Irish Priests. Why not just castrate them?

[Animavore]

That would be so awesome

[Gawdzilla Sama]

OK, I confess, every time I hear another story of religion-originated child abuse, part of me is glad. When some evangelist gets caught stealing some old woman's entire retirement savings, leaving her to die penniless, part of me smiles. I suppose if i knew and cared about the victims personally, I would be heartbroken. But I don't know 'em, so fuck 'em. They "pays their nickle and they takes their chances", as they say. OK, that's not true for children, they're truly innocent. The parents made 'em do it. How's that Catholic label working for them? Maybe the next time parents want to label they're kids they can have the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval stamped on their ass instead.

You know what would be funny? Somebody here should create one of those generic stick figure signs you see in offices but it should show a stick figure of a priest anal-raping a child. The caption could read:

"Warning, Catholic Priests Ahead."

I'll bet it would catch on. Tell the truth, wouldn't you want to stick one on the entrance sign to a Catholic building?

I'd love to have some on that ultra-sticky material they use over here to tag cars that are illegally parked. They'd never get it off. (We have a Catholic school about four blocks from here. "Our Lady of Perpetual Agony"? No, wait, "St. Bridget of Kildare.".)

[Xamonas Chegwé]

What gets me about such behaviour is that religious people don't seem able to appreciate that their way of thinking/believing is at best no better than anyone else's, never mind the possibility that it's all just complete tripe. They cannot properly place themselves "outside" their belief system and consider things from a distance in a dispassionate manner. It's bizarre hearing my mother try to rationalise why all this abuse happened. She can only seem to do so within a framework that does not threaten her core religious beliefs in any way, which of course means that she misses some of the main points.

A lot of this is emotional resistance, and if these scandals have done anything, it has been to gradually erode peoples' emotional attachment to the church - not just the belief system, but the organisation and the "community" that is so much part of whole package.

I appreciate, and agree with, all of what you say.

But consider the following:

my Catholic father-in-law was born on the Falls Road in Belfast, and remembers getting on with protestants as his neighbours. He also remembers seeing people shot by the IRA on the same road years later.

In 2003 I came on holiday with my parents and we visited the Anglican Cathedral in Belfast with him. Only after we had left did he admit that he had never set foot in the place in his entire life before that day. He did not even think of making an issue of this with us, even though it was only hundreds of yards from where he was born.

I cannot help but feel respect for the man on that basis alone.

Cursus,

I can appreciate what you say about your parents-in-law. My own parents are similar. They are christian to the core but to them, the dogma and ritual is unimportant. They have no problem with evolution or any other scientific facts. They do not insist on the absolute truth of the bible. They do not even insist on the divinity of jeebus! They treat christianity as a model for their own lives - the lovey-dovey principles of loving thy neighbour, turning the other cheek and helping those less fortunate are the crux of their religion for them. To be honest, they don't think too much about it apart from that and refuse to get into arguments about it with me or anyone. They have the advantage of living a relatively gentle, middle-class existence and react to any reports of violence or deceit (or any inflicted by others upon themselves) with horrified amazement that any human being can act that way towards another. They also have relatively relaxed views on moral issues, considering sexuality to be no-none's business but that of the individual and regarding the gender, or even the sexuality, priests as irrelevant.

Basically, they are among the nicest people that I have ever met and (despite the religious upbringing) I feel lucky to have had them as parents. They are living proof that not all christians are dogmatic, unthinking sheep.

From what you have said, your wife's parents seem similar. I can understand you not wishing to upset them unnecessarily. Your best policy is probably to neither confirm nor deny unless directly challenged on the subject of your sexuality. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that they would take any revelations in their stride.

[cursuswalker]

From what you have said, your wife's parents seem similar. I can understand you not wishing to upset them unnecessarily. Your best policy is probably to neither confirm nor deny unless directly challenged on the subject of your sexuality. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that they would take any revelations in their stride.

I think you're probably right. They wouldn't go into one, that's for sure. But they certainly wouldn't approve and would look upon my sexuality as a choice, rather than what I am.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[wolfréalt]

Ahh.. good old Nell..every priest on the island should be given 20 mins alone in a confession box with her......

[Animavore]

Why should it only be Irish priests?

[wolfréalt]

To be pedantic I said "on the island" it would be tricky if they wern't. Unless of course a miracle was to occure

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Why should it only be Irish priests?

People elsewhere are taking note. There's a convent down the road from me about 7 miles. It's next to an Interstate highway and there's a sign on the road that says, "No access to I-44". I keep wanting to add "Or the 21st Century."

[devogue]

To be pedantic I said "on the island" it would be tricky if they wern't. Unless of course a miracle was to occure

I thought you were referring to Rugged Island - I would say that cunt Dick Byrne has a few skeletons in his closet.

[wolfréalt]

To be pedantic I said "on the island" it would be tricky if they wern't. Unless of course a miracle was to occure

I thought you were referring to Rugged Island - I would say that cunt Dick Byrne has a few skeletons in his closet.

.
sure those folks over on rugged isle are all fundie athiests & muslem baby eaters....craggy is the place to be..

[Animavore]

Hahahahahah: Owned.

[FedUpWithFaith]

I can't believe I found this. It's not a joke - this really was a Catholic logo in the 70's

[maiforpeace]

I can't believe I found this. It's not a joke - this really was a Catholic logo in the 70's

Oh, dear.

[cursuswalker]

I can't believe I found this. It's not a joke - this really was a Catholic logo in the 70's