To make good people do evil things, that takes religion.

[Coito ergo sum]

Dutch Roman Catholic Church 'castrated at least 10 boys'
At least 10 teenage boys or young men under the age of 21 were surgically castrated "to get rid of homosexuality" while in the care of the Dutch Roman Catholic Church in the 1950s.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -boys.html

It is a never ending stream of atrocity which spews from the horrid sess pit of the Catholic Church. Over and over again, we hear people repeat the mantra of "it's only a few..." and "not all priests..." and "a few bad apples..." With each passing year, as these horrors continue and continue to be uncovered, and we see that when given the opportunity a religious organization dedicated to the principles of Jesus Christ lies and obfuscates and deceives in order to cover up vicious assaults on innocent human beings.

It's "flock" indeed. Sheep to be sheered. Mere cattle to be gutted. Obey. Keep your mouth shut. Have a desire to fuck the wrong sex, we'll cut your balls off. Report getting fucked by a priest, we'll still cut your balls off.

Rape. Mayhem. Mutilation. Assault. Battery. Extortion to silence. The organization controlling high levels of government and law enforcement. It sounds like the KKK.

What will be the response of "The Church" now? Probably more insulting and condescending garbage about how they want to help counsel and provide spiritual guidance to the victims, while their lawyers seek to divest and absolve "The Church" of legal liability.

[Clinton Huxley]

Reprehensible, of course but then this was the 50s. Alan Turing was given a choice of chemical castration or prison when he was convicted of man-on-man beastliness.

Still, nothing surprises me about the RC church anymore.

[Coito ergo sum]

It is endless. And, if religion did make people better, and if the organization was dedicated to the principles of Jesus Christ, then it would call upon all of its subdivisions, parrishes, dioceses, etc., to simply open up their books and records and come completely clean. Confess all of it. Confess it.

They tell that to their "flock" - if you commit a sin, in Confession the priest will require atonement before forgiveness is given, and penance. Part of that atonement is generally that one must do one's best to come clean with and make amends to the victims of one's wrongdoing. If one steals, one must return the ill-gotten booty. If one rapes, one must apologize. If one can pay reparations and damages, one ought to do so.

Yet, "The Church" does not hold itself to that standard.

This thread is more general than the example I started with in the OP. That is just one example of a myriad horrors meted out regularly over hundreds of years by the Catholic Church. It seems to me to be one of the largest RICO conspiracies ever, but because it is a religious organization, it gets a pass. (RICO in the US is a law that punishes "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations" which basically means that conspiracies to commit "racketeering offenses," meaning murder, rape, extortion, theft crimes, mayhem, assault/battery, threats and coverups of same, are punished as crimes themselves -- so the hierarchy of the Church should conceivably be subject to prosecution on under that law in the US or equivalent laws in Europe (I am sure European countries have similar criminal laws).

Think about if a private school or a large corporation was found, time after time, being involved in these kinds of horrific offenses. I guarantee that they would not be allowed to handle it purely internally.

[redunderthebed]

Seth in....1....2....3....4

[Gawdzilla Sama]

To make good people do evil things, one suggested method is to tell them God wants them to do it."

That makes more sense. I KNOW religion isn't the only way to get people to do utterly evil things.

[Bella Fortuna]

Still, nothing surprises me about the RC church anymore.

Yes.

It's the people who continue in their unbelievable cognitive dissonance and still label themselves Catholics and support the church as an entity that I find most baffling, and increasingly reprehensible and thousands of stories like this mount up. It's like saying "Yes, well, death camps and the genocide of millions... that was just a few bad apple Nazis. I still believe in what being a real Nazi is all about..."

[Coito ergo sum]

To make good people do evil things, one suggested method is to tell them God wants them to do it."

That makes more sense. I KNOW religion isn't the only way to get people to do utterly evil things.

Not the only way....but, it does appear to be quite a tried-and-true method.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

To make good people do evil things, one suggested method is to tell them God wants them to do it."

That makes more sense. I KNOW religion isn't the only way to get people to do utterly evil things.

Not the only way....but, it does appear to be quite a tried-and-true method.

Oh, I quite agree. But greed, prejudice, fear, and stupidity all work as well.

[MrJonno]

I didnt think Christianity believes in 'good' people all that original sin bollocks

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I didnt think Christianity believes in 'good' people all that original sin bollocks

If people were "good", there would be no reason for the church.

[maiforpeace]

I wonder what Seth will come up to justify this. Oh, yeah it was just a few priests, all other Catholics are good.

[Coito ergo sum]

I didnt think Christianity believes in 'good' people all that original sin bollocks

They don't, but I do.

[Coito ergo sum]

I didnt think Christianity believes in 'good' people all that original sin bollocks

If people were "good", there would be no reason for the church.

"Of course I need forgiveness from the priest. I was born that way."

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I didnt think Christianity believes in 'good' people all that original sin bollocks

If people were "good", there would be no reason for the church.

"Of course I need forgiveness from the priest. I was born that way."

"...the Bible tells me so."

[Coito ergo sum]

I wonder what Seth will come up to justify this. Oh, yeah it was just a few priests, all other Catholics are good.

I agree that most Catholics are good. Most people are good. But, the organization has been an engine of an excess of evil.