So sick of hearing about these priest molesting kids

[Ice_nine]

mer sexual orientation, social construct. you're not actually straight. nobody is.

moving to debate table

[Guest]

@Ice_nine So nobody's straight? Okay? So all guys are sexually attracted to guys somewhere way deep down inside? That's what you're saying?

Edited March 5, 2016 by Guest

[Anomaly]

9 hours ago, Josh said:

@Ice_nine So nobody's straight? Okay? So all guys are sexually attracted to guys somewhere way deep down inside? That's what you're saying?

Josh, 

Regardless of "sexual orientation", these priests are and were sexually abusing others. It seems to happen mostly against boys, but what difference does that really make?  Whether it was a boy, girl, man, woman, or rabbit, the Catholic priest or clergy forced themselves via intimidation, brute force, and emotional and psychological manipulation.   These guys were trained, educated, and employed by a religious organization which claims to be The Moral Authority to Teach and Guide humanity in earth as Gods divinely empowered representatives.   It is mind boggling to hear statistical defenses that percentage wise, it's not much different than teachers or general population.  Other groups don't attend mass, are ordained, don't get special graces through ordination, being prayed for, receiving the Eucharist, or participate as a lifetime dedicated employee of The Church.   

They are in the business of helping souls get to heaven by being good and holy.  They teach you can never lie.  They say it is a mortal sin to masturbate, condemning your soul to an eternity of fiery torment.   Not three days and you're out.  Eternity. 

They break fundamentals tenants of who and what they and the Church claims to represent.  Not as a statistical rarity compared to regular atheists and religious, but about the same rate. THEN, when there is a problem, the bosses and Church work hard for decades to cover it up, escape "scandal" as the priority, and continue to allow these heinous people to continue their abuse UNLESS called out on it by secular society and government of regular people, including atheists. 

The Church is pretty much what you think it is.   A huge organization that exists to protect itself and get bigger and influence what people say and do.  It claims its sole purpose is to speak and instruct as Gods representative in earth.  But look at the type of moral decisions it continually makes.   No different than any other well meaning government or organization or religion.  Certainly not more evil than good, but NOT anything special, despite its desperate claims it is The Fount of Truth.  

Many cultures share the same common sense wisdom:.  "Prove what you say you are by what you do."   Don't say you are the Perfect Institution in teaching morals in the context of our daily lives and tolerate, protect, and protect these priests commuting extreme hypocrisy for decades. 

[Guest]

Watching and responding to 'Spotlight'

 

Fr. Peter Daly  |  Dec. 23, 2015Parish Diary

 

"Spotlight" is a very good movie. It might win an Oscar for best screenplay.

 

"Spotlight" is a very sad story. It might mark a watershed in the way priests are seen in movies.

 

"Spotlight" was a tragedy brought on by sins of priests and bishops. The damage is not yet finished and the perpetrators of these crimes have never been held fully accountable.

 

I went to see "Spotlight" by myself. I knew it would be painful to watch.

 

The movie is the story of The Boston Globeinvestigation of the priest pedophilia scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston. The scandal exploded into public awareness in 2002. The investigative team of the Globe, known as "Spotlight" had generally investigated corruption in government or the police. But they turned their attention to the Archdiocese of Boston with devastating effect. While the scandal broke in 2002, it had been simmering below the surface for years.

 

Michael Keaton leads an ensemble cast that is entirely believable. They capture the atmosphere of the newsroom and the atmosphere of the Catholic church in Boston. The real Spotlight team spent more than a year uncovering the child abuse scandal. They won a Pulitzer Prize for their series and they touched off similar investigations worldwide. It has been a scandal that continues to convulse the church.

 

As a parish priest I found it painful to watch. I was ashamed.

 

I went to see the movie alone. When the movie was over I sat in stunned silence in the theater and waited for everyone else to leave. I did not want to have to talk. Above all I did not want to run into any parishioners. Our church behaved horribly.

 

Every seminarian should see this movie. The USCCB should spend an evening watching it together and discussing it. The only disinfectant that will really lead to cleansing is the bright light of truth. The Archdiocese of Boston would never have reformed without theGlobe stories.

 

At one point in the movie the reporters interview Richard Sipe, the former priest and psychologist, over the telephone. He has spent 40 years treating and studying the sexual behavior of priests. Sipe's character points out what I have long felt to be true: the root problem is celibacy. It creates a culture of secrecy and mendacity. People lie to themselves and the church about their abstinence from sex. They become accustomed to not telling the truth. Bishops are caught up in that clerical culture of mendacity. Sipe points out that 6% of priests act out sexually with children, which was nearly 90 priests in Boston. (nationwide 4% of priests have been accused of sexual abuse of minors, according to the John Jay study.)

 

The movie captures well the clannish and insular atmosphere of Catholic Boston. It took an outsider like Marty Baron, a Jew from Florida, who took over as editor of the Globe to force the paper to take on this issue. The movie mentions that 53% of the Globe readership was Catholic.

 

Catholic Boston was already falling apart by the late 90s, but today it has collapsed, largely as a result of the Spotlight series. The resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law was one result of the stories. The movie hints at the arrogant clericalism in Boston, that led priests and bishops to think they were above the law and accountable to no one.

 

Just before the final credits roll in the movie, a few words on screen mention that Cardinal Law resigned but was never held accountable. He was reassigned to Rome at St. Mary Major in a cushy sinecure. No American bishop has ever gone to jail for covering up these felonies on their watch.

 

Many good things have happened since 2002, largely as a result of the Globe stories. The truth is better known now. We are slightly more honest. Many victims have been helped. There is a universal awareness of creating a safe environment for children. Every priest, deacon, teacher and parish volunteer who works with children is now required to go to child abuse prevention training and to continuing online training.

 

We are now much more cautious about the care of youth. No priest or volunteer is ever supposed to be alone with any youth. Parish priests, like me, have adjusted our behavior. I never give any youth a ride in my car unless there are others present. I never let any youth into the rectory, unless they are accompanied by their parents. If a young person wants to have their confession heard, we go to where other people are present. On retreats or youth trips, priests and deacons do not sleep in the same room with the youth, no matter how many people are present.

 

As good as the movie is it tells only the first part of a continuing story. There is a need for a follow-up movie to tell the story of the enormous payouts of cash and huge settlements to victims, the stonewalling of many bishops, and the bankruptcy of eight U.S. dioceses. That movie could also tell about the many people who have stopped going to church and parish after parish has closed.

 

Maybe the next movie could be called "Fallout."

 

Thirteen years after the scandal broke many people have still not gotten the message. There is a new clericalism and arrogance among many of the younger clergy today.

 

Several years ago, at a meeting of priests in our archdiocese, a bishop said to us, "Gentlemen, after the scandals of 2002, priests no longer get the benefit of the doubt."

 

I remember leaning over to the priest sitting next to me and saying, "The bishop only gets half the message. After the scandals of 2002, bishops don't get the benefit of the doubt either."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

On 3/3/2016 3:01:02, PhuturePriest said:

You're the only person who constantly makes threads about it. In fact, I'm pretty sure you're the only person who makes any threads about it. You are fixated on the issue. You constantly talk about this, constantly make threads about this, and constantly whine and bemoan it. 

I'll show you what it looks like to constantly make threads about it. Prior to this thread I probably made 5 at the most. That's about to change.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Guest

[Nihil Obstat]

16 minutes ago, Josh said:

I'll show you what it looks like to constantly make threads about it. Prior to this thread I probably made 5 at the most. That's about to change.

No need to do that.

[Guest]

Just now, Nihil Obstat said:

No need to do that.

May I respectfully ask why?

Edited March 6, 2016 by Guest

[Nihil Obstat]

6 minutes ago, Josh said:

May I respectfully ask why?

Because - equally respectfully - you post a heck of a lot of new threads already, and a large portion of them have little to no response. No need to make more just to prove a point.

[Guest]

Just now, Nihil Obstat said:

Because - equally respectfully - you post a heck of a lot of new threads already, and a large portion of them have little to no response. No need to make more just to prove a point.

I do post a lot of threads lol You got me there.

[Ice_nine]

22 hours ago, Josh said:

@Ice_nine So nobody's straight? Okay? So all guys are sexually attracted to guys somewhere way deep down inside? That's what you're saying?

no, but . . . yeah sure, why not?

[Guest]

Just now, Ice_nine said:

no, but . . . yeah sure, why not?

I just can't get on board with that (no pun intended) I've heard that IS the case for females. Not that I believe it is although I can't know for sure.

I'm guessing it is true for you and Gabriela.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

On a side note if I was born a female I think there's a good chance I would be attracted to females. Can't say I blame you.

Song of Solomon 7:8 ►         Your stature is like that of the palm,

and your breasts like clusters of fruit. 

 I said, “I will climb the palm tree;

I will take hold of its fruit.” 

May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,

the fragrance of your breath like apples,

 and your mouth like the best wine.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Guest

[Nihil Obstat]

Feminine beauty is probably the most naturally obvious work of Divine genius.

And William-Adolphe Bouguereau is a messenger of God Himself.  Seriously.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Nihil Obstat

[Ice_nine]

you guys are gross

[Nihil Obstat]

11 hours ago, Ice_nine said:

you guys are gross