Catholic Church Scandal! (2 Viewers)

[Mr. Blue Sky]

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

Im not aware of any studies proving or disapproving what you are saying, so ill defer to you on that.. but as it so happens, one of my college girlfriends, whom i dated for about 2 years, is now an Episcopalian priest.. she is married with a couple of kids i believe, last i heard.. i have always thought that was the best model, if you are going to have religious leaders and all the implied, and overt, trust that goes along with that- IMO you should let them get married and have families if they so choose.. otherwise, again only my opinion- you are just begging for deviants to join your organization who, in many cases are trying to escape or run from something…. Incidentally though, on a more light-hearted note- because of the ex-girlfriend i mentioned above- i can literally say that i dated a priest when i was younger….

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

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.

I believe it was Sarah Silverman who coined the line- $cientology isnt any crazier than any other religion- it’s just NEWER .

 

[SystemShock]

“Nude Pool Parties” - is that wrong exactly? Is there a bible verse that says you can’t?

Frankly, I think some Protestants are projecting their “values” onto others, which I find inappropriate in this day and age.

???
Nothing wrong with nude pool parties, until the nude pool party consists of adults and kids that aren't theirs, and the kids get groped.

 

[St. Widge]

You don’t see the systemic high level of child abuse occurring on the same level let’s say among many Protestant denominations.

Yes, you do. It happens in all organizations that include children. Child Predators are attracted to any organization that involves children. Religions and Churches just happen to also supply a way to use faith and guilt as a way to control the children and stop them from reporting it.

 

[SystemShock]

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.

There has not been a time in the history of the holy Roman Catholic church when it was other than a gilded palace dedicated to making more money to gild the palace.

 

[Boy_of_wonder75]

Im not aware of any studies proving or disapproving what you are saying, so ill defer to you on that.. but as it so happens, one of my college girlfriends, whom i dated for about 2 years, is now an Episcopalian priest.. she is married with a couple of kids i believe, last i heard.. i have always thought that was the best model, if you are going to have religious leaders and all the implied, and overt, trust that goes along with that- IMO you should let them get married and have families if they so choose.. otherwise, again only my opinion- you are just begging for deviants to join your organization who, in many cases are trying to escape or run from something…. Incidentally though, on a more light-hearted note- because of the ex-girlfriend i mentioned above- i can literally say that i dated a priest when i was younger….

Oh, i think they should be allowed to get married. But married men are not immune to being pedophiles.

 

[Saintman2884]

Yes, you do. It happens in all organizations that include children. Child Predators are attracted to any organization that involves children. Religions and Churches just happen to also supply a way to use faith and guilt as a way to control the children and stop them from reporting it.

I don’t hear or see United Methodist Church, Southern Baptists, or Lutherans having the same existential crisis of child sex abuse or rape as it’s occurring and being reported on in The Catholic Church for decades now. I’m not saying it isn’t or hasn’t happened or not occurring now in most Protestant denominations, it’s just not on the same “crisis level” institutionalized setting.


If I’m wrong, Widge and I very well could be, please let me know but from a perception standpoint, it doesn’t seem to be as severe as it’s become within the Vatican over the past 30 years.

 

[Boy_of_wonder75]

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.

Indeed. But that has nothing to do with marriage.

 

[sfidc3]

I don't believe in organized religion....period.....they are all fairy tale worshippers constructed by man.....I don't deny that there are many fine, good folks with proper intentions that are members, but the bad folks and the damage they do outweighs the good......

"Faith" or whatever you choose to call it can be a very dangerous thing when it causes folks to go against logic/science or often just plain common sense....and that happens at an alarming rate these days....

I believe in a higher power, souls, and spirituality.....my god is found in nature.....air, water, sky, sun, trees, etc....I guess I'm more of a pagan.....

Also, I hope the Catholic church is one day truly held accountable by their despicable actions....but I'm not holding my breath.....

 

[Saintman2884]

I believe it was Sarah Silverman who coined the line- $cientology isnt any crazier than any other religion- it’s just NEWER .

Blue, you can leave the Catholic Church anytime you like. Criticize, condemn it, label it as sick and disturbing and sue it for millions in emotional damage.


You threaten to do that publicly as a Scientologist about its abuse, use of slave labor at its facilities, churches, high-ranking individual Scientologists like Ron Miscavige attacking, hitting and verbally abusing subordinates and ordinary members out of spite. If you go forward and criticize them, they put you on a “Fair Play” revenge/retaliation list where they will try every dirty trick in the book to discredit you, hire PIs to stalk and follow you to such a extreme degree they hope you’ll have a nervous breakdown.


They openly admit to having this “Fair Play” scheme first devised by L. Ron Hubbard and how they use it to attack ex-Scientologists, critics of their faith, religion.


You can leave the Catholic Church if you become disillusioned with it and its dogma, leaving a cult like Scientology, Jim Jones” People’s Temple, NXIVM, Branch Davidians under David Koresh is much harder and more perilous.

 

[St. Widge]

I don’t hear or see United Methodist Church, Southern Baptists, or Lutherans having the same existential crisis of child sex abuse or rape as it’s occurring and being reported on in The Catholic Church for decades now. I’m not saying it isn’t or hasn’t happened or not occurring now in most Protestant denominations, it’s just not on the same “crisis level” institutionalized setting.


If I’m wrong, Widge and I very well could be, please let me know but from a perception standpoint, it doesn’t seem to be as severe as it’s become within the Vatican over the past 30 years.

I think it happens nearly as much, but we don't hear about it because those churches aren't huge world wide organizations that participated in an international cover-up. So, it doesn't seem as prevalent.

And, while letting Priests marry won't solve the problem now because being married does not stop you from being a sexual predator, I do think that many predators became attracted to joining the Catholic Priesthood because they realized it gave them easy access to children and power to cover it up. So the result is that the Church gained more and more predators over the years and some who were not predators likely avoided it fearing the stigma. Had they allowed married Priests long ago, it might have made it a less attractive place to hunt.

 

[St. Widge]

Blue, you can leave the Catholic Church anytime you like.

This is a bit of a tangent, but I once looked into how you leave the Catholic Church and the only way is to be officially excommunicated which is a lot more difficult than you would think. They don't like to do it and it takes persistence. As a result, I'm still Catholic as far as the Church is concerned despite the fact that I have been an atheist since I was 13 or 14.

 

[Saintman2884]

I don't believe in organized religion....period.....they are all fairy tale worshippers constructed by man.....I don't deny that there are many fine, good folks with proper intentions that are members, but the bad folks and the damage they do outweighs the good......

"Faith" or whatever you choose to call it can be a very dangerous thing when it causes folks to go against logic/science or often just plain common sense....and that happens at an alarming rate these days....

I believe in a higher power, souls, and spirituality.....my god is found in nature.....air, water, sky, sun, trees, etc....I guess I'm more of a pagan.....

Also, I hope the Catholic church is one day truly held accountable by their despicable actions....but I'm not holding my breath.....

Sf, that’s part of my larger point. You can criticize, condemn the Catholic Church all day long and still you won’t have your name, your family’s names, or relatives names put on some huge, massive Internet church database system where Church officials make up or exaggerate crimes or terrible things you’ve supposedly done and defend their actions as “ fair play”.


Their have been a few members of my family that have left the Catholic Church but we still get along and socialize with them and love each other as family members.


In cults like Scientology, if a member leaves, every other member, relative still apart of the Church has to “disconnect” from them—cut off all communication, dialogue, forms of expression with their friend or loved ones. It’s similar to shunning among many Amish/Mennonite communities except perhaps 10x worse and more damaging and humiliating.

If you haven’t seen Leah Remini’s Scientology expose already, you need to. It’s on Netflix right now if you have it.

 

[sfidc3]

Sf, that’s part of my larger point. You can criticize, condemn the Catholic Church all day long and still you won’t have your name, your family’s names, or relatives names put on some huge, massive Internet church database system where Church officials make up or exaggerate crimes or terrible things you’ve supposedly done and defend their actions as “ fair play”.


Their have been a few members of my family that have left the Catholic Church but we still get along and socialize with them and love each other as family members.


In cults like Scientology, if a member leaves, every other member, relative still apart of the Church has to “disconnect” from them—cut off all communication, dialogue, forms of expression with their friend or loved ones. It’s similar to shunning among many Amish/Mennonite communities except perhaps 10x worse and more damaging and humiliating.

If you haven’t seen Leah Remini’s Scientology expose already, you need to. It’s on Netflix right now if you have it.

You missed my much larger point.....I'm not comparing levels of cultism here.....

 

[Saintman2884]

This is a bit of a tangent, but I once looked into how you leave the Catholic Church and the only way is to be officially excommunicated which is a lot more difficult than you would think. They don't like to do it and it takes persistence. As a result, I'm still Catholic as far as the Church is concerned despite the fact that I have been an atheist since I was 13 or 14.

Still, you can criticize it, condemn it, call it out for its moral/ethical failures, or institutional corruption and still not have your name or your family’s names dragged through the mud online or attacked. They won’t “Fair Play”. If you confess to any priest, it’s of your own free will, your not forced to sit in rooms and give up or say embarrassing, sensitive personal information that could later be used against you by E-meter polygraph machines.


If you stop attending mass or don’t donate and declare you’re an atheist, I don’t think there’s some policy that states your family and loved ones are forbidden from talking or even communicating with you anymore.