Very well put Pateh -- RealityFans

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Date Posted: 19:36:41 06/01/02 Sat
Author: Cari
Subject: Very well put Pateh
In reply to: Pateh 's message, "A couple of thoughts, Cari" on 10:11:24 06/01/02 Sat

I'm so glad to have someone who is Catholic join in on this discussion. I have several close friends who are Catholics, but they too have had a hard time with the emotional side of this issue. Lost in all of this is the fact that the majority of priests and nuns are people of deeply held and sincerely practiced faith, dedicated, decent, and committed to their parishes. People who would never hurt a child.

I can understand the premise behind celebacy and I agree that those who serve the church in other denominations are at times distracted from their service to God and Church by the needs of their families. I'm just not completely sure that many of us humans are capable of the kind of dedication and commitment that it takes for a pledge, not only to celebacy but to relinquishing certain kind of human relationships.

On the other hand, since my brother is a minister, I have seen first hand how much family tragedies and difficulties can pull at the commitment a minister must have for his congregation. I do know that in order for a minister to be the servant he has committed to be, his wife and children must not only support him in that committment but make a committment and sacrifices of their own.

I think you hinted at another issue that sometimes gets lost in the discussion. We have protected and failed to punish child abusers in many other professional and private arenas as well.

I think this is getting so much coverage for two reasons. One, the shock of having men of faith and one of God's churches be caught up in it. This was a place where we mistakenly thought our children should be safe from the flaws of men. Second, I think there is an unadmitted prejudice or animosity toward the Catholic Church in some circles. Enough so that bringing attention to the flaws of it's adminstrators is a pleasure to some.

I'm not saying this shouldn't be brought into the open, it should. I'm not saying that the heirarchy of the church didn't make some mistakes, it did. I'm just saying that these crimes were committed by men, they aren't a bi-product of Catholic beliefs and should not be used to condemn the doctrine of the Church or the adherents to Catholism. The antics of Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Baker didn't make all protestant preachers charletons or womanizers.

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