Are Priests & Catholic Church the most Evil of them all?

I'm not being funny, I'm seriously wondering!

We have known that the Catholic church has a big problem with child molestations.
I remember when it first happened. It was oh' you can't blame it on one bad apple.
Then more and more and more allegations. It seems rare that there isn't a story about molestation.
Now the Pope is talking about Priests that have kept nuns as sex slaves and if they got pregnant they would force
them to have abortions! I can't find the link, but Filipino President Duterte said in one article that it was just known that
priests were going to molest you. Like you just went there and accepted that. How do we just accept that?

When I was a teen/preteen I remember my parents not wanting me to go to Catholic church with friends after a sleepover. I am starting to wonder if there was more to it. I'll have to ask them.

www.apnews.com...
Pope publicly acknowledges clergy sexual abuse of nuns
nuns being forced to abort the priests’ children or bear children that the priests refuse to recognize.

Pope Francis on Tuesday publicly acknowledged the scandal of priests and bishops sexually abusing nuns and vowed to do more to fight the problem,

newsinfo.inquirer.net...
Duterte names priest who allegedly molested him as teen

Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net...
He said he did not file a case because he was still a young boy at that time, and he was afraid. “It was a sort of sexual awakening for each of us,” he said, “We realized quite early that ganun talaga ang buhay (life was like that), “Paano magreklamo (How would you complain)?” he asked, “Takot kami (We were afraid).”

www.worldreligionnews.com...
CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS LOST MORE MEMBERS THAN ANY OTHER RELIGION IN THE U.S.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I wonder sometimes. If this was the true message from god, could corruption exists to readily within the organization, all the way to the core?

In the eastern philosophies, does this type of perversion exists in the same sickening severity and occurrence?

Maybe the message isn't pure. If someone were to find the correct message, would their soul be capable of this corruption?

Child molestation is not just a problem in the Catholic church. There are many Christian communities that struggle with sexual abuse.

I’m happy this pope is not glossing over the facts regarding abuse by the clergy.

It’s important to separate God and His holiness from the sinfulness of mankind. People will sin, but that in no way implies we have a God who doesn’t care or won’t hold them accountable.

The Catholic church is founded on many beautiful truths , just as Judaism was. Jesus did not let the many sins of the Jewish leadership of His days stop him from loving God and serving Him.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I am disgusted by the cover up of all of the child molestation that the Catholic Church has covered up! I am a Christion. I believe Jesus Christ is our savior. I can not accept the cover up of kids being violated! I am not Catholic, but grew up Lutheran. I think the Catholic Church is a Cult. Why? They pray to Mother Marry. Jesus and God, (two in the same) are the only ones who we should pray to.


The Catholics, would not allow me to even receive communion, because I am gay, yet they protect child molesters, and many of them ARE GAY!


All of this makes me sick. Why? Because the Catholic Church protects Child Molesters, and shuns gay people, like my self, who truly believe in God and Jesus Christ, and protects priests who HARM CHILDREN!


If I were a priest, I would have urges, we are all sinners, but I think asking a man to not ejaculate, and have sex, is wrong. Let priests marry. That doesn't mean they don't love God. We all need to be loved, and that includes physically.


I know in my heart, most priests become one, because they want to serve God. If I were a priest, I would go Lutheran. The Catholic church, more than likely CREATES pedofiles!

a reply to: JAGStorm

That whole institution is at the very least corrupt and incompetent, at the worst it’s pure evil and promotes pedophilia. They have time and time again shown pedos that the church will provide you with victims and help cover up your crimes.

Tear everything they have build down brick by brick.

Until about a year ago my position would have been along the lines of : suppress sexuality and bad # happens. Meaning basically #NotJustCatholics. Then I became aware of this and now I think in the catholic church it goes beyond "just" being a bug - it's a feature!

a reply to: JAGStorm

Not until it has transgendered priests and pay homage to a personification of Venus in the form of a prostitute that will allow them into the realm of the gods which is what the Bible claims that which was, which is, and yet to come.

I seriously think its a religion for pimps and hoes but I'm just telling you of those I know.

The only thing that will give them back any credibility is public executions of those who would sully their Lord name before premateral sex. They will be forgiven by God for man can't forgive.

Just like the medieval days of the inquisition what they did to Gays, Jews and Muslims after the reconquest of Europe from the Moors.

originally posted by: MindBodySpiritComplex
Until about a year ago my position would have been along the lines of : suppress sexuality and bad # happens. Meaning basically #NotJustCatholics. Then I became aware of this and now I think in the catholic church it goes beyond "just" being a bug - it's a feature!

I saw that a while ago, creepy beyond belief!

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm not sure the problem is as bad as you are portraying it. I work with a Roman Catholic Church on a volunteer program. Before I was allowed to participate I had to be finger printed and background check done. I was also required to take a class on child molestation prevention which interviewed a number on child molesters in the training film. It was disgusting beyond measure. Since I was required to go through so much vetting and training there is no doubt in my mind the RBC is very much aware of this issue and is taking strong actions to address it.

So I was raised catholic and while I am no longer practicing I am still good friends with my childhood priest who honestly is quite a remarkable man. I have met a lot of priests in my time and never known any who have faced sexual abuse allegations. There are about half a million ordained priests in the Roman Catholic religion, it is I would say a mathematical certainty that some of them are going to commit some horrible acts but I think it would be wrong to paint the entire clergy with the same brush because the church still do lots of good work.

Something else that I think is very important to remember I think is that priests committing these acts has an additional shock value that sells newspapers. Now that's not me saying that it diminishes their crimes but if your local manager at a supermarket is found with some pictures he shouldn't have then it might not even hit the press but if its a priest in the same situation its all over the front pages.

Now I don't want that to come of like I am sticking up for them, I think that there are some deep problems in the priesthood that contribute to them committing acts of sexual misconduct. I think that the vow of celibacy is wrong and it would be interesting to know how much this contributes to it. I also think that historical views on priests have made it very easy, too easy, for them to abuse their position. There is a total lack of oversight, it's not clear to parishioners how to report priest misconduct and it's such a taboo subject in the church to speak against a priest. I think this fundamentally has to change. Basically the tradition of the priests is somehow superior and infallible needs to change, the way the Catholic Church handles all of this stuff has to change to be much more transparent and have better safeguards in place.

But no, in my opinion it would not be fair to say all or even more are "evil" although there are way more of them who are deserving of that label than there should be.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

Now I don't want that to come of like I am sticking up for them, I think that there are some deep problems in the priesthood that contribute to them committing acts of sexual misconduct. I think that the vow of celibacy is wrong and it would be interesting to know how much this contributes to it.

I'm sure there are very good people that are both Catholic and Priests. I'm talking more about the religion as a whole. Maybe it is because of celibacy, or maybe pedophiles have known it is a sanctuary that they could do evil deeds and that the church would protect them.


Take any town and read some stories
www.nytimes.com...
Catholic Priests Abused 1,000 Children in Pennsylvania, Report Says
covered up child sexual abuse by more than 300 priests

300 Priests!! That sure is a lot in just one area.
The sad/scary thing is, I really believe this is just the tip of the iceberg:

Lists of Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse Are Spilling Out Across the Country
www.nytimes.com...


www.bbc.com...
"A Church-commissioned report in 2004 said more than 4,000 US Roman Catholic priests had faced sexual abuse allegations in the last 50 years, in cases involving more than 10,000 children - mostly boys.

A 2009 report found that sexual and psychological abuse was "endemic" in Catholic-run industrial schools and orphanages in Ireland for most of the 20th Century."

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm not sure the problem is as bad as you are portraying it. I work with a Roman Catholic Church on a volunteer program. Before I was allowed to participate I had to be finger printed and background check done. I was also required to take a class on child molestation prevention which interviewed a number on child molesters in the training film. It was disgusting beyond measure. Since I was required to go through so much vetting and training there is no doubt in my mind the RBC is very much aware of this issue and is taking strong actions to address it.

Does that not strike you as all kinds of #ed up that you needed to undergo training on not molesting children?

Like I can honestly say, i've never had a job that needed to train me not to molest children and i've taught children before.....

The fact that people working for the Catholic church need to undergo anti-molestation training kinda says there's a big #ing problem....

And Meh # it

a reply to: JAGStorm

Yeah I have seen first hand many times the good that can come from the work of the church so I would totally disagree with the concept of the faith itself being inherently evil .

Not denying that there are way more “evil” members of the clergy than there should be but i don’t think it’s fair to paint them all with the same brush

a reply to: dug88

The fact that people working for the Catholic church need to undergo anti-molestation training kinda says there's a big #ing problem....

You just summed it up right there!!

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin
a reply to: JAGStorm

Yeah I have seen first hand many times the good that can come from the work of the church so I would totally disagree with the concept of the faith itself being inherently evil .

Not denying that there are way more “evil” members of the clergy than there should be but i don’t think it’s fair to paint them all with the same brush

Well then how do you explain the people at the top of the church covering up these crimes against children (and now nuns) for so long? To me that is evil, from top to bottom!

a reply to: dug88

You would be surprised a lot of that kind of training is about spotting potential victim and abusers.

I don’t thinking it would be a case of a lecturer stand up and saying “right lads no touching kids”

Are Priests & Catholic Church the most Evil of them all?

No.

# bags exist across every segment of civilization.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin
a reply to: JAGStorm

Yeah I have seen first hand many times the good that can come from the work of the church so I would totally disagree with the concept of the faith itself being inherently evil .

Not denying that there are way more “evil” members of the clergy than there should be but i don’t think it’s fair to paint them all with the same brush

Well then how do you explain the people at the top of the church covering up these crimes against children (and now nuns) for so long? To me that is evil, from top to bottom!

That is the institution not the individuals. I also think it’s a much more complex question. In short I would say not the problem has been a lack of reform not a fundamentally evil organisation.

Meh if am honest for personal reasons (not involving me or a priest) I don’t like topics like this on ATS, I just don’t feel it gets the level of sympathy it requires in online forums in general.

People are corrupt. Churches are known cesspools of corruption and graft. It doesn't matter the religion. Some priest in power will take advantage of the situation. I can pull up countless stories of Reverends being glorified pimps busting the cheeks of the women (and boys) in the church, not too mention living lives of luxury from the cash donations.

With Catholic priest I think the situation is a little different in that priest are supposed to be celibate. I think this attracts a certain kind of person to the Catholic church which is why so many tend to be more homosexual in nature molesting little boys.

With that said, you have these kinds of people all over who take advantage of their power and particularly go after young children. I've said this before, I find it crazy that barely legal teen porn is so prevalent. This stuff is a step above child porn (actors 18+ but made up to look like younger teen girls), but leads me to believe the behavior is far more common than we like to think.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I don’t like topics like this on ATS, I just don’t feel it gets the level of sympathy it requires in online forums in general.

Do individuals not make up the institution, you cannot separate one from the other. It's not like Catholic robots were raping boys.
What about sympathy for the kids?
I get there are bad people everywhere. It sure does seem like they are extra extra concentrated within the Catholic Church. I think we have seen it with schools too, but nowhere near the number of the church.

I think it has not been talked about for so long and that is part of the problem. It is not comfortable. It shouldn't be.
We need to do a better job of protecting each other, especially children. We have all failed in a way.