The Church They Love To Hate

Consider the recent cover of Newsweek, headlined "Sex, Shame and the Catholic Church."

Clearly, this is designed to be a devastating cover, a dagger aimed at the hearts and hope of those faithful Catholics unsure of how to puzzle out the apparent failings of their leaders. I am referring, of course, to the current media storm over allegations of pedophilia.

This is not to say that the alleged handling of any case of pedophilia is above criticism, or that the Church is above criticism. Priests are supposed to be worthy of trust, and not predators. Priests are supposed to provide guidance for the salvation of souls, and not moral corruption. Moreover, if the Church mishandled any alleged incidents of pedophilia out of concern for dealing with an alleged shortage of priests, this too may be laid at the feet of the Church: for the past 30 years, the Catholic schools have taught that all religions are equally valid, thereby discouraging many young men from entering the challenging life of the priesthood. In summary, the allegations of pedophilia and of cover-ups are serious and greatly disturbing.

On the other hand, the American news media is not in any moral position to render judgment on the Church.

The cover of Newsweek mentioned above is hypocritical, to be blunt. Recall that Newsweek refused to run Michael Isikoff's investigative reports on Bill Clinton's extra-marital affairs until the stories were already quite old.

The reason for this journalistic double-standard is quite obvious. The men and women who decide what daily events shall qualify as "news" dearly wanted to be on Bill Clinton's good side. Being on the good side of a man of loose morals like Mr. Clinton allowed them to get scoops, to get invited to hot Washington parties, and to feel important. And that, after all, is what matters in life. All the "right people" adored Bill Clinton, and were ready and willing to cover up his infidelities and abuses.

Where the Roman Catholic Church is concerned, however, the media knows its enemy. Consider the pompous New York Times. During the Second World War, New York Times editorials praised the work of Pope Pius XII in protecting European Jews from the National Socialists. Fifty years later, the "paper of record" has a case of amnesia, as it routinely accuses the same Pope of nearly conspiring in the Holocaust.

Perhaps this should come as no surprise: the Times still has the Pulitzer won by Walter Duranty in the 1930s. Duranty was an eyewitness to Joseph Stalin's terror famine who dutifully filled the Times with glowing accounts of the glories of Communism.

Where the news media is concerned, the Catholic Church is a rival. To understand this rivalry, it is necessary to understand the nature of the press. There is nothing inherently anti-religious about a printing press, a typewriter, a computer, a modem, or a television. Indeed, the Church itself publishes newspapers, runs television stations, and is on the Internet. The conflict, then, is a human conflict, i.e., a conflict between men and women with different visions for the world. To summarize: there are those who despise the moral teachings of the Church, and who strive to destroy the credibility of the Church.

Consider the cartoonist Don Wright of the Palm Beach Post, whose recent cartoon depicted a woman complaining that the Church tells her what to do with her body, but does not similarly condemn pedophiles.

Wright's cartoon is sheer nonsense, at best a cheap attempt at humor. But his goal is serious: to undermine the notion that abortion is evil by claiming that the Church is hypocritical.

This is foolish for several reasons. First, whether or not abortion is evil is wholly unrelated to the moral goodness (or evil) of the one contending that abortion is evil, just as the truth of the fact that gasoline is not good for human consumption does not depend on the morality of the man who tells you not to drink gasoline. Wright's insulting humor is merely an attempt to distract the weak-minded (and willingly led) from the real issue.

Second, contrary to Wright's offensive cartoon, the Church does not advocate pedophilia. At most, Wright might argue that the Church has failed to adequately punish known pedophiles and prevent their doing further harm.

Here, Wright may have a point. It may be the case that certain men should have been dealt with differently than they were; this, however, is a factual question, and I do not claim to know sufficient facts to say much more than that. Even if this is the case, however, it cannot excuse or explain the cover of Newsweek or the silliness of Don Wright's cartoon.

What explains the rage directed at the Catholic Church? At the most basic level, human beings are emotional; their emotions short-circuit thought and thereby drive them to do silly things. If you doubt this, go to a political rally and watch alleged "adults" dress up as for a wrestling match and cheer for no-name stuffed suits running for office as if picking sides for Armageddon. People are prone to foolishness.

Moreover, our lives can tend to grow boring. We work, we go home, we whine and complain. And it's fun to go berserk condemning a public scandal because everyone is outraged. Individual intelligent thought is replaced by mindless group think and the herd mentality.

Finally, it is easy to hate the Church. Those who are not Catholics may easily distrust what they do not understand. Many who call themselves Catholic may also hate what they do not understand. And many who cannot tolerate any views but their own, or who regard moral instructions as condemnation, despise the Church precisely because they do understand.

The Church will endure all such criticism, scandals, and abuses. Those who hate the Church are the inheritors of the French revolutionaries whose mass executions of priests were designed to obliterate the Church. Priests were executed in the Mexican Revolution as well, and they are persecuted in China today. In England and Ireland, during the Penal Laws, priests had a bounty on their heads. The Church, however, has endured all these things, and will endure countless others until the end of time.

The French revolutionaries did not get their wish. Neither will Newsweek or the New York Times.

No matter how the Church may have mishandled any alleged incidents of pedophilia, the Church remains the Church. One hopes and prays that any necessary reforms will be made with due consideration and speed, and that those whose lives were affected may be healed, and that they may forgive those who wronged them. In the end, no matter how much the media may love a scandal, and the rising magazine sales it brings, the moral authority of the Church will endure.

It's not the church that's disgusting the public, it's the behavior of high-level authorities within the church.

Well a hell of a lot of the church members are disgusting me
Especially those wonderful catholics in Boston who send pro abortion, pro homsexual agenda Teddy Kennedy back to the senate every 6 years

"Why are so many homosexuals attracted into the priesthood?"

Because it's a good place to be if you don't want to tell your father that you're gay or tell your mother why you're not married.

Hm. So you can't really answer the questions without playing God and reading my mind? And wrongly, at that?

So there's something worth exploring, for you. Those questions threaten you at some deep level. There are other ways of dealing, you know, than denial.

Dan

Does it feel good to have hatred in your heart like this? I have never heard in my Catholic church such hatred of Protestants, Jews or Muslims. This is all in your mind and said with a perspective of an outsider.

I am not Catholic, but my sympathies are with them on this one. However, as one who has lived in South America, I can attest that there is plenty of official bashing of protestants by catholics. You don't hear about it so much in the developed countries, but it is every bit as vicious as the anti-catholic tirade you hear amongst some in the U.S.

Be that as it may, I think that the media is far worse.

I'm not convinced you really thought my questions through. If I say — loudly, publicly, and repeatedly — that I run the cleanest house in the world and someone finds moldy tile and makes a big deal of it — why'd that happen? What made it a big story?

Dan

The only aspect I can agree with regarding the media is its hypocrisy regarding pedophilia in the Catholic Church and pedophelia in the Boy Scouts.

And ain't it sad that the Boy Scout leaders have done far more and have had more resolve against abandonning their boys to the predators than those wonderful cardinals. The Scout leaders went to the supreme court to protect their boys while the cardinals welcomed the homosexuals with open arms to the seminary

I'm with you. This has nothing to do with hate. I just wonder why my plain-sense questions are so hard to deal with rationally and honestly. I have my guesses, sure; but I still wonder.

Dan

Could it have anything to do with that, do you think?

Many Christian denominations suffer moral crisis these days. Homosexuals and feminazis were let to run churches their preferred ways. The Catholic Church stood far ahead of the rest as a moral authority until very recently. Remember presidential visit to Vatican and the discussion on human cloning and stem cell research?

I hope all this will bring about much needed reforms in the Church.

Many Christian denominations suffer moral crisis these days. Homosexuals and feminazis were let to run churches their preferred ways.

One of the reasons that this occurs is because of the christians themselves

Too damn many of them vote for the socialistic, pro abortion, homosexual agenda pushing creep politicians. They do it because they were born democrats or they think the socialistics are going to give them something for nothing . If these bums were voted out of office the whole climate would change

If I say — loudly, publicly, and repeatedly — that I run the cleanest house in the world and someone finds moldy tile and makes a big deal of it — why'd that happen?

There are always going to be bad people and weaklings in the Church - because it's made up of people! The Church has always said this. Just as Judas betrayed Christ, there will always be Judases who betray their covenant with God. This isn't the first scandal the Church has survived, and it won't be the last.

I think I basically agree with what you're saying... I think. But one point that I think is missed by many is this: while RC apologists strike the pose that the RC is utterly unified and one, while Protestantism has 25 tetrazillion denominations, the truth is that the RCC contains within itself 25 tetrazillion denominations.

For instance, to take up from what you're saying, in Protestantism there are denominations in which homosexuality is tolerated: United Methodist and (the ironically named) United Church of Christ.

Homosexuality is — as we see — also tolerated in the RCC. Just not formally, and not outwardly, and within the overarching organization.

Dan

FYI -- Hatred of the good for being the good is typical within evil ideologies and evil philosophies.

There's nothing good about pederasty. Covering it up is even worse.

I hate to see this, but the bishops made their bed and now they've got to lie in it.

that it demands such devotion of its adherents that when it says white is black they are forced to compel their minds to accept the absurd,

Dan, your hatred of the Catholic Church is bigoted and hateful.

A Jekyll-side of your otherwise pleasant personna.

Nice rant.

Could it have anything to do with that, do you think?

Not very Christian of you there, Dan.

Mm; but if you'd listened to as many RC apologists as I have, you'd have heard again and again about how united and perfect the RCC is, unlike all other churches, because it is The One True Organization. And we are talking about church officials who, themselves, are under the care of other officials. So what part of the RCC is perfect and flawless? Only the Pope? Nobody living? But something is supposed to be perfect about it, or so the defenders say.

Dan

I just wonder why my plain-sense questions

Snicker... Snort... Chortle... GUFFAW!!! ROFL!!!. Danny boy, nothing you have to say regarding the Catholic Church is "plain sense". That you have the effrontery to style your snide, sarcastic, and dishonest question as "plain-sense" reveals much about you, none of it good.

I'll answer, though, for the sake of lurkers. Stripped of its illogical baggage, your question is "How can the Church founded by Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of God, have sinners in it?" I suggest you ask Judas Iscariot, he might have an answer for you. You might also ask Simon Peter. He might have some insight into the matter. Jesus promised the He would be with us, His Church, always, and the the gates of Hell would not prevail against His Church. He didn't promise there wouldn't be a few evil people amongst us.

Would you please quote the hateful questions, above, and relate the times I've treatedy you hatefully?

And it it's so low, perhaps you could answer the questions? A couple have been brave enough to have an honest go at it. How could you be threatened by the prospect?

And while you're at it, explain to me the difference between a bigot and someone who has principled points of disagreement.

Dan

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The Church They Love to Hate