Catholic Church Scandal! (1 Viewer)

[Madmarsha]

Is it bad that my only reaction was "Another one?"

I mean, maybe but, yeah, I had the same reaction.

 

[St. Widge]

Is it bad that my only reaction was "Another one?"

I think that is the reaction of the vast majority and why this didn't get posted and doesn't get much discussion. I saw the story yesterday, but didn't bother to post it. I guess mostly because we all knew stuff like this was going on and being covered up. Things like this have been coming out for over 20 years about various Diocese.

That said, it's something we should be concerned with and talking about, but I think we all suffer from fatigue and disappointment on this subject. I left the faith long ago, but it still saddens me that those who still practice the faith have to deal with this.

 

[St. Widge]

I visited the Vatican. There are no holy men running the Catholic church. It's been converted into a gilded palace dedicated to making more money to gild the palace. Poor and sick line the walkways and inside is literally gold plated where they hawk 'blessed' items in the hallways.

Converted? Hasn't that basically been the Vatican since maybe the Renaissance? In fact, it might have been worse back then.

 

[Tapxe]

I took the liberty of fixing your post. Surely your inquiries and advices didn't go over well.

I debated greatly on it. In the end, we've come to a mutual understanding that I nor they will change our minds so it's best to not discuss. I plan to hold them to it next time they need to attack transexual beer drinkers.

 

[Tapxe]

Converted? Hasn't that basically been the Vatican since maybe the Renaissance? In fact, it might have been worse back then.

I wasn't around then and have no interest in learning of their history since the time Sacred Heart in BR decided that my grandfather's passing did not exempt our family from running a booth at the church fair.

 

[Madmarsha]

I attended Catholic Schools from lower elementary to a few years in college. Both of my children have attended Catholic Schools with my youngest graduating next year. I was an altar boy, confirmed and even married in the Catholic Church. Over the last twenty years I have distanced myself from the Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus. I realized a long time ago that people think that they are putting their Faith in the Church but in reality they are putting their Faith in Man and that is just a recipe for disappointment, betrayal and disaster. I have never lost my Faith, I just changed where I placed it.

The highest of fives with you on that one. I won't ever deny God or my belief in Him; but as for myself and myself only, I don't need to "prove" it to anyone by subscribing to an organized religion anymore or by being preached to by a man. Or a woman for that matter.

 

[sonicboom]

I'm not Catholic, but just in case people didn't know, sex scandals are not just in the Catholic Church. With that said, the Catholic Church does seem to have one of the worst histories of scandals, probably from any religious creed.

Probably any Westernized country in the world, you will find victims of the Catholic Church, in large numbers. Many countries have real hurt over past actions, by the Roman Catholic Church. At one point, Catholicism was banned in the U.S.. (1600's) The Catholic Church forced Protestants to flee Europe and move to America, so they could freely practice their faith, and escape punishments of "heresy" by Catholic religious law.

"The product of the study, titled the John Jay Report indicated that some 11,000 allegations had been made against 4,392 priests in the USA. This number constituted approximately 4% of the priests who had served during the period covered by the survey (1950–2002)."

Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

We live in a fallen world, and I think people judge religious people, for sinning. Just like religious people judge, non-religious people for sinning.

The Catholic Church does have Hospitals and outreach programs for people in need, there are also some very devout Catholics, that have helped many communities in a positive way. Doctrinal differences aside, there is one very important Christian truth, and that is, we all have issues, whether we want to admit it, or not. You can say, your sin is far less, than someone else's sin, but what's the penalty of sin?

Bottom line...

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 

[Madmarsha]

I think that is the reaction of the vast majority and why this didn't get posted and doesn't get much discussion. I saw the story yesterday, but didn't bother to post it. I guess mostly because we all knew stuff like this was going on and being covered up. Things like this have been coming out for over 20 years about various Diocese.

That said, it's something we should be concerned with and talking about, but I think we all suffer from fatigue and disappointment on this subject. I left the faith long ago, but it still saddens me that those who still practice the faith have to deal with this.

At this point, the Catholic church, if not most organized "religions", seem like cults.

 

[Madmarsha]

..... sex scandals are not just in the Catholic Church. With that said, the Catholic Church does seem to have one of the worst histories of scandals, probably from any religious creed ..... (edited only for brevity)

Disgustingly ... and as, I believe, discussed also on the Gary Plauche thread ... wherever you find children in groups, you find people wanting to "take advantage". But normal people (read: those are aren't pedophiles) didn't used to know that. Now, unfortunately, to keep our children safe, we have to think like the pervert does.

 

[Saintman2884]

Same same.. Well, kinda.. i didnt get married in a church, but the other stuff i quoted above applies to me as well.. I too am a Recovering Catholic of over 20 years.. I think it’s painfully obvious at this point that it’s more than just “a few bad apples” that make up the Catholic Church at this point, it’s an entire systemic pattern of grossness that infests Catholicism.. and it makes all the “Hollywood pedo” stuff that’s been in the news lately seem like child’s play, pun intended.. The Catholic stuff is way worse.. not to compare two extremely disturbing patterns, but the truth hurts .

Which is probably why allowing priests to get married would help alleviate some of the existing issues surrounding child sex abuse that has surrounded Catholic Church for honesty, centuries. It wouldn’t be a complete panacea but it would help. You don’t see the systemic high level of child abuse occurring on the same level let’s say among many Protestant denominations.



Crazy, interesting thing is, Blue, is that even though Vatican had a prohibition against priests marrying as far back as ancient Roman late antiquity, for centuries many lay and ecclesiastical priests got married and had children and it was either overlooked, condoned, or hardly criticized. It wasn’t until the late 15th/early 16th centuries with the rise of Lutheranism and Protestant reformers that the Catholic Church began hitting down hard on the prohibition against priests marrying and having children.

 

[sonicboom]

Disgustingly ... and as, I believe, discussed also on the Gary Plauche thread ... wherever you find children in groups, you find people wanting to "take advantage". But normal people (read: those are aren't pedophiles) didn't used to know that. Now, unfortunately, to keep our children safe, we have to think like the pervert does.

Listen here Marsha, Marsha, Mad! lol

People take advantage of other people no matter age, race, religion, sex, or class. Adults need to be safe, just as children need to be safe.

 

[Saintman2884]

At this point, the Catholic church, if not most organized "religions", seem like cults.

I don’t know if you can really compare Catholic Church to Scientology or NXIVM. There are some crucial, fundamental differences between those “cults” and a Christian denomination that’s existed for 1,950 years. You can bash, mock insult the Catholic Church all day long but Heaven help you if you dare to leave Scientology or criticize its teachings, L. Ron Hubbard, Ron Miscavige, or its ultra-expensive authoritarian internal power-structure. If you publicly criticize either Miscavige or the Scientology, you are then immediately put on a “Fair Play” hit list and harassed, bullied, stalked and threatened.


Don’t believe me, ask Leah Remini and be sure to watch some of her 3-season expose series about Scientology.

 

[Boy_of_wonder75]

Which is probably why allowing priests to get married would help alleviate some of the existing issues surrounding child sex abuse that has surrounded Catholic Church for honesty, centuries. It wouldn’t be a complete panacea but it would help. You don’t see the systemic high level of child abuse occurring on the same level let’s say among many Protestant denominations.

Allowing priests to marry has nothing to do with pedophilia. It wouldn't help, since there is no link between celibacy and pedophilia.

 

[Saintman2884]

Allowing priests to marry has nothing to do with pedophilia. It wouldn't help, since there is no link between celibacy and pedophilia.

Well, catching them early and making them accountable for their crimes and not covering it up and allowing it to become systemic certainly wouldn’t hurt.

 

[GeauxWhoDats]

Which is probably why allowing priests to get married would help alleviate some of the existing issues surrounding child sex abuse that has surrounded Catholic Church for honesty, centuries. It wouldn’t be a complete panacea but it would help. You don’t see the systemic high level of child abuse occurring on the same level let’s say among many Protestant denominations.

How many married teachers abuse their students? Should all teacher's be forced to be married before they begin teaching? It isn't the lack of marriage, it is the monster in the person. When the monster is allowed to steer the wheel and encouraged to do so by lack of consequences and blatant coverup by the shepherds, then the monster gets more empowered and attracts similar monsters to the herd.

There could be 100,000 good and honorable men in the priesthood and if 5 are abusers of children and the remaining do nothing while they witness deceit then I will argue that there were not 100,000 good and honorable men to begin with.