URBANA, Ill. (AP) ? A Catholic priest on the University of Illinois campus has been charged with selling cocaine from his church office and rectory.The Reverend Christopher Layden pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of delivery of less than 1 gram of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church and one count of possession with intent to deliver 1 to 15 grams of cocaine near a church.The 33-year-old was arrested Wednesday at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center after investigators found 3 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia while searching his home and office. His bond was set at $50,000.The Catholic Diocese of Peoria says it has suspended Layden.His attorney, Mark D. Lipton, did not immediately respond to an after hours message seeking comment.
What happens when you bend over to toot your coke from your priest? It’s just too easy.Those silly Catholics, with their rape and drugs and deviant sexual behavior. If only they had a moral compass like us Atheists. If only they knew that saying “I’m sorry” to an invisible man in the sky was NOT the same as actually refraining from doing it again. And again. And again.BUT those crimes (selling in/near a church) are bogus to begin with. Why is selling near a church considered worse than selling in an office building — like selling near a school? A crime is a crime, church or no church.But now, Father snorts-a-lot will pay for the crime anyway. At least his god forgives him.
The catholic church is such a total joke. The celebration of Christmas at the winter solstice was a compromise holiday to absorb the Celtics and Gaelics in Britain and observe their renewal of life ritual using evergreen trees which do not lose their leaves in winter. Rabbits and eggs on Easter, a fertility rite, and Madonna worship to absorb the Greeks who worshipped Artemis, the god of motherhood and nurturing. Nothing in the new testiment makes any recommendation about elders in the church being celebate, but the church mandates it nonetheless. So when catholic boys grow up and realize they are not attracted to girls, they assume it is the calling of the lord. They go to seminary school and pack each others fudge, and all is well. To move some blow, all the better, priesthood only pays off if you make it to the big leagues.
NeoWolfe
You have to forgive the poor Father, sheesh living the life of a priest I’d need some blow too
I wonder if the author of this blog just takes the juicy stories and just ignores ones like this:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4744194.ece
“The Church of England expressed deep concerns last night about the spread of creationist views as it prepared to unveil a website promoting the evolutionary views of Charles Darwin.
Anglican leaders fear that ?noisy? advocates of a literal interpretation of the Bible – especially in the United States, where even the Republican vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, is a vocal supporter – are infecting the perception of Christianity worldwide.
The Church will launch the website on Monday, a few weeks after the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s first public proposal of natural selection and amid growing controversy over the teaching of creationism in schools.”
That’s the fun thing about creationism. They can hide behind the general christian population up to the point where they are found out and easily mocked by their own faith.
Asemodeus:
Good article. I agree with your view. I would like to see more stories like this.
Asemodeus:
The Church of England no more represents the worldwide church of Christ as does American Atheists. Having them apologize for some believers promoting creationism is about the same as The Jesus Seminar doing the same. The Anglican church is ordaining gay priests and now gay bishops. Many of the clergy doesn’t even believe in *Jesus*. They are a mockery of Christianity, and any Christian worth his salt knows that.
A Catholic priest was arrested for selling cocaine. Great. Uh… what does that have to do with the truth of the Gospel? Nothing. Nada.
Want to see what happens to an organization that mocks God? Take a look at the disaster that is American Atheists . Haha. I have to laugh at you guys, because you are you’re own worst enemy. Now you’ve got the latest disaster with ousting Ellen (a VERY smart move, by the way) and you guys just keep helping us ‘ole Christians out. Ellen alone was responsible for at *least* 10 people I know coming to a decision for Christ. Her vehemence *drove* people to Jesus.
I use your blog to show people the pettiness of non-believers (thanks for that, by the way). I have them read your blog and all the associated blogs you list. For them to get the overall feel. Then I ask them, does this seem like a friendly people who are invested to “free” you? Or does this seem like an angry, back-lashing group that has a BIG chip on it’s shoulder? Never fails.
Bishop Tutu said, “If you want to keep people subjugated, the last thing you place in their hands is a Bible.
“There?s nothing more radical, nothing more revolutionary, nothing more subversive against injustice and oppression than the Bible.”
Thanks for your site.
juderunner
The Truth of the Gospel? My opinion is…is that there is no truth …
The Truth of the Gospel is that it is a collection of stories by men to control men and women….and when people tell me that it is the likes and dislikes of a supernatural being suggesting that I better heed or face eternal damnation then I say in an angry response to keep there silly superstitions to themselves inside the walls of thier tax free clubs….
your damn right Im angry…..my life is being governed by evangelicals in this country that think they have a moral authority from a supernatural being….our supreme court is one justice away from making decisions based on that moral authority from a supernatural being……
I say say, “If you want to keep people subjugated, the first thing you place in their hands is a Bible or a Koran.
juderunner,
First you criticize this blog for generalizing when we discuss Christians. Then you claim to use this blog as a general demonstration of how all non-believers are petty. Brilliant!
There are indeed some petty comments. There are also erudite and well informed opinions based on considerable study of your belief system and its truth as represented in the old and new testaments. Any person with a modicum of critical thinking skill would be self deluded if he or she, having read all of it, could maintain a belief in such a collection of ludicrous stories; all of which were collected and vetted(many rejected) by the Catholic church hundreds of years ago. Authenticity?
This blog, at the most, represents probably under a hundred individuals of very different opinions, some as ludicrous as any theist. It’s a place where people feel free to vent; all blogs are like that.Get over yourself.
You have demonstrated the self-congratulatory myopia of a typical bible-thumper.
2TIMOTHY
23,Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24, And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
From the Amplified bible
This is such a bogus comment…
The only moral compass an atheist develops is his own internal moral compass. They don’t have any standard that all atheists must follow…
That is why when any group of our society attempts to live to a higher moral callilng, and fails, people like Dave are the first to stand in the corner and sneer…
The fact that Dave mocks this priest and posts this story shows how he has failed at living up to that “moral compass” that only atheists possess…
It is so easy to kick someone when they are down…it takes alot more character to show mercy and compassion….
But as Dave has expressed in the past…he has no mercy. No compassion towards anything catholic…
Hey Dave…I’m still waiting for your formal complaint against the DNC for their closing prayer in Dever…
You can also add this to the list of the party that respects the “myth”…
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/sep/13/editorials-trivial-pursuits-on-the-trail/
Of course AA will never rebuke a Dem publicly for their comments about Jesus…
Hey, has AA ever formally rebuked a Dem on the violation of the “myth”?
I’ll bet not…
No, atheists are just like everyone else in that we possess an innate sense of right and wrong that evolution has provided us with in order to live as social animals. If you didnt posess an untaught sense that killing everyone who made you mad is wrong then how long do you think you would survive in a society?
The moral standards that you espouse are not based on what is right or wrong so much as what the sky tyrant deems to be offensive to him. Is there really anything inherently wrong about working on Sundays, having consensual gay sex, getting divorced, or eating pork? No of course not but these actions are “sinful” because your make believe bully in the sky says so which is apparently enough justification for unthinking xians.
My point is that religious people are no more or less moral than atheists although they have a false sense that they have the moral high ground. Being on this high ground makes the falls that much harder.
Priests, ministers, and all professional religious “workers” are hypocrits. If they are educated enough to get a college degree, plus a seminary certification, they probably doubt the truth of their holy books. Hypocrisy is their stock in trade. I think they take up their calling because it is usually a very easy job, and it is easy to con the ignorant. So the ones like the cocaine selling priest are just expanding their false ministry and making a few extra bucks. Most successful ministers would make effective snakeoil salesmen or carnival barkers.
godless,
Excelent post, now, GET OUT OF MY BRAIN!!!!!
NeoWolfe
As for the law about not selling dope near churches…the cities around here have all sorts of ordinances like that, where you can’t even sell alcohol within 500 feet of a church, which has prevented some gas stations with convenience stores from being able to locate in certain places. Such laws are ridiculous. If the temptation to buy alcohol is that hard for church-goers to resist, then locating it further away from the church really isn’t going to make any difference. This is what the local politicians waste their time on.
Churches hold school. If the reasoning for enacting these prohibitive laws around public and private schools is valid, than so its application near churches. (If that church has school, at least.)
the golden rule is a good standard that i think most atheists subscribe to along with the rule of law.
off topic looks like financial sector is in big trouble.
If this is the only blow scandal he’s involved with then he’s not doing too badly considering Catholic Priests’ track record. XD
reason
I have been watching this slow motion train wreck in the making for over four years. All along the way I have been pleading with friends not too to invest in real estate and to save for the impending doom. Some took the advice while others brushed me off with an “You’re not a financial expert.” The later, I am sure, have a different opinion now.
Folks, this is going to get much worse. Much.
I hear ya what….
Will we experience the worst and have hyperinflation…..
gs…
So are claiming that there is a “right and wrong” based upon no known standard?
I am stating that most people, except sociopaths, know right from wrong without having to think about it because evolution of a social species such as ours has equipped us with this ability. Science shows that there is a universal code of morals that exists through time and place for humans which is untaught.
Right and wrong are not mandated by a petty tyrant in the sky who smites people for picking up sticks on the Sabbath or having gay sex. Why would such a dictator be worthy of worship anyway? out of fear? no thanks. I dont respect authority for the sake of being authority.
No, there are standards. We simply understand that good is good, and bad is bad, and that every case must be taken individually. The only difference between an enlightened theists religous views and an atheist is that one does not require something to prop up their morality.
To Juderunner, I know those little pills may not seem important, but you still need to take them.
P.S. Tutu condemned the persecution of homosexuals, so citing him against the anglican church holds little value.
There is no “right” and “wrong”. There is what you need and there is what I need. But that which we need is very similar because of our biology. On a daily basis we balance cooperation and competition to acquire what we need. The behavior that brings a desirable balance to the competition and cooperation is deemed “good” and that which does the opposite is deemed “bad”.
Phreeky is stuck in that child like state that craves obsolutes.
Charlie
Nope. It will be a mixed bag. The terms inflation and deflation wont describe what will transpire. Corrosion is a better term.
John “Keating Five” McCain said today that ?the fundamentals of our economy are strong?. Tried justify this with the claim that the US is ?the most innovative, the most productive, the greatest exporter, the greatest importer.”
Sorry Johny but I wouldn’t be bragging about being the biggest importer. And we aren’t the greatest exporter. The European Union is. If we are talking countries only then it’s Germany.
Vote Obama-Biden
The rest Palin comparison.
Will no one answer Phreedm?
phreedm who?
I already did. See above.
Godless
Better luck next time.