I think they see their situation like ancient Egyptians entering into the court of Maat who weighed their good deeds against their bad ones. Christian doctrine doesn't allow for that, because salvation is by faith, not be works,

I think Donald Draper, John Hamme's character on Mad Men, gave the answer when a married woman neighbor asked him how he could have sex with her right after eating dinner with their families. How could he calmly eat dinner while sitting across from his wife and her husband?

Don shrugged and said, "I don't think about it."

Many, many years ago I was having a conversation with my grandmother. The priest that baptized me was a friend of hers, whom at the time of the conversation was a Bishop in the Catholic Church. She told me that he was at her house a few weeks before, and the conversation somehow centered on celibacy. He told her that priest were not robots, that they had urges like regular people. Unfortunately, he never told her (or she didn't tell me) what they did with those urges.

What I got out of the conversation was that their God knows about their urges, and he will forgive them for their indiscretions. Now, I can't say all think that, but it makes sense. As much sin most Christians do, it just makes sense that they believe they are above us, and since they are "saved"/baptized, they can do anything they want because they will be forgiven.

IMO they join the clergy not because they are religious but because it gives them a level of power and access to act in their sexual preferences.

(Trigger Warning)
Well the one who was caught and tried from my parish died pretty tormented.

When the law finally caught up with him. He was actually prosecuted for a few of the cases. This was after they played "hide the priest" in multiple parishes with children. I was one of hundreds.
(They estimate around 200 possibly more girls).

From my experience working with only one child sex offender (who admitted to it) he was tortured as all hell.
He was literally out of his mind when it happened and regretted it terribly.
I don't think he'll ever have a moment of peace in this lifetime. And was very afraid of there being a next.

Which one would be the preferred state? I really won't sit in judgment on that. I think when an adult commits that crime they are entirely bypassing any sense of morality they were born with. Or so extremely out of touch with reality as to not know what they are doing. (Two entirely different crimes). Same result to someone's life however.

Sometimes it's due to abuse they themselves endured that broke that part of themselves - but more often you find survivors of childhood sexual abuse violently opposed to it. (To the point of it making them ill).
There is no way to bypass the circuit in your brain that an adult made you feel that way.

Atheists do not use religion - Theists do.

These creeps were taught ‘sin’ created us. And, their god forgives…

Are not most ‘catholic priests & nuns’ homosexual? Realizing they don’t fit the norm of society, their church provides them a place? I well remember a related by marriage young man, voted ‘most jesus-like’ by his catholic HS class ..and so obviously homosexual my sister would not leave her young son alone with him ... last known to be headed toward ‘priesthood.’

My mother explained the goings on within the ‘nunneries,’ as she’d once befriended a nun. So, the women have each other, and often the opportunity to abuse boys in a ‘classroom setting.’ And the ‘priests’ with a smaller pool, including a distinct hierarchy, find access to boys… Then all are forgiven..

Any parent turning their child over to a catholic church or ‘school’ is guilty as well - because if they couldn’t, or wouldn’t ‘read the writing on the wall’ -- they are not worthy of children!

Why are you just questioning priests? Should be any 'believer'. And why would you assess they may be or become atheist? Are you saying all those with deviant behavior are just faking their religion?

These disgusting creatures are so fucked up it's probably all in the name of the lord and they're only ever sorry when they're caught, they're not sorry for having done it. I'd be perfectly happy for electrodes and their genitalia to get familiar.

I don't believe any of them really care about their victims. It's all about them getting off period! They should be castrated and spend a good long time in prison!

They should burn in Hell.