Bad news: Nearly 100 sex abuse suits against Catholic priests rock island of Guam

[guillaumeb]

To read more:

Those jarring allegations come from a recent lawsuit claiming assault from 1985 to 1988. It is one of nearly 100 lawsuits that describe rampant child sexual abuse by some of Guam’s most revered men: the Catholic clergy.

To read more:

http://religionnews.com/2017/08/04/nearly-100-sex-abuse-suits-against-catholic-priests-rock-island-of-guam/

[BigmanPigman]

1. I am never surprised by news like this.

This is a common practice and has been for centuries. It has been covered up and hidden and in many cases accepted.

Now everyone is free to bash me. It is OK, I am used to it.

[Lint Head]

2. News?

DU Nostradomas predicts that a religious leader with bucktooth collar and celestial robe shall partake of forbidden young fruit.

[trotsky]

3. Wait, it's BAD news that victims might get justice?

WTF is wrong with that?

[AtheistCrusader]

4. I think the poster is confused.

[trotsky]

5. I sure hope so.

If he's upset that religious rapists are facing justice, that's a big freaking problem.

[Heddi]

7. Especially since the Church, through hiding these rapists

hiding, protecting, and shielding their known crimes from local police, allowed the statute of limitations to run out on any criminal charges that could be brought. The only redress these victims have are through civil litigation. I think THAT is the BAD NEWS -- that the Church hid these rapists, knew of their crimes, shielded them from criminal prosecution, and moved them around and gave them unfettered access to more and more victims. THAT's the BAD NEWS.

[guillaumeb]

10. Bad news that it happened in the first place. eom

And I agree with your analysis.

[guillaumeb]

9. Bad news that it happened in the first place. eom

[AtheistCrusader]

12. Civil suit is better than nothing I guess.

If it can be proven the church covered up the crime, I think that should make a solid case for retroactively extending the statue of limitations in these cases.

Like when you throw out cases related to a particular pair of Police Officers, when you catch them planting evidence in any one case.

[guillaumeb]

13. Agreed. If it can be proven the people involved should be treated

as accessories and conspirators and charged appropriately.

[Heddi]

6. yeah...that's all kinds of fucked up

I think it's great news that victims of ritualistic religion-based child sexual abuse are able to get redress in the only way they can -- through civil lawsuits -- since the church hierarchy has protected the rapists from criminal justice and allowed criminal statute of limitations to run out (in many cases).

I'm not sure why the OP considers this Bad News. We should celebrate when victims of childhood sexual abuse, especially systematic and rampant sexual abuse that was known and covered up in all levels of the Catholic Church, are able to get some small measure of comfort.

[guillaumeb]

11. "Ritualistic"? Please feel free to explain how RCC religious ritual

is the basis for child abuse.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

16. Have you seen The Keepers? Seems the ringleader sexually abusive priest in that case

incorporated RCC religious ritual into his abuse scenarios, or vice versa, as an attempt to justify the abuse. Obviously, this isn't proof that it is, be I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is not uncommon.

[guillaumeb]

18. Even if true, it does not justify describing this as ritualistic.

n my opinion, such wording reveals more about the poster than it does about the incidents.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

19. Well, you've piqued my curiosity.

What exactly, in your opinion, does it reveal about the poster?

Have you considered that they may have been using the word ritualistic in a different sense than you assume?

ritualistic
Adjective

1. In the manner of a ritual.
2. Of or relating to habitual behavior.

Meaning 2 doesn't seem unreasonable in these cases.

[guillaumeb]

20. My opinion is not based solely on the 2 possible definitions.

It is also based on the many posts that I have read from the poster on the subject of religion.

But the poster is, of course, free to clarify the exact intended meaning if it is deemed desirable by that poster.

Edited to add:

And the exact terminology was ritualistic, religion based, so that also speaks to my point.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

21. Well, you did kind of change the meaning,

or at least assume a not necessarily intended meaning, from the poster's words.

"ritualistic religion-based child sexual abuse,"

isn't exactly semantically the same as

"religious ritual as the basis for child abuse."

But, as you say, you believe you have reason to interpret the poster's words in a particular way. I don't know how valid that interpretation might be. I don't frequent Groups, don't usually notice when a post is from somewhere besides the General Forum, and didn't realize this was a Religion Group post until after I'd replied.

While I tend to believe there is an aspect of this sexual abuse by Catholic priests that cannot be entirely divorced from Catholicism, I have no interest at this time in presenting an argument to support that belief, so, that's it from me for now.

[guillaumeb]

8. Bad news that it happened in the first place. eom

[hrmjustin]

14. Yes it is clear to me that is what you meant and don't sweat it.

Let justice be done for these victims!

[guillaumeb]

15. Judging by some of the previous comments,

clarification was requested if not required.

[Voltaire2]

17. maybe the poster is being ironic?