I think maybe it's time I restarted my participation in this thread. Stokes, I'd like to respectfully discuss ongoing abuse of the children by the Catholic Church. Between numerous convictions and the fact that the Pope himself admitted to the abuse, I think we can safely accept that abuse is real. It also seems that pedophilia is disproportionately higher among clergy vs other professions. Kinda chicken and egg, but do you think pedophiles are attracted to church, or Catholic church's culture drives borderline abusers all the way? I guess another way of putting it is: do you think most of the rapes would happened if the rapists chose another profession?
I think church elders ram so much bullshit down the throats of their weak minded followers who cannot think for themselves that some of the most needy and emotionally broken of the flock look at the priesthood as some sort of salvation and venture into it. Then the absolute joke of the morality crap they lay on the up and coming priests (much of it reprinted here for your comedic enjoyment) turns them into sick monsters preying on the weak they used to be, who they are charged with protecting. Instead they rape them. No I don't think ALL of those individuals, had they gone into other lines of work would have become rapists. There is something about the corrupting power and will of the Church that drives some of the sickness. And attracts sick individuals into that kind of demented lifestyle. I mean, read some of the delusionary stuff posted in this abortion of a thread. _
This is assuming you are a rational adult, can think for yourself and have not been brainwashed with talking points handed down by Church elders. Yes, safe to accept that the abuse is very real. Actually, if you deny it, it's disgustingly pathetic. _
idk... So you're saying that otherwise normal person coming into the fold is transferred into a raping piece of shit by the dogma. Idk.... Doesn't sound like the whole story. I think that fundamentally good people are rarely if ever become monsters. Sure, anyone would kill to protect his family, even the most vocal anti gun advocate would pick one of his child's life was in danger (at least if hope they would). But I think there must be something dark in the soul in the first place to start thinking about screwing children. And tbh I'm not sure it's the message. I mean if you listen to the word and take it at the face value, there is nothing particularly sinister. Sure, it's a nice story designed to pull $$ from the pockets onto the treys. But it's not like the priest is advocating sexual free-for-all, not openly. I think maybe at first, centuries ago, those with a seed of dark in their souls saw what was happening after the good word was spread and the sheep left to tend their fields. I think it was not the words, but the deeds that made those dark seeds grow, propagating into centuries-long lines of abuse. But that was then. Now I think it's reversed. Those with taste for the unthinkable, ready to go from fantasies to actions, go to the safest place to abuse, kiddie rape central.
Agreed, abuse is real Let's take it as the starting point. I think it's possible, maybe even likely, that some people made false allegations in the past, but I also have no doubt that there were and are real predators, raping real kids and getting away with it.
Not all priests are rapists but the clergy seems to attract some of the most diseased minds. I think it has to do with the mental makeup and personality that draws some of them to that lifestyle. Not all diseased minds become monsters. But the dogma shoved down their throats might cause some to act on their sick impulses. But I agree with you that it might be a tempting safe haven for perverts with a predeliction to child sexual abuse to join the clergy for the ease of finding prey. _
Of course there is always going to be a few false accusations when money is involved but the overwhelming majority of the abuses are disgustingly real. You don't get convictions when someone is seeking money. You get convictions with evidence. There are thousands of convicted priests. Not falsely accused priests. Guilty priests. _
Forget it Mr. Stokes, you can put up all the evidence in the world, it won't ever sink in. keep putting them up for me though! i eat that stuff up. "You can't convince a believer of anything, for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe" -Carl Sagan
This thread was never a "discussion" about religion but rather the childish re-repeating of Church talking points to further some naive high-horse stance on morality and delusional feel good fantasy land. _
Obviously you've never read (or studied) the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the culmination and distillation of centuries of academic work, by theologians and other academics, based on eyewitness accounts (events witnessed by countless people), historical events, logic, etc. It's a little bit like the Constitution of the U.S., only longer and the result of the work of many more professionals. Just as the Constitution is short but the result of many great minds collaborating together, so too the Catechism of the Catholic Church (what the Church has taught for centuries) is relatively short (though much longer than the Constitution) but the result of many great minds (many more than those who worked on the Constitution actually.) Both brilliant documents on how people should govern themselves, btw, and some say both were divinely inspired. (the founders of the Constitution, while mostly Deists, were very religious nonetheless; George Washington prayed before his biggest victories in forming our great country "Under God") I'm just trying to raise awareness in this thread. It started out with some great discussion and debate, but over time a handful of anti-religion trolls started making vulgar insulting posts, which sadly has turned off the intelligent posters who have since left. I wish the abusive trolls would just stop already, but they continue to hijack the thread; it's supposed to be a place for the 90% or so of the general population who follows a particular religion to discuss their faith with others in a respectful way.
We can make it an actual discussion, the op can continue using it for regurgitative purposes. I think it'd be great if church not just allowed, but encouraged sex among its servers, all kind of sex. I imagine if clergy could engage in sexual activities legally, with each other for example, there would be much fewer cases of sexually abusing little boys.
Come to think about it, Catholic Church could make shitload of money producing educational sex videos. Wouldn't have to be educational either. I'm sure titles like "ecstasy of the gods house" or "nauty priests" would be quite a competition for shady studios.
Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I like it. I bet the membership would skyrocket if there was a Church of Open Love
