After watching this movie really questioning

[2_RollinStoned]

DG, but it’s not you or the other decent pros out there that we find ourselves having to respond to. As the song says. “give us dirty laundry…we all know that **** is king”.

I was a photojournalist for a local rag many years ago and I had the pleasure of doing an interview with a public official who was being smeared in the press by a couple of opponents and the silence was deafening after they ran my article.

Sadly, that ain’t always how it goes, is it?

 

[clem456]

You tell her that your church, just like any organisation, is full of normal people with the same hopes and fears and problems and doubts as any other group of people.

And some of those people, just by the law of averages, will be evil. That they will take advantage of the young and vulnerable. And some people, as in any organisation, will try to excuse it. Will try to pretend it didn’t happen. Will make excuses. Will blame others.

Shine a light on it, bring it out into the open, express your own horror, insist that there is retribution and demand that there are protocols put in place so that it should never happen again. Shame those who make those excuses. Explain this to your daughter when she’s old enough to understand.

Then take her to mass. Maybe her dad will come along now and then and make it a family ocassion. There’s more to religion than believing in God.

Gotta give credit for fairness and good faith here from my atheist brother. :bowdown:
(did I just say that?)

 

[fred_conty]

I am a convert to the church just as of this Easter Vigil. My husband, who did not convert, just had me watch Spotlight. Needless to say I am very disheartened. My town was named as a place that had abuse scandals. But not only my town but many, many other places. Thousands upon thousands of cases . I joined the Catholic Church because I have come to believe that it is he church that Christ founded. Do you have any advice for me? If this is the church that Christ founded how can these cover ups still happen? Pope Francis seems to have a good grip on this but is that enough? Any further reading you would recommend would be so very appreciated. My husband has been very supportive of my spiritual journey but I feel like this has really brought a lot of issues to light. I am starting to doubt my decision now. How can I raise my daughter in a church that has such a large cover up of these issues from the top down? Very upsetting.

Just keep your eye on one idea … Jesus. That’s who you must be attached to and to no other priest. It is him we are centered on.

If I had allowed myself to become attached to any other priest, I believe I would not have lasted because I have seen some who left a lot to be desired. That is a shame but still a fact. And I’m not talking just about pedaphiles either.

Just don’t get attached, which is a danger for converts. Just listen but go no further with it personally. This doesn’t mean that you can’t like and appreciate some more than others, but simply keep a neutral association for your protection. The center should not be on him, but on Christ. Otherwise a person opens themselves up to getting hurt in many ways.

And here is one example that is not untypical. When a priest would correct a person, or say something unwelcomed, it may hurt the person to the point of affecting their faith because they had become attached. Whereas if not attached, then it would be seen more as simply an objective correction or a fault with no great impact on one’s emotions affecting their faith. I’ve seen this happen to friends and family. It’s a pity and should never have happened.

 

[Bestil_Andno]

I am a convert to the church just as of this Easter Vigil. My husband, who did not convert, just had me watch Spotlight. Needless to say I am very disheartened. My town was named as a place that had abuse scandals. But not only my town but many, many other places. Thousands upon thousands of cases . I joined the Catholic Church because I have come to believe that it is he church that Christ founded. Do you have any advice for me? If this is the church that Christ founded how can these cover ups still happen? Pope Francis seems to have a good grip on this but is that enough? Any further reading you would recommend would be so very appreciated. My husband has been very supportive of my spiritual journey but I feel like this has really brought a lot of issues to light. I am starting to doubt my decision now. How can I raise my daughter in a church that has such a large cover up of these issues from the top down? Very upsetting.

It is upsetting, but do not lose faith. it seems like you are kindof asking:

“How can there be all of these weeds (yuck) mixed in with all of the wheat?” or
“How can all of these bad fish be mixed in with all of the good fish?”

How can the abuse scandal and cover ups happen? Because there are weeds and bad fish…and Jesus told us that there would be. So it is horrible, but He said it would be this way. It is still His Church. So do not be disheartened and do not be afraid.

If we find a church that is full of just wheat…well, it ain’t out there…and if it was…it isn’t His Church anyway.

Also, notice that when the priest commit horrible crimes they are acting contrary to what the church teaches…not in accordance with it. They are not representing what the church teaches…they are failing to.

When we look for people who live what the church teaches, we get…Mother Theresa, Mother Angelica, Pope St. John Paul II, etc.

I just read a book you might try. Easy read. Without denying the awfulness of what happened the author looks at the media bias in reporting. Here’s a link:

amazon.com/Double-Standard-Scandals-Attack-Catholic/dp/1453730699/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461302357&sr=1-3&keywords=double+standard