http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/archdiocesesaysitdidntshieldkidsfrompriestsWith all the news that’s going around, we must not forget to keep up to date with the super-heavyweight-champion of immorality, The Catholic Church. They finally admitted that they knowingly allowed accused child molesters to stay in contact with kids. They must be very ethical and care a lot about their flock.One thing they never talk about is the non-molesters who permitted this crap by knowingly turning away. Shouldn’t they be considered accessories to rape? I’ve not heard one mention of this, even by prosecutors.They still ignore the issues in other countries, especially African countries and Ireland. They also ignore the adults being raped by priests. But that’s not part of this article. Feel free to post related links here.
If any other organization helped any other type of offender to move away, hide the crimes and bribe off the victims, it would be under more indictments than Enron and Tyco combined and squared.
They would be treated by the FBI like they treat the Mafia.
But when the criminals wear funny collars and speak latin, that makes all the difference.
Well, that will soon all end, proof of the FSM(sbuh) has been raised up out of the Earth by His Noodly Appendage.
http://wrightwing.net/2005/10/13/21/02/60
The “What I don’t see isn’t happening” people should be in just as much trouble as the actual molesters. I mean, it works that way with any other crime. If you see someone rob a store and just walk away, youare just as guilty as the person that actually robbed it. I see no difference here, other than the fact that the Catholic church, as we’ve established in other topics, has copious amounts of cash and hardly spend any of it. cough cough BRIBE cough cough.
The new pope himself is guilty of “seeing” or at least covering up. I was reading an article about it the other day. I’ll be damned if I can remember how I came upon it though. Will try to find the link.
“Pope Seeks Immunity in Texas Case”
http://www.bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=7725
Well, I’ll be damned.
My ex-husband was raised Catholic. His family NEVER missed Sunday services, even on vacation. He went K-12 catholic school, then 4 years in Catholic college. I met him in grad school – his first public educational experience. He met me, an outgoing atheist, and was very happy to never attend church again.
He, his brother, and two cousins were sexually molested for years by his uncle. There were signs, which the family did not see (blinders). When the uncle was finally exposed, he was NOT turned over to the police. The Catholic family didn’t want the disgrace and “gracefully” hid the problem by forbidding the uncle contact with the children — get this — for a few years.
He was 13, the oldest (my ex), and didn’t want counceling, so they didn’t make him go!!!!!! They never discussed it again.
Less than 10 years later, the sick uncle was again part of the family reunions and loved by all. He would hug my ex and exchange Christmas presents like nothing happened. I found out and freaked. He confronted his parents, but doubt he ever got closure.
There’s a lot more to this. I ended up divorcing my ex because of his hidden sexual issues. It’s very sad, and I absolutely HATE with a burning passion the damage the Catholic church did to my ex. He was/is a wonderful man, but so damaged that I could not develop my life with him.
Last I heard, the uncle was volunteering with the Girl Scouts of America, which the pious family considers safe cause he’s with girls.
Now I’m crying.
It’s so wrong.
heatherlexis
I’m so sorry. I wish I could give you a good strong hug.
It IS SO WRONG!
I hope your ex, his brother and the cousins will eventually get some counselling. He may have been too embarrassed at 13, and from there it just spiraled. Men tend to think it makes them seem weak to ask for help.
That family should realize how they are spreading the harm by allowing this man to go about his business. It’s not just wrong, it’s criminal.
I think it’s important to remember that this problem is not just confined to catholicism. There are thousands of cases of sexual abuse by religious leaders of all denominations, just this week a prominent Christian conservative in the US faced sexual abuse allegations from his 3 daughters and possible a nephew. In New Zealand the Former leader of the conservative Christian coalition has just been convicted of engaging in underage sexual activity.
One of the most disturbing cases I learned about this week was the problem in Utah of the “400 Lost Boys”:
http://childbrides.org/boys.htmlThese boys are expelled from their homes for crimes like, watching movies, wearing long sleeved shirts, having a girlfriend. These reasons are of course nonsense, the real reason these boys are expelled is that they are competition for the child brides of the the older men practising polygamy.
Is it the case that we just hear about these examples because they are such extreme examples of hypocrisy, and that sexually abusive behaviour is not anymore widespread within religious communities, than non-religious communities? I’d be interested in any statistics that anyone could point me to.
Personally I have a gut feeling that the repression within these communities, and the belief that god will forgive them for their sins, leads to much higher numbers of sexual abuse cases.
I have witnessed a number of sexual abuse, neglect and violence cases against children whilst under the custody of both religious and social service institutions. In many cases the abuse of children was quite widespread until the 70′s and only recently have these cases seen the light of day.
Acts of abusive against children especially makes me sick to my stomach, what can we do to stop these people?
karen,
Thanks for the hug!
I tried to get him into counceling – he went relucantly while we were together but stopped thereafter. Now, his sheeple family is trying to bring him back into the church. (Insert very long string of very bad words here.)
Gun of Sod,
What about Billboards? How about some humanatarian ones funded by atheist or freethinker groups?
Now, what would our billboards say?
heatherlexis;
That was one of the saddest stories I have ever heard, but you did the right thing to get out. I hope he gets help.
The Catholic Church needs to fess up to the responsibility of creating dysfuction in it’s members. Historically speaking, I think they have successfully created more screwed up individuals than any other organization. Gotta keep those psychologists in business.
My own upbringing in the Catholic Church was rather abusive, but mostly emotional. The nuns in school were evil.
We did have one priest who would frequently come to dinner, get drunk, and have all the girls take turns sitting on his lap. I told my mother even then that he was just too strange, and I did not like it. She made me feel very guilty for saying such a thing.
“Shouldn’t they be considered accessories to rape? I’ve not heard one mention of this, even by prosecutors.”
Yes, they should all be held accountable for their irresponsible incredibly unethical practices.
It’d be nice if there were more studies done on all these institutions to find out if there really are any results when putting so many federal monies toward them. I’m not talking about faith based magic numbers. I mean real numbers, like every other non-profit must account to get more monies. Otherwise, you may as well have the government throwing all its monies away on Astrological causes, and psychic healers. It’s all monies gone toward bunk causes.
Oh yes, and churches are businesses. They run on money like anything else in this economy, and therefore, must pay taxes!
This site has quite a comprehensive listing of church related crime.
It’s a big list too:
http://heartlandvalues.blogspot.com/2000/06/never-ending-chronicle-of-church.htmlHow interesting to note that you’re not alone in your beliefs:
http://www.priestsrapeboys.com
Has anyone ever done a study to see how many of the thousands of accused priests were themselves sexually abused by priests as children? It seems pretty unlikely that there would be over 4000 of them unless there was a pattern of abuse from generation to generation. What percentage is 4000 anyway?
“How interesting to note that you’re not alone in your beliefs.”
Woops, hold on to the rail; there’s a misleading slippery slope on this comment.
Hey peeps, been hard at work on my art for the past few days, but did find time to run across this site about the origins of sexual abuse and violence. I thought you all would find it very interesting! I am running out to buy the book!
http://www.hiddenmysteries.org/conspiracy/history/saharasian.html
SNTC: was wondering where you’ve been.
Great link. Zounds! What a suprise! Violence springs from sexual repression.
Here’s another link, Rollo May: http://mythosandlogos.com/May.html -
“When inward life dries up, when feeling decreases and apathy increases, when one cannot affect or even genuinely touch another person, violence flares up as a daimonic necessity for contact, a mad drive forcing touch in the most direct way possible.” (Love and Will, 1969, p. 31)
I think that sums it up very well.
RA
We are social animals and all social animals need to be touched by others and if we cant get it from our own species we get it from another. Look how many people have pets. Even wild animals form relationships with other species outside their own. My own pets all get along and are very affectionate towards one another. Ineresting thoughts.
I, also was very interested in the year and the time spands that violence became the norm and how it was connected with envirnmental changes and famine. It just goes to show that there is hope!
If you can get the Freedom From Religion Foundation to mail you a sample copy of their newspaper _Freethought Today_, (www.ffrf.org), it includes a crime blotter for priests and other clergy. The crimes range from theft to murder, but sadly, most of the crimes committed by “men of God” are sexual. And there are enough criminal clergy out there to fill up two or more pages of the newspaper each month. Scary.
beverly johnson half wigs
beverly johnson half wigs