Abuses by the Catholic Church

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I am reading a book called “The Church Under Attack” by Diane Moczak. I am about half way through it and I cannot believe that my entire view on history was, in reality, a bad fiction novel.

All of the so called abuses by the Catholic Church in the last 500 years are completely false or so over exaggerated that there is hardly any truth left in them.

So I guess my question would be: is there any truth to any of the claims of Catholic oppression and abuse so well taught in the American school system?

Further, my statement would be that all should read this book, and while I’m sure there is a Catholic slant to it, there are so many facts and proofs that any pro Catholic bias is pretty much overshadowed and wiped out…
 
USMC_Convert said:
I am reading a book called “The Church Under Attack” by Diane Moczak. I am about half way through it and I cannot believe that my entire view on history was, in reality, a bad fiction novel.

All of the so called abuses by the Catholic Church in the last 500 years are completely false or so over exaggerated that there is hardly any truth left in them.

So I guess my question would be: is there any truth to any of the claims of Catholic oppression and abuse so well taught in the American school system?

Further, my statement would be that all should read this book, and while I’m sure there is a Catholic slant to it, there are so many facts and proofs that any pro Catholic bias is pretty much overshadowed and wiped out…
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What “abuses” were addressed? The sexual abuse in my neck of the woods was all too real.
 
USMC_Convert said:
is there any truth to any of the claims of Catholic oppression and abuse so well taught in the American school system?

.
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It can’t have been that well taught if I don’t know what you are referring to. :confused: Can you give some examples of what you were taught and that you now believe to have been false?
 
I have two brothers who will probably never again set foot in a Catholic church as a result of what was done to them as kids in the Catholic school they attended. Do you want the details to counterbalance (and compare against) the book you have been reading?
 
I went to a public high school and the only “abuse” I remember being taught about were some of the gripes of Luther, and the teachers often had no idea what things like “buying indulgences” even meant.
 
USMC_Convert said:
I am reading a book called “The Church Under Attack” by Diane Moczak. I am about half way through it and I cannot believe that my entire view on history was, in reality, a bad fiction novel.

All of the so called abuses by the Catholic Church in the last 500 years are completely false or so over exaggerated that there is hardly any truth left in them.

**So I guess my question would be: is there any truth to any of the claims of Catholic oppression and abuse so well taught in the American school system?
**
Further, my statement would be that all should read this book, and while I’m sure there is a Catholic slant to it, there are so many facts and proofs that any pro Catholic bias is pretty much overshadowed and wiped out…
Click to expand...
Just a quick statement…I’m only a few years out of teaching in the public schools and I don’t remember anything being taught about Catholic Church abuses. I think both Catholic and Protestants had their fair share of abusing each other through killing, torturing and warring with each other. Such a waste…

GBY
 
spedteacherita said:
Just a quick statement…I’m only a few years out of teaching in the public schools and I don’t remember anything being taught about Catholic Church abuses. I think both Catholic and Protestants had their fair share of abusing each other through killing, torturing and warring with each other. Such a waste…

GBY
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I agree that both sides of the inter-religious fighting must own up to their part in the abuses and killings after the Reformation. 500 years has brought us a long way in reconciliation, especially as we commemorate the big anniversary this year.

If you examine other parts of history in those 500 years, the Catholic Church has had its own role in history that has not been honorable. I think any historian will give you that. I haven’t read the book but have skimmed through the reviews and it seems the author has a single lens rather than a wider view of history. No institution of power is completely innocent or completely guilty of abuses over 5 centuries.
 
USMC_Convert said:
I am reading a book called “The Church Under Attack” by Diane Moczak. I am about half way through it and I cannot believe that my entire view on history was, in reality, a bad fiction novel.

All of the so called abuses by the Catholic Church in the last 500 years are completely false or so over exaggerated that there is hardly any truth left in them.

So I guess my question would be: is there any truth to any of the claims of Catholic oppression and abuse so well taught in the American school system?

Further, my statement would be that all should read this book, and while I’m sure there is a Catholic slant to it, there are so many facts and proofs that any pro Catholic bias is pretty much overshadowed and wiped out…
Click to expand...
USMC, I think most of this depends on the region of the country you live in. In Chicago, LA, NYC and areas with a large Catholic presence, public schools wouldn’t address it in anti-catholic manner (at least not the majority, and not on purpose) in the modern era. However, many, many protestant churches teach their version of history in a deliberately anti-Catholic/propagandist manner. I’ve experienced this first-hand. In addition, the most anti-Catholic propaganda I’ve learned in an academic setting was IN CATHOLIC COLLEGES, by professors who are themselves loosely Catholic or not practicing, or non-Catholic OR worst of all self-proclaimed ‘progressivist’ Catholic.
 
USMC_Convert said:
I am reading a book called “The Church Under Attack” by Diane Moczak. I am about half way through it and I cannot believe that my entire view on history was, in reality, a bad fiction novel.

All of the so called abuses by the Catholic Church in the last 500 years are completely false or so over exaggerated that there is hardly any truth left in them.

So I guess my question would be: is there any truth to any of the claims of Catholic oppression and abuse so well taught in the American school system?

Further, my statement would be that all should read this book, and while I’m sure there is a Catholic slant to it, there are so many facts and proofs that any pro Catholic bias is pretty much overshadowed and wiped out…
Click to expand...
Thanks for the post. I have been pondering what book to read next and I believe I will order it from amazon.

Mary.
 
Here are the “big 4” that are presented regularly by academia out of historical context, with gross exaggerations, and glaring inaccuracies:
  • The Inquisition
  • The Crusades
  • The Galileo affair
  • Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust
 
3_Dog_Night said:
I have two brothers who will probably never again set foot in a Catholic church as a result of what was done to them as kids in the Catholic school they attended. Do you want the details to counterbalance (and compare against) the book you have been reading?
Click to expand...
I am very sorry for your brothers. May God help them to cope with their abuse.
 
Post 1550 most Catholics and most Protestants bought into acedia and fatalism in equal measure to each other (having been present in their common heritage at least since about the year 1200).

The present day rash of Teilhardianism combined with the persistent Berullean outlook (including a laicised variant) continue to be a bane.
 
Vic_Taltrees_UK said:
Post 1550 most Catholics and most Protestants bought into acedia and fatalism in equal measure to each other (having been present in their common heritage at least since about the year 1200).

The present day rash of Teilhardianism combined with the persistent Berullean outlook (including a laicised variant) continue to be a bane.
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I’m not sure if I understand this post fully, but I like your timeline and concepts. 👍
 
Sorry I am only up to the 1800s so I don’t know if the book addresses the sexual abuses which were obvious, evident and irrefutable. However, with as much love, care, compassion and sorrow for what happened I would say this, while the Church probably mishandled the situation, the Church was not, as far as I know, the culprit, that was a few misguided and sinful members of the Church. I hope and pray for those who suffered from those abuses.

That being said, I did not mean to bring up any of the sexual abuses I was more talking about things like the top 4 mentioned several posts above, things that The Church has been accused of, things that were heaped upon all Catholics as a whole.
 
In that case, no, I did not learn about any of that in public school at all.
 
USMC_Convert said:
I am reading a book called “The Church Under Attack” by Diane Moczak. I am about half way through it and I cannot believe that my entire view on history was, in reality, a bad fiction novel.

All of the so called abuses by the Catholic Church in the last 500 years are completely false or so over exaggerated that there is hardly any truth left in them.

So I guess my question would be: is there any truth to any of the claims of Catholic oppression and abuse so well taught in the American school system?

Further, my statement would be that all should read this book, and while I’m sure there is a Catholic slant to it, there are so many facts and proofs that any pro Catholic bias is pretty much overshadowed and wiped out…
Click to expand...
I cannot comment on the book for I did not read it. Were there abuses in the RCC? What you need to realize is when you are dealing with humans and humans have free will abuses and sin exists.

Jesus was here on earth and he choose a devil Judas as one of his Apostles. Why did he let that happen? But what you must realize is this. Did Judas betraying Jesus change anything of Christ speaking and teaching the true word of God?

Then don’t expect the RCC to not have humans who make mistakes, and Priests who themselves can become Judas’s. But what does human mistakes or abuses change the true word of God in the teachings of the RCC.

When you see it that way, I think you can see that abuses will happen. Was it not God himself who told us the Devil is the master of deceit and will be wearing his clothing.

So don’t think that the Devil will and does continue to try to tear down the RCC. But look at today, even with all of the sexual abuse done, the RCC is still standing and did and will survive this.

Jesus said hades will not prevail. But as long as humans have free will the Devil will do anything in his power to get to them. Especially the closer you are to God the more the Devil will try to get to you. Would not a Priest or Pope, Bishop be the first on his list. And since they are human they have free will to turn on God also. That is why we are asked to pray for Priests to help them overcome the temptation of Satan.
 
3_Dog_Night said:
I have two brothers who will probably never again set foot in a Catholic church as a result of what was done to them as kids in the Catholic school they attended. Do you want the details to counterbalance (and compare against) the book you have been reading?
Click to expand...
While I am sorry for the abuse your brothers experience and will no way make excuses for this abuse, there is none. You still cannot blame Christ and his Church. If you do then you are putting the sins of Judas at the foot of Christ.

God gave us free will, and those Priest betrayed Christ the same as Judas. But Christ cannot give us free will, and then forbid us to use it for evil only good. I wish he could but it would be possible.

I pray your brothers will someday come to see that they are not hurting the Priest they are hurting themselves and keeping them from the most greatest gift given to us by God, him sharing himself with us one on one in the Eucharist. And the Devil is loving it.
 
Thank you for the condolences and best wishes. It is too late for my brothers and I do not have any hope that that will ever change. One is an atheist and the other is Protestant. If I had gone to Catholic schools, it is likely I would be atheist or Protestant too. I understand things have changed for the better – much, much better – but that was then and this is now. The times were such that my parents did not take the type of action that would have stopped the abuse in its tracks. But then again, I think kids were viewed and treated differently (and things were brushed aside if it were a sister/ religious/ clergy). If that situation had happened today, I would have had an ER/ MD visit and medical documentation, an investigative news crew, a police report and a lawyer! Very public, very embarrassing, very much in your face – you don’t do that stuff to children and get away with it. I would be picketing the school and contacting every single parent that I knew. (Do you sense the anger? Jesus would have been angry too – braid a whip and flip over the tables, angry!) As I think about it, it is amazing (a miracle) that I am Catholic today and devoutly so. And what is more amazing, is that if I had a school aged child I would send him or her to Catholic school. That’s today.
 
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