Bear with me please. I am struggling to see the productive point you are trying to make, in light of what has actually happened.
No, there are some (by exception) married priests. Also, being human, not all may be chaste.
No. There are problems with individuals.
Yes, it would change the culture, but I doubt for the better. The volunteer work I do at my parish puts a strain on my family; I can’t imagine being a father and a Father!
I’m trying to make the point that the problem in the sexual abuse crisis is predatory sexual behavior. I don’t know why the priesthood seems to have been a magnet for sexual predators, but maybe that’s one of the questions that should be asked.
In this case, homosexuality is a key component. Abuse of power being the main driving force, IMO.goout:
I’m trying to make the point that the problem in the sexual abuse crisis is predatory sexual behavior. I don’t know why the priesthood seems to have been a magnet for sexual predators, but maybe that’s one of the questions that should be asked.
But the notion that homosexuality in itself is a main part of the problem and that homosexuals should not be allowed to be priests makes no more sense than saying that heterosexuality is a main part of the problem in all the cases of powerful men who have been accused lately of sexually harrasing women and that heterosexual men should not be allowed to run companies or be politicians or have any position of authority over women that they might potentially harras.
Is anyone saying about all the cases of men harrasing women, “The abuses of these women are what they are. All these powerful men could have sexually harrased men instead, but they didn’t, so we know that heterosexuality was a big part of the problem”?
That is a different subject.
No, I’m saying that some of the clergy need to start following the rules rather than saying that the rules need to be changed.
While data is not available on alternatives that do not exist, I think you are probably right. There is also no data on non-Catholic Churches, but in my own experience I know three cases where a teenage girl (both 15-ish) were involved with an adult church leader(all three in their twenties), and a third that was suspected. That is only anecdotal, as my experience may not be across the board. The Catholic Church is actually in better shape than most for improvement. We at least have the statistics that can help us move forward.
I wholeheartedly disagree.Thorolfr:
While data is not available on alternatives that do not exist, I think you are probably right. There is also no data on non-Catholic Churches, but in my own experience I know three cases where a teenage girl (both 15-ish) were involved with an adult church leader(all three in their twenties), and a third that was suspected. That is only anecdotal, as my experience may not be across the board. The Catholic Church is actually in better shape than most for improvement. We at least have the statistics that can help us move forward.
I would hope other faiths would consider us as an example of them, but on a larger scale, and take the same precautions.
And I whole-heartedly disagree with that last statement. I am quite certain the evidence and data show a drastic change since 2002. But then I don’t believe every spin the media puts on stories. Reading through the Pennsylvania report, I was impressed by how many priests in question were permanently removed from 2000 -2002. That was either a significant statistical aberration, or there was a real change.
Let’s look at another example in the news of purportedly widespread sexual abuse:
So, answer me this. Assuming for the sake of argument that the many men listed above are indeed guilty of sexually harassing and abusing women, would you consider heterosexuality to be an important and key component of those cases of abuse? We know, of course, that heterosexuality is a component in the sense that all these men are heterosexual. But is it a key component? Do their sexual misdeeds mean that all heterosexual men should be excluded from any kind of job in studios, networks or major companies or in politics that might allow them to be sexual harassers and abusers?
What’s your point? I am not familiar with any of those cases. Men abusing women. Yes, happens all the time. Ok. We agree that men abuse women.goout:
Let’s look at another example in the news of purportedly widespread sexual abuse:
So, answer me this. Assuming for the sake of argument that the many men listed above are indeed guilty of sexually harassing and abusing women, would you consider heterosexuality to be an important and key component of those cases of abuse? We know, of course, that heterosexuality is a component in the sense that all these men are heterosexual. But is it a key component? Do their sexual misdeeds mean that all heterosexual men should be excluded from any kind of job in studios, networks or major companies or in politics that might allow them to be sexual harassers and abusers?
One thing is for sure, it is not a pedophilia crisis, it is a homosexual abuse crisis, as the vast majority of cases involve teenage boys and young men and seminarians. Furthermore, the problem are not sinners who are sincerely struggling against sin, but rather sinners who rationalize sin and even work to change Church teaching on homosexuality; such people have no business being in the clergy. It’s one thing to have perverse thoughts, it’s quite another to deny there is anything perverse about them and lobby to subtly change the definition of homosexuality from a disorder to “differently ordered”
The changes are that the laity is held to a higher standard. Like my wife, who has to be fingerprinted for school job while Uncle Ted is a law unto himself.goout:
And I whole-heartedly disagree with that last statement. I am quite certain the evidence and data show a drastic change since 2002. But then I don’t believe every spin the media puts on stories. Reading through the Pennsylvania report, I was impressed by how many priests in question were permanently removed from 2000 -2002. That was either a significant statistical aberration, or there was a real change.
Like Redbetta always says