasn't my back hurting, it was my stomach. The two of them at the same time was not pleasant for me. I ended up having a colonoscopy done on March 3rd of this year. I was told that everything was okay. Without getting too graphic, I still had some problems that concerned me. Pain started to return as a new problem developed.

What do you do when your health seems to fall apart? You praise God. Because through it all, He is still in charge. He is still GOD! Two days ago, the pain finally went away! I have gone a couple of days now without any pain at all. The first time all year that has happened.

I want to thank everyone who was praying for me. I especially want to thank my wife for enduring the heartaches of watching me be in pain. She stayed by my side and continued to pray for me daily. Of course, it goes without saying, (I will say it anyway), that I thank God. I thank Him daily for all of the blessings He has bestowed upon me and my wife. I thank Him for my son and his family for all of their love they have shown to me. I am truly blessed. How can I "not" praise God?

Of course, many people see miracles every day. A new born baby is an awesome display of God's power and love. Some miracles are more noteworthy, such as the ones found in Scripture. It makes for an interesting study.

Do you realize how many of the miracles Jesus performed were witnessed by the Twelve Disciples? And yet, they still had doubts! They still did not truly understand! It wasn't until Jesus was resurrected (and even then it took some convincing), until they finally truly believed that He was the Son of God!! We look at Doubting Thomas and say that he lacked true faith. But don't be so quick to judge him. It was Thomas who stated in John 11:16, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." This is a story of Jesus going through Samaria. Thomas was being pessimistic. But, at the same time he was also being heroic. He was willing to die "with" Jesus if that was going to be the case. Of course, he was one of the many disciples who vanished when Jesus was taken away to be crucified!

Jesus performed many many miracles for their benefits. He had just fed the 5000 men with five loaves of bread and two fish. WOW! Later on, they see Jesus walking on water and are scared. They think He is a ghost (or a phantom). It isn't until He says, "It is I" that Peter finally speaks up and tells Him to call him to Himself.

John saw the miracles and seemed at times to be more concerned on whether he would sit at Jesus' right hand. He also wanted to bring down fire from heaven to kill the Samaritans. He missed the message of Jesus, just like the others did.

How about you? Have you witnessed the miracles of life and still don't believe in God? Have you watched a life being transformed because of Jesus and yet you still haven't put your faith in the Son of God? What are you waiting for? I thank God that I have the opportunity to write to you and I am looking forward (God willing), to writing daily again!

Do you need a miracle to convince you that Jesus is real?

Just look outside. All of creation is a miracle. Everything must have a creator!
Jesus died on the cross for your sins (you know which ones they are? lying, stealing, hatred, adultery, lusts, dishonoring your parents, not putting God first, worshipping idols, coveting, etc). Without His blood, you would be doomed to hell. His blood is sufficient to cover every single sin that has and ever will be committed. But it will only work, if you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and you repent of your sins. Then a truly amazing miracle will happen.

Your old self will die.

You will become a new creature in Christ Jesus!!

What a way to start your new year. Tears about a love from a father!