Pope apologizes for Christian violence in history

[Seth]

They've know about the problem for centuries and done nothing. That is the bullshit that should be pissing you off. Apparently you're okay with pedophilia as an institution.

Apparently you are okay with pedophilia in Social Services Departments but not the Roman Catholic Church. I'm not okay with it in either institution, and nor are they.

Crap. They move priests around to avoid getting busted.

"They?" Who is "they?" All one billion Catholics? Or is it just a few complicit bishops?

Who are still bishops.

Oops.

You won't find me defending complicit bishops. Then again, anyone who waits 40 or 50 years to make a complaint of childhood sexual abuse, particularly when they wait till they see dollar signs from a potential settlement, doesn't deserve a fucking dime, or any sympathy, from anyone, particularly not those who levy accusations against priests who are dead and cannot defend themselves.

In Colorado, making such accusations against the dead is a criminal offense, called "criminal libel."

If it's not "harmful" enough to be reported within some reasonable period after the events happened, while there is still evidence and witnesses available, well, the purpose of statutes of limitation is precisely to prevent miscarriages of justice caused by accusations made long after the events, and long after a fair trial can be had by the presumed-innocent defendant.

You snooze, you lose.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

They've know about the problem for centuries and done nothing. That is the bullshit that should be pissing you off. Apparently you're okay with pedophilia as an institution.

Wayback Machine Fallacy. You have presented no evidence that "they" (and which "they" is that, pray tell?) have known anything of the kind "for centuries." This is an unsubstantiated assertion on your part. In point of fact, the Catholic priest scandal is almost entirely the product of the Vatican II reformations of the church and the loosening of the qualifications and training for priests. As a result of attempts to "modernize" the church, a significant number of pedophiles and homosexuals saw an opportunity to become priests, thereby gaining access to children, because of the lax supervision and training at the diocese level.

The church has since taken serious and effective steps to prevent such persons from becoming priests.

This is not to excuse one single incident of abuse, but by the same token, public school administrators have know about sexual molestation of students for a long time and have actively (in concert with teacher's unions) worked to protect and move child-molesting teachers around so that they can escape punishment for their crimes.

Do you heap the same level of opprobrium on public schools that you do on the Catholic church, particularly given the fact that molestation of children in public schools is quite literally MILLIONS of times worse, on the order of five million student molestations per year, than the 4000 or so reported incidents over nearly 50 years involving the Catholic church?

You don't fail me, Seeth. You are plain and simple a contrarian. Your posts are pointless, arguing against whatever pops up next.

[Schneibster]

anyone who waits 40 or 50 years to make a complaint of childhood sexual abuse,

[Seth]

They've know about the problem for centuries and done nothing. That is the bullshit that should be pissing you off. Apparently you're okay with pedophilia as an institution.

Wayback Machine Fallacy. You have presented no evidence that "they" (and which "they" is that, pray tell?) have known anything of the kind "for centuries." This is an unsubstantiated assertion on your part. In point of fact, the Catholic priest scandal is almost entirely the product of the Vatican II reformations of the church and the loosening of the qualifications and training for priests. As a result of attempts to "modernize" the church, a significant number of pedophiles and homosexuals saw an opportunity to become priests, thereby gaining access to children, because of the lax supervision and training at the diocese level.

The church has since taken serious and effective steps to prevent such persons from becoming priests.

This is not to excuse one single incident of abuse, but by the same token, public school administrators have know about sexual molestation of students for a long time and have actively (in concert with teacher's unions) worked to protect and move child-molesting teachers around so that they can escape punishment for their crimes.

Do you heap the same level of opprobrium on public schools that you do on the Catholic church, particularly given the fact that molestation of children in public schools is quite literally MILLIONS of times worse, on the order of five million student molestations per year, than the 4000 or so reported incidents over nearly 50 years involving the Catholic church?

You don't fail me, Seeth. You are plain and simple a contrarian. Your posts are pointless, arguing against whatever pops up next.

And yet you're utterly incapable of addressing the points I raise, and are only able to come up with ad hominem, which is the classic indicator of being a simpleton. Talk about your pointless posts...

[Seth]

anyone who waits 40 or 50 years to make a complaint of childhood sexual abuse,

Evidently you're in the same category as Gawdzilla...

[Jonesboy]

Borrowed from AF.com

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-expresses-sh ... 17823.html

ASSISI, Italy (Reuters) - Pope Benedict, leading a global inter-religious meeting, acknowledged Thursday "with great shame" that Christianity had used force in its long history as he joined other religious leaders in condemning violence and terrorism in God's name.

Benedict spoke as he hosted some 300 religious leaders from around the world - including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Taoists, Shintoists and Buddhists - in an inter-faith prayer gathering for peace in the city of St Francis, a universally recognized symbol of peace.

The day-long event was called to commemorate the 25th anniversary of an historic initiative in favor of peace hosted here by the late Pope John Paul in 1986.

Each leader, most wearing traditional religious garb, solemnly pledged to promote dialogue and understanding among their own communities, with other religions, and to work incessantly against violence.

"Violence never again! War never again! Terrorism never again! In the name of God, may every religion bring upon Earth justice and peace, forgiveness and life, love," the pope said in his public commitment at the end of the day.

In his major address at the start of the gathering the pope asked forgiveness for his own church's use of violence in the past.

"As a Christian I want to say at this point: yes, it is true, in the course of history, force has also been used in the name of the Christian faith," he said in his address to the delegations in an Assisi basilica.

"We acknowledge it with great shame. But it is utterly clear that this was an abuse of the Christian faith, one that evidently contradicts its true nature," he said.

It was one of the few times that a pope has apologized for events such as the Crusades or the use of force to spread the faith in the New World. Pope John Paul apologized in 2000 for Christianity's historical failures.

Well, that's good. Words alone can't heal the damage that's been done, but at least he's willing to--

Benedict said history had also shown that the denial of God could bring about "a degree of violence that knows no bounds." He said the concentration camps of World War Two revealed "with utter clarity the consequences of God's absence."

Ahh. Of course.

I think its a great idea. The Pope. .
I agree.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

And yet you're utterly incapable of addressing the points I raise, and are only able to come up with ad hominem, which is the classic indicator of being a simpleton. Talk about your pointless posts...

People address (and destroy) your points all the time. I just laugh at you. That's faster and more fun.