[Salvation]

**Yes celibacy is the root of the molestation scandal,**

Not true.

Homosexuality is at the root of the molestation scandal. It happens in all kinds of churches, schools, etc.

[Salvation]

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[fortunecookie]

See my 230, I was quoting. Well, trying to. ;-)

I agree. Homosexuality is at the root of the scandal. And it's a relatively new phenomenon in the Church's history, at least to that degree and length of time. It's beginnings can be traced to the Post Vat II (misinterpreted) era where old pre-testing of priest candidates was dropped, and other standards were lowered as well. Prayer, vespers, vows - many became optional and many quickly opted out. And it's not limited to the church and priests, as horrendous as that is that it occurs there at all. But some like to pretend that it is a 'priest' issue, which ignores the larger issue of molesters in all parts of society. Priests, who shouldn't be in that category at all, comprise a relatively small percentage of the total number of molesters.

[aspiring.hillbilly]

There is a reason that the Catholic Church has a much more enormous problem with molestation than any other denomination; having paid the victims over $600,000,000. No amount of finger pointing elsewhere can gloss over that fact. A celibate all male priesthood that is tolerant of homosexuals in the ranks is to blame. Some estimates are the priesthood is 1/3 homosexual. Since homosexuality is an abomination, no homos should be ordained as priests. With married heterosexual clergy, a massive scandal like that would not have occurred.