Why sex scandals exist in organized religious groups

[lostmedstudent]

So the Roman Catholic Church sex scandals including pedophilia and priests abusing nuns have been highly mediatized in the recent years. Interestingly enough, the problem is not only within the Roman Catholic Churches. It is seen in other spiritual cults and religious groups. I was quite shocked while researching on the matter that even the Tibetan Buddhism suffer from these abuses too. There were allegations against one of the greatest teachers of Tibetan Buddhism sogyal rinpoche. 

 

How come none of these organizations are “immune” from these scandalous acts? I’ve been reading books by sogyal rinpiche and his wisdom deeply touched me and I am quite shocked how these acts could’ve been performed from people who are so to speak “purifying” their mind. They could be rumours but the rumours do come from some facts.. I am in no way trying to judge these people because I for one wouldn’t know if I would do the same if I were to be put in their powerful positions. But I just want to hear what you guys think the danger in these organized spiritual groups are? What are the culprits ? 

 

Does enlightenment not even prevent ourselves from conducting such acts? Can one be enlightened and still abuses ones power ? 

 

Thanks for helping me to wrap my head around this matter.

 

happy new year 

[Genghis Khan]

I think it's perfectly feasible for someone who is "enlightened" to commit acts that would be considered immoral.

But I don't know. I've never sexually abused anyone, nor have I been sexually abused. So I am not familiar with the dynamic.

[AlwaysBeNice]

I think abuse stems from frustration/trauma, and I don't think adults would be really honest to think it's really good for either party to engage with children in that way, though abuse can range from something relatively timid to something really terrible. 

 

[Maya_0]

The mind needs to be constantly watched and tamed (spiritual practice) or else it goes back to it's natural state. And the natural state of the mind is actually one of delusion, ignorance, and corruption.

[Leo Gura]

Sex scandals exist everywhere.

The surprising thing would be if they didn't exist in religious groups, since they are part of everywhere.

[SgtPepper]

In assessing this idea, consider the fact that molesters and abusers are often victims of the same abuse themselves.

The only conclusion I have is that these individuals did not lose their ego "permanently" if they claim it so, that they lack self/impulse control, and that in general power can corrupt people. Money can corrupt people.

This may be a good time to bring up the fact that Leo does stress ego development/shadow work as well on the spiritual path. and for good reason.

 

 

Edited January 2, 2019 by SgtPepper

[wavydude]

Because everyone trying to get some 

[luckieluuke]

@Leo Gura But if you have real insight into the reality which is that when you hurt someone you hurt yourself, you still hurt people?
Im confused why this be really....The reasons are probably many, here is what I can think of:

• The person is fake and only says to be enlightened.
• The spiritual path is wrong, partly because it tries to subdue and repress sexuality which makes a comeback with vengeance!
• the person enjoys pain.
• We unenlightened are wrong and they are actually doing something nice (just put it here as a possibility but I don´t believe it)

The reasons are probably many.

Edited January 2, 2019 by luckieluuke

[zambize]

4 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Sex scandals exist everywhere.

The surprising thing would be if they didn't exist in religious groups, since they are part of everywhere.

I agree but I feel like there is a specific mechanism as to why we see it more.  This could just be media attention and how everyone wants to talk about people who are supposed to be "good" doing "bad" things, but I also feel like it could stem from an environment of heavy sexual repression and dogma until the brink of collapse, and then well we see it on the news 

[Rilles]

Because Enlightenment itself doesnt make you Jesus, thats a fantasy, youll still have a mind and a body with emotions,urges and thoughts.

[Michael569]

The guy in Road Less Travelled (I think it was that book)  talked about this a bit. Basically these stage Blue people be it christian, muslim, budhist monks have often been indoctrinated way way long before they had the opportunity to gain some sexual experience and maturity. Many christian monks have lived in strictly no-sex no-sin families and hence their sexual maturation stopped by the age of 10 or 15 depends on how early the "education" started. You can say they had their libido "frozen" at that time of their life. 

Later on in their 50s when they are once again exploring their sexuality, they continue where they left of in their 15. Not all of them become pedophiles but often this is the case because they were not able to go through that period of liking girls, getting first kisses as other kids so they don't know any better. But now they have these strong sexual urges and they don't know how to cope with it. And the thing for young boys is probably that they are easier to get to than young girls because many young boys serve in the church these days and spend a lot of time with priests where parents are generally very protective of their daughters, way more than the boys. 

EDIT enlightenment doesn't prevent you from being a horny chimp and doing irrational decisions if you have not evolved properly as a human being. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by Michael569

[non_nothing]

Last trap of ego is the sex because It's yet another powerful deeply rooted thing inside any living being, to reproduce. It's like rebelling against the consciousness/god. How would god exist without sex? I find this as a trap of enlightened person's, to abandon all sexuality and market it as spirituality/desire controlling. Control = ego

[lostmedstudent]

18 hours ago, wavydude said:

Because everyone trying to get some 

@wavydude hahaha yeeaa 

[lostmedstudent]

17 hours ago, zambize said:

I agree but I feel like there is a specific mechanism as to why we see it more.  This could just be media attention and how everyone wants to talk about people who are supposed to be "good" doing "bad" things, but I also feel like it could stem from an environment of heavy sexual repression and dogma until the brink of collapse, and then well we see it on the news 

@zambize some people have looked into the Roman Catholic Church scandals, and the only thing they’ve concluded is the sexual repression and psychosexual immaturity as the most probable main cause of these acts, as you pointed out . 

[lostmedstudent]

@Michael569

14 hours ago, Michael569 said:

The guy in Road Less Travelled (I think it was that book)  talked about this a bit. Basically these stage Blue people be it christian, muslim, budhist monks have often been indoctrinated way way long before they had the opportunity to gain some sexual experience and maturity. Many christian monks have lived in strictly no-sex no-sin families and hence their sexual maturation stopped by the age of 10 or 15 depends on how early the "education" started. You can say they had their libido "frozen" at that time of their life. 

Later on in their 50s when they are once again exploring their sexuality, they continue where they left of in their 15. Not all of them become pedophiles but often this is the case because they were not able to go through that period of liking girls, getting first kisses as other kids so they don't know any better. But now they have these strong sexual urges and they don't know how to cope with it. And the thing for young boys is probably that they are easier to get to than young girls because many young boys serve in the church these days and spend a lot of time with priests where parents are generally very protective of their daughters, way more than the boys. 

EDIT enlightenment doesn't prevent you from being a horny chimp and doing irrational decisions if you have not evolved properly as a human being. 

It makes quite a bit of sense what you put here

 

human psyche is just so freaking fascinating

 

thanks for the input  

[zambize]

@lostmedstudent I was just reading an adyashanti quote "what you resist you become"  when your notification came up, which doesnt mean anything to me intellectually  but I like random synchronicities 

[lostmedstudent]

@zambize I was reading about magic mushrooms as yours came up 

 

[zambize]

4 minutes ago, lostmedstudent said:

@zambize I was reading about magic mushrooms as yours came up 

 

Oh yummy, dont resist those either, you dont want to become shrooms....maybe