[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I was raised a catholic, and I am now classify my church affiliation as being a militantly non-practicing catholic. The reason I take the stance I have boils down to two basic things. One is the whole body of lies, self-serving dogma and systemic corruption in the church. The other is the sanctioning of pedophilia that exists in the catholic church.

No doubt you will scream in outrage at that last statement, but I personally don't give a rat's tuckus. Two of my best friends when I was a kid were abused by these monsters ... each was sexually abused by a different priest. The second was brought in to replace the first priest who was accused of screwing kids. He turned out to be no different. One of my friends had lost his father to cancer when my friend was about 13. The friggin' priest stepped in and pretended to take on a father figure role ... he'd take my friend camping, on shopping trips, etc. Well guess what ... he was doing a lot more than just teaching my friend how to camp. If the RCC has only one thing right I hope it's that there is a hell so this rotten can burn in it for eternity. To take advantage of a family tragedy and a kid like that for his own personal sexual gratification is monstrous ... demonic even.

The church's reaction to these creeps was to deny everything and transfer them elsewhere where they could continue their abuse of boys. Twenty years later both of my friends testified against these animals, along with numerous other people from other parishes who were abused as kids. We're not talking about a big parish here either ... 150 people in the town, yet two consecutive priests were later jailed for pedophilia. It was "common" knowledge in the community that others over the years were guilty of the same thing. The community considered themselves fortunate when the church had a "normal" priest who only screwed the community's women.

As for the lies, false dogma, corruption, etc. ... those who wish to believe it are welcome to it. I want no part of it though. Original sin? Ya, I really buy that one. I heard one priest tell the congregation that unless a person is an RC priest OR a virgin, you were going to hell. I thought that was hilarious ... a priest OR a virgin ... meaning you only had to be one or the other. Good catholics have to have lots of kids though ... just don't enjoy the orgasms. Oh, and by the way, have lots of kids but sorry, you're going to hell for it anyway because you're no a virgin. Might as well enjoy the orgasm I guess since you're going to hell anyway. I don't wish to get into a theology debate though. If you believe this crap and if it works for you, have at it.

So based on my experiences I figure the pope, the vatican and the whole organization deserve all of the smears and cheap shots they get. They've been earning them for close to 2000 years. They're not the only organized religion that deserves criticism, but this thread is about the pope, so it follows logically that catholicism is under fire rather than rastafarianism or buddhism or whatever.

I wouldn't disagree with anything you have said in this post. The point that I am making is look at all the names and things I have been called such as a racist or intolerant when I discuss other religions yet there is definately a double standard when it comes to Christianity. That is the point I am making. I am not standing up for the Catholic church or anything like that.