If I could ask y'all to take off your Catholic "glasses" for just a moment, let me just ask you this. If, in this "culture war" between secularism and Christianity, which is the better, more logical tact:
B. Fellow Christians should directly address grievous moral offenses. Present a united front that does not excuse nor hide offenders, dealing with each incident according to law and Biblical church discipline.
I'm going to have to choose (B) every time, simply because it IS the Biblical mandate we have from God. To turn such things into an us versus them fight, brings shame and dishonor to Christ's name AND all other Christians. Do you really think the hardcore anti-Christian groups out there draw any real distinctions between Catholics and other Christian traditions? I think they like to lump us all together as those "religious hypocrites and bigots". So when one group or another is seen as in any way excusing, hiding, rationalizing or justifying a member's or group's criminal behavior it harms ALL of us.
Now I know full well that not all Catholic priests are pedophiles just as not all Protestant ministers are. But what we - none of us - should EVER be accused of is covering up this heinous crime or in any way excusing those who are guilty. I don't think any of y'all are doing that, but, rather than turn this kind of discussion into an us vs. them among Christians fight and presuming anyone who dares bring up the incidences that happen and how they are or should be dealt with, why not prove to the anti-Christians out there that we do as a whole take this very seriously, that we strongly condemn when it does happen and that we will not shy away from doing our own housecleaning. We certainly don't want the ungodly out there thinking we can't or won't do this, no matter how painful or disruptive it may be.
When Paul confronted the Corinthians about the dude who was STILL among them who had "had" his father's wife, he said, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." (I Cor. 5:1) Just what do we think Paul would have had to say if a minister of the Gospel had done something far worse, sexual abuse of a child? This is something that should NEVER be named among the church of Christ. When it does happen, WE should be the first to deal with it and not allow it to be another stone thrown at us from the world. We need to take that stone of condemnation away from them and let them see how REAL Christians deal with such things.
Nice false dichotomy you constructed there.
Perhaps something closer to the reality of the RF would better serve if interested.
Since you were pinged to 225, I should have pinged you to 226.
in this "culture war" between secularism and Christianity
Protestantism in most of its major branches is either defeated or in the process of being defeated. Religion has been politicized by the left and the left has won most of the battles against what used to be the primary forces of morality and civilization as existed within mainstream Protestant denominations. The megachurches? same result.
The primary force and institution standing for what was Western Civilization is the Church. This is why She is the major target for this regime and all 'progressives.'
Those few on FR who are committed enemies of the Church (just follow my postings) are unwitting, hopefully, allies of the very forces we oppose in this war, those who, like them, see defeating the Church as a primary mission.
These are critical times and i think we have to choose our enemies very carefully.