In the Christian world, we deny what we hear because we want to protect the name of Jesus. We also dread the harm of exposure. What will happen if this truth is known? It will ruin the reputation of the group. Or worse, it will damage the name of Christ.

“This is His work; we cannot ruin it.” Rather than calling it clergy sexual abuse, we call it a misunderstanding.
We believe institutions such as church and family are God ordained and therefore must be protected at all costs.

So we cover and deny. We react with disbelief, minimizing, and lying to self and others. We would rather believe a reassuring lie than an utterly inconvenient and disturbing truth.  God always calls us to truth.