Because this is NOT a thread about Catholics. How did it become one? THAT’s what I find prideful.
“We protestants are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO (another Quixism) much better at handling these clergy sex abuse scandals than the Catholics were.”
Wrong
“We protestants put our sex abusing clergy in jail and don’t pay out big settlements”
Wrong.
“The problem is MUCH less in protestant churches because our clergy aren’t homosexual and they can marry.”
WRONG WRONG WRONG!
But I thsnk you for your thoughtful reply. Is any protestant out there sorry for all the ugly things they said about the Catholic Church and clergy as a whole, due to the sex abuse scandals? Is any protestant out there sorry that now they have egg on the face and have to face their own disgusting truths? Is ANY protestant out there likely to say, “What can we ALL do about the problem of clergy sex abuse TOGETHER???” (Like admist it will arise unless we are all vigilant at all levels of our churches?)
I have not yet heard one constructive reply that was not self-justifying. I’m willing to bet Christ will hold the protestants feet to the fire on this, who joyfully and pridefully claimed this was a Catholic problem.
You are welcome. My aim and my purpose in engaging in this issue is to be honest and to put the flesh aside and abide in Christ and to not make it a them vs us scenario, but to honestly call sin as sin and Truth as Truth so that the name of Jesus is exalted and His fruit indicated and man and his deeds are pointed out so that God;s true children may lift each other up in His name, and not man's. I hope that at least 10% of my posts actually do that without me getting in the way! :)
Is any protestant out there sorry for all the ugly things they said about the Catholic Church and clergy as a whole, due to the sex abuse scandals?
I think the issue may be that in pointing out the way the scandal was covered up is not ugly, but it in fact true and is exceedingly more sinful than the ugly behavior that precipiated it. From a biblical standpoint and from what I have observed in participating in and reading even more apologetic threads over many years on many forums is that people begin to use words like "ugly" and other words in describing what others are saying in rebuking sin and refuting errors. They make it out to be a personal attack on their favorite pastor, priest, teacher, doctrine or whole theological system. This always happens. Without exception. We see the example in scripture also. It is just the way sinful man works.
And to be honest, reactions of many RC's here pretty much fit that pattern. It is like a politician or a liberal or kids when conrtonted with error. :) They scream "foul play", "he started it", etc, and go through all sorts of antics to keep others and themselves from admitting errors or falsehoods. And that is actually true of anyone who is being led by the flesh and not abiding in the Spirit. Gal 5 addresses that very well.
Is any protestant out there sorry that now they have egg on the face and have to face their own disgusting truths?
WHy does that make a difference to you? God says "vengenace is mine". I have found that those who cry loud for such vengance have less faith in God being able to handle things His own way and have misplaced their true trust. They are not offended not at sin, but at whatever they feel is a defamation of character of their particular theological idol, which here is the RCC. I know that I have acted the same way when I held on to false doctrines because I did not want to admit error - I did not want to admit that my faith was in a doctrine and not in the Lord God Jesus Christ. But, thanks be to Him, He used that offense to me to expose my fleshful pride in my theological idol. My prayer is that He will use the refuting of the sinful scandalous coverup to do the same for some.
Is ANY protestant out there likely to say, “What can we ALL do about the problem of clergy sex abuse TOGETHER???” (Like admist it will arise unless we are all vigilant at all levels of our churches?)
I think you will find, again, that it is not the indivual RC priests sexual abuse that disgusts people not in the RCC, as disgusting as that act is. Rather, it is the COVER-UP, the continual placing of these high number of sick abusers into other parishes where they were able to prey on other innocent children, time and time again. And that the RCC system not only allows that, but did not follow through with biblical banishment and stripping them of their clerical rank and authority, but just shuffled them elsewhere in the system.
It is that ugly cover-up that is found disgusting. Yes, as long as we live in a fallen world, there will be many who call themselves shepherds of the flock who are not and who abuse the lambs. And we are commanded to be vigilant and to check all things.
Have you thought that by exposing the sin in the RCC system which allows the pedeophiles for the most part, and the protectors of them to live in protected lifestyles, is a way of working together to rid the body of believers of this abomination? Did you ever stop to think that is the end. It is not a hatred of RCC or those associated with it. Indeed, I have a strong love for many of them. However, we cannot work "togerther" until there is an admission that something is wrong.
I have not yet heard one constructive reply that was not self-justifying. I’m willing to bet Christ will hold the protestants feet to the fire on this, who joyfully and pridefully claimed this was a Catholic problem.
I am sorry to hear you say that. For I have read many non RCC who are not self-serving in posting information and Truth. It is an RCC issue because of the set up of the system that shifted the sick abusers from one place to another in full knowledge of what they did, and because the RCC system protects the sinners, whether they be the abusers or the ones who covered it up and put them in new pastures, knowing that without full repentance and abiding in Christ Jesus, a pedeophile will contine in his sins.
From what I have seen, you are trying to deflect things and say that those who are exposing the RCC are making it about the abusers which, admittedly is not limited to the RCC. However, again, it is the RCC's set up which allows the protection of the abusers and those who cover it up. And those are, IMHO worse sinners than the abusers. And that is also the opinion of scripture. If you feel it is with pride that we contine to expose these awful sins, then you are way off base. Yes, there are some who will act and post in the flesh from time to time. That is what always happens when anyone is not abiding in Christ. But, most of the time, it is with a great sadness of heart that we must speak these things. A great sadness, but we do it because we must.