A story in the news a few days ago brought an ugly reality to show its face again. It was yet another story of a sexual predator, who walked free from court with just a token sentence. This time it was the story of archbishop Earl Paulk from an Atlanta megachurch: [link]
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Anne Simpkinson writes in an article named Soul Betrayal - Sexual abuse by spiritual leaders from 1996:
Sometimes what psychologists call a personality disorder compels a person to exploit, manipulate, and hurt those in their spiritual care. While publicly charming, ebullient, devoted, hard-working, and inspiring, this leader proves himself cunning, slick, seductive, and cruel in private. Involved in multiple, simultaneous relationships, he can sweet-talk his victims into compliance -- "Our love is special and holy" -- or bully them into submission.
Sounds very much like the description of the common psychopath.
Robert Hare is the foremost expert today on psychopathy and the author of several books on the subject. He defines psychopathy as follows:
Psychopathy is a personality disorder described by the personality traits and behaviors that form the basis of this book [Snakes in Suits]. Psychopaths are without conscience and incapable of empathy, guilt, or loyalty to anyone but themselves.
These are some of the common traits of psychopathy:
lack of remorse or empathy
shallow emotions
manipulativeness
lying
egocentricity
glibness
low frustration tolerance
episodic relationships
parasitic lifestyle
persistent violation of social norms
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The spiritual scene provides a fertile ground for sexual predators to prey, as trust and complete faith is often given to if not demanded by the various religions leaders. A cartoon on the internet illustrates this well:
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Back to the article:
The accuser said Pepin asked him how old he was the first day they met and that he told him the truth.
"He said students had to be 18 because he didn't like parents fussing around," the accuser said.
Maybe the reason was that he didn’t like parents, who being more streetwise would be able to see through the manipulations and the sexual predation that was going on.
But within days the two were having sex, including a three-way encounter with Priebe, the youth testified. Pepin called it "crossing the abyss," the accuser said, "surrendering yourself to your teacher, your master."
All in the name of spiritual advancement and dropping the ego.
Read the whole article here
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