Posted on 11/29/2007 6:24:40 AM PST by NYer
I sometimes get a little tired of folks who take every opportunity to trash the Catholic church and call it a cult etc., whether they know any relevant facts or not.
Do some research (hopefully not on Ian Paisley's website) or ask a priest.
If you were a Wiccan, and someone said you were to keep a secret that a member of your church sacrificed a baby to Satan, and you said nothing because of some “code”, you are a cult. If you know of priests abusing alter boys and say nothing because of some “code of silence” you are just protecting your cult. There is way too much “silence” in all religions. Catholics always start the “Bashing” “race” card if someone makes a comment about Catholics. In my church, we have had preacher run off with the organ player, we’ve had secretaries steal money, etc. The difference is we don’t try to hide it or keep it a secret. I can guarantee you if my pastor found out about a member committing a crime, the police would be there within minutes. If you want to continue to defend a conspiracy to commit murder, the go for it. You make about as much sense as the ragheads saying they are freedom fighters when they saw off a head. If a person confesses a crime to a priest and the preist hides it, he becomes a conspirator and is as guilty. He isn’t some martyr.
Didn’t your Mom warn you about signs that say “Wet Paint?”
Yeah! I did was what the sign said! Jeez!
Priest can’t even call 9-1-1?
No, but he can dive out of the confesional and draw his Smith and Wesson while shouting, “Stop right there punk! Go ahead, make my daily bread!”
So you’re saying the priest should make the collar?
Yeah. And if the perp won’t come along peacefully then it’s time to send in the Nuns!
Only if he’s habit-ual.
You win.
No, but we do reserve the right to respond when unduly smeared. Like, for instance, if some moron is trying to justify using a priests skin to make a book because he wouldn't violate his oath. Maybe you could find a way to justify those lampshades at Nuremburg too.
Romans 1:32, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.( you don't have to be part of it to be just as guilty). How about the "Good Samaritan" parable. The religious man left the beat up guy on the road so he could follow the rules of not touching something dirty on the Sabbath. The Samaritan, which was looked down upon by the religionists, actually helped the man, but broke the rules. Which one did Jesus say did the right thing? To learn of a crime and just sit there makes you guilty as they are. Following a stupid code is choosing evil over good. Simple choice if you follow Jesus. This guy's moral compass was backwards if he chose a church rule over the "right" thing to do. He deserved to die and is no martyr.
I think that's about as plain as I can make it. If you don't get that, then you need to get a real church and get saved.
If you had bothered to investigate the facts instead of just picking up ugly gossip by the side of the road, you would know that the homosexual priest problem has been dealt with severely. The Catholic church is the only church that has hired an outside investigative/auditing firm to have absolute transparency on this issue. You may read their detailed report on just about any diocesan website.
A couple of facts to assist you in becoming less fact-free: (1) overwhelmingly the abuse occurred in the 1950s and 60s; (2) the priests who committed it have been removed, imprisoned, or are dead; (3) the bishops who looked the other way have been disciplined and in most cases removed; (4) the vast majority of cases occurred in dioceses where the bishops were rebelling against the discipline of the Church in other ways.
Contrast this with other churches (including my former denomination, the Episcopalians) which happily ordain homosexual ministers and look the other way when they seduce church members. One doesn't hear about these incidents, of course, because it doesn't fit the news media template. It never ceases to astonish me that FR members, who ordinarily are so skeptical of the news media, just swallow this particular trope whole.
The only chuckling I do is at morons like you.
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