The credo of child abuse is "Child Abuse" regardless of whatever type of camouflage they employ. The chameleon character of the abuser is symptomatic and includes virtually any walk of life. Cops, ministers, congressmen, teachers, taxi drivers, psychologist and so on. To begin a thread about religious child abuse initial hit me as a bit biased but I lay aside my own bias to analyze the given.

Sexual child abuse does find cover in the various acceptable and even honorable occupations of mankind. It is vile and rightly condemned by any person of decent moral character. Even convicts in prison have a code higher than the child abuse and they, in solidarity, have a way of dealing with them if the said abuser are found to be among that population.

The type of abuse of over-regimentation and brainwashing that certain religious practitioners commit is different than sexual abuse although they somehow have a way of operating hand-in-hand. I believe it becomes attractive to the controlling, power monger because of the degree of isolation that is afforded by being out of the mainstream and a certain distrust of the secular system. It is an ideal situation for the abusers, in that isolation is one of the key elements of abuse of any sort. Non-acceptance and intolerance on either side greatly helps to isolate these elements. Throw in denominationalism and the autonomy of local churches and the idea of being the big duck in a little pond will bring out the nature of the abuser.

This, by no means, limits abuse to this scenario. It just creates a more perfect environment for it. Teachers become little gods or dictators, or worse. Prison guards, shrinks. They all establish a little bailiwick where they become only answerable to themselves. In order to have a healthy society every member ought to be answerable to every other member in someway, thus promoting responsibility. Trust but verify! Ever hear that before?

The collateral abuse falls upon religion itself and gives the general enterprise a great big black eye. Any religion! It is little wonder that organized religion is finding itself on the defensive. A lot of the criticism is well deserved for not policing their own.