Rich is an understatement. When I was in Italy I was with a group to view the Sistine Chapel (which had just been cleaned) Waiting in line we had quite the eye-popping view of many of their jewels in glass cases. I suspect one of those papal rings alone could compensate quite a few survivors.
14,387 paintings of Jeebus and Company in the Vatican could fetch a few billion dollars among uber wealthy delusional Catholics. The Vatican is the ultimate house of greed and hypocrisy. God knows a good grift when he sees one.
The systematic sexual abuse of children was the church's dirty little secret for centuries. Given the scale of the problem and the relatively small size of the Catholic clergy, there is simply no way that abuse could have ever been anything but common knowledge within the church hierarchy. Until these horrors began becoming public, in one hundred percent of all cases, the church circled the wagons and protected the priests. More often than not, they blamed the victims. 'How dare these people make such an accusation against a man of God!!!!' The Catholic church deserves to be put out of business, as do many other religious organizations. I'm beyond sick of the clergy hiding behind their clerical collars and Bibles to justify the despicable.
It’s always “follow the money” in everything corrupt. Protect the clergy from which all power is held. Keep the donations coming in. The mythology sustains it. And the ignorant or merely uniformed need the myth to give purpose to the daily drudgery of life. It’s circular and the clergy greedily build from it.
100%. I was so aghast when these “secrets” were first exposed. Same thing for the Boy Scouts. Just an unimaginable horror for anyone subjected to these crimes.
I had a scout master suddenly start talking to me about the lawsuits. He was aghast at that the BSA was being held responsible for the abuse its scout masters. These crimes were committed a long time ago, by an individual who was now dead, so what good did it do to find the BSA at fault? He was complete unaware of just how shitty he sounded.
Let’s see , “can’t we move on”, “let sleeping dogs lie”, “just pretend it never happened”. Accountability never entered his mind. That’s so unfair to the victims.
Accountability is built into the religion, yet they don't want to be accountable for anything. Until they're dead. You know, when they can no longer suffer the consequences of their action.
In Canada, they "converted" orphanages to "psychiatric hospitals" to get more money from the gov't and didn't just molest the children, they also experimented on them. They are known as the Duplessis Orphans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duplessis_Orphans).
JFC! Why oh why were there so many of these places of misery? As noted above, it’s always about the money. So hard to comprehend that money is more valuable c than human lives.
Figures. They got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, so now they want to claim that they have a RIGHT to the cookie jar. Merde, alors.
Once again, I am disgusted, though not at all surprised or shocked. I'm not certain that anything the RCC did would catch me unawares at this departure. I just want to repeat the point that, while the Catholic Church has been penalized monetarily for its crimes (and yeah, they ARE crimes!), they really haven't paid a personal price, in terms of priests or monsignors or bishops or even archbishops being incarcerated. 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧. I want to see a senior member of the Church, standing before the bar of justice and having to face serious prison time. Not just the rapists, either, but those who shuffled them around to prevent their discovery.
To use the words of Christopher Hitchens, they have “already betrayed their charge in the children of their own church,” and they should pay for that!
The fundie evangelicals in my area keep arguing that the RCC isn’t “really” Christian. And when I point out that Baptists have this problem too, I’m told that those particular Baptists aren’t really christians either.
Hilarity bonus round: Ask those fundie evangelicals when the RCC and its membership was excommunicated. When you get that deer-in-headlights look back, remind them that excommunication is the way the Bible directs Christians to deal with non-conforming Christians. (Just in case you didn't know, there for a while various individuals claimed to be pope and promptly excommunicated each other. Happened more than once in RCC history, but there's good odds the folks you're dealing with don't know that, and don't follow the practice themselves.)
I have a friend who was excommunicated from her brand of religion in her youth. She said it was one of the best days of her life (with the exception that they did it at her job, what assholes).
You made this bed, Roman Catholic Church, now you get to lie in it.
You'll get zero sympathy from me. The RCC is well known for walking on its lay membership in a wide variety of ways, well, this time the chicken came back home to roost. So far as I'm concerned, they can sell those golden monstrances, those priceless artworks, that high-value plot of land, and who knows what else to cover their debts. They can very well practice the poverty they so often left their lay members in all too often down through the years.
Since the RCC won't make any sort of amends on its own, it's only reasonable for the government to change the law so that people can get recompense for the crimes committed against them. If the crime had been committed against the RCC, they'd be screaming for blood already. No whining, just suck it up and deal; better yet, next time clean up your own d@mn mess so others don't have to do it for you.
We have the recorded history of Holy Mother Church. It is a history painted in blood, told in screams and built upon terror for those who chose not to believe.
I suppose when you're so used to telling other people what's right and wrong, and being so very sure of oneself when doing so, it can be a bit hard to wrap your head around an outside agency correctly pointing out you've been so very wrong for so very long.
Not content to just defend themselves, the Praying Predators counterattack the law, their victims' human rights, and the state government hoping that they can resume abusing people with impunity. HEY! ALL CATHOLICS EVERYWHERE! Have you no shame to be supporting this entirely self-serving abomination? As long as the Molesting Mafia promises that they'll get you a ticket into heaven, you don't give a shit about the defenseless young people whom they treat like plastic sex dolls? You rationalize that that has nothing to do with you? You're funding them and you're giving them legitimacy.
Once a religious movement gains traction it inevitably becomes ossified and the official hierarchy takes root and grows in power. Whether its the RC's, Baptists, Buddhists, whatever, the interests of the institution takes precedence over the the 'flock.' And since religious figures can wrap themselves in the protective cloak of religion and can wield power over the faithful, abuse of that power is inevitable.
No one is gonna leave the Catholic Church. I mean, what’s a few sore behinds compared to eternity in hell! The folks in church didn’t get molested, their afterlife is safe.
What we really need to do is fucking nail these priests to the fucking wall m, bury them under the prison and wipe out the entire fortune in the Vatican.
As was said on an episode of 'Criminal Minds' we spent decades warning children of 'stranger danger' and the vast majority of abductions and abuse is perpetrated by family and friends and other trusted people.
The sad fact is, the RCC is just one head of the hydra.
If you read the gospels which are the only books which give any sort of biographical info on Jesus - he went camping with 12 guys and a prostitute for either 3 years or 1. They lived off what people gave them and gleanings... sounds like an early attempt at communism. How can the church claim to represent Jesus and hoard wealth? I know - this is purely rhetorical - I am sure they have perfectly plausible answers for why they need golden chalices and silk raiments.
Golden chalices = The ark of the convenient* was covered in gold
Silk raiment = the pope has inherited the title Pontifex from the Roman Emperors who wore silk garments and since a pope must shove his wealthness in his she... I mean showing his generosity he allowed his subordinates to partake in it.
How can the law violates due process? Statutes of limitations do to some extent violate due process given that they stop people from pursuing criminals. Anything that helps them do this helps due process it seems to me.
From watching TV and movies, it is my belief that there is no statute of limitations for murder. Many a plot has relied on that. I have no idea if it is true.
You are mistaken good sir. The Borgias, the anti popes, the trials of dead popes were all fun between people of good company. It's not comparable to theses heathens who want our hard scammed money.
Isn't it funny that one of the richest religions in the world keeps filing for bankruptcy to avoid paying its victims?
Doesn't sound very Christian, does it (or maybe it does).
This is a perfect example of when we should all say”well that’s very Christian of them”.
Bless their hearts.
LOL, well said!
Aha. Thank you. I've had that sentence swimming in my brain for a while, without being able to catch it.
Rich is an understatement. When I was in Italy I was with a group to view the Sistine Chapel (which had just been cleaned) Waiting in line we had quite the eye-popping view of many of their jewels in glass cases. I suspect one of those papal rings alone could compensate quite a few survivors.
14,387 paintings of Jeebus and Company in the Vatican could fetch a few billion dollars among uber wealthy delusional Catholics. The Vatican is the ultimate house of greed and hypocrisy. God knows a good grift when he sees one.
You left out the R in gift.
Thanks. You and God just pointed it out. The error was either my mobile phone dictionary or God's will.
A quick Google search reveals that the Catholic Church owns 177 million acres of land worldwide.
It's grotesque.
First person who should be unemployed by Jesus Inc: the Poop himself.
The 💩?
Poop in Italian means shit.
Same here.
Too bad it doesn't work in French.
Did you say Peup?
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xBe8sia_kPg/sddefault.jpg
Those gold party frocks are not going to embroider themselves.
And the purple beanies didn't get purple by themselves.
They certainly are completely morally bankrupt.
You know you will end up in Hell, making remarks like that. (I am going to visit Hell July/August on my holy day.)
Anything is preferable to being stuck with that crowd up in heaven for eternity.
"Make a Heaven of Hell"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FRA7UXlGu8
https://youtu.be/pOG6kS7oosM?feature=shared&t=186
We plan to drive up north via the east coast of Sweden. Back home we will drive through Hell: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Norway
The systematic sexual abuse of children was the church's dirty little secret for centuries. Given the scale of the problem and the relatively small size of the Catholic clergy, there is simply no way that abuse could have ever been anything but common knowledge within the church hierarchy. Until these horrors began becoming public, in one hundred percent of all cases, the church circled the wagons and protected the priests. More often than not, they blamed the victims. 'How dare these people make such an accusation against a man of God!!!!' The Catholic church deserves to be put out of business, as do many other religious organizations. I'm beyond sick of the clergy hiding behind their clerical collars and Bibles to justify the despicable.
You're not being fair here. They didn't just blame the victims, they blamed gay people.
They blamed everyone but the guilty people.
It’s always “follow the money” in everything corrupt. Protect the clergy from which all power is held. Keep the donations coming in. The mythology sustains it. And the ignorant or merely uniformed need the myth to give purpose to the daily drudgery of life. It’s circular and the clergy greedily build from it.
100%. I was so aghast when these “secrets” were first exposed. Same thing for the Boy Scouts. Just an unimaginable horror for anyone subjected to these crimes.
Did you watch 'Scout's Honor', just as disturbing as 'Spotlight'?
Ugh, no, but I will because I think it’s important to know and advocate for survivors.
I posted the trailer for it some time back. It's a must-see, even after you've seen what the RCC and SBC have gotten up to.
Just watched the trailer, heartbreaking.
I had a scout master suddenly start talking to me about the lawsuits. He was aghast at that the BSA was being held responsible for the abuse its scout masters. These crimes were committed a long time ago, by an individual who was now dead, so what good did it do to find the BSA at fault? He was complete unaware of just how shitty he sounded.
Let’s see , “can’t we move on”, “let sleeping dogs lie”, “just pretend it never happened”. Accountability never entered his mind. That’s so unfair to the victims.
Don't forget: "Boys will be boys."
Accountability is built into the religion, yet they don't want to be accountable for anything. Until they're dead. You know, when they can no longer suffer the consequences of their action.
In other words “No Justice”.
Not just pedophilia. Literally stealing newborn children in Spain and gifting them to childless couples. Mothers were told their child died. (https://theconversation.com/the-stolen-babies-trial-in-spain-finally-shines-a-light-on-a-scandal-that-cannot-be-forgotten-99860)
In Canada, they "converted" orphanages to "psychiatric hospitals" to get more money from the gov't and didn't just molest the children, they also experimented on them. They are known as the Duplessis Orphans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duplessis_Orphans).
JFC! Why oh why were there so many of these places of misery? As noted above, it’s always about the money. So hard to comprehend that money is more valuable c than human lives.
Figures. They got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, so now they want to claim that they have a RIGHT to the cookie jar. Merde, alors.
Once again, I am disgusted, though not at all surprised or shocked. I'm not certain that anything the RCC did would catch me unawares at this departure. I just want to repeat the point that, while the Catholic Church has been penalized monetarily for its crimes (and yeah, they ARE crimes!), they really haven't paid a personal price, in terms of priests or monsignors or bishops or even archbishops being incarcerated. 𝗜 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧. I want to see a senior member of the Church, standing before the bar of justice and having to face serious prison time. Not just the rapists, either, but those who shuffled them around to prevent their discovery.
To use the words of Christopher Hitchens, they have “already betrayed their charge in the children of their own church,” and they should pay for that!
Hear hear!
The fundie evangelicals in my area keep arguing that the RCC isn’t “really” Christian. And when I point out that Baptists have this problem too, I’m told that those particular Baptists aren’t really christians either.
Attempting to sort out who was, or was not, a TRUE Christian has spilled enough blood to float the navy.
Hilarity bonus round: Ask those fundie evangelicals when the RCC and its membership was excommunicated. When you get that deer-in-headlights look back, remind them that excommunication is the way the Bible directs Christians to deal with non-conforming Christians. (Just in case you didn't know, there for a while various individuals claimed to be pope and promptly excommunicated each other. Happened more than once in RCC history, but there's good odds the folks you're dealing with don't know that, and don't follow the practice themselves.)
May I suggest bringing popcorn?
I have a friend who was excommunicated from her brand of religion in her youth. She said it was one of the best days of her life (with the exception that they did it at her job, what assholes).
They may have a good point!
You made this bed, Roman Catholic Church, now you get to lie in it.
You'll get zero sympathy from me. The RCC is well known for walking on its lay membership in a wide variety of ways, well, this time the chicken came back home to roost. So far as I'm concerned, they can sell those golden monstrances, those priceless artworks, that high-value plot of land, and who knows what else to cover their debts. They can very well practice the poverty they so often left their lay members in all too often down through the years.
Since the RCC won't make any sort of amends on its own, it's only reasonable for the government to change the law so that people can get recompense for the crimes committed against them. If the crime had been committed against the RCC, they'd be screaming for blood already. No whining, just suck it up and deal; better yet, next time clean up your own d@mn mess so others don't have to do it for you.
We have the recorded history of Holy Mother Church. It is a history painted in blood, told in screams and built upon terror for those who chose not to believe.
Yup. That's what I meant. Not believing includes believing differently.
Or even just thinking differently.
"the legislature can’t undo a previously granted right."
Like owning slaves ? Are you arguing the 13th Amendment is inconstitutional ?
Last time I checked voting rights previously granted were being stripped.
Repealing Rove v. Wade?
Not the same, it was your judiciary. That what the rcc would say too. Plus females doesn't count as humans.
It was the judiciary that was put in place by right wing politicians determined to outlaw abortion, regardless of the costs to the country.
By "your" I meant the judiciary of your country, not saying your were a far right nutjob.
LOL I knew that.
😝
Yes.
That took more than the legislature, to be fair. 🙂
And it took us several tries to finally get rid of monarchs for good. No country is perfect.
Like taxing income?
I suppose when you're so used to telling other people what's right and wrong, and being so very sure of oneself when doing so, it can be a bit hard to wrap your head around an outside agency correctly pointing out you've been so very wrong for so very long.
The Rape Empire Strikes Back.
Not content to just defend themselves, the Praying Predators counterattack the law, their victims' human rights, and the state government hoping that they can resume abusing people with impunity. HEY! ALL CATHOLICS EVERYWHERE! Have you no shame to be supporting this entirely self-serving abomination? As long as the Molesting Mafia promises that they'll get you a ticket into heaven, you don't give a shit about the defenseless young people whom they treat like plastic sex dolls? You rationalize that that has nothing to do with you? You're funding them and you're giving them legitimacy.
Too bad we can't send them in a galaxy far, far away.
One way trip to Venus will work.
It's all DARVO all the time with the RCC.
Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender.
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/DARVO
Once a religious movement gains traction it inevitably becomes ossified and the official hierarchy takes root and grows in power. Whether its the RC's, Baptists, Buddhists, whatever, the interests of the institution takes precedence over the the 'flock.' And since religious figures can wrap themselves in the protective cloak of religion and can wield power over the faithful, abuse of that power is inevitable.
"Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket." Eric Hoffer
I think someone posted this a while ago, but Hoffer is someone I admire.
No one is gonna leave the Catholic Church. I mean, what’s a few sore behinds compared to eternity in hell! The folks in church didn’t get molested, their afterlife is safe.
What we really need to do is fucking nail these priests to the fucking wall m, bury them under the prison and wipe out the entire fortune in the Vatican.
As was said on an episode of 'Criminal Minds' we spent decades warning children of 'stranger danger' and the vast majority of abductions and abuse is perpetrated by family and friends and other trusted people.
The sad fact is, the RCC is just one head of the hydra.
Oh, NOW Christians care about the Constitution?
Just the cherry-picked parts.
That 2nd Amendment, in particular.
If you read the gospels which are the only books which give any sort of biographical info on Jesus - he went camping with 12 guys and a prostitute for either 3 years or 1. They lived off what people gave them and gleanings... sounds like an early attempt at communism. How can the church claim to represent Jesus and hoard wealth? I know - this is purely rhetorical - I am sure they have perfectly plausible answers for why they need golden chalices and silk raiments.
C'est du gateau.
Golden chalices = The ark of the convenient* was covered in gold
Silk raiment = the pope has inherited the title Pontifex from the Roman Emperors who wore silk garments and since a pope must shove his wealthness in his she... I mean showing his generosity he allowed his subordinates to partake in it.
I imagine for the “glory of god” doncha know, to show how much they care. Too bad that doesn’t extend to their parishioners.
You know which exodus of Catholics I'd REALLY like to see? The one involving the 6½ catlickers on the US Supreme Court.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b3a9431a705400792e0d7171de7a5bc22222aba5f2fc7eb5c5425089eef5a083.jpg
Don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you.
I should point out, I'm bear food.
Left or right bear food?
https://www.yournextshoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Twin-campbers-Twix-commercial.jpg
I have a right leg and a left arm, so I'm both. :)
You could outsmart the bear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVS1UfCfxlU
That bear was holding his own until he got kicked in the Winnies.
Jeez, talk about hiking being murder!
How can the law violates due process? Statutes of limitations do to some extent violate due process given that they stop people from pursuing criminals. Anything that helps them do this helps due process it seems to me.
Would the rcc be for statutes of limitations if the murderer of a priest was found decades after the murder ?
From watching TV and movies, it is my belief that there is no statute of limitations for murder. Many a plot has relied on that. I have no idea if it is true.
20 years in my country, 30 if it was during an act of terrorism.
I did not know that. Now I do. It’s already a good day!
Worse, for rapists of minors it's 30 years after the victim reach their majority. Sadly we have yet to condemn and send a priest to jail 🙄
With some of the shenanigans that have gone on in the Vatican, I'm going to say yes.
You are mistaken good sir. The Borgias, the anti popes, the trials of dead popes were all fun between people of good company. It's not comparable to theses heathens who want our hard scammed money.