Am I the only Catholic sick of people referring to us as a bunch of child molesters?

Question

I'm a roman catholic born and, raised. I intend to die one as well. Yet, ever since these allegations in regard to child molestation have surfaced (and I know they have been around for decades), people consistently berate catholics. Why are they blaming the faith for the priest's fault? They are the ones who need to resist temptation.

I'm well aware my faith isn't the most accepting in regard to sexual minorities but, that doesn't make all catholics...... kiddie lovers. I as well find our current Pope's actions in the matter to be detestable but, why are people blaming the faith for the actions of individuals. It infuriates me, I don't go around belittling other faiths or those who are atheist... so why must others attack me?

Answer 1

Who is attacking you personally? The accusations Of pedophilia Are against Certain clergy not you.



If there are clergy who have commited grievious crimes they should be punished. This is for your benefit. If there is corruption anywhere in the Church it should be rooted out.



The problem that you describe of villifying the entire Church because of the actions of some is an issue of reputation. It used to be years ago that toyota had a reputation for making poor quality cars. If someone is considering a new purchase and recieves a bad report about a vehicles reliability that damages the cars reputation. Toyota has changed things around and now has a reputation as one of the most reliable cars. The good news is that the Church too can also improve it's reputation.



A person is not merely the sum of their mistakes and neither is the Church.

Answer 2

No. this is like asserting "Are all college instructors baby molesters". What you and lots of others fail to comprehend is that the gay pedophile monks you communicate of infiltrated the seminaries and church homes interior the 40s, 50's and 60's and the object you're additionally are bearing on additionally state that monks have been old adult adult males. did you recognize that ninety seven% of pedophiles are married adult adult males? Did you apart from mght understand that a baby has a ninety 8% extra of a raffle of being molested of their very own residence or college ? Did you apart from mght understand that there are hundreds extra pedophiles working around interior the Protestant church homes then interior the Catholic Church? The Catholic Church has had in place for distinctive years particular courses that shield infants from pedophiles and that any one who's employed interior the Catholic Church has to pass a lower back floor examine and circulate via FBI profiling

Answer 3

sadly it's easier for people to point fingers at others - just as you did with the Pope. if you even looked at his track record HE has done more then any other pope to REMIVE pedophiles from the priesthood, he has actively worked to get changes.



these men that have abused children are NOT priests -- they are pedophiles who pose as priests, fathers, uncles, brothers, etc. these are not men for a true man would NEVER abuse a child.



what bothers me is that people who make light of the problem as a whole. there are more abusers in your own family then your priesthood. sad but true - facts stand for that.

people who make light of abusing children are more guilty then those that stand up for the good loving catholic priests.



then there are those like salvo here who seems to think pedophilia is a "catholic thing" THAT makes me utterly fearful for their children....



The report states that the perpetrators relationship to the victim was:

29.1% were Other Relatives

26.2% were Parents

24.4% were Others

6.9% were Unknown or Missing People

6.1% were Unmarried Partners of Parent

4.4% were Friends or Neighbors

1.8% were Child Daycare Providers

0.5% were Other Professionals

0.3% were Foster Parents

0.3% were Residential Facility Staff

0.1% were Legal Guardians



All clergy is a subset of Other Professionals and Catholic clergy is a subset of all clergy. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/…



Here is the complete document: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/…



The 2007 Annual Report prepared by the Catholic bishops identifies 15 allegations of childhood sexual abuse in the U.S. Catholic Church from 2000 to 2007. Please note that there were 64,800,000 Catholics in the U.S. in 2005. http://cara.georgetown.edu/bulletin/inde…

Answer 4

Well let's see...and this comes from a man whom was raped by a Roman Catholic priest at the age of 15 and has come out as a very vocal critic of the church.



1. You have Pedophile Pimps for leaders and you will NOT get rid of them. Matter of fact, the Church just made one of these confirmed Pedophile Pimps a Saint. What is a Pedophile Pimp?



It is when a Pope, Cardinal, Bishop or Archbishop finds out that a priest has been raping children, covers it up, then moves that priest to a different parish, where they rape more children.



It is when a Pope, Cardinal, Bishop or Archbishop slams the victims and places the blame for their rapes on their shoulders instead of accepting that they are Pedophile Pimps whom covered for child and teen rapists.



It is when a Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Archbishop or priest says of those raped:



"I don't have much sympathy for people who somehow couldn't stop whatever happened," Priest Richard Ross told the Joliet Herald-News. "I'll take all of these people who were abused, and I'll abuse them with a baseball bat. You can quote me on that."



There is outrage in parts of Spanish society following declarations made over Christmas from the Bishop of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez.



His comments were that there are youngsters who want to be abused, and he compared that abuse to homosexuality, describing them both as prejudicial to society. He said that on occasions the abuse happened because the there are children who consent to it.



‘There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you’, he said.



Or how about Bill Donohue of the Catholic League whom states:

"If a 15 year old is being messed with by a priest and he does not smack him, then that means he not only wanted what happened, he enjoyed it and he is a homosexual because of it."



Oh and Bill claims there is not a Pedophile problem in the Roman Catholic Church, but a homosexual one. He seems to have a problem, like most of you, for using the word Pedophile to describe any scumbag whom rapes a child.



Now you want more?



When you stop being child rapists, when you stop being pedophile pimps, when you stop defending and apologizing for these scum and truly stand up for us victims of priest rape instead of the scumbags whom did this to us...when you demand that each and every credibly accused pervert leader be defrocked, arrested and tried for their crimes, when you truly do clean out the church of your pedophiles...and pedophile pimps...then maybe...we will stop attacking your sorry butts.

Answer 5

Would any responsible adult leave a child alone with a priest?



Surely the answer must be NO!! And that illustrates the damage the Vatican is doing with it's cover ups and excuses!!



The Pope and the vatican in trying to cover up and limit the damage are doing the exact opposite and whilst leading the catholic church into ridicule and derision but are harming christianity as a whole!!

The Vatican has tried to blame it all on the Jews and the gays – the very people they love to persecute anyway!!



Worst still are the catholics on here trying to suggest because it only represents 4% of the clergy it is not a problem!!!



For gods sake what percentage of murderers or rapists are acceptable then?!!



Now the Pope condemns the police for investigating abuse allegations and searching priests and bishops homes for evidence!!



When will people realize this is about the terrible rape and sexual assault of children being covered up and allowed to continue?!!



Do people who support this not realize that it flies in the face of a loving god and they are probably looking at hell because a loving god is never going to forgive them?!!!

Answer 6

I understand what you mean. I know I certainly don't berate Catholics for these incidents, by any means. In fact, most Catholics I know condemn what the priests did, so to blame the religion for a few morally objectionable adherents is unfair.

Answer 7

Consider this: An adolescent or tween is approached by a priest. The child has learned all of his/her life that the only route to salvation is through the one true church. The priest tells the kid to comply with his wishers, or his mommy and daddy will go to hell.



To me that is a sickening scenario, and I find it hard to respect any member of that church who does not protest loudly and often about the injustice.



It's not the faith that's being attacked, it's the organization. It's the Church that now says it is not responsible for priests who it has moved around to keep their sins from being known, because they are not direct employees.



I really wish some federal attorney would bring a racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO) charge against the church. I think it could be won.

Answer 8

Look at it like this the apostles were all sinners including St. Peter he even denied Christ Jesus three times. But what did Christ Jesus do He forgave St. Peter and told Him to lead His Church (John 21:15-19). The thing that people don't understand that all people do sin including clergy, but through Christ Jesus the sins of mankind will not triumph over His Church (Matthew 16:18).

Mankind is imperfect because of sin, but Christ Jesus' Church is made perfect by the faithful.



The media is acting upon the interest of those who hate Christ's Church, and it's their belief that because Priest are in a position of authority they should be held accountable for their crimes. But the thing they fail to understand out of their own ignorance because they are not Catholic is that the Hierarchy of Priesthood is not to hold authority over the lay faithful the Hierarchy of Priesthood is servitude for the lay faithful.



For 2,000 years Christ Jesus' Church has seen it's share of Apostasy, Heresy, Schism and weathered all sorts of internal and external sins. I say to those that have questioned their faith in Christ Jesus to hold to the true faith and believe in the sacraments.

Answer 9

It does make those particular priests and the ones who helped cover it up hypocrites and it shows Catholicism is definitely not some magical concept that makes people moral, like I've heard from many Catholics who say you need religion to be moral.

Answer 10

In your own words: "Go ahead, thumbs down me b*tches, I f*cking dare you."



We have a lot going against us; and I agree with you, there's good reason for it. It's not new, however, nor is it over. Every faith in the world is oppressed or persecuted by another. Yet you act like this. Why?



Help a sister out here. Show the respect you're asking for in this question.

Answer 11

I don't even feel that I must attack you *cough* Papist *cough*.



"You quote me from an entirely different question? Truly? How about a little respect."



Was that last one a question? Also, perhaps something from the past would contradict what you are saying here, try being more careful next time!

Answer 12

Good point. When the rest of your fellows who agree with you march on the vatican and either string up your pope ( along with all the molesters he has protected) or at the very least send them off to a monestary in the mountains to finish their lives away from little boys, I will stop thinking poorly of you. Until then, protecting such monsters is monstrous.

Answer 13

I only think of the guilty Catholic priests as child molesters. Sorry that I can't help feed your complex.

Answer 14

Generalising, stereotyping and prejudging occurs everywhere no matter the religious belief or lack there of, race, gender, sexual orientation. With my views aside, I quite frankly don't like it either and don't get it myself so I avoid doing it.

Answer 15

If you're sick of it then sort it out. If you turn a blind eye to it then what right do you have to protest at the name calling?

Answer 16

Your church is corrupt. Since Catholics put more faith in their church than in Christ, your faith is highly questionable right now. Once the Catholic Church repents of its inner culture of secrecy and pedophilia, then perhaps people will have more respect for your faith.

Answer 17

Your leaders have been a disgrace and reproach to God and Jesus...that's why. We don't lump you in with them, however, anyone who follows leaders who continually go AGAINST the Bible and AGAINST what Jesus taught in word and example, well, it makes all of us wonder why anyone would not question if the group they belong to is the right one?



How could God endorse a religion where its leaders, who are supposed to PROTECT the flock, is actually harming or condoning harm of CHILDREN?! It's something that God DETESTS. Jesus talked of those professing to follow him and performing works in his name, but were doing bad things, and he said, "Get away from me you workers of lawlessness!"



Can I ask a question? Why are you dead set on STAYING Catholic even though you admit what priests have done?

Answer 18

It's a joke. We are ALL the butt of a joke sometimes.



I'm Canadian, for example. If you're American, no doubt you're familiar with the stereotypes. But I don't get my panties in a bunch over it. I laugh along with the rest.



Now go rape a child and stop whining.

Answer 19

Fine, fine, you're not molesters! Now please, stop hurting me, it's bleeding!



ODETTE: Kristin's completely free to do that. If you were indeed this rude on another question, it's hypocritical of you to ask for respect here.

Answer 20

Well...you guys do seem to have an inordinate number of child molesters in your churches.

Most of us don't really like that kind of thing.



Muslims blow things up, and Roman Catholics molest children.

That's just how it is.

Answer 21

I don't believe you're attacked as often as you say you are. If you aren't molesting children or supporting those who do, you have nothing to be ashamed of right?

Answer 22

obey God. not the pope.