The same excuse for misbehavior occurs again and again. The latest is evangelical pastor Ted Haggard. He claims to have been sexually abused at the age of 7. He is not alone in the excuse line. As Ted Haggard was offering his excuse, Mark Foley, the Ex-Congressman from Florida was giving a similar excuse saying that at the age of 12 he was abused by a priest. Michael Jackson, the singer, was abused, (or was he?) Other members of the clergy have claimed the same experience.
In each instance these people offer these abuses as an excuse for their adult behavior. My problem is that there have been many others who were sexually abused or perhaps beaten as children and have not behaved inappropriately as adults.
An eight year old boy just this past November 8 shot and killed his father and another man. Immediate reports offered suggestions that the boy may have been abused although there is no evidence to support this theory.
My opinion is that these are instances of bad behavior that were justified by childhood experiences that may never have happened. It’s a great defense.
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