Guys I'm upset: My cousin pastor wrote a HARSH piece on the Catholic Church (sex abuse)

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Then share with her all that you find beautiful about the faith - that’s what converted me. There is SO much that Protestants are lied to about or we misunderstand
 
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catholic1seeks said:
That is satisfying for people like me. I love bringing in the other apostolic churches. Even today, I did so for defense of the Assumption of Mary.

Anyways, I’m not sure if Rev. Erin would care, though. We have to remember that many Christians outside the Catholic and Orthodox world don’t think of “Church” in the same institutional sense. There is no monopoly on doctrinal truth. To them, even the early church erred on a lot of things – especially social/sexual issues.
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True, but the point is to show that we are not alone in our view. It’s not just a “Catholic thing.”

That’s the point.
 
Okay, thanks. I think my comments on Facebook were pretty helpful so far. At least, like, they were casual and calm.
 
Well, at least this thread has given her article over 42 views so far 😂
 
She just believes differently than you. You don’t need to read anything more into it. Let it go. You each are entitled to your own beliefs.
 
Honestly I’m at a point where I just need to completely disengage from all of this. I’ve been very cautious with my posting here and for the most part I’ve just ignored the threads, and I’ve refused to let myself get sucked into conversations about it with friends or acquaintances (especially fellow Catholics) because… I frankly cannot speak dispassionately about it, which is very unlike me. I’m fuming mad at the whole situation, at the bishops who got us into this situation, and I’m almost just as mad if not more mad at all the useful idiot Catholics still making excuses or otherwise regurgitating decades old apologetic points. My own parish priest whom I love to death started doing so in a recent homily and I nearly walked out of Mass. I tried to calm down and speak to him about it a few days later but just watching his lips move made me want to punch him in the face. I seriously felt my fist clenching and I’ve never once in my life desired to physically harm a priest. I had to excuse myself while he was mid-sentence.

I’m also very angry with people who are exploiting this whole ordeal to score cheap talking points toward their pet ideas. The anti-celibacy crowd, the anti-gay crowd, the pro-gay crowd, the generally anti-Catholic crowd, the pro-women’s ordination crowd, the latter of which I imagine your cousin is a part of. If she were to be in my presence saying that I’d probably tell her to shut the **** up and that she should be ashamed of herself. There’s just no way for me to be “charitable” about this, not right now at least, so I just disengage. Go to my happy/safe space. Give me some more time to process it and come to terms with it without burning any bridges or ruining any relationships.

If you’re as much of an emotional wreck over it as I am I suggest you consider doing so as well. Ignore your cousin. Ignore everyone else. Give yourself some time.
 
Thank you for your honest thoughts regarding this. I, too, am fed up with this:
I’m also very angry with people who are exploiting this whole ordeal to score cheap talking points toward their pet ideas. The anti-celibacy crowd, the anti-gay crowd, the pro-gay crowd, the generally anti-Catholic crowd, the pro-women’s ordination crowd, the latter of which I imagine your cousin is a part of.
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People from all sides are pointing fingers. (As a gay/SSA Catholic who tries to follow church teaching, I’m especially sensitive to people blaming gay priests — as if homosexual orientation in itself is to blame. But that’s another issue!)

We could all use a dose of prayer.

But indeed, I am that kind of person that always feels the need to defend the church. I hope it’s because I’m protecting the Catholic Faith — and not my own ego, though I can’t always escape that. Again, not at all defending the horrific deeds of priests and the coverup by bishops. But these kinds of things (cousin pastor’s blog post) are of their own sort — I see it more as anti-Catholic content as anything else.

I mean, I want to trust that she is genuinely concerned about the welfare of children, and all the rest. But I am very suspicious she is mostly interested in using it to promote her own brand of Christianity. To attack traditional Christianity, “patriarchy,” as she calls it, and so on.
 
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catholic1seeks said:
People from all sides are pointing fingers. (As a gay/SSA Catholic who tries to follow church teaching, I’m especially sensitive to people blaming gay priests — as if homosexual orientation in itself is to blame. But that’s another issue!)
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Indeed! My list there wasn’t meant to be exhaustive. Everyone’s doing it and it’s revolting. I myself am somewhere closer to the “trad” end of the Catholic spectrum and I’m just as revolted by the One Peter Five types out there using this scandal to further an anti-Vatican II agenda. Many of them have been emboldened to start using that derogatory F word in reference to gay men recently which is completely inexcusable.
We could all use a dose of prayer.
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Boy, tell me about it!
But indeed, I am that kind of person that always feels the need to defend the church.
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Which is a good intention, but you know what they say about good intentions (and, aptly here, the skulls of bishops!) 😏 The question isn’t should you defend the Church, but can you right now? No matter how badly I might want to defend the Church I’m clearly in no good position to do so. My current violent desires and profanity are inhibiting my ability to effectively defend the Church. In my own case (not necessarily your own) I best defend the Church by doing nothing at all. At least for now.
 
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The question isn’t should you defend the Church, but can you right now ?
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If you mean, due to my emotions and anger, then yes, at this moment I am okay to interact (say, online with her posts).

But if you mean “can I” in the sense of should I, considering the horror of the scandal, well I’d still say yes when it comes to the kinds of things I’m defending. So far I’ve defended celibacy and the Catholic Church as an ancient institution (bishops and priests). I don’t want her saying people like me are anti-woman just because I think NFP is cool and that the male-only priesthood is apostolic.
 
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Get the stats from the Australian Royal Commission and show her those
 
From what you’ve posted here so far it seems you’re doing fine. I would just be very careful with what you say and how you say it. If there is any doubt whatsoever in your mind that what you’re about to say in person (or post online) can in any way be construed as excusing the behavior, trying to gaslight your interlocutor, or play the poor Catholic victim you will rightfully be dismissed as tone deaf. Nobody wants to hear what sounds like excuses right now, no matter how rational they are. It’s like apologizing and then saying “but…” If your only defense of the Church is “… but public schools!”, or “… but these were decades ago!”, or “… innocent until proved guilty”, or “… NOT ALL PRIESTS!” it’s best you don’t even say it.

Edit: This isn’t a criticism of your posts, just a general observation of the discourse so far. These are what I meant by the tired apologetic talking points that, while well intentioned, are part of what has been making me so angry at my co-religionists recently. If I’m getting mad by them I’d bet dollars to donuts non-Catholics and anti-Catholics will get even more mad by them.
 
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I personally have said all those things because to me it’s legitimate but it’s nice to hear how the other side receives it.
 
As a fairly new Catholic, it hurts me. I think how it hurts Christ. I can understand your anger as she is a relative. I used to be quick to respond in anger, proving that I was right Not so much. Sometimes it takes a bigger person to just ignore. Saying this, I’m waiting for my family members to say something. Of wait a bit a compose a well developed response to her “other” issues. Prayers.
 
Dlee said:
Prayers.
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Yes. The Body of Christ is in great need of prayer right now…

In the Name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Heavenly Father, we can only imagine how these events must grieve Your heart. We pray for healing for the victims of these heinous acts, & pray for your mercy & consolation. We also pray that You bring conviction on the perpetrators, that You break their hearts - show them what pain they have caused - bring them to their knees that they may repent of their sins. For those for which there is no repentance, may You bring them to justice. We humbly ask for healing of Your Church - Your Body is suffering under the weight of this trial, Father. Help us, Father! Please! We are crying - hurting - angry - confused - disgraced - shamed - fed up…We don’t know what to do, but You do. We ask this of You, & we pray…

Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
 
Yes.

NFP respects the natural rhythms of a woman’s body, instead of trying to subvert a woman’s body through class 1 carcinogens.
 
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Women are becoming more aware of the negative impacts of oral contraceptives, & some are turning to apps that determine periods of fertility naturally rather than try to control the menstrual cycle like it’s a disease.
 
I agree with her. She’s right. Patriarchy is the problem.

It’s time to start ordaining women.
 
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AlbertDerGrosse said:
“trad” end of the Catholic spectrum and I’m just as revolted by the One Peter Five types out there using this scandal to further an anti-Vatican II agenda.
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You do understand that in western Europe not a single person talks about “trad” [I do literally mean: not a single person!], it’s the ultimate “non-issue” this side of this continent.
 
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