tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post4622754452893147340..comments2023-09-24T07:53:50.826-05:00Comments on The Atheist Experience™: The Vatican: A Nation of Sexual PervertsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-27968581360784191752010-04-03T21:56:01.261-05:002010-04-03T21:56:01.261-05:00Nice try playing the victim card, Bella, but it wo...Nice try playing the victim card, Bella, but it won't wash.<br /><br />None of us has ever made the claim that all the Catholic laity are as guilty of the same crimes as the priesthood. None of us has ever made the claim that non-Catholics never abuse kids.<br /><br />Here's why the RCC pedophilia scandal is so exceptional and causing so much global outrage (you have probably failed to notice, in your rush to carry your own cross to Calvary, that it isn't only atheist bloggers attacking the Church for their handling of these crimes): Here you have a monolithic religious organization that has been granted the same standing as a <i>sovereign nation</i>, with a leader who is treated like a head of state and who is held by believers to be an infallible direct conduit of God on Earth.<br /><br />It turns out that this organization is responsible for child sexual abuse on an epic scale — we aren't talking a small handful of isolated incidents, we're talking about cases numbering in the <i>tens of thousands</i> throughout the entire global network of the church. In other words, a <i>systemic</i> predilection by church authority figures, whom the laity have been taught to trust implicitly, to abuse that trust with the grossest acts of exploitation imaginable. And a <i>systemic</i> pattern of covering up those crimes, and protecting the perpetrators, moving them around and literally <i>enabling them to continue their pattern of sexual abuse</i>. This isn't "the actions of a few," this is <i>institutionalized</i>. And there is literally no parallel to it among any other group or organization in the world. None.<br /><br />I take it from the tone of your comment that you are probably a member of the Catholic laity. Perhaps these things are too shocking for you to accept fully, and so it's easier and more comforting for you to deal with them by acting like it's everyone else's fault for being "bigots" ganging up on the Church. Or perhaps you have become so morally deadened by a lifetime of Church indoctrination that you simply cannot see what the big deal is about tens of thousands of human beings having their lives destroyed because in their childhoods, they were <i>RAPED</i> by men of the cloth they were taught were godly, safe and trustworthy figures of authority. Which is it?<br /><br />Seriously, all I can say to you is WAKE UP. The whole stinking edifice is rotten. And if you're one of the good people among the Catholic laity, <i>fine</i>. But don't become complicit in their crimes by ignoring or downplaying them. Show some courage and strength of character by demanding to know if any priest in your diocese is guilty of any crime against a child. And if so, demand that that person be defrocked, arrested and <i>prosecuted</i>!<br /><br />Seriously, what's more important to you? The safety of children, or protecting your church?<br /><br />How you answer that question determines what kind of person you are. <br /><br />And you call <i>us</i> cowardly?<br /><br />Go to hell.Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17933545393470431585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-84529367795659637162010-04-03T20:24:24.065-05:002010-04-03T20:24:24.065-05:00I understand you have a right to your opinion. Whe...I understand you have a right to your opinion. Whether or not you choose to believe in God, that's your decision. However, I think it's truly a shame that in your zeal to discredit God and religion you have to bash all Catholics like this...as if each and every person in the Catholic church is bad. If you were truly interested in truth then you'd realize and report that sex abuse can happen anywhere and with people from all walks of life and all creeds. Indeed, there are probably athiests and agnostics who are guilty of it, too. I think it's cowardly to label an entire group of people based on the actions of a few. In fact, it's more than cowardly. It's called bigotry.SabrinaTheArizonaDesertRosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04603148816744873455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-7218216772875372362010-03-26T11:58:18.009-05:002010-03-26T11:58:18.009-05:00http://d2.stern.de/bilder/Humor/haderer/haderer_08...http://d2.stern.de/bilder/Humor/haderer/haderer_08_10_noscale.jpgfelixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00749925395851545703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-61603529310438240162010-03-25T18:59:51.485-05:002010-03-25T18:59:51.485-05:00Hm, I just watched the latest episode of Real Time...Hm, I just watched the latest episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, in which Bill said that the Catholic Church has always been a kind of beacon for sexual deviants to join in, to gain access to victims.<br /><br />Surely there's something wrong with these abusers, but somehow I'm having a hard time believing that there's a whole bunch of pedophiles out there who just one day decide to become priests for the rest of their lives, just for the easier access to potential victims.<br /><br />I guess it would be the logical thing to do, as the famous English bank robbers answer to the question "Why do you rob banks?" was "Because that's where the money is".<br /><br />Maybe I'm influenced by the Hollywood cliche of the troubled man who slowly descends deeper into insanity, but I've always thought that these sexual problems are something that develops over time, and certainly a Catholic setting would be an ideal catalyst. Some article said that many escape into priesthood so they can avoid dealing with problems in their sexual identity, which could surely mess them up even further in the long run.<br /><br />It's a kind of a 'chicken or the egg' question, and surely it's incredibly hard to psychoanalyze the reasons behind these sexuality issues, but sometimes I see people trying to argue that these pedophile priests are clearly some sort of deviant "double agents" who've managed to infiltrate the church, posing as "normal" priests.<br /><br />Or as some of the Catholic priests and cardinals like to say, they're just gays who've become priest because they like to have sex with young boys, which kinda makes it seem like they're still _totally_ missing the point and unable to admit any fault.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03885255304443725136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-40615202148921170742010-03-25T14:41:54.543-05:002010-03-25T14:41:54.543-05:00"Mr. Churchill, Please tone down your rhetori..."Mr. Churchill, Please tone down your rhetoric! Certaintly we can address the problem in Europe with out attacking Ol 'Rolf"<br /><br />*godwinnedInghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13024689390434414829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-39094494683368703092010-03-25T13:09:11.089-05:002010-03-25T13:09:11.089-05:00As a new survey reveals, only one in six Germans t...As a new survey reveals, only one in six Germans trusts the Catholic Church, and only one in four trusts the Pope.<br />Yes, you're probably thinking "wow! that's a lot of people! how can they?"<br />Well, that's what I thought.<br /><br />But keep in mind, a third of Germans are Catholic (at least registered, if probably not notably practicing). So, less than half of German Catholics trust their own church anymore.<br /><br />Official numbers for the whole country aren't in yet, but so far, several Catholic stronghold regions and communities have reported doubled figures of people leaving the Church, compared to the same time frame last year.<br /><br />The Church has tried every thinkable defence: it's the sexual revolution's fault, it's the liberal's fault, it's a communist/atheist subversion plot, we knew nothing, abuse isn't actually abuse when you look at it properly, all those cases were very long ago, this doesn't happen today anymore, we're already doing everything we can, and finally the old classic: you're doing it too.<br /><br />Gotta go now, laters.<br /><br />word ver: barkinfelixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00749925395851545703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-48644932547311408632010-03-25T10:57:15.100-05:002010-03-25T10:57:15.100-05:00Here's something funnier than hell: A column ...Here's something funnier than hell: A <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/michael_coren/2010/03/19/13294971.html" rel="nofollow">column</a> by a Canadian Catholic right-winger.<br /><br />What does he say?<br /><br /><i>Let’s confront the problem of abuse without attacking the Catholic Church</i><br /><br />Uh how?<br /><br />Let's attack organized prostitution rings without attacking the mafia!Reynoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316048340050664487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-34339662557351937602010-03-25T04:13:54.899-05:002010-03-25T04:13:54.899-05:00I was quite aware of the scandals here (in the net...I was quite aware of the scandals here (in the netherlands and the rest of europe) and I am glad in a way (it's all coming out now). In another way I am horrified, not only at the sick abuse so many suffered (BTW there have been quite a few cases of abusive nuns, not sexual abuse, but severe mental and physical abuse about too) but at the reaction of older catholics, because they don't care! just like Don said in his analysis. THEY actually feel insulted by the abuse victims! Because those who were abused are hurting their little magicshow church. They go so far as to suggest that many of the abuse claims probably are false anyway. And these are LAY people.This only goes to show how well the catholic church indioctrinates it's members.<br /><br />This scandal is hurting the catholic church in the netherlands bad (good) especially when you add a minor scandal concerning gays just before this whole abuse thing came to light. The church would deny openly catholic gays the piece of bread and wine (I can't think of the proper english term at the moment). For many this new horrifying scandal just puts the nail in the catholic coffin. It's just so sad that many people had to live alone with their abuse for 40+ years. benedict XVI has done nothing to change that opinion either with his weak ass apology which did not include any serious introspection on the church's side. Add to that the fact that Cardinal ratzinger (before he became pope) was the head of the church organisation which was supposed to deal with catholic priests who did some crime/ went against the church. This organisation (which I don't know how to properly translate to english... again) made the policy decision to keep sexual scandals as quite and secret as possible. so not only was the current pope responsible for covering things up in his german diocese, he was actually the head of the church institute, that made it POLICY to cover sexual scandals up wherever and however possible for the ENTIRE catholic church, not just ratzinger's diocese.Fritshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10283591813641507318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-38072328808097725082010-03-25T01:01:56.144-05:002010-03-25T01:01:56.144-05:00Though in point of fact, this is nothing new. It l...Though in point of fact, this is nothing new. It looks like the present day Vatican is kicking it old school. Back in the good old Middle Ages, being pope was like being Mick Jagger: all the debauchery you could handle, plus pie. Clement VI (reigned from 1342-52) was a total pimp who loved gambling and throwing elaborate and sumptuous banquets, surrounded himself with an entourage that included musicians and knights, and lived in a vast palace with its own zoo, steam room, and money vaults that probably looked like the one in Harry Potter. His personal wardrobe had over 1000 ermine skins, and he wore enough bling to make every hip-hopper alive commit mass suicide in envy. When some of his cardinals suggested he might be overdoing it, and that perhaps he should be a bit more humble and pious like some of his predecessors, Clement is said to have calmly replied, "My predecessors did not know how to be popes."Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17933545393470431585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-54132379404260703422010-03-25T00:32:49.101-05:002010-03-25T00:32:49.101-05:00Very nice analysis, Don.Very nice analysis, Don.Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17933545393470431585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-9330772364936058622010-03-24T17:56:29.258-05:002010-03-24T17:56:29.258-05:00Yep, that's the Catholic Church in a nutshell:...Yep, that's the Catholic Church in a nutshell: a hunger for power and influence, but a contempt for ethics or responsibility. The recent scandals don't anger me as much as their cowardice.Guillaumehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376749604845793465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-26074798734523052382010-03-24T17:02:01.944-05:002010-03-24T17:02:01.944-05:00"The viscous cycle"? I always knew the C..."The viscous cycle"? I always knew the Catholic Church was slimy!Maurohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08598784025003672866noreply@blogger.com