How Long Does It Take a Man of God to Admit Child Rape is Wrong?

[cbayer]

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/joannabrooks/6780/how_long_does_it_take_a_man_of_god_to_admit_child_rape_is_wrong/

January 23, 2013 1:28am
Post by JOANNA BROOKS

Today, the Los Angeles Times published a front-page story reporting that Archbishop Roger Mahony of Los Angeles sat on reports of felony-level sexual abuse of children by priests for almost 15 years before he took action, and that the Los Angeles Catholic diocese waited at least 14 years before reporting abuse to law enforcement.

The LA Times report was based on letters written by Mahony in 1986 and 1987 recently entered as evidence in a civil suit. More documents will be disclosed in the coming weeks.

Here at RD, I have argued that it was the feminist movement’s emphasis on bearing witness to sexual abuse that raised consciousness and created critical mass among Catholic laity towards breaking the abuse scandal open.

And it sure doesn’t take a degree in gender studies to see how a hierarchical patriarchal institution will protect its own before it protects children.

more at link

[Angry Dragon]

1. off to prison with them

[cbayer]

6. I agree. This is heinous.

[Angry Dragon]

39. I like this boat gif better

[cbayer]

40. I'm getting used to it. The other just disappeared the other day.

Can't find it anywhere on the net.

[Angry Dragon]

41. I would check under the rug

You should be able to go to one of your old posts and save it. Put it on photobucket and use it that way.

[cbayer]

42. That's ok. It was time for a change anyway.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

2. About as long as it takes for one of them to admit there is no god with a capital G. n/t

[cbayer]

4. Admit there is no God? Like this is a known fact?

I'm not sure what that has to do with this particular case, though. The coverup here is despicable.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

7. You asked a question, I gave you an answer....

It's a comparison....

[cbayer]

8. I didn't ask a question. That's the title of the article.

But, be that as it may, I don't see the comparison. That's ok, though.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

11. When you place a question in the Thread Title I assume you are asking one. Sorry.

So, let's look at it another way, shall we? Would a true 'man of God' wait more than a nano second to condemn such behavior?

You're absolutely correct, the cover up is heinous.

[cbayer]

12. In my opinion, no. These men are evil, imo, and put their personal ambition

way out in front of what one might call their christian duty.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

13. The church was aware of the problem back in 1950...

That's beyond heinous....

[cbayer]

14. Agree. The perpetrators and their accomplices will never be brought to complete justice, imo.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

15. No, they won't....

I am amazed people still support the catholic church.... It takes a great deal of faith, fortitude and perhaps naivete to do so, imho.

[cbayer]

17. I think people's reasons for support are as varied as there are people.

Some have benefitted tremendously from programs, support in times of need or their own need to be involved in helping others.

Some recognize that change must come from within.

Some want to support the countless number of priests and nuns that were not in any way involved in or aware of what was going on.

The Catholic Church is many things to many people. This is, of course, the darkest recess of their black underbelly.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

18. I would never have been able to send my young children to a catholic church or school...

I am not a very trusting person...and I believe only the tip of this monstrous iceberg has been exposed.

[cbayer]

20. I thought that as well, but for reasons that are very complicated, I ended up with two

in catholic schools for awhile.

I can relate both good and bad things about their experiences, as can they, but they were unharmed.

I also worked fairly extensively with some priests (perps) at one point. The problems were massive and unspeakable, but the numbers were generally not higher than in other groups where adults are give positions of power and access to children.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

22. My 2 went to catholic high schools...

by that time they were beyond the 'target age' and my son would have cheerfully decked anyone who got out of line. I will say this,
it was a great education, but the religious instruction pretty much made him an agnostic, if not a downright atheist.

The numbers, as revealed.

[cbayer]

23. Mine are pretty much "nones", but one of my sons is going to marry

a catholic from a very catholic family.

I talked to him about it and he will most likely convert (that may be the wrong word, as he is completely unaffiliated). He's sees the value to the big family, his fiancé and to his future family. Whether he believes or not is not really an issue for him.

He was lucky to have gotten a very rounded education on various world religions during his time in the catholic school, but he truly hated the required masses, etc.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

24. We seem to have something in common....

My son is dating a girl from a catholic family.

[cbayer]

25. Yes we do. Now, catch this one. One of my daughters married a Muslim

from Pakistan this year. She is a loud and proud atheist. His family, who don't know yet, are going to go ballistic, and we have had discussions about what position she should take as this all comes to light.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

26. Is he a practicing Muslim? How is it working out for them?

I would be worried sick. Are you?

[cbayer]

27. We adore him. He is what I would call nominal.

He does the prayers and some other rituals, but not the diet.

Right now, they say they will never have children, but I expect that will change. That, I think, will be the hardest part.

I worry for them, as the stresses and challenges in their marriage are going to be high, but we have to put our trust in them to figure it out.

I will say this. It's more challenging than having my son marry a catholic, lol.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

28. That's for sure...

My daughter wants neither a husband nor children...at 33 I figure she knows her own mind. My son, 30, wants both...someday.

[skepticscott]

37. "Some recognize

that change must come from within"?? Like this is a known fact?

Some recognize that change will never come from "within" (how's that bus full of nuns working out, btw?) and that the only thing to do is to abandon the RCC for something that meets their emotional and psychological needs without the accompanying moral depravity. "Change" will only come when the last of the child rapists and those who see nothing wrong with hiding and abetting them to protect the church have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

[amuse bouche]

3. They spend their entire lives

in denial of truth. Why would these heinous crimes make them change?

[cbayer]

5. Truth? Which truth?

Truth that god exists or does not exist.

Truth requires proof and neither side has any.

[amuse bouche]

16. Nope

One doesn't have to prove that something doesn't exist. One does have to prove something does exist

In other words... science-knowledge dealing with a body of proven facts and truths

[cbayer]

19. Science has nothing to do with religion, though.

Science can neither disprove or prove the existence of a god or gods, so there is no truth. There is only what each individual believes.

And as long as those beliefs harm no one, why would it make any difference to anyone else?

I don't understand anti-theists anymore than I understand anti-atheists, but I find both groups intolerant and bigoted.

[cleanhippie]

30. But those beliefs DO harm people, that's the point.

[amuse bouche]

32. "Science has nothing to do with religion, though."

And religion has nothing to do with truth

I'll stick to the side of science and truth every time.

"I don't understand anti-theists anymore than I understand anti-atheists, but I find both groups intolerant and bigoted."

Your false equivalency is just beyond pathetic

[cbayer]

34. Pathetic?

I would bet that no one will ever know the truth about the existence or non-existence of a god or gods.

Those that claim to, be they theists or atheists, and maintain that everyone else is wrong or two sides of the same coin.

I love science and I love truth, but neither is applicable to religion.

And I will refrain from calling your ideas any names. How's that.

[amuse bouche]

35. People have worshiped more than

3,000 gods. Not one has ever been proved

Yep...pathetic

[cbayer]

36. And not a one ever will be. So what?

I am sorry that you have pity for me.

Wishing you all the best.

[cleanhippie]

21. No, not denial of truth, but denial of reality.

Denial of reality in favor of fantasy that can be construed to allow whatever nonsense they want.

[amuse bouche]

33. Ok,

They deny both.

[hrmjustin]

9. How long till they put him in jail.

[merrily]

10. He also lost track of one of the pedophile priests for years and did not report that, either.

The priest eventually turned up working in a mission.


Two blocks from an elementary school.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

29. Everyone in the hierarchy, from the Pope on down, seems to have overdosed on stupid pills.

They think that they are defending the Church by denying that there is a real problem, or by covering it up or by blaming everyone else. In fact, they are damaging the Church's reputation. Apparently, they have forgotten that what made Nixon resign the presidency was not the Watergate break-in itself, but his attempts to cover up the break-in.

[cbayer]

31. Agree. It's a reflection of their belief that they are above the rules and laws of mortal men.

Justice will never be served, imo, but the damage they have caused will never be forgotten.

[dimbear]

38. Let's say it takes 14 years to admit that the raping of a particular child is wrong.

Does anyone else notice that that is about long enough to ripen another child? Mark your calendars now for 2027. That's when we will hear about the current cases.

The Southpark show that tore this up nailed it. The RCC considers its clergy a thing apart from humanity, magical beings intermediate between men and gods. That's the core of the problem--immunity to human law.