asinus asinum fricat... when a jackass rubs another jackass
Posted on 04/04/2009 8:37:33 AM PDT by massmike
(From 2002-but even more relevant today)
The sex-abuse scandal currently plaguing the Catholic priesthood has already grown to the point where it poses a serious threat to the power, prestige, and credibility of the American Catholic Church. The sky, so to speak, is falling. An institution whose fundamental strength and continuity (whatever its many problems) could once be taken for granted is experiencing a genuine crisis.
Yet, over and above its significance for the Catholic Church, the greatest lesson of this scandal has yet to be drawn. The uproar over priestly sex abuse — especially the calls to do away with both priestly celibacy and the Church's traditional teachings on sexuality — offers spectacular confirmation of nearly every warning ever issued by the opponents of gay marriage.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
The author makes a couple of mistakes. The people pushing for gay leadership don’t really care about the church, God, or the potential victims. “Tolerance” trumps all other considerations.
I think Selfish Idiocy works much better!
The big difference is that the Catholic Church never approved or officially permitted homosexuality in general or homosexuals in the priesthood in particular. Gays got in through poorly enforced discipline and the stupid desire of many of the bishops to accept secular psychiatry as their guide rather than the teachings of the Church. Once the shrinks decided that homosexuality was not a disorder, the bishops just shrugged and decided it was uncool of them to object.
However, the Church is managing to hack its way out of this problem by getting back to traditional discipline and teaching on homosexuality and sex in general.
These Protestant churches probably have the usual number of gays and “gay tolerant” individuals and organizations, but the difference is that once they legitimize it by saying that gay clergy are okay, they’ve officially adopted a non-Christian position and will not be able to recover from this.
Some years ago, just after the abuse scandals became public, one older self-described “jock” priest wrote several articles in which he wrote to both the Church leadership in the US and Rome, about Catholic seminaries admitting openly gay men.
He was very concerned about the potential damage to the Church.
Well stated, all.
Thanks for that excellent history lesson. I was a seminarian in the 70s and you pretty much sum up what was going on. The American Bishops were all agog over the 60's weltanschauung and "The Spirit" of Vatican II.
“but the difference is that once they legitimize it by saying that gay clergy are okay, they’ve officially adopted a non-Christian position” - couldn’t agree more - I was in a church that did this - I was a preacher, elder and youth leader and I was out the door (after registering my protest) as soon as the announcement to accept gay clergy was made.
I am sorry if I offend anyone (and I know this will) but I believe if you stay in a church that does this then you are complicit by doing so!
Blessings
Mel
The Boy Scouts got sued for NOT accepting homosexuals as Scout Masters.
The Catholic Church got sued for accepting homosexual priests.
I think the Boy Scouts made the better decision!
The homosexual scandal in the priesthood antedates V2. At least 3 priests I said mass with as an altar boy in the late 50’s and early 60’s were subsequently caught up in the “sex-abuse” scandals. Randy Engel documents the whole sordid affair in “The Rite of Sodomy”:
The lesson to take from this:Gays contaminate everything they touch!
There is no American Catholic Church, it is the Catholic Church in America.
When gays were in the closet, I imagine many men entered the clergy as a way to hide their homosexuality. Most were probably able to honor their vows. But, in the 60’s and 70’s as homosexuality became more accepted and open, homosexual priests had more opportunity to explore those desires rather than having to repress them.
I do believe that there was a concentrated effort in those times to infiltrate the priesthood and damage the church, but the history and psychology of homosexuality is complex and the church was slow to understand what homosexuals would do to their young parishioners and to the image of the church.
I’m glad to see this thread openly discussing the fact that it was mostly homosexual men who were perpetrators.
The MSM always reported this story as a “child abuse” scandal without talking about how much of it was perpetrated against boys and young men. They tried to make it sound as if most of these priests were pedophiles with designs on young girls, not boys.
Infiltrate, then destroy from within.
BTW, it is possible to be celibate. I have never been married (too poor) and am still a virgin (58 year-old). I am busy teaching Sunday School classes of college students and young adults. I'm trying to make my life count by discipling/mentoring the next generation. Any gay (or straight) person that says that celibacy can't be done is simply trying to justify himself. You just have to cut out the pornographic images that are in the mainstream media. I rarely watch TV. And you also need to pursue a goal that involves trying to help others. Get your eyes off of your own selfish desires.
asinus asinum fricat... when a jackass rubs another jackass
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.