From The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser:
As I wade through the neck-deep filth in the Evangelical gutter gathering information for the Black Collar Crime series, one common event shows up in story after story: that when these criminals are on trial or they are being sentenced for their crimes, their pastors are on hand to let everyone know that the predator pastor was a good person who did a bad thing. Often, these testifying pastors tell judges and juries that the criminal’s good works outweigh any bad that he might have done; that molesting and raping children or sexually assaulting church members is somehow atoned for by the church member’s or ex-pastor’s good works. These so-called men of God even go so far as to ask the courts to grant the convicted offender probation, promising that the child molester/rapist has turned over a new leaf and has crossed-his-heart-hoped-to-die promised that he will never, ever rape, molest, look at child porn, or take sexual advantage of woman. Why do pastors seem so willing to be character references for criminals?
Why do pastors seem so willing to be character references for criminals?
Bruce gives a thoughtful explanation that makes a lot of sense in the context of their tribe being special.
I would also venture to suggest this “forgiving the sex predator” also gives cover for the dark impulses inside many clergymen. They are in effect forgiving themselves for their own temptations for young flesh. Just as there are a lot of crooked cops, there are a lot of morally sick priests and pastors.