LilyM;1820759 said:
To tell you the truth I deleted my original response to your question. I knew that if I posted that response I would probably be asked to leave this site.
To put it mildly, I lost a lot of trust in the priesthood with all the recent scandals in the church. I also know personally more than one priest whose orientation is questionable.
I don’t mean to offend anyone reading this, but I am speaking sincerely.
My experience in public education has lead me to believe that teachers are more in number (real and in proportion) with abusers and molesters than Catholic, Protestant and Jewish clergy.
At three different California public school districts, part of my job was to quietly move out of our district any one that a parent or child complained about. Why? It would cost our districts too much money if we fought it or if it came to light.
Many times the parents agreed to such an arrangement with the Superintendent and the Board. Pretty sick, huh, but welcome to planet earth where people REGARDLESS of their vocation, job or background are and can be very evil and cruel.
Watch out for that Youth Minister in your group. Or that Scout leader or parent or uncle of one of the kids. It could be and will be anybody, Newbie.
To assume that a priest destroyed your Christian faith shows me how shallow and misplaced that faith was to begin with.