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Priest Found Hanged
Nando Times ^ | 05/16/02 | Stephen Manning

Posted on 05/16/2002 5:48:36 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity

Accused priest apparently takes own life at Maryland hospital
Copyright © 2002 AP Online

By STEPHEN MANNING, Associated Press

SILVER SPRING, Md. (May 16, 2002 7:57 p.m. EDT) - A 64-year-old priest who resigned from his parish in Connecticut amid allegations of sexual misconduct apparently killed himself Thursday at a Catholic psychiatric hospital, church officials said. The Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., identified the priest as the Rev. Alfred J. Bietighofer, who was stripped last month of his priestly powers and ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Two men told diocesan officials Bietighofer abused them when they were boys in the late 1970s and early 1980s, church officials said.

Bietighofer was found hanged in his room Thursday at St. Luke Institute, according to Prince George's County police and hospital officials.

"I am profoundly saddened by the tragic death of Father Alfred Bietighofer," Bridgeport Bishop William Lori said in a statement. "To parishioners and to all those whom Father Bietighofer assisted during the course of his priestly ministry, I extend my sincere sympathy and prayers."

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TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catholicchurch; christianity; homosexuality; religion; sexabuse
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Comment #141 Removed by Moderator

Comment #142 Removed by Moderator

Comment #143 Removed by Moderator

To: HiTech RedNeck

I don't have pedophilia figures for atheists vs. various Christian denominations, but I bet this remark is closer to the truth than you think.

That seems very odd. If there were no Christian Bible or Christian scriptures the church and priests would still have existed as well the priestly-pedophilia crimes would have been more abundant?? What would the church and priest base their teachings on, pedophilia practices!?

Why do you single out atheists to compare with Christian denominations instead of choosing many of the several other religions? It appears you're comparing apples to oranges. Do you have statistics/figures for atheists? Do you have statistics/figures for any of the religions you didn't mention?

144 posted on 05/16/2002 10:35:13 PM PDT by Zon
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To: streetpreacher

It wasn't my point.

Okay, so you had no point. What's the point of posting when you have no point to make? I repeat myself. Sorry. Skip the question and just move along.

145 posted on 05/16/2002 10:43:47 PM PDT by Zon
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To: galt-jw
"... more exist who are not yet discovered. and not ness. catholics"

Bump to that thought. While pervert priests drain all the bandwidth of public scrutiny, untold thousands of perverts molest their own children with impunity.

146 posted on 05/16/2002 10:46:19 PM PDT by Ben Chad
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Comment #147 Removed by Moderator

To: Zon
I wrote it wasn't my point, not, "it wasn't my point". Why the mischaracterization? There obviously was a point? Of course, I am not obliged to "belabor the point". Get the point? Best wishes.
148 posted on 05/16/2002 10:50:06 PM PDT by streetpreacher
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
"Mad" Tom. Yup.

Re "Go to the devil, you f*ck" In the heat of outrage, I've more than once felt like wishing that kind of thing on someone (and then promptly confessed my sin to God). In order for that wish to be granted, I couldn't be a Christian; I'd have to be in league with the devil.

149 posted on 05/16/2002 10:50:56 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Zon
We're not debating ontological materialism, atheism, or the Randroid cult on this thread. But...since you have launched the broadside against Christianity with sophistical gymnastics suggesting ontological materialism has some scientific upper hand, I am forced to pull rank here, sadly.The rhetorical maneuver of referring to theism as "mysticism" does not really do sound philosophical justice to the perennial matters at issue. The "voice in the head" theory of Julian Jaynes is really off the radar. The underlying presupposition dangling amidst the prior thesis submitted a tad overconfidently - ("spiritual realities do not exist") - is a non-empirical metaphysical proposition based on no scientific or empirical observation of any kind. In other words, you have conflicting propositions lurking in that rhetorical exercise. Professor Jaynes never observed any of the alleged prehistoric subjective audio experiences alleged. He made it up. So you see...scientism and positivism cannot support a priori metaphysical claims defining the nature of reality. You can find numerous archived debates on this via APA and ACPA sites on the internet. Repeating the sensism and materialism of ancient Epicureans, Cynics, and sophists really does little to advance this agenda. The metaphysical dilemmas of the philosophy of religion are by no means solved by rhetorical appeals to scientism.

As for linking suicide with theism, that's quite ridiculously absurd. The suicide rates of modern Swedes and Japanese exceed those of Catholics, orthodox Christians, and practicing Jews in spades.

(JFYI, I'm not going to respond to any additional rhetorical attacks on theism or Christianity). Find somewhere else to play, please.

God Bless.

150 posted on 05/16/2002 10:51:06 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Ben Chad
Bump to that thought. While pervert priests drain all the bandwidth of public scrutiny, untold thousands of perverts molest their own children with impunity.

It's almost hard to believe, but I have had several, several friends in the past confide in me about this. And not just women. Many young men. This is a scary place for a society to be.

151 posted on 05/16/2002 10:53:20 PM PDT by streetpreacher
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Yup. It's like blaming car accidents on cars. But you want volition? Here's your stinkin' volition: "all car drivers." Boy this is as easy for me as shooting fish in a barrel.

People chose mysticism out of ignorance. Nonetheless, it is a choice. Car accidents almost always have at least one driver behind the wheel. An accident is just that, an accident -- unforeseen and unavoidable. Drivers do not chose to be in an accident. Mysticism can be foreseen and avoided. Just as terrorist-plane-missiles can be avoided by those that make the bad choice to use planes as missiles. It is a choice as much as pedophilia is a choice.

Tell me, now that you have shot yourself in the foot how easy it is to shoot fish in a barrel.

152 posted on 05/16/2002 10:55:25 PM PDT by Zon
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
You just made my day.
153 posted on 05/16/2002 10:56:35 PM PDT by streetpreacher
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To: Zon
Your sophistry deserves an answer of ... stony silence.
154 posted on 05/16/2002 10:56:53 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Goldhammer
Thanks for the links. Quite a number of years ago, George Weigel and James Hitchcock detailed a bit on the role of Carl Rogers, Third Force psychology, and encounter-group gnosticism on the erosion of Catholic religious life. Mitch Pacwa's Catholics and the New Age picks up where they left off. The "Enneagram" was a wild episode in this silliness. It's unfortunate that in the 1960s and 1970s much of the psychology which influenced many Catholic clerics was of this fruitcake type.
155 posted on 05/16/2002 10:57:50 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: HiTech RedNeck
In the heat of outrage, I've more than once felt like wishing that kind of thing on someone (and then promptly confessed my sin to God). In order for that wish to be granted, I couldn't be a Christian; I'd have to be in league with the devil.

Understood. This is one of the most difficult transgressions for me to forgive. I prefer no ill will to anyone, lest they do unconsciable harm to others.

156 posted on 05/16/2002 11:02:45 PM PDT by Mad_Tom_Rackham
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To: Renatus
How many Catholic priests are there?
157 posted on 05/16/2002 11:03:00 PM PDT by TN Republican
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
In Akita, Japan -- Sr. Agnes Sasagawa:

I can't think of anything more awful than a priest, for whatever reason, allowing himself to be led down such a despicable path when he abuses a young charge. Our Lord's remedy was a millstone around the neck. Mary is still right. We need to pray for all priests.

I remember reading of a seer who was given to understand that when a priest goes to hell, his thumbs and forefingers burn brighter than any other part of his body.

158 posted on 05/16/2002 11:14:00 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Goldhammer

More like the crazy sh*t you Zonpower Neo-Tech lunatics preach.

You must mean stuff like this...

From: PAX NEO-TECH APPENDIX

The Constitution of the Universe
(1976)

Preamble

* The purpose of human life is to live happily.
* The function of government is to guarantee those conditions that allow individuals to fulfill their purposes. Those conditions can be guaranteed through a constitution that forbids the use of initiatory force, fraud, or coercion by any person or group against any individual.

***
Article 1

No person, group of persons, or government may initiate force, threat of force, or fraud against any individual's self or property.

Article 2

Force may be morally and legally used only in self-defense against those who violate Article 1.

Article 3

No exceptions shall exist for Articles 1 and 2.

* * *

The Constitution of the Universe rests on six axioms:
1. Values exist only relative to life.
2. Whatever benefits a living organism is a value to that organism. Whatever harms a living organism is a disvalue to that organism.
3. The basic value against which all values are measured is the conscious individual.
4. Morals relate only to conscious individuals.
5. Immoral actions arise from individuals choosing to harm others through force, fraud, deception, coercion -- or from individuals choosing to usurp, attack, or destroy values earned by others.
6. Moral actions arise from honestly and competitively creating or producing values for self, others, and society.

Whose rights do you want to violate by initiating force against them?... Or are you so cowardly that you would petition government agents to initiate force on your behalf. More importantly what person, group or government do you want to violate your individual-property rights?

159 posted on 05/16/2002 11:14:03 PM PDT by Zon
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Comment #160 Removed by Moderator


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