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Commentary Too - Feb 13, 2012 - Printable Version
- Patriarchs and Penises**
by S.K. Eleton - Theocracy Watch
The recent scandals at Penn State and Syracuse have shaken the sports world. Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky have moved to unemployment status, and charges have been filed. Civil suits will almost certainly follow, as the world of college athletics seeks to regroup and salvage something of its reputation. In what is truly one of the most ironic and tragic headlines that came out of the whole scandal, the Catholic Church bishops offered Penn State help to prevent abuse. At first I thought that was from the Onion; unfortunately, even the Onion has trouble making up headlines anymore, with the real headlines sounding so far out in the ozone. So, what does all this mean? Does it mean the Catholic Church is not so unique, that these scandals are just par for the course? Is this the old Nixon defense, that everyone does it? Or is there something else happening, something we’re missing in all the shouting and finger-pointing, all the riots and candlelight vigils? It does seem like there must be something more than we’ve been talking about for the past few years; after all, football coaches aren’t required to be celibate. If celibacy is the problem, then what are we seeing here?
Although I’ve said this before, I think it bears repeating: the problem is not likely to be celibacy. The problem of sexual abuse, rape, and child molestation are not unique to the Catholic Church. Many other churches, perhaps all other churches, have experienced similar things. If you follow the news for very long, you’ll see similar problems among preachers of many other faiths, from Methodists to Mormons, from Presbyterians to Seventh Day Adventists. Recent stories have come up in the Amish world that give pause, and there have been many instances of rabbis and imams that have also been accused and convicted of sexual crimes. We also see the problem in government from time to time, as aides and interns are subjected to unwanted (and sometimes wanted) sexual advances. The military has problems with sexual abuse. Now, we’re seeing it in the sports world. What’s going on? This isn’t a pattern one would expect if the problem were merely that priests were celibate.
The problem, it appears to me, bears a distinctive pattern that somehow is being overlooked by most of the commentators. It isn’t a problem of celibacy; it’s a problem of power. Patriarchal power, the sort that develops a father-figure image with impressionable youth and needy individuals of all ages. Churches, governments, militaries, and sports teams all operate on a strict hierarchical structure, with much of the power centered in one (or a few) high level charismatic individuals. Individuality is discouraged; it’s all about the group, and the individual subsumes his or her own ego into the collective ego. There is little accountability at the top, and what the leader says goes. If you choose to stand up and defend yourself against the status quo, you are likely to suffer consequences, whether simply the consequences of becoming an outcast, or the consequences of losing your career…or maybe condemning your soul to eternal torture. This is pretty powerful stuff, and it’s difficult for an individual who wants to belong to step outside the warm circle and brave the difficulty that comes with being the lone “rat” in the group.
People who have absolute power over other people will often misuse that power. They may not intend to; many people go into these positions with only the noblest of intentions. Over time, patriarchal power can become heady, intoxicating. People look up to you, they ask you for guidance, and they trust you. Perhaps most people will deserve that trust; perhaps few will betray those who are in their care. In the end, though, it only takes a few loose bricks to topple an edifice. If you don’t have adequate safeguards in place, there will be abuses. There are quite a few institutions, powerful institutions, that are wobbling right now, shaken by scandals to their very core. And it isn’t just the scandals – it’s the failure to respond to problems in a timely and compassionate manner. The attempts to cover up all the nasty bits have possibly done more damage than the original bad behavior. It appears cold and inhumane, ready to sacrifice the innocent to protect the guilty.
I say, it’s time to let the institutions fall. Let them tumble over, knock down the old forms of power, and build new, more egalitarian structures in their place. Equality doesn’t win football games? Is it so important to have a winning team that we can ignore the cries of the children who are being abused? All too often, I’m afraid the answer will be yes. I’m also told that strict obedience to hierarchy is the only way to win wars. Maybe – maybe not. We’ve never actually tested that assumption; we’ve never set the military up along any other lines. Risky? Possibly. But having too much power in the hands of a few individuals is definitely risky. As for governments, perhaps they need to remember who they actually work for, and quit giving themselves airs as though they are a hereditary ruling class, with the right to rule over the underlings while ignoring the rule of law themselves. And as for the church…perhaps it’s time to rethink the structure of the church, as well. Why have a single man in Italy telling every other Catholic in the world what God thinks? How do we know he’s right? And why should there be someone standing at the front of the church every week telling us how to think? Perhaps if we started working on these problems ourselves, we’d find we were perfectly capable of thinking on our own, and coming up with decent answers to life’s most important questions – and without the risk that our children might find themselves at the mercy of a sexual predator who is also a trusted mentor.
The problem is not religion; it is the power structure that religion is built on. This power structure is similar to that of a sports team, a military unit, and, in some cases, a legislature. There are no doubt other bodies out there that structure themselves in a similar patriarchal manner. If there is no accountability built into the system, if we’re willing to look the other way as long as we’re on the winning team, we can expect more such scandals in the future. Where will scandal strike next? I suggest until we start asking ourselves the right questions, talking about the role of patriarchal power, scandals will continue to erupt sporadically, and shake our society to its foundations.
**Title in honor of Brother Sam Singleton, atheist evangelist and scourge of pious ice cream dealers, and his hilariously irreverent one-man show
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