The Protestant Church had a solution for homosexual priests over 500 years ago : allow priests to marry.

Unreal this religion..200 priests in CA. alone.

I had a crush on a nun once..damm cutie..priests are crazy to let some of those nuns alone.

I disagree, I think it should be more forceful. Police and FBI should raid archdiocese and confiscate all files. And continue to do so until they find all the files they are looking for. This is a game to them, and one they need to lose. I'm no fan of religion, but, that's my personal choice. There are people who truly love their faith, and this does nothing but tarnish it. It's wrong, and the ACTUAL victims deserve justice.

Here here B Murphy. If this was, lets say a separatist group in Waco (David Koresh) or Eldorado Texas (Warren Jeffs), they would have been raided long ago. Maybe the catholic church should open it's books fully and let an outside source clean house. God doesn't seem that interested in doing it.

@Vincent: pedophilia has NOTHING to do with homosexuality... you are repeating ignorant GOSSIP. 2 sources of information with sources referenced:

1. from Wikipedia:

pedophilia (or paedophilia) is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents (persons age 16 or older) typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children (generally age 13 years or younger, though onset of puberty may vary). The child must be at least five years younger than the adolescent (16 or older) to be termed pedophilia.^[

2. from: http://focus.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=53036#PERSONALITY TRAITS OF THE PEDOPHILE

Studies have shown that people with pedophilia generally experience feelings of inferiority, isolation or loneliness, low self-esteem, internal dysphoria, and emotional immaturity. They have difficulty with mature age-appropriate interpersonal interactions, particularly because of their reduced assertiveness, elevated levels of passive-aggressivity, and increased anger or hostility (+5, +23, +27, +28, +55+++++++—+63). These traits lead to difficulty dealing with painful affect, which results in the excessive use of the major defense mechanisms of intellectualization, denial, cognitive distortion (eg, manipulation of fact), and rationalization (+6, +24, +46, +53, +56, +62). Even though pedophiles often have difficulty with interpersonal relationships, 50% or more will marry at some point in their lives (+15, +32, +53, +55, +56, +61, +64).

It is common for people who are diagnosed as having pedophilia to also experience another major psychiatric disorder (affective illness in 60%—80%, anxiety disorder in 50%—60%) and/or a diagnosable personality disorder (70%—80%) at some time in their life (+7, +12, +63). An estimated 43% of pedophiles have cluster C personality disorders, 33% have cluster B personality disorders, and 18% have cluster A personality disorders (+23, +31, +53, +55) (+Table 3). A study by Curnoe and Langevin (+65), using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with pedophiles and other "deviant fantasizers" (n = 186), showed significantly increased scores on the infrequency scale, the psychopathic deviance scale, the masculinity-femininity scale, the paranoia scale, and the schizophrenia scale. These results suggest that pedophiles are more socially alienated and less emotionally stable than most other people, traits commonly seen in patients with cluster A and B personality disorders (+65). Many pedophiles also demonstrate narcissistic, sociopathic, and antisocial personality traits. They lack remorse and an understanding of the harm their actions cause (+23, +53).

WOW. 200 catholic priests in California alone are pedophiles. How many catholic priests total are there in California in order to get a percentage of this sickness within this population. How many are there World wide. Our government is showing absolutely no interest in taking care of the victims. One viner already said above, authorities should simply get search warrants, move in, confiscate, and arrest if necessary. Save our souls but rape our bodies. Really sick this religion.

http://bishop-accountability.org/priestdb/PriestDBbylastName-A.html

Really? In the state I always viewed as a fortress of morals and character.........who would have thought?

The Pope sucks.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23369148-pope-led-cover-up-of-child-abuse-by-priests.do

Time for the pope to step down and apologize on the way out.

Vincent, Based on your definition many priests have pyschiatric disorders. Now, that says something about how priests are chosen within the Roman Catholic Church.

Hmmm .... if they are living undetected in California, how did the lawyers find them?

@Sanders: you are absolutely correct. The villager pitchfork mentality works.

I told my son when he was 4 years old that if anyone touched his privates, he should tell me. If the person says to keep quiet or he would harm me or his mother, not to worry. I would shoot them in the head. I showed him my 40 caliber Smith & Wesson as proof. I was always vigilant and vigilante. I would always tell anyone who would listen that I had no problem killing someone who would harm my son. Now that he's an adolescent bigger and stronger than I, I don't have to worry about pedophiles.

Why aren't the Priest and the Pope and all the rest of them that is speaking out about the President's birth control bill? This is terrible!
Where are the republicans? I didn't hear anything!!!

@AnIndividual - Actually, when the the predator preys soley on children of his own sex (as is generalyl the case), then it is an issue of homosexuality. If it were not, then they would be preying on children of the opposite gender.

And either way, it doesn't say anything good about what sort of people the church is comfortable allowing to represent it.

I propose that the Catholic parents of California start stocking up on Priest Off on the double!!!!

Rico, I'm sorry but I have to disagree with using a 40cal to dispatch pedophiles. A 45 has much more stopping power, and aimed correctly, can end the career and aspirations of even the most ardent pervert in mere seconds. Seriously though, Someone needs to get this list and publish it. That way victims could come forward. If the Catholic church is still protecting men who rape children, then it is time to turn the tables, and let these rapists live in fear.

Are some of you serious" Pedophiles come from everywhere and live everywhere undetected, seems our country has accepted them..

The Catholic church has covered this up for as long as they've been around. Actually, some of their sexual activities were pretty blatant at times. As a child I remember adults making remarks about local priests having "housekeepers." The scandalous behavior of various popes has been well-documented throughout history. The problems here are that the church has been left to police its own and that the celibacy requirement attracts some very strange people. Of course it all comes down to dollars and cents. If priests were allowed to marry, and of course like good Catholics they couldn't very well practice birth control, the church would have to support a large number of large families. That means fewer hats for the pope. I feel sad for the abused, but the best thing to do is not to let this matter rest and demand justice for the victims and appropriate punishment for the accused.

Right on Susi-On... Pedophilia should NEVER see one day of rest and until the rcc comes clean they shouldn't either. In covering up this perversity the rcc has really shown the World what religion means to them. Their perversity and cover-up are a reflection of what 'Satan' means to me. Destroyer of lives.

Pedophilia destroys lives. Everything research is finding out today about this perversion is true. Many years of suffering and self doubt. The video playing across the forehead NEVER goes away. It is just like PTSD. A trauma which takes YEARS to get over, if you get over it. Much time and money spent on therapy.

The vast majority of the abuse against minors is from either a family member, or someone they know such as a coach, teacher or church leader, according to Dr. Fred Berlin, founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Sexual Disorders Clinic in Baltimore.

http://news.discovery.com/human/misconceptions-pedophilia-111118.html

The ones children should be able to trust the most are the ones practicing pedophilia the most.

Speak with your children about what is appropriate touching and what is not. Also teach them to tell EVERYTHING to Mom and Dad. Keep the lines of communications open by spending a lot of time with your kids.

Why is this judge giving so much lead way to the church? Is he afraid of the priest? The judge should be removed immediately... Don't people and parents understand that children need our protection to and age where they can decide for themselves?

This judge is condoning sexual abuse of children... So wrong...

People who prey on children often try to put themselves in positions of authority over children. Religious leaders, teachers, daycare, babysitters, etc. Like homosexuals, there is no changing the object of their sexual desires.

I think that Anonymous or some other group should release their names and locations to the general public, and let nature take it's course.

Remember, it was the Catholic Church that taught these men when they were children: they were either molested themselves or they were instructed that certain sexual feelings would land them in Hell. Women were temptresses, evil, frightening. They probably entered the priesthood because they thought that God and the holy Church would save them from acting on their unholy thoughts.

I think the nuns should secede and set up their own church; they already do all the heavy lifting in this one, get none of the credit, and then they have to put up with the bad reputation. They could be priests then, and we likely wouldn't have a problem with their teaching the children.

No one who is aware of the centuries of evil done in the name of God by this organization, the Catholic Church, is surprised by this news.

The Crusades, The Spanish Inquisition, their support of Nazis, their abuse of Irish orphans and their coverup of child sexual abuse in America are just a few of the terrible things this "religion" has done.

And now it continues because the church has brainwashed their followers since childhood to believe that priests and the Pope are holy people who can do no wrong.

Now they want to take away the health care/ contraceptive rights of American women in the name of their phony religion. That is only a smokescreen for paternalism, power and control.

PIOUS BALONEY.

I told my son when he was 4 years old that if anyone touched his privates, he should tell me. If the person says to keep quiet or he would harm me or his mother, not to worry. I would shoot them in the head. I showed him my 40 caliber Smith & Wesson as proof. I was always vigilant and vigilante. I would always tell anyone who would listen that I had no problem killing someone who would harm my son. Now that he's an adolescent bigger and stronger than I, I don't have to worry about pedophiles.

Unfortunately, a big, strong adolescent boy (or girl) should not be considered safe either. As an example, look up the story of serial killer Dean Corll, who murdered at least 25 teenage boys in Houston in the 1970's.

Just don't blame the catolicks priest as all forms of religion phony . Name one that does not want to control you. They all F$%k with your head and this goes for the priest too. Most have their heads so screwed up they don't know up from down. Want to F#$k a person up real good? Make a rule that says they can not make love to another person for their hole life. Oh oh just thought of something. If they are not breeding where are they getting replacements from? OH OH now I see why they molest little boys. It would be interesting to see how many priest were molested when they were young.

Vincent Denali - The Protestant Church had a solution for homosexual priests over 500 years ago : allow priests to marry.

What a profoundly ignorant comment, on multiple levels.

Wait until the nun abortions of fetuses fathered by priests become main stream news. I was told by my ancestors of the basements beneath monasteries holding the corpses of aborted fetuses and suffocated babies.

Reports are talking about Africa and the basements I am talking about are not in Africa but much closer to home. I will continue my search for proof and will post them when I find them.

More disturbing, though, is that Catholic leaders continue to trivialize the growing scandal of sexual abuse in Africa and Asia. What started as a hurricane of sex scandals in the First World may well become a tsunami of charges from the Third World.

We now know that the sex abuse crimes involving Catholic clergy first reported in large numbers in the United States may have been committed in equally high numbers in Europe. Amazingly, in these two relatively sophisticated places, parents, nuns, teachers and both religious and civil authorities – Catholic and non-Catholic — were willing to be blind to the often obvious occasion of sin. And they ignored the Catholic laity in the pews, preferring instead to make deals with Rome, or at least to respect its jurisdiction.

http://www.salon.com/2010/04/23/next_catholic_priest_abuse_scandal/

The shocking practice began during General Franco’s dictatorship, trafficking babies by a secret network of doctors, nurses, priests and nuns, and it continued until the early 1990's.

Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/story/ent/manhattan_diary/spains-stolen-babies-scandal-132044333.html#ixzz1mBr0aHTk

It cited not only statistics on child sexual abuse but also the physical and emotional abuse children in the custody of the church in work houses and orphanages endured up to the 1970s. And it made clear that the problem was not just child abuse but the massive cover up from country to country and in the Vatican itself.

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/culture/1890/vatican_sexual_abuse_and_the_high_priests_of_hollywood

Is the Catholic Church really just a front for pedophiles and misogynists? Sure seems that way...

the catholic church has ruined many a family in the name of god . this is a great sin. then to add to it they hide until the statue of limitations run out and are free to offend again. it is a cult more then a religion not that it started that way . the first priest were women maybe it is about time we go back to that .the MEN of the church have gotton away with so much, the rape of children, the way women are mistreated and treated. enough is enough a new law needs to enacted that there is NO statue of limitations on rape of any kind . Maybe it is time for the MEN to finally stop this abuse by the church.

It is plain and simple. In America no straight man has any reason to renounce sex, none. Many gay Catholic young men choose the priesthood over coming out to their ultra orthodox Catholic parents. They know their parents would be proud of a son who is a priest and ashamed of, reject, and shun a gay son. The problem is once a priest they have to live the celibate lifestyle. A unnatural lifestyle in the extreme for a young man. Couple that with the fact that priests live in the parish, not exactly a great place to meet gay men. So all that leaves is the kids. Some priests are pedophiles from the start. Some are just gay and prey on the only available outlet. Pedophiles just like all people come straight or gay. Some of them like kids of the same sexsome like kids of the opposite sex. What most Catholics don't realize is that there are other Churches that are not too different from Roman Catholicism. Most Catholics would feel at home in the Anglican, Lutheran, and most Eastern rite churches. So if you disagree with the teachings of the church don't just sit there in silence. Leave it and let them know you did.

That's interesting. Thank you for sharing that, Devil's Son.

Vincent Denali : Sandusky and many others are married, but they still like little boys. Marriage is just a cover.

Child abuse is horrible, but did any of you even bother to read the article?

1. The 200 priests are suspected by some unnamed person or persons. They have NOT been convicted of anything, and they are NOT being HIDDEN by anybody.

2. The Archdiocese is letting the COURT decide which files to make public, so again, there is no cover-up.

3. Part of the awfulness of child abuse is that a) not all the victims come forward, and b) not all those who come forward are truly victims.

4. The 200 priests in California represent nearly one half of one percent of the Catholic priests in America, admittedly a depressingly large number. More hopeful is the fact that there are over 40,000 priests that are NOT guilty, or even suspected, of anything.

5. Homosexuality does not cause a man to abuse children.

6. Celibacy does not cause a man to become homosexual. Nor does it cause him to abuse children. The overhwhelming majority of priests are both celibate and happy with their lives.

7. Pedophiles are drawn to the priesthood for the same reasons they are drawn to become clergy in Protestan and other churches, or to assume leadership and positions of trust in Boy Scouts, schools, and a host of other organizations: that is where the children are. Pedophiles succeed for the same reason that con men do: they 'inspire' other people's trust, and then BETRAY it. The problem isn't Catholicism, it's PEDOPHILIA.

8. While the most pitiable victims of pedophile priests are the children they abuse, their other victims include the Bishops who trusted them, the other priests who worked with them, the parishioners who pay for the financial awards announced by the courts, and every faithful Catholic everywhere.

the (C)atholic (C)hurch has ruined many a family in the name of (G)od.

No, individual priests commit the crimes. The Church (which is made up of 1.2 billion people arund the world) neither preaches nor allows pedophilia. Celibacy means NO sex, not sexual abuse of children.

this is a great sin.

No Catholic will give you an argument on that point.

commonsense.... 1. The 200 priests are suspected by some unnamed person or persons. They have NOT been convicted of anything, and they are NOT being HIDDEN by anybody.

2. The Archdiocese is letting the COURT decide which files to make public, so again, there is no cover-up.

[..]

No, individual priests commit the crimes. The Church (which is made up of 1.2 billion people arund the world) neither preaches nor allows pedophilia. Celibacy means NO sex, not sexual abuse of children.

The simple fact is that the Catholic church did indeed cover up allegations of horrible crimes - rather than reporting what they knew or suspected to the police, they shuffled the pedophiles off to unsuspecting communities where they raped many more children. The church hierarchy and their policies were a major factor in the problem, and they were part of a criminal conspiracy.

The church might not teach pedophilia, but apparently it does teach conspiracy and poor ethics.

RainX:

What are the sources for you statement of fact?

AnIdividual, I think if you are a man and you bugger a little boy, it has something to do with homosexuality. If the little boy is a younger brother, it has something to do with incest. If you assault a little girl, this is only pedophilia. It's like saying a paramedic has nothing to do with being part of the fire dept.

seems to me that the way to get to the Catholic church is through their pocketbook. Perhaps all Catholics should stop the donations into the collection basket at church, until this pedophile issue is cleaned up once and for all. After all, the donations probably go towards paying lawyers to protect and defend these perverted priests.

It totally disgusts me that the Catholic church gets away with this stuff here in the US. Seems to be monetary settlements, hurt them. Do the offending priests ever get put in prison? I honestly dont know.

My Brother and I saw this stuff first hand from our Monsignor having both been Altar Boys for several years. All the Altar Boys knew about the monsignor, but we just didnt know what to do about it. The convent was right next to the church, and the school. We figured if we said anything the Dominicans would really kick our asses when in school. The Church rules through fear.... always has.

For dirtydog, rainX, and any others who think opinion can change FACT:

The root word for pedophile is

Word Origin & History: pedophilia
1905, from Gk. pais (gen. paidos) "child" (see pedo-) + philos "loving."

This root word post is from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pedophilia and from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedophilia there's more:

Definition of PEDOPHILIA

: sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object

I bet you guys think rape is all about sex rather than control, too! Any "knowledge" based on opinion or gossip rather than FACT is BOGUS! Just because some people fall for opinion as fact on Fox Tabloid News does not make it so.....and here is bonus information, from

Pedophilia or paedophilia (Commonwealth usage) is the primary or exclusive sexual attraction of adults to prepubescent children. A person with this attraction is called a pedophile or paedophile.^[1] The ICD-10 and DSM IV, which are standard medical diagnosis manuals, describe pedophilia as a paraphilia and mental disorder of adults or older adolescents, if it causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.^[2]

The term pedophile is also used colloquially to denote an adult who is sexually attracted to young adolescents, especially younger than the local age of consent,^[3] as well as those accused or convicted of child sexual abuse or child pornography-related offences.

Definitions

The word comes from the Greek paidophilia (παιδοφιλία): pais (παις, "child") and philia (φιλία, "love, friendship"). Paidophilia was coined by Greek poets either as a substitute for "paiderastia" (pederasty),^[4] or vice versa.^[5]

The classic spelling is with ae or æ, to avoid confusion with pedophilia, which etymologically means attraction to the ground (πέδον). The term should also not be confused with podophilia either, which is attraction to feet (πούς > octopus / ποδός / πηδόν > pedal). It is correctly pronounced using the "ped" as in "pediatrician," not as in "pedestrian" (as the original spelling contained an æ, which is pronounced as a long e).

And from http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/pedophilia?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=pedophilia&sa=Search#906:

Pedophilia or paedophilia (Commonwealth usage) is the primary or exclusive sexual attraction of adults to prepubescent children. A person with this attraction is called a pedophile or paedophile.^[1] The ICD-10 and DSM IV, which are standard medical diagnosis manuals, describe pedophilia as a paraphilia and mental disorder of adults or older adolescents, if it causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.^[2]

The term pedophile is also used colloquially to denote an adult who is sexually attracted to young adolescents, especially younger than the local age of consent,^[3] as well as those accused or convicted of child sexual abuse or child pornography-related offences.

Definitions

The word comes from the Greek paidophilia (παιδοφιλία): pais (παις, "child") and philia (φιλία, "love, friendship"). Paidophilia was coined by Greek poets either as a substitute for "paiderastia" (pederasty),^[4] or vice versa.^[5]

Forgot this definition for those who refuse to accept the facts of the above post:

Homophobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards homosexuality and people who are identified or perceived as being homosexual. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophobia)

(Last repeated paragraph above is a typo)

AnIdividual We are in agreement as to what a pedophile is. I see the dictionary is the root of your knowledge, so I looked up "homosexual" and the dictionary said it was eroticbehavior between people of the same sex, and I'll be darned if it didn't mention age at all. I got to thinking if a full grown man got together with a boy who was one day short of the age of consent, that man would be a pedophile. Now if he got together with that man on his birthday, would he be a homosexual? BTW homophobic is a misnomer. The root of the word is homo which means mankind. Phobia means fear. I am not afraid of mankind. If you like, you can be with someone of the same sex and I promise that I won't butt in, no pun intended.

Why is it, these people also get away with out paying any taxes? Tax them, as they do any other entity out there, it is time that their free ride comes to a screeching halt. The guilty ones should be tried, and when found guilty, put into the nastiest prisons they can think of, and put them in general population too.

because the rightwing idiots in this country protect them. we just went thru all the bulls**t with contraceptive laws and a womans right with this very same church when will you people on the right stop kissing thier ass & protecting these perverts. remember its we the people its not we the rightwinged church. WTFUP!

Come on LexLady, give us a hard one. Answer: 1) Because the Catholic lobby is very powerful and 2) our political system is so totally broken that our elected officials will let this slide for the money to buy more votes.

I have asked that same question to anyone who would listen.........why are the priest's treated different than the guy down the street........????

and they get to break ANY of our laws TAX FREE!

...and what's with the "do not admit any fault" B.S.?

I have always wondered the same. How is it that I read alot about sex abuse by preists, but I never see them going to jail? I have seen the church pay out to the victims, but I can't recall seeing the offender going to jail. Do the parents of the victims help cover it up? Does law enforcement refuse to arrest them? Is there some obscure law that prevents them for being held accountable?

It is amazing that none of these priests are prosecuted. if you and i did what they did, we would already be in jail for life. The leadership of the Catholic Church is its own Mafia also known as the Vatican.

perhaps we need to get rid of due process so we can eradicate the accused?

Presumably the victims don't press charges. You can't convict someone without testimony.

Why is it if you're a priest you don't get tried in this country?

That is because sociopaths stick up for one another. The scum has risen it's way to the top in words and they now control most of government if not all of it. I'm a victim of the RCC. I'm inflicted with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and today I also have PTSD due to DID. I was very young when law enforcement discovered this crime that was being commited against me. But government stepped in on behalf of the RCC and ordered law enforcement to make no arrests. Afterwards the crimes still continued on and I being young was unable to defend myself and when law enforcement would come by to check on me I was amnestic of the assaults and so they never realized that it was still happening. In the end the crimes that were committed against me were whitewashed, er I was whitewashed. Today, I'm on my last legs. PTSD prevents me from working and so I have no income. The only way I'm surviving at the moment is with the house I'm living in. The owner is letting me renovate it in exchange for food and internet services. Once and a while I'll be offered a days work with a side job from someone and that buys me clothes and small material items. Before I wind becoming homeless on the street, I think about what I want to do beforehand. In the back of my mind I want to go inside an archdiocese and kill everybody inside of it in order to wake up the public about what happened to me. But conscious wise, I just want to leave this world.

lexingtonlady-

It's because most of these abuse cases began in the 50's, 60's, and 70's. These people have been living with this for decades, and have only been able to come forward recently.

Most states STILL have a 5-10 year statute of limitation for Rape or Sexual Assault because our Congress would rather spend their 300 grand/yr salary debating whether Barry Bonds used steroids.

://relieffundforsexualassaultvictims.org/resources/statutesoflimitationcrim-D.pdf

Note that this table is for ALL victims of Sexual Assault, not just children

Why is it if you're a priest you don't get tried in this country?

Long story short, the Catholic Archdiocese gets wind of the abuse before the State and Federal authorities, and whisks the offender away to some other church across the nation, or across the world. Then does their best to tie up and and all loose ends in an attempt to wipe out all traces of information.

They share none of the information they glean from their internal investigations with the State/Fed authorities, and basically keep the entire matter in-house. As I said above, this is a game to them, and one I feel they must lose and must lose publicly and loudly. If it takes removing their tax exempt status, and raiding every Arch-diocese in the country for all information regarding these 'people', so be it. The safety of children is vastly more important than any Church.

Those who believe in Catholicism will remain Catholics even if the Churches are removed. You don't need some old stuffy geezers to tell you what your faith is, to maintain your religious principles.

If you were a pedophile, what could be a more perfect occupation for you than priest?

Your living expenses are all taken care of for life, you don't have to pretend to be a normal family man, you have access to children and you are essentially given a pass to do whatever you want to them because you represent God to them and their families.

If you do get caught, your bishop moves you to a new parish. Fresh meat.

Think about that as you kneel in church.

B Murphy, here's my theory....through out my 64 years, I had many friends confide in me about being molested by male relatives, fathers included. The problem is in pretty much every case the victim is accused of lying. They always side with the perpetrator. It just blows me away. They're afraid because they get punished for telling. I have a friend who waited until she was in her 50's and her dad was dead before she told anybody that he started violating her at age 4. I asked her why she didn't tell anybody, and she said "nobody would believe me". Her dad was very respected in the church and community. But after the fact, I remember him being extremely narcissistic and controlling.

@ Marlane: It's quite widely proven that anyone who's been the victim of sexual abuse has suffered tremendous damage to their willpower and self-esteem. This has also been shown true in women who suffer from domestic abuse. Once your trust has been violated so horribly, I don't think gender matters...anyone would question who they can trust. Don't you think?

That's why the matter needs to be taken out of their hands, the FBI and Police should raid the arch-diocese with teams of electronics experts, basically copy every harddrive they find, and confiscate all records they find. Make copies of everything, then return them. Then start hunting these offender's down and have public trials.

Not mass executions or anything like that, even though many would like to see that. But make their downfall visible, make it public, and make it severe. The victim's will bear scars of these violations for the rest of their lives, that much is certain, they deserve better, and this country needs to stop treating the Church with kids gloves, in this regard. It's not a joke, it's not funny, it's people's lives and this sh!t needs to stop.

Why is it if you're a priest you don't get tried in this country?

Priests who committed crimes have been tried and convicted.

That's where their sexual proclivities are, backwards.

Totally agree with you Mynameis. However I also agree if not convicted names and locations should not be revealed. HOWEVER, if the Church has spread its protective wings over all of these pedophiles for so many years, how in the heck could charges even been made, let alone prosecuted?! They sheltered these creeps for decades, under their own Church policies, avoiding US laws to the awful detriment of children. Yet they scream bloody murder when it comes to US policies for birth control insurance coverage!! If they want to be laws under themselves then they have no right whatsoever taking any form of federal or state monies or tax exemptions. Am I the only one who reaches that conclusion?

I am a very strong believer in the Constitution of the United States but this is one time I believe the rights of one group (the kids) out way the rights of the other group (the pedophiles). And I don't even like kids.....The right to privacy is not a Civil Right it is a Civil Liberty and they can be taken away from a person. I believe that if there are more than one accusation of child abuse the parents have a right to know who is accused of it, for the protection of their children.

Their biggest interest here seems to be preserving the opportunity to create more and more victims: Less contraceptives, more children, bigger pool for the pedophile priests.

I too, feel that way Candy. Why should a church of any denomination be allowed to rake in millions upon millions tax free? I recall back in the 1980's that douche bag Oral Roberts(who names their kid Oral anyway?) came on the local news and claimed that if he didn't receive a million dollars Jesus was going to "Call him home", then, he got on the news and claimed that a 900 foot Jesus came to him and told him he needed to raise a million(or what ever the amount was-can't quite recall the exact amount) dollars or the same thing, he would be called home. One of his sons had,(most likely still does) one of the largest houses in the Tulsa area, and it was all paid for tax free, from the idiots that poured in their donations to these charlatans. Disgusting at best. These mega-billion dollars-a-year "Corporations" (that is what they are, no matter what they say) should at least have to pay15% of their billions of that they currently collect for free. I should claim myself as a religion and tell the irs to go "phuck" themselves, I'm a church after all, Goddang it.

The Church's priorities are to control its members, make money, and protect its network of pedophiles.

It wasn't until sometime during the 12th century that the Church imposed the promise of celibacy on priests. I'm thinking God would prefer priests go back to getting married, have sex with thier wives, and leave the little boys alone.

If two men having sex is an abomination, what would God call it when his servants rape little boys?!

2-Sense - in the 15nth Century the Catholic Church castrated young boys so they would always be sopranos

This Church has a history of women - out - men -in

So why as a woman would you want to belong to a church that does not relish women - same as the Mormons

Can't fathom that either Barbara.......women should grab their children and run, don't walk, as fast as they can away from the Catholic church.........what is the matter with those women anyway?

What with the shortage of priests, I am surprised that there are 200 accused priests in one area alone. Add to that the priests who are truly ministers of God, and how many would the total of all priests be in that area? Didn't think there were that many priests in one state.

Being a Catholic, and I know I can speak for the majority of Catholics, I am shocked and disgusted at this scandal and want those guilty to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And any Bishop or whomever who has been protecting them should be booted from their position and perhaps the Church altogether, prosecuted for harboring criminals. Even as pervasive as this problem seems to be, it is still a small minority of the entire Catholic priesthood. And one must also be very aware that there are those, or their family who would hope that untruthfully claiming to have been victimized, see accusing as an easy, hard to disprove or prove way of getting a hefty financial "settlement".

I do wish that people who come on these vines and say "the church is this" "the church is that" when they have never so much as been in a Catholic church, much less know the basic tenants, practices, would cease spreading things that they knew nothing about. Such as the Church wants to control it's members...never felt "controlled" or forced to follow its rules or beliefs in any way, shape or form. They teach, counsel....take it or leave it. No one shows up at your door with threats of any kind..no shunning..no public confession, no threats of publically shaming or picketing you or your family....like I said, it's take it or leave it. And I have never heard one priest endorse any candidate or political party or compare one candidate's platform with the others, during any sermon, service or gathering...ever.

Sorry Aggie but you are "controlled". All believers are controlled. As a child you learned to vacate your rational thought inquire regarding religion. Suddenly it's reasonable to believe that snakes and donkeys can talk and that a person can live in a large fish. Religion is a way of pretending that we never die. Not only are you controlled Aggie but you have also reduced yourself to that of a sheep.

Bryan:

YOU WROTE: "Why is it, these people also get away with out paying any taxes? Tax them, as they do any other entity out there, it is time that their free ride comes to a screeching halt."

MY RESPONSE: I get tired of hearing someone complain about the tax exempt status of churches in the US. So, let me just point out how much money the Catholic Church alone saves taxpayers each year. According to The National Catholic Educational Association, the total Catholic school enrollment (grades 1 through 12) for the last academic year (2010-2011) was 2,065,872. Those students attended 6,980 Catholic schools.

Now consider the cost of a public school education, which averages somewhere between $8,600 to $27,000 per student (depending on whose statistics you accept). For our purposes here, let’s just use a low average of $10,000 to educate each public school student.

That being said, according to my calculations Catholic schools are saving taxpayers more than 20 BILLION DOLLARS each year (2,065,872 Catholic students times $10,000, which would be the cost to educate those students in public schools). And that amount doesn’t even include the cost of building 6,980 additional public schools and financing the associated infrastructure necessary to educate those Catholic children if they all suddenly transferred into the public school system.

And what about all the money saved by taxpayers because of religiously-run social services, such as soup kitchens, homeless shelters, pregnancy aid centers, free counseling, financial assistance, etc.? I’m betting the savings to taxpayers are astronomical. And what about the contributions of Catholic Charities (one of the largest charitable organization in the entire world)? Do you want to tax that charity?

So don’t give me that malarkey that churches (and their associated parochial schools) shouldn’t be tax exempt when they’re already saving the taxpayers billions of dollars EVERY YEAR. Aren’t those savings to taxpayers just like paying taxes? Do you air the same complaints about General Electric, which doesn’t pay a single cent in taxes despite earning billions in profits? Maybe General Electric gets away with tax evasion because their CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, is President Obama’s buddy/confidant.

And what about the 47% of Americans who pay no taxes at all, yet receive government benefits in one form or another? Shouldn’t they be required to pay at least a minimal tax for the benefits/services they get? Why aren’t you complaining about their “free ride”?

Just for the record, I’m not Catholic and I’m not a member of any organized religion. Instead, I’m a Deist who's not a fan of all the dogmas, ceremonies, and regulations of organized religions. Nevertheless, I’m still an admirer of a nearby Catholic church because I’ve noticed the good works that it sponsors – boy scout and girl scout troops, clothing drives (which I’ve benefitted from, even though I’m an “outsider”), a food pantry, a homeless shelter, blood drives, and a Good Samaritan group which does volunteer labor for the needy. That group even travels to disaster areas, such as the Gulf Coast, to help the desperately needy after disastrous hurricanes. And they do that at church expense without regard for the religious affiliation of those who benefit. I've received their assistance without ever being asked about my religious beliefs.

granbo:

YOU WROTE: "All believers are controlled. As a child you learned to vacate your rational thought inquire regarding religion. Suddenly it's reasonable to believe that snakes and donkeys can talk and that a person can live in a large fish."

MY RESPONSE: So you think it's reasonable to believe that NOTHING working on behalf of NOTHING for NOTHING through NOTHING created EVERYTHING? Or that first there was NOTHING, then it exploded (the Big Bang)? How reasonable is that? And you think you're not being controlled? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeesh!

I wonder Rhonda, do you leave your children alone with the priest's?

The church has it's priorities exactly as they've always been. The Church comes first. PERIOD. Less contraception means more victims. ON MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.

Rhonda and Aggie...ANY ONE who believes in priests or any of that other religious indoctrination is 'controlled' and are seeing exactly what they WANT you to see. Open you eyes and think for yourself for once and stop being sheep.

Being a Catholic, and I know I can speak for the majority of Catholics, I am shocked and disgusted at this scandal and want those guilty to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And any Bishop or whomever who has been protecting them should be booted from their position and perhaps the Church altogether, prosecuted for harboring criminals. Even as pervasive as this problem seems to be, it is still a small minority of the entire Catholic priesthood.

Sorry, aggie, but in fact you are no more aware of what your parish priest does in his bedroom than he is of what you do in yours. For all you know, he's a pedophile who just hasn't been caught yet.

If you are willing to expose your children to that, then it should be on your conscience as well as it is on the conscience of the pedophile priest if they end up molested. You need to think about that.

I would never let a priest near my children.

It amazes me that otherwise intelligent individuals embrace religion. To me it's right up there with Santa, the Easter bunny, the Tooth Fairy, etc.

Marlane, I'm fine with people believing whatever helps them to be better people. Live and let live. I don't happen to buy into it, but I don't try to force my agnosticism on others.

What I have a problem with is those people who are willing to give up common sense and reason to become nothing more than sheep. How are the followers of David Koresh or Jim Jones so different from the see-no-evil hear-no-evil Catholics who are trying to tell women what to do with their own bodies? How do they justify acting as apologists for the continuing evil of an organization like the Catholic church?

I think it's fear: fear of death, fear of hell...pounded into their heads since birth.

Sorry granbo...but it sounds like it is YOU who is being controlled, by rumor mongers, and misconceptions. Pretty presumptious of YOU to tell ME what you DON'T know about me.

kaybeetoys...What about what I said, that you pasted, says anything even close to my knowing or even guessing what, exactly, is going on in my parish priest's bedroom? Are you saying that EVERY priest is a pedophile? My stated comment was that I hope they get every ONE of those priests and prosecute them. What about that is excusing them? Or defending them? There are pedophiles everywhere, so why would I leave my children in a classroom, or scout troop, or a minister, or a youth minister, camp counselor, a day care, an Uncle, or brother, or father, grandfather or with anyone anywhere, knowing there have been scores and scores of pedophiles in any and all of those groups.....yet you choose to mistrust ONLY a Catholic Priest. You have a very selective paranoia. For that matter, who knows what YOU do in YOUR bedroom? Can YOU be trusted with my children? When has the church ever separated children from their parents, slept with every woman follower on a whim, beat children, forcefully married off pre-teens, FORCED them to drink syanide laced Kool Aid or anything deadly. Your comparisons to Koresch and Jones are soooo far fetched and off base, it's desperate and pathetic.

@marlane -- This is a little known fact, but a child who is repeatedly and severely tortured (including sexual abuse) actually ends up with heightened mental [and physical abilities], just like bodybuilders who deliberately damage their muscle tissue through overexertion, make their muscles grow back stronger and thicker. It's been reported that religious parents and more likely to believe in physical punishment to control their children. This explains why super religious people are often extremely extremely intelligent. Of course, this 'gain' comes at a terrible price -- a bounty of accompanying mental illnesses and becoming someone else's slave (loss of true self autonomy and volition) -- it's not all good... For example, I've read that you can supposedly make a person have a photographic memory through torture (including sexual abuse). Try downloading and reading Cathy O'Brien book, 'Trance Formation of America' which partly deals with trauma-based mind control, available as a free pdf download on the internet.

I'm not an atheist, I'm an agnostic. I think there is some truth to ancient texts, but probably handed down over the generations with some accidental and intentional distortion, at the behest of those who stand to lose a lot if the real truth of man's history were known...

kaybeetoys...What about what I said, that you pasted, says anything even close to my knowing or even guessing what, exactly, is going on in my parish priest's bedroom? Are you saying that EVERY priest is a pedophile?

Of course it's unlikely that every priest is a pedophile. But how do you know for certain that any particular priest is NOT a pedophile? The forced celibacy of the priesthood is an unnatural lifestyle.

My stated comment was that I hope they get every ONE of those priests and prosecute them. What about that is excusing them? Or defending them?

Isn't it a little late for that? Pedophile priests have been let off the hook for decades, and now the statute of limitations has run out on some of their crimes. They will never be brought to justice.

There are pedophiles everywhere, so why would I leave my children in a classroom, or scout troop, or a minister, or a youth minister, camp counselor, a day care, an Uncle, or brother, or father, grandfather or with anyone anywhere, knowing there have been scores and scores of pedophiles in any and all of those groups.....yet you choose to mistrust ONLY a Catholic Priest. You have a very selective paranoia.

I did not say that only Catholic priests are pedophiles. It's true they can be found everywhere. The issue at hand is that the church covered up their crimes and transferred them from one parish to another. I hope that is not the case with scout leaders or teachers.

For that matter, who knows what YOU do in YOUR bedroom? Can YOU be trusted with my children?

I am a stranger to you. Even if I sat in the pew next to you every Sunday morning, you would be correct in not trusting me with your children. I would not trust you with mine.

When has the church ever separated children from their parents, slept with every woman follower on a whim, beat children, forcefully married off pre-teens, FORCED them to drink syanide laced Kool Aid or anything deadly. Your comparisons to Koresch and Jones are soooo far fetched and off base, it's desperate and pathetic.

Any religious dogma or any religious authority figure which requires that followers cede control of their reproduction is not all that different from a religious cult.

Rhonda Lucky-296458 'So you think it's reasonable to believe that NOTHING working on behalf of NOTHING for NOTHING through NOTHING created EVERYTHING? Or that first there was NOTHING, then it exploded (the Big Bang)? How reasonable is that? And you think you're not being controlled? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeesh'.

No, non-believers don't believe in that. Nobody has a definitive answer to what happened before the big bang, so non-believers would say 'We don't know' and we need to find out. The day there is enough evidence to substantiate the claim that the universe came from nothing, we will believe it, but right now it there is not lot of evidence scientifically. Ironically, what you wrote above is exactly what you believe, that a 'doG' poofed the universe into existence from nothing. Even if a doG did poof the universe into existence, what makes you think its your Christain 'doG'. It could have been Thor or Allah or Hades or Krishna or Buddha. Apart from complete lack of evidence to substantiate your beliefs, you have all the talking donkeys n snakes rubbish and your religions deserve thorough ridicule. So, what you believers display is perfect example of 'Dunning-Kruger' effect.

Makes one wonder why the church dislikes any type of birth control!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

EXACTLY!!! Where's the outrage of frothy Santorum, GinGrinch, and Mittens who bitch and moan about Obama's attacking "religious liberty and threatening innocent life."

If 200 priests were diddlin with little boys, I sure as hell call that "threatening innocent life"

GOD says no to birth control, no matter what religion!!!

The republicans are only interested in life from conception to birth. After that they do not mind if you get screwed by people who do not care about the poor people, or pedophile priests.

Keri-

God says no to birth control?? When's the last time you talked to this imaginary character?

@Keri Eggeman Beckman

God also said, thou shall not judge and I don't see you guys follow that.

God told you this, God told you that. Isn't that the start for all the killing and horror in the pasts thousand years?

Did God also told them to cover up for criminal? I don't think so and yet they are doing it so well.

Keri- whatever - when did god say no birth control? What bible are you reading? My god the pill was available 52 years ago and the bible knew this?

Cite the phrase of birth control in the bible- the only thing I read was it is better to put the sperm in a woman then spew it it upon the earth - ergo the bible was against masturbation - reconcile that one

Beckmans,

Where in the h** do you find that in the Bible?

When there is no birth control, women have abou 14 kids each. Do you have a clue what having that many children does to your body? (Not to mention what it does to our little planet).

If that kind of nonsense were in the Bible, the fundalmentalists would have found it years ago. Of course there are a few wackos, like the Duggers, who pull out some obscure Old Testament verse about a "full quiver". Good grief. If you are going to start doing that, you also have to start stoning women to death who have been raped- that is in there also.

Did you ever think that God might have been referring to a certain time period, when it was in peoples best interests to be fruitful and multiply? God also gave man a brain, and the capacity to learn about many things, even birth control when that becomes necessary.

The Bible is a book written by men and barbarians who wanted to have control over the ignorant and superstitious people.

Read your Bible to know how much your God loves the unborn child (So much for the unborn being innocent ...)

God said in Hosea 13:16 " ...they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up."

Keri,

Can you name one witness who can testify to hearing God say, "no to birth control, nomatter what religion" ?..Or are you just taking the Grinch's word for it ?

Beckmans,

I notice you're not getting many votes.

That's usually an indication that one's views are a little out of the mainstream.

Yvonne...The Church doesn't like ANY type of birth control? Not so. Know what you're talking about before making sweeping statements.

Right. Because all the studies showing that pedophilia and homosexuality aren't correlated are meaningless. One single coincidence makes all that disappear! Plus when you look at the map, barely any are around the Bay area while a ton are around LA.

Of course Nick that wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the largest in the country (more than 4 million catholics) while the Diocese of San Francisco is number 42 with only about 400,000 catholics. And the fact that 4 of the top 20 largest dioceses in the US are in California might have something to do with the number of priests in CA (and therefore the number of suspected/accused/convicted pedophiles). That's the problem with alot of news stories, no context.

This is a tough question. Children need to be protected but putting people into sex abuse registries only on the strength of being accused clearly violates the legal principle of the presumption of innocence and would seem to violate the Constitutional protections of due process and equal protection. We could say that we should err on the side of caution but being accused of a sex offense is a bell that cannot be unrung. Once accused of such a crime in the US you will always and forever be considered guilty even if completely exonerated of any crime.

pedophiles should not be on registers. they should not be in prision. if convicted especialy with dna evidence they should be publicly impaled on a stake or hung. wood and rope are cheaper than food and medical care in prision plus there is a side benefit no repeat offenders

I think we already have this precedent in place. We have many prisoners who are suspected of being terrorists and who spend years in prison camps without ever being charged or convicted. The youngest was a boy of fifteen who spent almost seven years in captivity. At the moment Bradley Manning is being held and has not being convicted of anythinng. He was a one time held in solitary confinement and completely nude for his "own safety". Unfortunately, those in power decide which constitutional rights they will follow. We, the public, are led around by our noses, frightened by stories of terrorists' threats, or whichever flavor of the month it is. In fact, we have litttle power to do anything about it until we decide enough is enough and actively take part in and control of our country and our lives.

Have all the religious liberty you want - within the law - just don't ask for TAX EXEMPT status and make everyone else subsidize your whacky religious beliefs. (Mostly a collection of hypocrisy.)

Just think that we are subsidizing the buggering of little boys. Just think that about 67% of the funding for their charities is our tax money.

My religion is all about nature, so does that mean I shouldn't pay health insurance for my employee?

Muslim is all about no rights for women, so they shouldn't pay anything for women at all?

Paleconservative.......Whats with this liberal this and liberal that nonsense?

Are you suggesting that only liberals care about their children or children being molested, the church covering it up and working to make these priests unavailable for prosecution until the statue of limitation is up?

What, conservatives don't have concern for their children then, and would prefer the coverup etc to continue?

Parents and relatives are parents and relatives period when it comes to their children/neices nephews cousins. Under these circumstances these folks do not or should not let their religious or political views take precidence over the safety and security of the children imo, and I doubt it does.

Better way to deal with the statue of limitation issue is to change the law so that there is no statue of limitations on sexual assault of a child period. Grandfather it in so that those priests that were 'unavailable' will then be required to answer to the charges they slipped out from under.

By the way, boys are not the only ones that were molested, girls were molested too, and some have the babies or children to prove it as it is doubtful that they would have had a termination of said pregnancy.

One could state that molestation is same as rape, in that it is all about exerting power and control over the other person. Back in the day, parents used to teach their children about 'touching ' etc and how to say NO, also to tell their parents and teachers about these things, but it seems that parents are not doing this sort of teaching these days.

Some parents even 'sexualize' their female children from an early age, having them dress and wear makeup like adults. Look how many children reality shows are on tv these days, from beauty contests to dance etc contests for their very young children. It gets where the lines are blurred between childhood and adulthood.

Some parents do not seem to want to find out why their child is acting out etc. or what they- including teenagers- are watching or doing on their computers either these days as more and more children become latchkey kids. No wonder some parents find out that their child is/was being bullied, sexting, becoming or are sexually active etc when it is too late.

Another pet peeve is seeing parents kissing their child on the lips. Why not kiss the child on the forehead or the cheek? Before long the child believes it is ok to kiss other adults on the lips too. Children learn their behaviour, and right from wrong from their parents. As the saying goes don't do anything to your child that you would not want another adult to do the your child.

When did we as adults become so self absorbed that we no longer keep a close and watchful eye on our offspring?

This is neither a right or left, liberal or conservative issue.... it is an everybody issue no matter the persons religion or political leanings imo. Enough with the divisiveness already...

Ranted out.... sigh.

Peace.....

BZe1 you contradict yourself. You talk about "Better way to deal with the statue of limitation issue is to change the law so that there is no statue of limitations on sexual assault of a child period. Grandfather it in so that those priests that were 'unavailable' will then be required to answer to the charges they slipped out from under."

and then two paragraphs later,

"Back in the day, parents used to teach their children about 'touching ' etc and how to say NO, also to tell their parents and teachers about these things, but it seems that parents are not doing this sort of teaching these days."

Think about it. Those parents did teach that and YET it still happened "Back in the day" to which you refer because it was during THOSE days or that time period in which the priests molested the two adult gentlemen who are quoted in the article.

Yes, we need to end the statue of limitations so that we are allowed to prosecute pedophiles at a later date and to put them on the sex registration list.

However, we also need changes to the sex registrar list. It needs to start listing indicators of type of sex crime. After all just taking a wizz in public gets a guy put on the registrar. A 18 year old having sex with his 16 year old girlfriend gets put on the list--for life. Parents need to have more information to protect their children not just, "o yeah btw there is a sex offender in your neighborhood." Tell me does the sex offender like kids or did he rape an adult woman? Sexual predators tend to not change their preference so if he raped an adult woman my child is not at risk but I am.

Paleoconservatist

Umm... this doesn't somehow negate the fact that coopting the power of the state to rob people of their religious liberty and then criminalize them when they won't go along, like the modern liberals and Obama are seeking to do to religious organizations with respect to the morning after pill issue, is facist.

How has anyone been "robbed of their religious liberty"? You don't believe religious organizations that employ workers in secular roles ought to provide the same healthcare options as secular organizations?

Your argument is pious baloney. No church has the right to make medical decisions for its members. The Catholic church is not a medical institution. Catholics who choose to give up their rights as individuals to the control of their church are not forced by the government to have any medical procedure. They are not forced to use contraceptives.

What you are trying to do is to discredit a compromise that honors the separation of church and state, while protecting the health care rights of women. Only a sheep would buy what you're selling.

The Catholic Church in many diocese is self insured, so nothing has changed with his (save his patoot--save votes) compromise. There are probably other churchs that are also self-insured.

Aggie-345886

The Catholic Church in many diocese is self insured, so nothing has changed with his (save his patoot--save votes) compromise. There are probably other churchs that are also self-insured.

So why are Catholics turning it into something it is not: a 'war on religion'? Religious conservatives are using the contraceptive coverage issue for political purposes. It won't work.

kaybeetoys....It is not only the Catholic Church that, as you say, is turning this into a war on religion. There have been letters and voices if dissent directly communicated to Washingon by leaders of several different Protestant boards, Baptists, etc., the CRC, and Jewish leaders. And, be informed, that the Catholic Church members and religious ministries have been voting Democratic for many, many years, and the majority supported Barack Obama.... So if you think that this issue is political in ANY way, you are mistaken. What it IS...is a CONSTITUIONAL issue. Obama has ignored the Constitution in more that just issue. Contrary to the oath he took.

So why are Catholics turning it into something it is not: a 'war on religion'?

It didn't work.

Religious conservatives are using the contraceptive coverage issue for political purposes. It won't work.

Which is why they've gone onto the next bit of manufactured outrage.

Right. Without religion, these guys would just be pedophiles. Hmmm, how's that religion thing working out?

Because the Catholic Church, like most religions, focuses on brainwashing children to believe their nonsense. And many, many people don't have the thinking skills to logically think their way out of an illogical religion.

Most Catholics reject for themselves the church's teaching against premarital sex and birth control, but just can't bring themselves to completely give up the rest of the brainwashing.

I think some people want all their questions answered for them and all their doubts dispelled. My best friend is Catholic and the catechism she had to memorize as a child purported to have all the answers...which is utter nonsense, since no one can say for sure what happens after death.

We need to have the courage to live with uncertainty.

Others feel that an outward display of religion gives them a sort of legitimacy. Just look at all the people who wear crosses around their necks. It's like wearing designer brands...just a glance at them and they are automatically someone good, someone trustworthy. Those people in church on Sunday are good people, people you can trust. It is nothing less than judging a book by its cover.

Because the Catholic Church and Catholic families brain wash their young children to buy into this hogwash and bull@!$%#. To add, there are stupid people who are lazy and intellectually inept to find real answers for various phenomenan and meanwhile are happy with psuedo-answers and lunatic myths of religion. So, you still find people in the Catholic Church.

Yea thats what I exactly feel. Every religion feels its the best and the others are thrash. You should look into the levels of stupidity the Christians would get them into, to defend their fairy tales and myths, while behave rationally when critiquing other religions. Cognitive dissonance at its best

Conservative stop caring about the babies as soon as it leaves the womb. If it's a young single mother, they will condemn the mother and babies as parasite to society. If the baby grow up in poor family, they will label them and want the baby to work as soon as they can walk to not burden the society.

Yeah, Newtie would have them sweeping up rich folks detrius at a very young age!

You must be delusional. Why would judgement of the church condemn anyone? Their clergy are raping little boys and have been covering it up for centuries. Do you not see the profound evil in this rather than accusing those who condemn it as sinners? If these folks (and people like you) are going to be in heaven, no thanks, I 'd rather be downstairs making chili with my free thinking friends and scientists.

Some of us live in the real world where sexual abuse, especially when done to children, is reprehensible. Also reprehensible is a person who will claim to be godly and then defend these actions. Please, engage your mind and stop following doctrine that is so wrong.

I don't know anything about Satan, but I do know the people done horrible things in the name of GOD for thousands of years.

What do you call a god who done horrible things? DEVIL.

Because everyone is sin, so we can't prosecute members of church because of what?

Btw, you do know that no matter how much you confess, the sin still there. Who is to cleanse the sin? Humans with sin to clean another human with sin, you should try to use mud to clean your dirty face and tell me how that works out.

Wacko wacko nut-job!

I am praying for you all. You have no idea whats about to happen.

Comments full of the same useless, religious drivel and the author sitting in judgement of others, while accusing them of judging because they are outraged at religious leaders protecting child rapers, is more than I can bear.

Free from sin yourself, if you are so non-judgmental and so forgiving, so Christ-like, where is the love, concern, and compassion for the children raped by those church monsters you seem so eager to defend? When your child is sodomized by a priest, will you fight to protect your child or the priest? Will you eagerly give over you child to be raped by the priests, in the name of our Lord, Amen?

Oh, wait...are you a priest?

Hallelujah?

Hey all if you don't think it's about the money - then think again - I was an accountant for the Catholic Churche's investments at one time they owned the Merchandise Mart in Chicago

Then I visited the Vatican - you walk in there is a line of telephones - I thought it was DIAL A SIN

Go further unless you pay - no further - it's all about the money

Best thing - around the corner is a great bar - glad to escape

fantastic rationalization to perpetuate the church's power, "remove the timber from thine own eye before you attempt to remove the mote from your brother's eye", the church is no longer Holy, this scandal reaches up to the Pope, for centuries the church has hidden behind "the God wills it" rationale, time to eliminate this defense all together.

Very true, how about investigating sexual abuse in the family, and the public school system of the USA which far outstrip the Catholic Church--these actions are never justified and that is not what I am doing, I am saying let us put it into perspective.

@LoveChrist-4246478--Not everyone that says "Lord, Lord" will go to heaven...and that quote is in the Good Book. Not everyone is bashing the Catholic Church because they like it, or because they are Protestant, or otherwise heathens. Christ himself was very hard on hypocrites, and I would bet money he would probably be saying the same things as a LOT of these posters. "True" men of God would never, never endanger children this way, either directly or by letting these monsters roam while they look the other way.

And picking on posters doesn't change things...if the emperor has no clothes, he has no clothes. People are at least getting more intelligent now, by and large, and few are willing to place absolute faith into an absolute institution.

Love Christ, Who was the bad apple? Not Judas I hope. The poor guy was setup. Did not God send His Son to earth for the specific purpose of dying for our sin? If so then since God know all things then he needed and made Judas betray Jesus.

Love Christ, please tell me...? what if you were present at the murder of Jesus and as a Christian attempted and succeeded in stopping the crucifixion. Would we still be saved?

Love.......If we were talking about one priest in one state then I would probably agree with you about the sin and judgement. But 200 accusations in one state is not an isolated incident. 500 accusation in another state is not an isolated incident. The church paying out over 660 million dollars in restitution/settlements for child abuse says it is the normal practice of the church.

I do believe in a higher power but I am no Bible thumper and I do not believe any one church is better than the other. I do know the Bible teaches us not to sin and I also know that it teaches that we have to obey not only God's law but man's law also. So why should we have respect for a Church that protects its priests who are clearly breaking both God's laws and man's laws while teaching the congregation about God's word? You say we should forgive the sin/sinner? Hmm, let me see here is a parent whose child has been abuse by a priest and they are suppose to forgive the priest and say here is my other child, see if you can do better?

If the Church is suppose to be respected then why do they teach God's word but the church leaders protect their own when they/priests break both God's word/law and man's law. It tells me the church leaders are more interested in protecting the Churches reputation than following God's word/laws. Now correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Gods word/law come before the Church or do I have that backwards......?

Love Christ-4246478

You have no idea whats about to happen.

And neither do you.

granbo

Love Christ, Who was the bad apple? Not Judas I hope. The poor guy was setup. Did not God send His Son to earth for the specific purpose of dying for our sin? If so then since God know all things then he needed and made Judas betray Jesus.

Love Christ, please tell me...? what if you were present at the murder of Jesus and as a Christian attempted and succeeded in stopping the crucifixion. Would we still be saved?

You have made an excellent point, granbo. Unfortunately, it will likely be lost on those who need it most because they have been frightened away from asking questions and from using the brains their god gave them to think and reason.

I have asked the same question many times myself, and the answer.........."because God tells them what's best!" This world if full of religious nutcases. That's the only comment I have other than these clergy dress-wearing pricks all need to be rounded up, tarred, their asses whipped in public, feathered, and rode backwards, on a donkey in the Calif. Orange Bowl parade.

The answer for everything from church, God told me to do that.

Remember the crusade? God told me to do that.

Remember the Witch Hunt? Gold told me to do that.

Remember the burning, stake, prosecution and all the atrocities? Yup, God told me to do that.

In their self-defense in this case, GOD TOLD ME TO DO THAT.

Frank - it depends on the purpose of the counseling but for the most part counseling is not about the therapist or counselor providing answers. Its about the therapist helping the patient/client to explore a troubling area in his/her/their lives and come up with their own answers. Counseling is more about the process of helping people discover their own truth rather than providing one for them. Under your sense of logic most of the people who counsel victims of any sort shouldn't be doing so because they weren't victims themselves. Male counselors should have no female patients and vice versa.

Frank - it depends on the purpose of the counseling but for the most part counseling is not about the therapist or counselor providing answers. Its about the therapist helping the patient/client to explore a troubling area in his/her/their lives and come up with their own answers. Counseling is more about the process of helping people discover their own truth rather than providing one for them. Under your sense of logic most of the people who counsel victims of any sort shouldn't be doing so because they weren't victims themselves. Male counselors should have no female patients and vice versa.

CDN, you're typo is the right answer, Gold... told them to do unto others before they do it to you. I'm a believer, but not in the teachings and ways of the Church. The Bible is some what of a History book and inspiration, but I feel something has been lost in translation, and maybe missing a few pages.

Allowing priests to marry wont solve or salve the problem...pedophiles are pedophiles. They have an unhealthy attraction to kids. It isn't a matter of celibacy, but psychology. All institutions have shortcomings, among them, the need to self-protect, and the need to isolate themselves. Such is what it is for the priesthood. They create conditions ripe for abuse, and then by their very nature go into damage control mode, as in the case here.

I do feel that one step in the right direction is either ordinate female priests, or allow nuns to have equal ecclesiatical duties and functions...As it is, the priesthood is nothing more than a good ole' boys network, and we have all seen those groups in action.

Jim from Arizona: With a sweeping comment like that, you try to present yourself as the better person????

They may not be able to "out them" because the hierarchy is the "trainer" of the priests. You "out" them, then they, the priests, may "out" you. This is just speculation on my part.

How do you know they are not doing anything?

Oh, how about the church don't want people to interfere in their internal affair? I mean after all they have everything COVER UP and even have lawyers to help them avoid from being answer to the law.

I'm guessing they'd announce it if they were doing anything, as with all their lawsuits about religious messages in public places and anything else they think pushes religion onto unsuspecting citizens. Just like Stalin, Hitler and Mao, they seem to fear free and open dissemination of any ideas that pose a potential threat to them.

What would you like them to do?

Take the money spent on frivolous lawsuits and apply it towards actually addressing problems like pedophiles moving next door.

And how would they do that, exactly? An atheist group has no legal standing to sue the Catholic Church or any pedophile priests, so, again, what would you like them to do?

Every US citizen has the right to sue anyone for just about anything, as many current and past lawsuits attest. We're not in Stalin's Russia, Hitler's Germany or Mao's China.

Joemike...There are pedohiles in EVERY SINGLE DEMOGRAPHIC. Teachers, counsellors, baby sitters, doctors, lawyers, ministers, Scout leaders, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, businessmen....name any group, occupation, any position of authority, any person older than a child, any sexual orientation, any gender, and you'll find pedophiles. Probably some athiests too. So why would/should "do something be" about ONLY the Catholic Church? Everyone should do something about ALL pedophiles. Thing is, people should "do something" about the GUILTY ones, not whatever group they are part of, business, educational, or religion. I'll bet there are even some athiest pedophiles.

CuongNuygen: If they don't cooperate with the law, then why are some of these priests in prison now? Why are their "protectors" being prosecuted? Why have all who are guilty been kicked out of the ministry and the Church?

I'd love to show them some of what God's love feels like.....but, I can't say it here. It isn't a bit Godly. Neither is a grunting, sweating, mouth breathing, slobbering, humping priest either while ramming his little prick up some kids ass. Or any clergy for that matter.

Jim Arizona: Why would go into such a graphic description as you present? That's pretty sick. One wonders if you enjoy imagining it. There is no defense or excuse for any form of sexual abuse, but the majority of the offenses did NOT involve rape. Touching, fondling, exhibitionism, caressing, sexual talk...still disgusting, but most NOT the picture you painted.

FOXX2....church isn't stopping any women from getting contraception and abortive pills or devices, they just aren't going to PAY for it.

Turn themselves in? Confess? What for? A steady supply of victims is why they went into the priesthood to begin with!