Catholics always claim the number of pedophile priests in their religion is low,?
952010
I think I'm going to be sick.  It's not downplayed? Do these people even watch the news???????????????????  It most certainly is downplayed by the Church AND it's members!  I know, cause I work with Catholics and all of them say "Yeah, well, they did catch one......" One out of how many who are doing this?  And, like you said, just how many have they covered up??????\n\nAnd I would really like to know, 20wks, how oxy is a hypocrite???  Geez woman pull your head outta your rear!  There's nothing hypocritical here except you trying to pass off the hypocricy onto someone else.\n\nArrest those who hide pedophiles as if they committed the crime themselves.  And tax the hell outta the Church.  Then we'll see if they have the money to move these priests around.
1178784
Not in Bible. I thought the Catholics stopped that practice on the 60's? Maybe some still do? They are not consistent from place to place-but who else is.
276761
I feel your pain . . . I am a Catholic, a convert, actually, and I see this as well.  But, it is not only in the Catholic faith . . . I see it among all Christians, and I suspect it is the case with most religions (I'm just not exposed to much outside of Christianity).  Many Catholics are what I consider to be "cultural", like people talk about cultural Jews . . . they were born into a long line of Catholics, they follow the teachings of the church on the outside, but on the inside the Devil has free reign.  Not eating meat on Fridays has, unfortuanly, become a way of showing that we are "good" Catholics.  It's like Jesus told His disciples . . . pray in your inner chamber, make sure you look well when you are fasting, so that only God knows your sacrifice (sorry, my concordance is packed away, and my Bible quoting skills are lacking, but it's in there!).  Many, many people do exactly what the Jews in Jesus time were doing . . . making a show out of serving the Lord.  Just as then, we are called to sacrifice in private while preaching the Gospel. But we often fail.  It's very frustrating to me as well (not that I'm all that holy either).
153440
i was also raised catholic. didn't go to catholic school, but parents strict catholic and i'm one of seven (living). no way does the church represent me!\ndid you know that catholic priests used to be able to marry and have children? the priests were given a home but because the priest would give the home to family when he got old and died the church lost MONEY on the home and had to buy a new home for a new priest.\ni also don't agree with moving child molesters around to different churches. child molesters belong in jail. for life. period.(in my opinion).\ngay or straight priests can't have sex. i just don't think that's right.(my opinion)\ni also think that if you are going to belong to a specific religion and that one alone - you should believe with no question.\ni was also put off when a friend told me about her story of moving from n.e.coast to west coast by NO help from the catholic church. her dad left the family (pregnant wife and7 children) on the side of the road with a broken down car to go get help. never came back. after spending the night in the car she walked with kids to next town and walked into the first building she saw - a catholic church. "thank you lord!" she cried. after telling the priest what had happened he sent her walking across town to the salvation army who got in touch with the mormon church. the people there took her and her kids in. never talked about what church they were from never talked religion; they were only there to help. a collection was taken through the phone lines (this was 40 years ago in a small town) and a car and enough money was raised to get this family to mom's aunts house in wash. state.\nTHAT IS A CHURCH. any community who can do that for complete strangers in need of help - that's my kind of church. that's what i want to belong to. as for religion - sorry into that.
378534
why not....most clergymen are paedophiles anyway...
1114258
Granted, Christians have their problems but, they're not alone. Different sects have different outlooks all designed to support their particular belief system. I don't think they're any worse than other religions and not as bad as some. Muslims, Shite and Sunni, have a major war on in some parts of the world killing each other at an astounding rate. As far as the pedophiles you mentioned they're not all Catholic, Presbyterians had a little problem with that too especially at the turn of the century when they were involved with the American Indian schools. As you stated there is absolutely no excuse for that sort of behavior. Some religions  here promote marriage to children and by our standards are pedophiles and have been prosecuted as a consequence of that belief.\n To sum up a longer than intended reply, the problem with religion, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus etc..is that people are involved. In any society you have a certain percentage of misfits and that same percentage is present in the religion as it is in all aspects of any society.
77596
There was a time when the priest of Israel where the only means of communicating with God.  They abused their priveledge and then it was no more.  Catholic priest also have abused their power.  They are not your father.  They seek to deceive you.  You speak of the scriptures and say you understand their meaning.  Then do what is asked of you.  Many will persecute you and call you all kinds of names.  But for Christ sake endure these things.  For your treasures are not on this earth.  We will discuss this more when we get there.
853662
Not too many men admit to being a pedophile.....
332678
If the sex issue is the real reason you have an issue with "religion"...bear with me, because I have also beat myself up over this...I'm 51 now, but I was beautiful years ago, and passionate, etc.  I also had a real attitude about B.S. when it went against my instincts, etc.  I discovered, and I offer you the proof that I dug up, that NOWHERE does the word of Jesus have anything against passion, hot sex, at all, ever...His word is critical of cheap sex, lying to your mate,etc---sex with intense love is God's gift...but its sacred and is made into garbage if used just to get off, or for the ego to abuse its magic to feel like a big stud, and equally for a beautiful woman to abase her power to attain power or gems,etc, using sex in a debased way.  That is ALL that was said...loving passionate sex is our gift..it is sacred and is never bad unless misused.  The Catholic church came along and twisted things very badly.  The student of life need only take a quick look at this, and its clear that we are being lied to big time...Priests were NEVER forbidden to take a wife at first...Jesus honored our needs, only wanted us to be clean about it...Then the catholics came along and burned people because they read books, were midwives, whatever...Meanwhile they were burning Mayans and their books, lying and cheating and murdering the new world for their gold.  What a load of crap...God has always said that sex is good...so much so that it needs to be honored...that's all...And any person  alive realizes that sex is the maximum...The catholics forbid it and then hide their pedophile priests...and make the rest of us all screwed up and guilty about our drives.  I agree totally withyour letter...long ago I was so fed up with the taboo, I purposely checked it out to see what was the big deal...in a very short time I got the answer for myself..SEX is great...but can be a sin when there is no emotion involved...Somebody will be hurt...like it or not...its not meant to be used as a health treatment, ever.  It is really sacred, fuck the catholics, and fuck the cynics also.  Sex is not meant to be used for recreation, or its health benefits.  You may disagree, I challenge you to respond to my message.
1043392
I am Catholic but i was not raised too strictly, sometimes i make my own beliefs. in my opinion there are lots of people out there that fit the word "saint" who are working, in a quiet way or not, to help others selflessly, and in turn bring out the good in others.
1004138
There are 1.1 billion Catholics in the world. Each one of them is a human being and a sinner, even the priests, bishops, and pope.\n\nWith this number of people, there will always be somebody who is stupid, sick and/or evil. \n\nThe media also seems to give extra coverage to anything bad that happens in the Church.\n\nWith love in Christ.
726237
Replace with government, and I might agree.\nThere aren't more of them, it's just covered more in the press. I can't remember the last time I heard of a pedo in the church, but I'm sure they are still there.
514097
Perhaps 24% claim to be catholic but in reality only 10% practice (or even know) their religion.
386186
Absolutely.  Priests are in a position of trust.  Parents trust them to counsel and advise their children.  Children look up to and respect them.  If they are perverts, they should not be placed into a position where they can harm children or any other unsuspecting individuals.
796346
no they don't deny it or aknowledge it either.  they just ignore it.  since a priest is perfect and speaks for God himself then it is impossible for him to hurt children and therefore if anyone complains then the priest is moved to another city to start his inflicting pain on children all over with new people.\n\nThe doctrine of the Nicolaitans was mentioned in the Apocalypse of John Revelation chapter 2. It is a symbolic name of a group of people that represents the hierarchy of a ruling class over the rest of the people, developing a pecking order of fleshly leadership. Jesus hates this and warns the people to repent. It is not the question of the ministries but rather in the separation of them into a hierarchy over the people. This very idea was taken over by the Protestants with their own corruption of leadership roles and coverings. The Church of Ephesus was commended for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans. The wrong separation of the clergy from the laity is a great evil in God's sight and He hates the lust for religious power over others. There is an ungodly spiritual authority in the Church today, which is nothing more than the prideful spirit of control, manipulation, domination and intimidation and a rebellion of the rightful authority of God.
1124872
Very well said!\n\nRemember that the people who bring up "all the killing Christians have done" are not really worried or distressed about all the alleged killing.  \n\nThat's just their excuse for throwing rocks at a Church that teaches certain things that they don't want to hear, or that don't jive with their lifestyles.\n\nIt's the same when they blame overpopulation (which is a myth anyway) and poverty on the Church's ban on contraception.\n\nThese blamers aren't really interested in alleviating poverty -- if they were, they would sign up to sponsor a child in a poor country through the many agencies run by the Catholic Church and other Christian institutions.  \n\nNor are they interested in gaining Church-approved contraception for the world's poor.   They're just interested in getting Church-approved contraception for themselves!!!
299098
actually, it's very prevalent in the catholic church, and MORE prevalent in other christian churches throughout the US.  Father Fondleskids and Minister Molester and Preacher Poopyshooter.  They're in almost every church building!\n\nread this from the christian science monitor:\n\nhttp://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0405/p01s01-ussc.html\n\n"Sex abuse spans spectrum of churches"