Do the priests know something we don't?

Most of us are likely familiar with the 'pedophile priest' fiasco of recent years. There are also quite a few threads in this forum that discuss church secrets, some of which imply that some of the most basic tenets may be false.

I'm not familiar with all the rules, but I would assume that a priest having sexual relations with an alter boy is a really big no no.

I have a hard time accepting that all these priests involved would commit such an obvious sin because they 'had an urge', unless they know something that most others do not.

Suppose some of the stuff discussed in this forum is not just a 'conspiracy theory' and that some priests are aware of this. If the 'pedophile priests' for instance knew that 'the rapture' was just a story and that Jesus did not really die for them, they may be more likely to act on their urges.

I'm just thinking out loud here.

I'm not looking to defend organized religions in any way, but it is more likely that these individuals just have weak and twisted personalities as many human beings do regardless of their religious beliefs. The real question is what do they have in common that so many have done such horrid deeds. Is it lack of sexual outlet or a power trip or what? I just don't know.

I agree that it is more likely that these individuals just have weak and twisted personalities. After all, they are human just like all of us.

Why would an individual though accept Christ as their saviour, learn all the rules, and dedicate their life to the church, only to disregard those rules that must be followed to be invited into the 'kingdom of heaven'?

These men capitalized on the church forum to seek out the vulnerable. It isnt a coincidence--These pedaphiles seek out the venue which will most effectivly produce a pool of potential victims...
So you cant say..."oh my, Can you believe, he is a teacher, or a therapist or a priest."-
-ofcourse he is, hes a wolf in sheeps clothing sitting in a chicken coop.

I don't believe the priest know something we don't know about the rapture. As a Catholic, I'm not really sure we even believe in the rapture..it's certainly nothing I have ever heard discussed in Church.
The pedophile priests were twisted personalities who were attracted to the priesthood..just as many pedophiles are attracted to teaching, counseling, being boy scout leaders etc.
You can also make the argument that suppressed sexuality (celibacy) can manifest itself in twisted ways.
All in all, I don't think these pedophile priests were acting on anythng other than their perverted, twisted, sense of sexuality and taking advantage of their close relationships and trust with young boys. Sad, but true.
joey

My first experience of a Priest who was a trifle more friendly than he should have been was thankfully indirectly. It was many years ago as a teenager, when I was going out with a Catholic girl and she happened to make a remark to the fact that her Priest had slipped his hand up her skirt. Back in those days (50s) the word paedaphile was almost unknown; I just thought he was a randy old git. There are Predators in all walks of life and vocations; it is something with which we have to come to terms with, but when the perpetrator is someone in whom we place our trust and who (often mistakenly) we set on a pedestal as being "someone better", then it is bad......really bad!

So what you guys are saying is that these priests actually become priests to prey on children rather than to provide spiritual guidance?

I wonder if they are worried about what will happen to them in the after-life.

joey.... I could have used a better example than 'the rapture'. From what I understand, the Catholic church teaches that one must accept Jesus Christ as their saviour to secure their place in 'the kingdom of heaven'. I could be wrong about that. I would also think that a 'pedophile priest' who believes this to be true is, in essence, knowingly giving up his seat on the bus. Does this make my thought process, or whatever you want to call it, more clear?

Im not sure that all of the preists who commited these acts joined the preisthood purely to molest young children, im sure that quite a few of them intended to lead a fully pious life and resist all sexual urges, but slowly became tempted, maybe through lack of intimate contact. Personally Im a person who thrives on being held by a lover, on the small intimate actions like a kiss on the forhead before he leaves for work, or just touching his shoulder as I walk past him into another room, I dont know how I would react having to forsake all of that for the rest of my life, but I dont think it can be a good experience for anyone, or anything.

okay, in america these priests are constantly surrounded by sexual images, and since they can't have sex well... you know it builds. If your a guy what is the longest you have lasted without masturbating? don't answer that in a post just think about it, well imagine that times 100. Now, im not defending what they did, just merely trying to explain why they did it. You look around you see sex, but you can't have it, then it finally builds up to a point where the priest feels like he has to give in. Sick, YES! know something we don't, NO! Atleast not on the heaven subject.

yeah, guys might have it a little worse, but im pretty sure a lot of females cant go too long without masturbating either; they're just better at keeping it secret.

not just in america either, in europe too. If anyone has ever been to western europe you know what im talking about. The monastaries dont allow television, but if you go into the park in the summer you will see women sitting under a tree topless reading a book, half the posters in the train stations have sexual undertones, if you go into a tram or a bus there is a pic of this half naked model, or that completley naked model, if you go down langstrasse in zurich for instance you have a hooker throwing themselves at you every half block. Sexuality is everywhere and its hard for anyone to ignore, let alone a person who is not allowed to experience it.

I understand completely what all of you are saying. I can't imagine never being allowed to have sexual relations. On the other hand, if I did for some reason promise not to, I can't imagine developing an urge for an alter boy. I can certainly imagine breaking my promise for a beautiful woman, but alter boys? I'm speaking from complete inexperience in these matters, so who really knows.

Now if I had joined the priesthood with an unquestionable belief that sinners would burn in hell, unless that belief had changed, I can't imagine any urge that would cause me to do something that would lead to an eternity in hell.

On the subject of sexual images, I don't get worked up over a picture of a topless woman. I may enjoy the image like I enjoy artwork, but that's about it. If it were a real topless woman who happened to be batting her eyes at me, it would be a completely different story.

i want to suggest that you abstain from all sexual activity including masturbation for a period of two years, far less than most preists suffer themselves, and then see how you react to topless women sitting in a park. I dont think that they will still be part of the scenery.

I like religion as an open subject of study, I am not religious or believe in religious organizations.

I will tell you this I had some friends when I was younger that decided to take the call of the church I mean Catholic and after going into the religious studies they became historians and not priest, the reason some of them gave me was that their beliefs change dramatically from what they were brought up to what they learned through the historical facts.

Some priest even when they loose their faith they will continue and become priest, other can not. It is a lot about the history of religion that most people do not get to learn about it because the strong believes they were brought up with.

Yes most men of the cloth become priest because they want to help people and to make a better society but others just like in regular society had hidden agendas and hide behind the cloth.

stick a man in prison for long enough, and he's bound to "not be normal", if you catch my drift

I was just wondering why these christian churches and organizations turn a blind eye to the pedo-priests and hardly say a word to the accused child molester,yet they have tried to get a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

hmm..It appears christians just hate the outwardly gay people who wish to marry but dont seem to mind the gay child molester(which if was a alter boy, I would deffenently consider it gay, regardless of age)

Why no protests against pedo-preists by christians??? yet so many protests on gay marriage..seems a little warped to me

Originally posted by kastinyque
i want to suggest that you abstain from all sexual activity including masturbation for a period of two years, far less than most preists suffer themselves, and then see how you react to topless women sitting in a park. I dont think that they will still be part of the scenery.

Point taken. If this subject was in obsession, I might take you up on your challange. Fortunately though, this is just a matter of curiosity to me. Either way, a beautiful woman sitting topless in a park is a wonderful thing. It's nature at it's finest.

very likley although i'm more partial to the idea that the catholic church is linked to secret ritual child abuse. either that or alot of people figured they could make some easy money by jumping on the "i was molested by a catholic priest" bandwagon.

coffee is our friend

Originally posted by joey
I don't believe the priest know something we don't know about the rapture. As a Catholic, I'm not really sure we even believe in the rapture..it's certainly nothing I have ever heard discussed in Church.

The Catholic church DOES NOT believe in the rapture.
The rapture just came into the fundamentalist christian
thought process in the late 1800s. It's a new escapism
thought and it is only seriously taught within the
fundamentalist Christian sects. Definately NOT Catholic.

People before you start bashing the church please get your knowledge and facts straight. If you are not sure what your are talking about, do a search and get some facts.