OT - Pennsylvania abuses.

[Chris]

I know this may be a little emotionally charged and I don’t tend to just troll, but I was hoping we could have a conversation without it ending up like that. This was pretty much the last straw for me with the Catholic Church. I am not a Catholic nor am I religious. I’m actually pretty agnostic but my family and I do participate in a local church, my kids much more so than me. I do think there are some good things to be gained by participation in some sort of organized thought about the universe and your responsibility to our fellow man during your childhood. I am even the godfather to my friend’s two children. But I am to the point that I do not think that I will ever step foot in a Catholic Church again. I can’t think of any other organization that would be allowed to have dealt with things like this in our country. If this was a series of daycares everybody involved would be in prison. I hope they post the name and address of every priest involved in this atrocity. I am just sickened by the whole thing. There was a a time 10 or 15 years ago when this first started to come out so publicly that I said that you can’t blame the organization for the actions of some of its members. I no longer believe that in this case. The Catholic Church has fermented this all along and gone out of its way to protect the abusers and leave the innocents without recourse.

[glepore]

Born Catholic, educated k-law school in Catholic institutions, won't set foot now.
There are some good people in the organization, but even they had to know.

[Chris]

That's exactly what I mean. I'm not looking for vitriol, but facts is facts. At what point in society do people stand up and say that too many excuses and look the other ways have happened?

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Chris

I know this may be a little emotionally charged and I don’t tend to just troll, but I was hoping we could have a conversation without it ending up like that. This was pretty much the last straw for me with the Catholic Church. I am not a Catholic nor am I religious. I’m actually pretty agnostic but my family and I do participate in a local church, my kids much more so than me. I do think there are some good things to be gained by participation in some sort of organized thought about the universe and your responsibility to our fellow man during your childhood. I am even the godfather to my friend’s two children. But I am to the point that I do not think that I will ever step foot in a Catholic Church again. I can’t think of any other organization that would be allowed to have dealt with things like this in our country. If this was a series of daycares everybody involved would be in prison. I hope they post the name and address of every priest involved in this atrocity. I am just sickened by the whole thing. There was a a time 10 or 15 years ago when this first started to come out so publicly that I said that you can’t blame the organization for the actions of some of its members. I no longer believe that in this case. The Catholic Church has fermented this all along and gone out of its way to protect the abusers and leave the innocents without recourse.

We'll see where this goes but 'organized religion' isn't about the above things any longer, IMHO..but about power, control, guilt, and of course...$$$$$.

I don't think it's unique to the Catholic Church, but maybe more pervasive due to the church's archaic rules and laws.

[e-RICHIE]

Originally Posted by Chris

I know this may be a little emotionally charged and I don’t tend to just troll, but I was hoping we could have a conversation without it ending up like that. This was pretty much the last straw for me with the Catholic Church. I am not a Catholic nor am I religious. I’m actually pretty agnostic but my family and I do participate in a local church, my kids much more so than me. I do think there are some good things to be gained by participation in some sort of organized thought about the universe and your responsibility to our fellow man during your childhood. I am even the godfather to my friend’s two children. But I am to the point that I do not think that I will ever step foot in a Catholic Church again. I can’t think of any other organization that would be allowed to have dealt with things like this in our country. If this was a series of daycares everybody involved would be in prison. I hope they post the name and address of every priest involved in this atrocity. I am just sickened by the whole thing. There was a a time 10 or 15 years ago when this first started to come out so publicly that I said that you can’t blame the organization for the actions of some of its members. I no longer believe that in this case. The Catholic Church has fermented this all along and gone out of its way to protect the abusers and leave the innocents without recourse.

Thank you.

[GregL]

I was raised in a Catholic family, but left the church in adulthood due to multiple philosophical differences. The hypocrisy I saw first-hand disgusted me. A horrible rape case in 2009 and the church's reaction to it made my departure permanent.

Greg

[AngryScientist]

i too was raised in a very italian catholic family, but have turned my back on the catholic church a long time ago.

the amount of outrage, confusion and disgust i feel about this is hard to put into words.

IMO we as a society should not let this go, and talk about it quietly behind closed doors. there SHOULD be public outrage, and cries to bring down this horrendous institution.

this institution has (and continues to) raped our children, oppressed our women, alienated homosexuals, and covered it all up. the church, as far as i know is funded 100% by donations - who in good conscience gives money to such an organization? how many bucks dropped in the collection basket have gone to cover up rapist pigs? bleed them dry IMO.

[Richard]

If one removes the notion of and commitment of faith from any religion (not just Catholic) and analyzes it with a disparate eye, the doctrines are about exercising power and maintaining the status quo. If, in order to do that, crimes against the "people" are ignored, it is just an autocratic system being autocratic.

[cash05458]

Catholic theology aside and just how messed up that has always been...the entire structure described via this stuff has every hallmark of organized pedo ring...the protection of the organization and the higher ups, the inside secrecy, the transfers to other Dioceses to continue the abuse and withholding of knowledge to make sure it continues elsewhere...and even now while the Church claims it is only on the side of victims, financially supporting lawyers to lobby against any change in law that might hold folks still accountable...if you can find a better definition of an organized pedo ring, I would love to hear it.

[redir]

I was born and raised Catholic, went to the Catholic schools and church every holy day and every Sunday. I was always an atheist however, even in my early youth I could never come around to believing in any of that stuff. It's probably the reason why I went on to become a geologist. But I digress....

I've never seen it in my time with the church and I was an alter boy too. I was actually quite fond of some of the priests and the brothers. They were ok people in my book.

What I wonder is how the hell does this even happen in the first place? I mean does a priest become corrupted into pedophilia or do pedophiles just know that joining the priesthood is a way for them to get away with it? And even when a pedophile joins the priest hood how does he communicate to his fellow priests that he's into pedophilia in the first place? A little joke at first perhaps? Slip some material under the door jam? I mean how?

And then furthermore a whole freakin subculture organization forms within the priest hood? How?

But the protection racket is the icing on the cake.

[parco]

I'm not Catholic but I thought Priests took a vow of chastity. No?

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by parco

I'm not Catholic but I thought Priests took a vow of chastity. No?

People, religious included, are experts at saying one thing and doing another.

[pncguy]

I have lots to say about this and some strong opinions. But I find that these conversations are much more interesting, friendly, and productive when they're had over a beer. So if you're in the Denver/Boulder area and you want to chat, feel free to PM me.

FWIW, I'm a member of a "Christian Church" which is described generally but well in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ...ches_of_Christ

[93KgBike]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

the amount of outrage, confusion and disgust i feel about this is hard to put into words.

there SHOULD be public outrage, and cries to bring down this horrendous institution.

I had a little freak-out rage-out with my wife after I put the kids to bed last night.

Half of my family are/were Catholic and the rest of us are/were Episcopalian. I left the church long ago also, during the Bevilacqua era, so I am not anywhere near satisfied with this largely public shaming. PA would have gotten rid of the statute of limitations for rape and child-rape in the '80s if it weren't for his connections.

Wuerl replaced McCarrick in DC. How are they any different!

Monsters, being created by the Vatican rape factory.

[shoota]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

We'll see where this goes but 'organized religion' isn't about the above things any longer, IMHO..but about power, control, guilt, and of course...$$$$$.

I don't think it's unique to the Catholic Church, but maybe more pervasive due to the church's archaic rules and laws.

Ding ding ding