Posted on 01/09/2002 9:27:21 AM PST by umbra
Oh. How typical. Ever see two bodybilders together: "Oh Bruce, spot me" You've got great abs Dick," etc.
It was several posts ago, but if I remember my sentiments correctly, they weren't offered in relation to politics. Everyone is flawed; everyone needs redemption. Christians struggle with tendencies and weaknesses inherent in the flesh of all men. Usually these struggles are more pronounced than in, say, the atheist or the simply agnostic, because there is now a motive power and life within the Christian that "wars" against the pull of the flesh. For the Christian in bondage to inherent moral failings, the struggle can be horrific. For the atheist, or the agnostic, the pull of the flesh usually doesn't rise to the level of mortal conflict, because they simply surrender to their weaknesses without much thought or struggle (unless it's something that is life-threatening, or family-threatening, like alcoholism).
Sometimes these weaknesses become very public, and non-Christians in the media or on the left-wing of society who distain religion (usually for political reasons -- they don't seem to distain exceedingly liberal clerics), who also suffer from similar weaknesses, like to point fingers and hoot about "hypocracy." Anyone who has found forgiveness knows that forgiveness is needed by everyone, and is less inclined to throw moral failings in the face of anyone, particularly when the person is repentent. (A certain 42nd President excluded, because he wasn't repentent. Clinton's situation became worse because he denied his wrong, and tried to destroy those who were pointing his failings out. I doubt impeachment would have gone as far as it did had Clinton owned up to his misdeeds early in the process.)
I didn't intend to apply these sentiments to a political context.
Just a clarification: The new procedure for trying priests is a way for the Vatican to step in and get rid of these priests when the local bishop does not act. The trial in a "secret" ecclesiastical court is a method of getting rid of abusive priests, and in no way shields criminal priests from the criminal law, nor should it.
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