Wilso, I grew up in a group that makes the Catholic church look really good by comparison.
Heck in the group where I grew up in the things you rail about in the Catholic Church were actually lauded, not just covered up when it occurred.
And though I despise many people in this group they too are its victims.
This group has done a great deal of harm to a great number of people, but most of the people in the group were decent people who were trying to do good.
It's easy to write off a group as monsters, but also important to remember is that a "monster" is a fictious villain. And such vilification is usually only appropriate in fiction.
It's hard to explain, maybe I can better articulate it another day.
I guess I just can't comprehend anyone not feeling the same way I do on this issue. Children can't protect themselves, which mean someone else has got to. I wish I COULD do more than just scream about it on a website. But I'm not going to ignore it, and I'm certainly not going to go to church each Sunday and put the money in the collection plate to empower them.
And Craven, don't worry about the ad hominem's towards me. My skin is easily thick enough to take it, and I have nothing to fear.
But Wilso...
...the fact of the matter is that everything I've read about this subject seems to indicate that the group that provides the greatest number of pedophiles -- is the group known as "fathers."
And not the kind that wear Roman collars.
Oh...and "uncles" also.
Let's hear you rail about them for a bit.
Fine, start a thread about paedophile fathers and uncles, but this thread is about religion.
This is the reason I'll never stop being angry and vigilante on this issue, and I don't care who's offended.
Frank Apisa wrote:
Oh...and "uncles" also.
BTW. nice try, but it won't work
Wilso wrote:Fine, start a thread about paedophile fathers and uncles, but this thread is about religion.
Yeah, but somehow, it seems to have been hijacked by some wierd, broad-brush confluence of pedophlia and anti-Catholic bigotry, both of which are pretty vile practices
Wilso- Wait a second. Am I reading correctly? Are you saying that molestation by a person's father is less awful than being molested by a priest? If a priest molests a child, he is using his position as a trusted authority figure to take advantage of a child. So then what is going on when it molestation is between a child and his father? or uncle? or teacher? or Boy Scout leader?
timberlandko wrote:
Yeah, but somehow, it seems to have been hijacked by some wierd, broad-brush confluence of pedophlia and anti-Catholic bigotry, both of which are pretty vile practices
No, I'm saying that hijacking a thread is a rather small crime compared to the molestation of a child. But obviously some here disagree.
So in answer to your question, no, you are not reading correctly.
Wilso - how on earth would you know that the rest of us are NOT as affected by this issue as you?
I think that you take a lot upon yourself by thinking that, because the rest of us do not, as you put it, " just scream about it on a website" that we are not as affected as you by child abuse.
Thing is, your obvious passion is rendered useless by the extreme and unbalanced nature of your screaming.
What do you hope to achieve by this behaviour here? The Catholic Church, worldwide, is beginning to have to face up to these aspects of its past - aided by some effective "screaming" for sure - but the catholics are not alone in this. Other churches and welfare organizations are discovering similar behaviour - long covered up - in their cupboards.
Is there nothing more useful you could be doing in your community re child abuse - so that you COULD do something with your passion? Help with fund-raising, education - something like that? Thing is, all organizations will be a little wary of what seems like fanaticism - and as you say, constant digging up of horrors just makes you deeply distressed, and full of rage with, seemingly, no useful outlet.
Being useful in this field (in my not especially humble opinion!) requires reason, discipline, deep but contained and directed feeling - and the ability not to allow yourself to be disabled and destroyed by secondary trauma.
Sorry - bloody preaching again. I shall retire to my warren....
A few of the comments here make me believe that the Catholic church, and it's followers isn't facing up to a damn thing. But they can shoot the messenger all they like. The bullets will only bounce off me.
Deb, they haven't done anything they haven't been forced to. They protect them, they pay off the victims, and they only take action when they're exposed. And the apologists will continue to go to their churches and give them money and empower them to what ever they can get away with.
And this all started because I referred to my anger that a 10 year old boy was suspended from a Catholic school because his mother was in a de-facto relationship, and this was one of the reasons that I consider the institution of the Catholic church to be scum.
But who have the apologists for these hypocritical bastards attacked? Me. So I decided to do a bit of attacking of my own. It's not like it's hard.
Wilso
In all honesty - you are preaching and diplaying your anger to the wrong crowd. What frustrates me is your lack of respect for the entire group -(we) are subject to your venomous course.
gozmo's quote, "Has it not occurred to you that the victims are in the church also; and the reason there are so many newspaper reports is because the good people of the church are taking action against the criminals." Most paedophilia victims of any religious' organization are members of the same church. What I have observed is that it's not the "good people" of the church that are taking action against the perpetrators, but the victims who are now adults. That the leaders of the church remain hushed on this subject speaks volumes to this observer. Remember what happened at the Air Force Academy? The general was fired for being complacent on rapes at the academy.
husker wrote:Wilso
In all honesty - you are preaching and diplaying your anger to the wrong crowd. What frustrates me is your lack of respect for the entire group -(we) are subject to your venomous course.
I've had YOU suggest I was a victim myself, had my words twisted out of context, and even one person try to bait me with the veiled accusation that I was guilty of the crime myself. And you're saying I've got a lack of respect?
Your's is an opinion I simply don't give a damn about. I suppose you're just going to have to live with that.
One last thought:
Anyone who has had any dealings with me in any of these forums knows that you will never have to wonder if I am accusing you of anything...and that I am not given to "veiled" anythings.
