Gee, I wonder who would want to try to do that?
When I heard that stat, it made me wonder why it is being blown out of proportion to seem like it constitutes the majority of Catholic priests.
Consider. Statistics show that the molestation factor is a factor across the board, protestant, catholic, what have you. But the only newsworthy molestation is that done by an RC Priest. Why? All religions stand nominally against this sort of thing, but only the Catholic Church embodies All That They Hate. It is against Abortion, it does not Ordinate women, it is ruled almost as a monarchy, thus the 'will of the people' is not observed. Moreover, for a millenium it has fed the starving, clothed the naked, and so forth, but all in the name, not of human rights, but of Jesus Christ.
This is intolerable.
Thus the targeting of the Church.
While I am no member of the "Latin or Nuttin'" crowd, I do believe that the heirarchy in the Developed Nations has abdicated much of their authority. Mostly in rosy hopes of better things to come. Much of the current controversy stems from the fact that twenty years ago, the heirarchy was confronted with a shameful abomination, but they were told by men of great secular learning that the men who had committed these acts could be 'cured', 'rehabilitated,' to again lead a productive life.
We now see this for the idiocy it is. You might as well put an alchoholic through AA, and then tell him to work in a distillery.
Moreover, the Catholic problem allows the 'progressive' types a way out. If a minister of a protestant church molests a teenage boy, what is the excuse? He is permitted normal sexual relations, his desires have not been stymied by an antiquated moral code. No, there is left nowhere to run. Only the truth remains. That a man in authority over a boy took advantage of him.
What does that sound like to you? I believe the term is Chickenhawking?
Ah, but with the Catholic Church, we have an out! It's not that this priest was a homosexual, and took advantage of his flock, no! He was a Forced Celibate! If only he were allowed all the sexual freedom that he needed, this would not have happened.
It's not his fault, you see, it's the fault of that Sex-hating, Homophobic, Mysogynistic Church of his. If only they'd come into the twenty-first century, he'd have been fine. Maybe he would have had a wife or a life partner; it's not his fault; it's not the fault of the gay guy, it's the fault of the church!
I personally foresee a massive housecleaning. And it ain't gonna be pretty. But what Lithasis fails to note is that this is primarily a problem in Euro America. The church still has her strong priests, but they are, naturally, the one's who's faith has been tested by more stringent means than 'sex' and 'what do I give up for lent this year'. Look to the priests of Asia, Africa and South America, the ones who's positions bring them threats of imprisonment and death, to see the steel in the Church.
Stand fast, fellow Catholics.
If they be guilty, remove them.
Let not the innocent be tarnished with this scandal. For many Priests (my own confessor included) are brought to tears by this state of affairs.
Lithasis' former comrades may believe they have beaten us. Let them join the ranks. Hitler, Stalin, Attila, how many other tyrants, schisms, heresies throuout history? And yet after two millenia, the church founded upon the Rock still stands.
Gee, I wonder who would want to try to do that?
That being true, we need to look at the church's historic handling of pedopilia. The church has always treated pedophilia as a sin, not a crime, something to be dealt with inside the church family. It is only in recent years that a large part of the population felt any differently. I believe that pedophilia, especially incestual pedophilia, was and is alot more commone than most of us would like to believe. Think about it, 6%, that is only 4% less than the total homosexual population.
I think that the best thing that the church could do to turn this around is end celibacy.
patent
IMHO, this is NOT a good sign. To compare the rate with "general population" does NOT reflect well on the clergy.
When I heard that stat, it made me wonder why it is being blown out of proportion to seem like it constitutes the majority of Catholic priests.
Then I began to think that 1 out of 20 (!) people are/have been pedophiles. Pretty scary if true.
Bill O'Reilley has his facts screwed up on this and other Catholic issues. Most knowledgeable Catholics don't pay much attention to his discourses on faith issues.
First off, his figures are wrong. Try about 3%.
Second, only 2% of these cases are true pedophilia cases. Pedophilia is sexual abuse of a child under the age of puberty (12). Ephebophilia is sexual abuse of adolescent children. The most common ages between 15 and 17. Pedophilia is predominantly in hetersexual adults. Ephobophilia is HOMOSEXUAL. Adult men abusing young boys and adult women abusing young girls. There is a very small percentage of heterosexual activity in ephebophilia; but it is a relatively small percentage.
The sexual scandal in the church is REALLY about HOMOSEXUALITY in the heirarchical ranks. It's the homosexuals that need to be dumped and relieved of duty.
O'Reilley has also stated in a recent article that homosexual couples should be allowed to adopt because their lifestyle will have no bearing on the child. This is the biggest crock I've ever heard. I like O'Reilley more than not, but he is full of it on this issue and many other Catholic issues he's blown his big mouth on. When he's right, he's right.
BUT ON THIS HE"S WRONG!