Theistic and atheistic influences on society

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However, with that said, many religious teachings attempt to directly suppress our natural sexual urges, and that inhibition tends to lead to more acts committed in order to release those urges.

I would encourage people to make the distinction between theism and the sexual repression enacted by many of the political powers that have hijacked religion as a means of keeping their authority in place. Of course once a religion has assumed this taint, it tends to keep it.

 

Further, all one must do is recall the issues with Catholic priests and child molestation to bring into perspective the significant anchoring effect religiosity has on this data.

In any community in which some highly respected and authoritative figure is required to maintain celibacy, it's not hard to gather that those who are for some reason (including sexual perversion) reluctant to marry normally might go for the idea of becoming one of such figures. There are cases in which their families pressure it with a somewhat remedial intent. It's important to understand a problem and gain a perspective, before hasty judgement. This is also more appropriate than mudslinging.

 

Is the blame on religion? Is a pedofilic priest really more of a hazard than pedofiles?

 

In my experience here, in a traditionally Catholic country, people tacitly know of the problem and resent it. It has however become much less of a taboo that many priests are covertly homosexual or pedofilic. The most devout Catholics might dutifully respect them as being the priest, despite disapproving highly of their sins, but nowadays they're more likely to be reported.