It is time for the cult of Priesthood to end

[edhopper]

The "celibate" Priesthood is not the sole reason for the pedophile scandal. But the closed cult of the Catholic Clergy, where they are separate from the rest of society is the reason it festered and was hidden. The Priests were more important than the children they abused. The Church is the clergy, not the powerless congregation. It is a hierarchy that is long past it's time.

[wasupaloopa]

1. My brother is a Catholic priest. He does not molest children.

He has a parish in El Cajon CA. He is not isolated from people. He lives in a house in a neighborhood like you do.

I go to see him monthly. We spend time with his non priest friends. He is popular in his community.

You are not informed about what you are talking about. Your blanket statement is not truthful.

[trotsky]

2. "Not all priests."

Yeah, we know. No one has said otherwise. But the institution itself has for so long insisted on putting its hierarchy above the laws of society, it has become hopelessly corrupt. I'm sure your brother could do just as much good with some other church or organization, too. One that doesn't protect child rapists.

[wasupaloopa]

3. I would get a hide if I said what you and your post deserves.

That we don’t have a rule against blanket condemnations of whole groups of people is a shame.

[edhopper]

5. No rule against calling out an organization

that has engaged in decades of criminal activity and enabled the rape of thousands of children.

I see regular Catholics as separate from the Church, as does the Church itself.

[wasupaloopa]

6. Yes there is something wrong with saying the Church

as an organization is criminal.

Some members are criminals, some leaders are criminals, the church is not criminal.

You are just plain wrong in saying that and it is a shame I can’t alert on your posts.

It is slander to say what you are saying.

[edhopper]

9. Any organization that fosters

decades of child rape is criminal.

Alert away.

[Pope George Ringo II]

10. Their cover-up of crimes was structural and foundational.

That's a pretty good start on a definition of a criminal organization.

[Act_of_Reparation]

11. Oh, spare us.

If such a rule were in place, no one here would be able to criticize the GOP, the Trump Administration, the military, intelligence agencies, or greedy corporations. This place would fall the fuck apart in seconds.

[Fix The Stupid]

13. Uh-oh...jaysus gonna be peed off!

You forgot to capitalize "church" in the body of your post...

I'll save a seat for you in hell.

Cheers.

[MineralMan]

14. Actually, there isn't.

There is ample evidence for saying that. That evidence extends back to the very beginnings of that organization and its hierarchy.

[Voltaire2]

17. An organization that enables and covers up

crimesis a criminal organization.

[Mariana]

18. Do you deny that the Church has protected child molesting priests? nt.

[MineralMan]

12. The condemnation is for an organization and its hierarchy.

It's not for individuals who work for that organization. They can work elsewhere. The particular organization has a centuries-long history of bad behavior. It deserves being called out for that.

[trotsky]

15. You'd get a hide, because you are making a false statement.

At NO TIME did I refer to "whole groups of people."

I specifically said "the institution" and "its hierarchy."

That you are twisting that into an attack on all Catholics is pathetic and desperate.

[Voltaire2]

16. In Pennsylvania they have now documented 70

years of institutional abuse involving 300 priests.

This is not isolated to Pennsylvania. It is a worldwide pattern repeated over and over.

So like what exactly are you upset about again?

[Major Nikon]

20. Evidently the real victim is the RCC's repution

Which the RCC itself worked so hard for so long to destroy. One has to wonder how much less time it would have taken had there not been as many apologists.

[trotsky]

24. He's upset that someone on the Internet is criticizing the church for enabling this.

More upset than that there were AT LEAST a thousand kids abused, apparently.

[thucythucy]

21. An organization that insists on celebacy

and excludes women from positions of authority is ripe for abuse.

Have you seen "Spotlight"? One of the points made in the film--which had never occurred to me before--was that by insisting on celibacy the Church was fostering a culture of deception--because a large minority, if not a majority, of priests at some time or another break that vow. Even if those sexual encounters are between consenting adults, the fact that they are forbidden by Church law means that many have something to hide, creating a culture of secrecy and looking the other way which pedophiles find quite conducive to perpetrating their crimes.

The Pennsylvania report is only the latest shocker, but it should come as no surprise.

I know several victims of priest abuse, one is a very dear friend. Though the abuse happened many decades ago, he's still scarred. One of the saddest parts of his story is that he couldn't tell his own parents, because they were both so devout he knew they'd be devastated, and had to wait until they'd both died before he could share his story with the rest of his family. As someone said, also in "Spotlight"--it's not just a rape of the body. It's a rape of the mind and, if you believe in such things, also of the soul.

We need a national commission, a special prosecutor if you will, to go through this whole sordid story. And an extradition mechanism for bringing priests and higher-ups who've been moved out of the country back here to face justice.

I can't think of any other way to finally solve this problem and keep it from repeating into the next generation. Allowing groups to police themselves never works. And lest people say I'm singling out the Catholic Church, I think a similar process should be undertaken for any organization--religious or not--in which such horrific abuse has been so widespread, and allowed to fester for so long.

[edhopper]

4. It is the RCC heirachy and institution I rail against

there are good people who vote Republican, doesn't mean it isn't a corrupt Party as a whole.

Time to end the cult of priesthood. Time for this criminal organization to change or end.

[wasupaloopa]

7. How many times are you going to say that meaningless

meme?

[edhopper]

8. That the RCC is a corrupt, criminal organization?

How long are you going to close your eyes?

[Major Nikon]

19. Had he said all priests are molesting children you might have something

As it is this is the best you could manage...

[Bretton Garcia]

22. "All" PRIESTHOODS however,.may be "CULTS", though, some historians say

Last edited Thu Aug 16, 2018, 06:50 AM - Edit history (1)

Our word "cult" cones from the old Latin "cultus." Which, some say, once stood for any small group of intense adherents, advocates, priests, of any church or god.

Sociology has much to say about the flawed intensity, loyalty, of such subcultures. The members are intensely, .fiercely loyal. Even to the extent of covering up, continually generating excuses or apologetics, "whitewashing," for their obvious shortcomings, sins.

So maybe not " all" priests are say, child mollestors. But there's an interesting argument out there, that all of them are say, "cult"ists.

[edhopper]

23. I would say any religion with clergy

that are separated from society are cults.