Too stupid to breathe

[Saint John]

Catholic Pedophile Priests:
The Effect on US Society

The many flaws and omissions in the official report
still cannot hide that this is a crisis of historical proportions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People established by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has not had an easy time of determining the extent of the sexual abuse of minors within the American Roman Catholic Church. Not surprisingly, there has been considerable internal opposition. This resistance was so bad that long before its work was finished, its chairman, Frank Keating, was forced to resign after he compared the Church's actions to the Cosa Nostra, which rather proved his point.

Unfortunately, however, these initial numbers are likely to be the only official accounting ever done by the Roman Catholic Church. As soon as the report was published, the UCCB acted swiftly to cut the National Review Board's feet out from under it. For this was to be the preliminary report; the audits were to be completed and a larger report issued. Furthermore, the Board had planned further follow-up reports to follow the implementation of their proposals.

That will not happen now. And so the Church has squandered its last, best chance of ever coming clean.

Certainly the fact that the report was reluctantly commissioned by the bishops who have been responsible for the crisis does not reflect well on its credibility. Nor does the fact that they only reason they ever did so was due to the constant and unrelenting pressure since the early 1990s by victims and advocacy groups, and later, the news media — not to mention the drain on their treasuries from huge settlements and dwindling contributions. Many dioceses with much to hide did not want to co-operate. Religious orders, the report acknowleges, were even worse. The results are still missing from some groups, and the rest are spinning their denials and minimalizations as fast at their highly paid PR firms can turn. And as it's all self-reported, there is no guarantee of any kind of completeness nor accuracy.

The focus was criticized as too narrow, being concerned solely with child sexual abuse. Other situations where clerics have sexually acted out with adult women and men, nuns and seminarians, have not been looked at; nor the effect on any offspring they may have sired in the process. For that matter, the personal cost to victims and their families remains uncounted. How many lives destroyed through alcohol, drugs, unsafe sex or violence have there been? How much abuse has been repeated by its victims? How many suicides and ruined families? How can the total cost ever be calculated?

There has been much complaining by victims, also, that only a handful were asked to testify, that there was too little time and too many restrictions. Many, too, point out that not all victims have yet come forward by any means. Indeed, even if there are no new cases, just the repressed memories alone of the still-unrecognized victims will guarantee that these numbers will only increase over the next twenty years.

And nothing has been said about multiple abusers and rings who swapped victims around like trading cards...

Nonetheless, A Report on the Crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States has generated a fog of figures, which cannot obscure the extent of this massive failure of institutional religion. It is indeed a crisis. Though this is a step forward, it is not the solution by any means, but a half-hearted admission that there is a problem.

Here are a few of the highlights.

US clerics (priests, deacons, bishops, etc.) accused of abuse from 1950-2002: 4,392.
About 4% of the 109,694 serving during those 52 years.
Individuals making accusations: 10,667.
Victims' ages: 5.8% under 7; 16% ages 8-10; 50.9% ages 11-14; 27.3% ages 15-17.
Victims' gender: 81% male, 19% female
Duration of abuse: Among victims, 38.4% said all incidents occurred within one year; 21.8% said one to two years; 28%, two to four years; 11.8% longer.
Victims per priest: 55.7% with one alleged victim; 26.9% with two or three; 13.9% with four to nine; 3.5% with 10 or more (these 149 priests caused 27% of allegations).
Abuse locations: 40.9% at priest's residence; 16.3% in church; 42.8% elsewhere.
Known cost to dioceses and religious orders: $572,507,094 (does not include the $85 million Boston settlement and other expenses after research was concluded). (Hartford Courant, 2/27/04)
It should be noted that 30% of all accusations included in these figures were not investigated as they were deemed unsubstantiated (10%) or because the accused priest was dead or inactive (20%). They do not include allegations that were "unfounded" or later recanted.

In any case, all these figures are widely suspected to be grossly underestimated. For example, the late Fr. Tom Economus, former President of the Linkup, a national survivors' advocacy group, said back in the mid-90s that he knew of "1,400 insurance claims on the books and that the Church has paid out over $1 billion in liability with an estimated $500 million pending." (Emphasis added.)

He also said that over 800 priests had been removed from ministry and that there might be as many as 5,000 with allegations against them, which is not that far off. He often claimed that by far the most calls he received from all victims of any kind of clergy abuse were those from males who suffered abuse in their youth in the Catholic Church. Certainly the numbers, which show that the highest number of victims were 12 year old boys and that 80% of the abuse was homosexual in nature, validate that anecodotal evidence, too. In fact, while the numbers of young children and girls did not vary much, the report shows an astounding six-fold increase in the abuse of boys aged 11-17 between the 1950s and 70s. And the figures for males stayed high through the 1980s.

Could it be that once the exits were opened by Vatican II, the good priests who could departed to marry, and the maladjusted ones who remained were left to their own devices?

In any case, Fr. Tom Doyle, a canon lawyer with more experience than any in these cases, has raised many questions over the validity and methodology of the study. He has said that he thought many cases were still hidden, pointing out the low numbers for the 1950s.

'"It's not over with," Doyle said. "The heart of the matter is: Why was there this massive betrayal? Why did they move [abusers] around for years, when they knew what they were doing? Why have they continued to re-victimize the victims by stonewalling, and why they have never turned in any of these known pedophiles?"'(Hartford Courant, 2/26/04)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Information from other sources
Four in 10 US Catholic nuns report having experienced sexual abuse, (a rate equivalent to that reported by American women in general), a study by Catholic researchers supported by major religious orders, has found. The study found that sisters have known sexual abuse less in childhood, dispelling what the authors call an "anti-Catholic" canard that girls fled to convents to escape sexual advances. During religious life, close to 30% of the nation's 85,000 nuns experienced "sexual trauma," ranging from rape to exploitation to harassment. A total of 40% reported a least one experience of that kind. NCR, 1/15/99 See The Nuns' Stories for details.
The Wisconsin Psychological Association's survey found offenders distributed among the following professions: Psychiatrists 34%, Psychologists 19%, Social Workers 13%, Clergy 11%, Physicians 6%, Marriage Counselors 4%, and Others 14%.
The Center for Domestic Violence found that 12.6% of clergy said they had sex with church members. 47% of clergy women were harassed by clergy colleagues.
The Presbyterian Church stated that 10-23% of clergy have "inappropriate sexual behavior or contact" with clergy and employees.
The United Methodist research (1990) showed 38.6% of Ministers had sexual contact with church members and that 77% of church workers experienced some type of sexual harassment.
The United Church of Christ found that 48% of the women in the work place have been sexually harassed by male clergy.
The Southern Baptists claim 14.1% of their clergy have sexually abused members.
At least the Roman Catholic Bishops can take heart: they're not alone...

[parfait]

It's fun to intellectually destroy a grown woman, a teacher no less, though.

Ah, the sign of an over-confident flame warrior, declaring victory whilst in the throes of defeat.

"Jerk is sarcastic, mean, unforgiving and never misses an opportunity to make a cutting remark. Jerk's repulsive personality quickly alienates other Warriors, and after some initial skirmishing he is usually ostracized. Still, Jerk is very happy to participate in electronic forums because in cyberspace he is free to be himself...without the risk of getting a real-time punch in the mouth."

Gives me that good, fuzzy feeling I also get after GHB'ing a girl's drink and getting my game on.

I hope that's said in jest. Even so, it's not something that should even really be joked about. Sicko.

I don't smoke.

I couldn't find one with a pic of a guy with his man unit in his mouth.

That's my facebook profile picture.

S2M. Just give up. How could you possibly try to hold a decent argument with someone who believes in a book filled with hate and death, guided by a sociopathic dictator in the sky, with a son who's a zombie and their only man on earth is a guy that says that condoms are evil. Religion has killed millions of people, and continues to do so thanks to do the pope. Oh, and you guys rape innocent kids too. All in the name of the Lord and faith.

It is frequently, and rightly, said that senior clergy and theologians have no problem with evolution and, in many cases, actively support scientists in this respect. This is often true. Take the Bishop of Oxford for example. Bishops and educated clergy accept evolution, not so much their congregations. Still the, ignorant and delusional few Christians (and shitload of muslims) try to force their dogma into a science class.

The nothing came from nothing argument is equally valid for the religious side (not forgetting it being a misconception of the big bang. You had the singularity before the big bang. Matter comes from nothing all the time. Ever heard of antimatter?) Where did God come from? Who created God? It's a strawman argument, but I expect no less from the deluded minds of the religious.

Heat is due to thermal differences between systems, Beshad. It can be measured and also seen (with a thermal camera). Moron.

[artist4perry]

It's fun to intellectually destroy a grown woman, a teacher no less, though.

Ah, the sign of an over-confident flame warrior, declaring victory whilst in the throes of defeat.

"Jerk is sarcastic, mean, unforgiving and never misses an opportunity to make a cutting remark. Jerk's repulsive personality quickly alienates other Warriors, and after some initial skirmishing he is usually ostracized. Still, Jerk is very happy to participate in electronic forums because in cyberspace he is free to be himself...without the risk of getting a real-time punch in the mouth."

Gives me that good, fuzzy feeling I also get after GHB'ing a girl's drink and getting my game on.

I hope that's said in jest. Even so, it's not something that should even really be joked about. Sicko.

I don't smoke.

I couldn't find one with a pic of a guy with his man unit in his mouth.

That's my facebook profile picture.

S2M. Just give up. How could you possibly try to hold a decent argument with someone who believes in a book filled with hate and death, guided by a sociopathic dictator in the sky, with a son who's a zombie and their only man on earth is a guy that says that condoms are evil. Religion has killed millions of people, and continues to do so thanks to do the pope. Oh, and you guys rape innocent kids too. All in the name of the Lord and faith.

It is frequently, and rightly, said that senior clergy and theologians have no problem with evolution and, in many cases, actively support scientists in this respect. This is often true. Take the Bishop of Oxford for example. Bishops and educated clergy accept evolution, not so much their congregations. Still the, ignorant and delusional few Christians (and shitload of muslims) try to force their dogma into a science class.

The nothing came from nothing argument is equally valid for the religious side (not forgetting it being a misconception of the big bang. You had the singularity before the big bang. Matter comes from nothing all the time. Ever heard of antimatter?) Where did God come from? Who created God? It's a strawman argument, but I expect no less from the deluded minds of the religious.

Heat is due to thermal differences between systems, Beshad. It can be measured and also seen (with a thermal camera). Moron.

So there are no pedophile atheists? If they are raping children..........they are going to burn in a very hot place.............regardless of their lying about being a christian. And by they way, I have no interest in little boys. Last time I checked there was not a child molesting commandment.

[ebake02]

I can't believe this religious discussion is still going on.

[Saint John]

So there are no pedophile atheists?

Sure there are, but they're not afforded the facade of your everyday pedo priest, nor do they have a mountain of hush money to make all of the allegations go away. Real nice ... buying known molestors the right to ... molest again. Just at a different parish. Been going on for decades.

regardless of their lying about being a christian.

When the very top tier(s) of the network of greed, pedophilia and tax cheating deadbeats known as the Cathloic church seems to protect these life-ruiners, you have to wonder if they're really "lying" at all.

Last time I checked there was not a child molesting commandment.

The sad thing is that this is probably a green light for Father Flaherty to blow a load in a 10 year old's ass. Can't for the life of me imagine how an entity that doesn't allow their presumably heterosexual priets to have sex, would encounter problems like this. The Catholic church figured out long ago that women and child molesting wouldn't mix and wrote the "rules" to keep them as far away and as subserviant as possible.

[S2M]

This whole debate always comes down to the fallacy of Evidence of Absence. The example often given is the case of checking one's pockets for change, finding none, but being confident that if there was change it would have been found....

[conversationpc]

...and their only man on earth is a guy that says that condoms are evil.

Who's only man on earth? I'm not Catholic and don't follow the pope.

Religion has killed millions of people, and continues to do so thanks to do the pope.

Thanks to do the pope? You really are perverted.

It is frequently, and rightly, said that senior clergy and theologians have no problem with evolution and, in many cases, actively support scientists in this respect. This is often true. Take the Bishop of Oxford for example. Bishops and educated clergy accept evolution, not so much their congregations. Still the, ignorant and delusional few Christians (and shitload of muslims) try to force their dogma into a science class.

Who cares if senior clergy accept evolution. Whoop-de-freakin-do. And no one wants dogma forced into a science class. The only thing most want is the freedom for students to be able to bring up alternative ideas to evolution. I don't get why evolution-onlyists are so scared of other ideas.

You had the singularity before the big bang. Matter comes from nothing all the time. Ever heard of antimatter?)

Well, that's not quite true. This is only from WikiAnswers but it seems to be accurate...

In particle physics, things pop into and out of existence all the time from so called nothing. But "nothing" is an illusion. There is a thing called "vacuum energy" that is not understood. What appears to be nothing is teaming with energy. Einstein showed that matter and energy are interchangeable - you can convert matter into energy or energy into matter, but neither can be created nor destroyed, only interchanged. So invisible energy can be converted to matter and vice versa. Indeed, in particle physics and quantum mechanics, particles ebb into and out of existence all the time from energy. Energy is everywhere, even in the so called vacuum of space. It is believed that the Big Bang spontaneously arose from this so called nothing, which is really teaming with unseen energy, now called "dark energy" that is not understood. Matter may actually be thought of as a condensate of invisible energy. So the short answer is, yes, something can be created from nothing.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_something ... om_nothing

[Saint John]

As the alter boy is leaving to go home, the priest says, "See you later alligator!" The alter boy replies, "In a while pedophile!"

[Behshad]

As the alter boy is leaving to go home, the priest says, "See you later alligator!" The alter boy replies, "In a while pedophile!"

That one's going straight to my Facebook status thanks DannyBoy

[StevePerryHair]

Remember that one time when someone posted a vid of a lady texting and falling into a fountain???

Yeah, god must've been in the shitter that day. Couldn't give her that 'special feeling' that something was wrong....

Why can't you move on? Seriously? How does it hurt you that I believe in God? Nevermind, don't answer that-move to the next subject....

Don't worry about it Nat. You won't have to answer for him or anyone else but yourself.

What??? Did Natalie need to be rescued by her guard dog?? Oh well, you fit in with all the ladies on this forum, so you may as well start acting like them!

[ebake02]

As the alter boy is leaving to go home, the priest says, "See you later alligator!" The alter boy replies, "In a while pedophile!"

That is so wrong.

[conversationpc]

As the alter boy is leaving to go home, the priest says, "See you later alligator!" The alter boy replies, "In a while pedophile!"

[Angel]

Remember that one time when someone posted a vid of a lady texting and falling into a fountain???

Yeah, god must've been in the shitter that day. Couldn't give her that 'special feeling' that something was wrong....

Why can't you move on? Seriously? How does it hurt you that I believe in God? Nevermind, don't answer that-move to the next subject....

Don't worry about it Nat. You won't have to answer for him or anyone else but yourself.

What??? Did Natalie need to be rescued by her guard dog?? Oh well, you fit in with all the ladies on this forum, so you may as well start acting like them!

Scott only rescues me cuz he has a crush on me!

[comedyisnotpretty]

Parfait: Oh, poor you. I told you I would love to hear what supposed evidence you had - so I don't listen? It's fun to intellectually destroy a grown woman, a teacher no less, though. Gives me that good, fuzzy feeling I also get after GHB'ing a girl's drink and getting my game on.

Hey Parfait, I enjoyed your meltdown the other day. Your frustration was evident to all who read. As far as you thinking it is "fun to intellectually destroy a grown woman, a teacher no less, though" I must of missed that. I do notice that you do like to proclaim yourself the winner quite often though. But saying it over and over does not make it so. Actually, it indicates to me that you are lacking in self confidence.
If one only would listen to you they would truly be enlightened. Alas, you are a legend in your own mind. Yes, you are even invincible! You are the Black Knight of freethinkers and master debaters!! You never, ever lose a fight!

Enjoy the following video of Parfait "The Black Knight" of debaters....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXT1fb_TkX4

[ebake02]

Remember that one time when someone posted a vid of a lady texting and falling into a fountain???

Yeah, god must've been in the shitter that day. Couldn't give her that 'special feeling' that something was wrong....

Why can't you move on? Seriously? How does it hurt you that I believe in God? Nevermind, don't answer that-move to the next subject....

Don't worry about it Nat. You won't have to answer for him or anyone else but yourself.

What??? Did Natalie need to be rescued by her guard dog?? Oh well, you fit in with all the ladies on this forum, so you may as well start acting like them!

Scott only rescues me cuz he has a crush on me!

Isn't that cute.

[artist4perry]

So there are no pedophile atheists?

Sure there are, but they're not afforded the facade of your everyday pedo priest, nor do they have a mountain of hush money to make all of the allegations go away. Real nice ... buying known molestors the right to ... molest again. Just at a different parish. Been going on for decades.

regardless of their lying about being a christian.

When the very top tier(s) of the network of greed, pedophilia and tax cheating deadbeats known as the Cathloic church seems to protect these life-ruiners, you have to wonder if they're really "lying" at all.

Last time I checked there was not a child molesting commandment.

The sad thing is that this is probably a green light for Father Flaherty to blow a load in a 10 year old's ass. Can't for the life of me imagine how an entity that doesn't allow their presumably heterosexual priets to have sex, would encounter problems like this. The Catholic church figured out long ago that women and child molesting wouldn't mix and wrote the "rules" to keep them as far away and as subserviant as possible.

Dan first off I am not a Catholic...........and if one is found out in my faith they are kept away from children so they cannot harm them again. It is the sin of the person molesting. Christ, in reference to children said, it would be better a milstone be placed around your neck for those who would harm a child. Now because one sicko and some other sickos sin, does that make it God's law? Or did those men sin against God? I say they sinned against God and children. So their fate will be even worse.

[conversationpc]

Dan first off I am not a Catholic...........and if one is found out in my faith they are kept away from children so they cannot harm them again. It is the sin of the person molesting. Christ, in reference to children said, it would be better a milstone be placed around your neck for those who would harm a child. Now because one sicko and some other sickos sin, does that make it God's law? Or did those men sin against God? I say they sinned against God and children. So their fate will be even worse.

I think their manhood should be gouged out with a salt-encrusted rusty spoon and THEN they should be drowned in the ocean with a millstone around their neck.

[parfait]

...and their only man on earth is a guy that says that condoms are evil.

Who's only man on earth? I'm not Catholic and don't follow the pope.

Religion has killed millions of people, and continues to do so thanks to do the pope.

Thanks to do the pope? You really are perverted.

It is frequently, and rightly, said that senior clergy and theologians have no problem with evolution and, in many cases, actively support scientists in this respect. This is often true. Take the Bishop of Oxford for example. Bishops and educated clergy accept evolution, not so much their congregations. Still the, ignorant and delusional few Christians (and shitload of muslims) try to force their dogma into a science class.

Who cares if senior clergy accept evolution. Whoop-de-freakin-do. And no one wants dogma forced into a science class. The only thing most want is the freedom for students to be able to bring up alternative ideas to evolution. I don't get why evolution-onlyists are so scared of other ideas.

You had the singularity before the big bang. Matter comes from nothing all the time. Ever heard of antimatter?)

Well, that's not quite true. This is only from WikiAnswers but it seems to be accurate...

In particle physics, things pop into and out of existence all the time from so called nothing. But "nothing" is an illusion. There is a thing called "vacuum energy" that is not understood. What appears to be nothing is teaming with energy. Einstein showed that matter and energy are interchangeable - you can convert matter into energy or energy into matter, but neither can be created nor destroyed, only interchanged. So invisible energy can be converted to matter and vice versa. Indeed, in particle physics and quantum mechanics, particles ebb into and out of existence all the time from energy. Energy is everywhere, even in the so called vacuum of space. It is believed that the Big Bang spontaneously arose from this so called nothing, which is really teaming with unseen energy, now called "dark energy" that is not understood. Matter may actually be thought of as a condensate of invisible energy. So the short answer is, yes, something can be created from nothing.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_something ... om_nothing

The pope is infallible, and the true voice of Jesus on earth. Why don't you follow him? Is he lying when he's saying he got a DSL line up to God? I don't see how your type of Christianity is any better or any more right. What about the Hindus? Isn't Ganesha a real God?

Religion has killed people all through time. Christianity got the inquisition, crusades and witch trials. The pope, through his condemnation of condoms, have most likely killed millions of Africans, a continent where HIV is rampant, mostly due to the religious indoctrination by missionaries and former colonies. Or what about how the Red Cross and church helped former nazi soldiers and officers hide in Spain and Argentina in the Odessa operation?

Not even a fucking "I'm sorry."

Creationism shouldn't be thought in science classes, because it's not science, and laughed at by the scientific community. Science is about evidence and fact, and these values and principles should not be destroyed by pissed off, ignorant religious parents who wants to teach their kids about the sin flood and rising from the dead. That belongs in the storytelling class. If you got an alternative idea to evolution, then put it to the test. They did it with creationism, and it failed.

It's amusing that while the rather well educated priests and theologians accept evolution, but the less educated sheep (followers), don't. No serious priest would ever take the bible literal either. It's symbolic literature. It's a shame that a tiny minority of deluded fundamentalist can stir up this much shit. both in schools and government.

The singularity was a time before the Big Bang. Some instances in quantum mechanics, will particles, dimensionless dots, meet and destroy each other - a positron and electron for example. Black Holes can also emit energy, called Hawkings radiation, which is created from nothing.

Anything else?

[Saint John]

So there are no pedophile atheists?

Sure there are, but they're not afforded the facade of your everyday pedo priest, nor do they have a mountain of hush money to make all of the allegations go away. Real nice ... buying known molestors the right to ... molest again. Just at a different parish. Been going on for decades.

regardless of their lying about being a christian.

When the very top tier(s) of the network of greed, pedophilia and tax cheating deadbeats known as the Cathloic church seems to protect these life-ruiners, you have to wonder if they're really "lying" at all.

Last time I checked there was not a child molesting commandment.

The sad thing is that this is probably a green light for Father Flaherty to blow a load in a 10 year old's ass. Can't for the life of me imagine how an entity that doesn't allow their presumably heterosexual priets to have sex, would encounter problems like this. The Catholic church figured out long ago that women and child molesting wouldn't mix and wrote the "rules" to keep them as far away and as subserviant as possible.

Dan first off I am not a Catholic...........and if one is found out in my faith they are kept away from children so they cannot harm them again. It is the sin of the person molesting. Christ, in reference to children said, it would be better a milstone be placed around your neck for those who would harm a child. Now because one sicko and some other sickos sin, does that make it God's law? Or did those men sin against God? I say they sinned against God and children. So their fate will be even worse.

I'm not picking a fight with you, Ginger. I was just responding to some of the points and observations you made. Apologies if it seemed as though I was accusatory. That wasn't my intention. Just farting out of my brain, per usual.

[ebake02]

...and their only man on earth is a guy that says that condoms are evil.

Who's only man on earth? I'm not Catholic and don't follow the pope.

Religion has killed millions of people, and continues to do so thanks to do the pope.

Thanks to do the pope? You really are perverted.

It is frequently, and rightly, said that senior clergy and theologians have no problem with evolution and, in many cases, actively support scientists in this respect. This is often true. Take the Bishop of Oxford for example. Bishops and educated clergy accept evolution, not so much their congregations. Still the, ignorant and delusional few Christians (and shitload of muslims) try to force their dogma into a science class.

Who cares if senior clergy accept evolution. Whoop-de-freakin-do. And no one wants dogma forced into a science class. The only thing most want is the freedom for students to be able to bring up alternative ideas to evolution. I don't get why evolution-onlyists are so scared of other ideas.

You had the singularity before the big bang. Matter comes from nothing all the time. Ever heard of antimatter?)

Well, that's not quite true. This is only from WikiAnswers but it seems to be accurate...

In particle physics, things pop into and out of existence all the time from so called nothing. But "nothing" is an illusion. There is a thing called "vacuum energy" that is not understood. What appears to be nothing is teaming with energy. Einstein showed that matter and energy are interchangeable - you can convert matter into energy or energy into matter, but neither can be created nor destroyed, only interchanged. So invisible energy can be converted to matter and vice versa. Indeed, in particle physics and quantum mechanics, particles ebb into and out of existence all the time from energy. Energy is everywhere, even in the so called vacuum of space. It is believed that the Big Bang spontaneously arose from this so called nothing, which is really teaming with unseen energy, now called "dark energy" that is not understood. Matter may actually be thought of as a condensate of invisible energy. So the short answer is, yes, something can be created from nothing.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_something ... om_nothing

The pope is infallible...

coughbullshitcough

Are you talking about the pope who turned his back while his priests destroyed the lives of thousands of young children. The pope and the catholic church in general are the biggest group of hypocrites I have ever seen.

[Saint John]

A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak. After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done. The monsignor replied, "When I am worried about getting nervous on the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip."

So the next sunday he took the monsignor's advice. at the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink. He proceeded to talk up a storm. Upon return to his office after mass, he found the following note on his door:

- sip the vodka, don't gulp

- there are 10 commandments, not 12

- there are 12 disciples, not 10

- Jesus was consecrated, not constipated

- Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not beat his ass

- we do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.

- The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy, Junior, and Spook

- when Jesus broke the bread at the Last Supper he said, "take this and eat it, for it is my body", he did not say "eat me."

- the Virgin Mary is not referred to as the "mary with the cherry"

- the recommended grace before a meal is not: "rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub, yea God."

- next sunday there will be a taffy-pulling contest at St. Peter's, not a peter-pulling contest at St. Taffy's

[StevePerryHair]

So how did we go from athiest/agnostic/christian battle to catholic bashing? Nice.

[conversationpc]

The pope is infallible, and the true voice of Jesus on earth. Why don't you follow him?

I'm not Catholic. The pope is not my spokesman. I don't believe in Catholicism. Never have. Never will. Learn how to read.

Creationism shouldn't be thought in science classes, because it's not science, and laughed at by the scientific community. Science is about evidence and fact, and these values and principles should not be destroyed by pissed off, ignorant religious parents who wants to teach their kids about the sin flood and rising from the dead. That belongs in the storytelling class. If you got an alternative idea to evolution, then put it to the test. They did it with creationism, and it failed.

Show me where I said it should be taught in schools. I said simply that it should be allowed to be brought up by students. Again, learn how to read if you're so smart.

The singularity was a time before the Big Bang. Some instances in quantum mechanics, will particles, dimensionless dots, meet and destroy each other - a positron and electron for example. Black Holes can also emit energy, called Hawkings radiation, which is created from nothing.

As previously stated, the "nothing" is not really nothing but thanks for playing.

[Melissa]

coughbullshitcough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InaRIYFPMiY

Sorry, just some humor

[ebake02]

So how did we go from athiest/agnostic/christian battle to catholic bashing? Nice.

Wasn't trying too. I just get pissed off when Catholics throw their holier than thou crap in everybody's face. They are just as imperfect as everybody else.

[ebake02]

coughbullshitcough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InaRIYFPMiY

Sorry, just some humor

[StevePerryHair]

So how did we go from athiest/agnostic/christian battle to catholic bashing? Nice.

Wasn't trying too. I just get pissed off when Catholics throw their holier than thou crap in everybody's face. They are just as imperfect as everybody else.

I don't know any catholics in my circle of friends who would do that. I don't personally know anyone who goes to church feeling perfect. Though I'm sure there are those who do, that is probably their personality type, and probably why I don't know them

[conversationpc]

So how did we go from athiest/agnostic/christian battle to catholic bashing? Nice.

Wasn't trying too. I just get pissed off when Catholics throw their holier than thou crap in everybody's face. They are just as imperfect as everybody else.

I don't know any catholics in my circle of friends who would do that. I don't personally know anyone who goes to church feeling perfect. Though I'm sure there are those who do, that is probably their personality type, and probably why I don't know them

As evidenced in this thread, even the non-religious have a bit of "holier-than-thou" attitude.

[StevePerryHair]

So how did we go from athiest/agnostic/christian battle to catholic bashing? Nice.

Wasn't trying too. I just get pissed off when Catholics throw their holier than thou crap in everybody's face. They are just as imperfect as everybody else.

I don't know any catholics in my circle of friends who would do that. I don't personally know anyone who goes to church feeling perfect. Though I'm sure there are those who do, that is probably their personality type, and probably why I don't know them

As evidenced in this thread, even the non-religious have a bit of "holier-than-thou" attitude.

True!! I think what it comes down to is personalities! Some people just feel they are holier than thou, no matter what they might believe in. It's their nature!

[artist4perry]

So there are no pedophile atheists?

Sure there are, but they're not afforded the facade of your everyday pedo priest, nor do they have a mountain of hush money to make all of the allegations go away. Real nice ... buying known molestors the right to ... molest again. Just at a different parish. Been going on for decades.

regardless of their lying about being a christian.

When the very top tier(s) of the network of greed, pedophilia and tax cheating deadbeats known as the Cathloic church seems to protect these life-ruiners, you have to wonder if they're really "lying" at all.

Last time I checked there was not a child molesting commandment.

The sad thing is that this is probably a green light for Father Flaherty to blow a load in a 10 year old's ass. Can't for the life of me imagine how an entity that doesn't allow their presumably heterosexual priets to have sex, would encounter problems like this. The Catholic church figured out long ago that women and child molesting wouldn't mix and wrote the "rules" to keep them as far away and as subserviant as possible.

Dan first off I am not a Catholic...........and if one is found out in my faith they are kept away from children so they cannot harm them again. It is the sin of the person molesting. Christ, in reference to children said, it would be better a milstone be placed around your neck for those who would harm a child. Now because one sicko and some other sickos sin, does that make it God's law? Or did those men sin against God? I say they sinned against God and children. So their fate will be even worse.

I'm not picking a fight with you, Ginger. I was just responding to some of the points and observations you made. Apologies if it seemed as though I was accusatory. That wasn't my intention. Just farting out of my brain, per usual.

Oh none taken Dan! We are straight! I was just trying to say, that it is not Catholicism or faith that molests kids, but sinners pretending to be Christians. That is all. I have no beef with ya!