309 Comments
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OwossoHarpist's avatar

"The Catholic Church has no leniency for employees in a healthy, loving, same-sex relationship or women who abort babies, but they’ll bend over backwards to protect sex predators."

Fixed it for you, Hemant.

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larry parker's avatar

New pope, same as the old pope, same as the old pope, same as the old pope ........

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Louisiana continues to deserve their ranking as dead last in "Best States to Live In."

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Boreal's avatar

My dad had to spend some time there before heading overseas in WW2. He called it Lousyanna.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

I've been calling it Lousyana for years. GMTA :)

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

Louisiana sold its souls to the Petro-Ghouls a long time ago. The people there seem content voting against their own best interests, as long as they can bad mouth the libs and pretend they’re winning. Possibly the dumbest electorate in the U.S.

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Kay-El's avatar

Yet I read they’re protesting the Big Bullshit Bill to Holy Moses Johnson who just farts in their general direction.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

Ooo, their pain, so exquisite.

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Larry Desmond's avatar

Huey Long, as governor in the 1950s sold Louisiana to the mob.

Surprising that Trump isn't moving his white house and the rest of government there - much more appropriate place for Trumpism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_crime_family

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Boreal's avatar

Their kids were a lot safer with Mark Richards than with any member of the catlick pedophile cult clergy.

'Your identity is not your morality. I hope we have a voice in this."

You do, quit your shitty cult and tell them why and stop sending your kids there.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

That is the only thing they can do, that will send a message. The church is counting on them to help fund their molestation pay-outs.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

They should leave the school for its connection with the Archdiocese sexual assault conviction anyway. It’s nice these parents care about a beloved teacher getting the shaft, but they really ought to be more concerned about their children being victims of priests. They can’t say, “not in my parish.” Because it is in your parish, it just hasn’t happened to you personally, yet.

The only statement these parents can make to get the archdiocese and school to listen, is to remove their business from the school. Petition with their feet, not just their signatures.

Good luck to Richards, I hope he lands on his feet.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

It'd be lovely if some public school became aware of his skills as a music teacher and picked him up. Win-win for them both!

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Joe King's avatar

It's Louisiana. He needs to move north to find s public school willing to pay for a music teacher.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

I was going to point that as well, it is still bigoted Louisiana.

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Larry Desmond's avatar

But would be one more victor4y for Trumpism and its bigotry and christian fascism.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

Agreed, but, they won’t. It’s the old “sheep and the shepherds” adage. The sheep spend their short life depending on the shepherd to protect them, only to find out at the bitter end that it is he who will eat them.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

And will fleece, and fuck them, in the meantime.

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

Yes, I absolutely do not understand these parents. WHY on earth would you send your children to a school run by an organization that not only owes 600 victims money but who continue to cover it up and try to get out of paying? How much more corrupt can you get? Seriously, though, all atheists should bookmark this story for the next time you get in one of those stupid arguments about how atheists are immoral. Sheesh.

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Joe King's avatar

...[𝐼]𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑑𝑖𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑡𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛.

There's the real reason. A lame excuse about labor costs to justify saying they're too broke to pay claims to vtheir victims. "We can't even afford enough music teachers, so we fired the gay one." No, it can't be the homophobia and the bigotry... /s

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Deflection. They figure that, if it works for Trump, it can work for them.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

And if that doesn’t work, a little scandal can always be brewed up.

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avis piscivorus's avatar

With this incident, the school did an excellent job teaching the schoolkids about catholic hypochrisy and christian (lack of) morality.

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Joe King's avatar

They need to rename their "morality clause" to "bigotry clause" so they don't violate the 9th commandment, a breach of their stated morality.

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avis piscivorus's avatar

Correction, that must be the 8ᵗʰ commandment because they are catholics.

The catholic 9ᵗʰ commandment forbids thinking about sex.

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Die Anyway's avatar

I command you not to think about purple cows.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Moo, baby! 🤣🤣🤣

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Google Kang Moo, the beast must die 🤣

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Len Koz's avatar

I was hoping someone was having sex with them. Disappointed again. 😢

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avis piscivorus's avatar

I don't usually associate purple cows with sex, but everyone his/her own kink.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

😂

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Holytape's avatar

Every day is a new day when the institutions of religion ask the fundamental question.... How can we be shittier than we were yesterday? The answer is always the same, with God's help.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

I like your style, Holytape.

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Joe McGowan's avatar

I was raised a Catholic, I rejected Catholicism in high school. My father at one point told me if I didn’t go to church. I was a communist or an atheist because their one in the same.. I’m not a communist. I’m an independent, but I am affirmed atheist.. why anyone would send their children to Catholic school is beyond my comprehension, and I say this after my brother-in-law has spent $25,000 a year for the last four years to send one of his children to private Catholic school, which is now followed by Catholic university. I continue to shake my head.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

I can relate, Joe. I’m glad we both escaped.

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

In South Africa under apartheid it was the Jesuits (and Anglicans) who taught the leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. Hard to imagine that nowadays.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

They send them there, because the public schools have been raped of funding.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Just noting that St. Francis Xavier fired Mark during Pride Month. To me, that makes his dismissal even more vile.

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oraxx's avatar
1dEdited

I put the Catholic Church in my rear-view mirror nearly sixty years ago, and never spent a minute regretting that decision. This decision may make some people within the church hierarchy feel very smug and superior, but it is also what is slowly killing their church. Times have changed, and in many ways the RCC is still living in the Middle-Ages. They may well contend their truths are timeless, but they aren't truths. They are opinions of church leaders that morphed into doctrine.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

“Their truths are timeless.”

Truth, how does it work?

The entire religion is based on fantasy!

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dammit barry's avatar

Then they sould be living minus eletricity. JP Morgsan said it is the work of the devil. NO refrigeration, no tv, no checking accounts, no savings. They need to start cooking dinner over smouldering camel turds.

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Kay-El's avatar

😂

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oraxx's avatar

Indeed so, but never the less that's how they tend to view it.

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Runfastandwin's avatar

I'm surprised it's still around. I went to a catholic mass like 25 years ago (believe it or not I was unaware it as a mass, I though it was just going to be a "baptisim") and there could not have been more than about 30 people there in a space that could hold 300 or so.

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oraxx's avatar

A lot of churches have closed, and it isn't limited to Catholics.

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dammit barry's avatar

The kkjkatlik "church" of my childhood is now a parking lot Much more useful than the tax-free arm of Ku Klux Kan the church was.

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dammit barry's avatar

Leo is another one of the 13th centur's finest minds.

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John Smith's avatar

I would think pope fucking Leo number whatever redneck’s mind is that of the 11 th century rather the 13th.

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

We were gone last week, which is why I haven’t commented but a little bit. Before the story hit the news, my best friend told me about it, because he had gone to this very school. He’s outraged, but not surprised.

I have mixed feelings about this whole thing. As everyone knows, I’m one of the biggest queers on the planet, and I’ve been fighting for gay rights for more than 50 years. The action of the school is against everything that I believe.

Yet at the same time, the church is acting according to its nature, just like a scorpion. This poison is not a surprise. it’s nothing new. The teacher knew this, but the “wink wink” protected him and the school from dealing with the reality of the bigotry of the church.And we know there is no recourse for the teacher, not with our current right wing government putting religious bigotry on its own little pedestal. The teacher must have known this.

But this is where it gets difficult. Apparently everybody knew about this, but were able to ignore it until Miss Disgruntled got her holy knickers into a twist about it. My mother was of the firm belief that a sin is not a sin unless it is found out. And once this was made public, the school administration was obligated, by their own twisted standards, to do something about it – twisted because the school acted just like my mother. They only did something because the information became “found out”.

We cannot expect the school to act morally or decently on its own, because that is not the nature of the church. They only have the courage of their convictions when they also have the courage of force majeure. It would be a waste of time and money for the teacher to Sue. So I see only two courses of action. The parents put their money where their mouths are and start pulling their kids from the school, publicly. It would be a good moral lesson for the kids. But we also know this is unlikely to happen, just as it is unlikely to happen that the school will listen to those parents and do the right thing.

But there is another option. I’m sure everyone knows who Miss Disgruntled is. Maybe it’s time to publicize that. Sure, Miss Disgrunted will be embarrassed, and I imagine it might hurt her children. But that would also be a good moral lesson for the kids as well.

But you’re not going to get any lemonade if you’re not willing to squeeze lemons. The parent chose to do this knowing what the consequences would be, intending for those consequences to happen. This is very much like our current political situation in this country. All kinds of people who support mango taco end up being surprised when their support hurts themselves, instead of just the people they wanted to get hurt. And I have absolutely no sympathy for those people.

Ya FA’d, ya FO.

So this is my message to the parents: either put unrelenting pressure on the school to rehire the teacher, or shut up and admit your moral cowardice. Or, pull your kids out of the school, or shut up and admit your moral cowardice to your children.

Or out the asshole that caused all the problem to begin with, and let them deal with the consequences of it. It won’t change the situation most likely, but it will demonstrate that actions have consequences. Unfortunately, it won’t deal with the other real problem: the church has bent over backwards protecting child predator priests, but does this kind of thing for a popular and Well-liked teacher who has done absolutely nothing but live his life.

And that’s the real issue that the parents should be dealing with. And it is precisely the issue that they are unlikely to deal with.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

𝑆𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠: 𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑜𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑢𝑡 𝑢𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑒.

↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑

Absolutely Fucking THIS!!!!!

Sadly, I doubt the sheeple who inhabit that diocese would even have the moral strength to admit their cowardice. That's why they call 'em, "sheeple."

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Jessica Moats's avatar

And when all the public schools disappear in states like FL where they are funneling tax money (StepUp) to private and religious schools… not only will teachers fear “saying” gay but they will literally being fired or not hired for being gay (among other things since religious freedom.. err discrimination, is salient of course).

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David Graf's avatar

Another reason why public funds should not go to religious schools.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

The destruction of public edumacation is fundamental to the fascist goal - the complete dumbification of our country. How else can lies and the lying liars that tell them remain in power?

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Holytape's avatar

Can we get back to Pope like John XII? There was a Pope who knew how to Pope. Of course, he was beaten to death by the husband of the woman he was banging, but until that happened the clothing optional masses were the place to be.

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cdbunch's avatar

Those damn LGBTQ sinners. It's not *real* love, so it couldn't possibly hurt.

/s if anyone needs it.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

"Morality clause." Louisiana is ranked 44th in Health Care. That seems immoral.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

That’s 6 spots higher than the Petro-Ghouls of Louisiana were shooting for.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

They’ll have to duke it out with another bible belt state. Mississippi is ranked dead last in Health Care.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

Ohio and Missouri are charging fast on the outside! And down the stretch they come!

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👆🎯

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