Pennsylvania's Predator Priests

[GMDino]

I'm sharing the link to the Pittsburgh ones but there is a full list out there somewhere I'm sure.

So I personally know two priests on this list.  I knew one had been accused (he no longer can hold mass) the other I had no idea about.

I often tell the joke about how I was an altar boy, and involved in our youth group and went on weekend retreats (boys and girls).  Often I was at the church as much as the priest was!  And I can't think of a single occasion where I felt that someone was doing something inappropriate to me either verbally or physically.  And I wonder: What was wrong with me?!?!  I could use some of that sweet church money right now! 

But all seriousness aside I have racked my brain over the years trying to think of ANYTHING I might have seen or heard involving ANYONE (youth or priest) and I have nothing.  

I knew a couple priests that were drunks.  A few me "knew" were gay.  But I never saw or heard or was told anything about any kind of sexual abuse.

Yet here we are with a list of 300 (there have to be more) that had their names released yesterday.

My problems with the church started after I stopped taking religion classes every day.  21 years of catholic education and a lifetime of undoing it.  But my problem is with the PHYSICAL church and the "men" who run it...not with religion per se.   Sure I make fun of it...but it usually comes from man's interpretation and man's writings and how they are used to manipulate the masses.

I believe in "something" bigger than all of us.  I have too much catholic guilt still in me to completely disbelieve the story of Jesus...but enough world experience to question the validity of all of it.

This report is just ANOTHER example of how people (mostly men) with power use that power to get away with so much...and how many never ever pay a personal price.  And how many people will STILL believe the people with the power because that is what they were taught to do.

[Millhouse]

I've always said with no offense to Catholics, but thankfully the United States originated without Catholicism as the main Christian sect. As a matter fact, we are quite fortunate that back then most of the Founding Fathers were protestant in nature instead of being Catholic or any other religion.

Anyways, this is very disturbing. I was reading about it here https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/14/us/pennsylvania-catholic-church-grand-jury/index.html and these allegations that have been deemed credible go back to 1947 from the Diocese's records.

If this is just in Pennsylvania, imagine what it is elsewhere. Again, thankfully we did not start out as a Catholic nation.

[GMDino]

(08-15-2018, 12:59 PM)Millhouse Wrote: I've always said with no offense to Catholics, but thankfully the United States originated without Catholicism as the main Christian sect. As a matter fact, we are quite fortunate that back then most of the Founding Fathers were protestant in nature instead of being Catholic or any other religion.

Anyways, this is very disturbing. I was reading about it here https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/14/us/pennsylvania-catholic-church-grand-jury/index.html and these allegations that have been deemed credible go back to 1947 from the Diocese's records.

If this is just in Pennsylvania, imagine what it is elsewhere. Again, thankfully we did not start out as a Catholic nation.

I don't think it is more or less a catholic thing.  Any religion will have this...for the same reasons:  Power and control over their flock.

The Protestants probably had/have the same problem.  More in the psat when they were dominant...less now.

I focus on the Catholic church because that is what I am the most familiar with.

[*michaelsean*]

The priest at the summer camp i went to was busted, and one of his victims was a kid I shared a cabin with. He (the victim) was also the son of a prominent city politician. I had no idea, but then I only went two weeks where this kid spent the whole summer there.

[*Nately120*]

Not sure if I should feel outraged I was in a precarious situation or just lucky that I didn't learn about this stuff first-hand, given my proximity to a certain someone at the time. Huzzah.


EDIT: I finally read the report people have been bugging me to read and it turns out he was sexually abusing senior citizens. Last time I checked we don't really give a crap about sexually abusing adults, so that's a relief!

[Millhouse]

(08-15-2018, 01:23 PM)GMDino Wrote: I don't think it is more or less a catholic thing.  Any religion will have this...for the same reasons:  Power and control over their flock.

The Protestants probably had/have the same problem.  More in the psat when they were dominant...less now.

I focus on the Catholic church because that is what I am the most familiar with.

I disagree to a point because the Catholic Church has what no other religious sect has. And that is a massive global network of their churches with massive amounts of money from their flock, and is ran like a government from the Pope in Rome on down worldwide. This gave them ability to coverup, bribe, and hide their pedophile priests on a scale like this in Pennsylvania. And this is just one state.

[Au165]

At what point do we realize that the church as a whole was basically acting as a criminal enterprise? I don't think it's just a coincidence that there are thousands of examples world wide of this occurring. I'm not saying there were directives sent down, however it was so wide spread that it had to be accepted within the organization, which should make the whole organization liable to criminal charges.

Obviously it'll never happen, but it should if we actually held religious organizations to the same standard we hold everyone else in the world to. Could you imagine if a global enterprise had thousands of pedophiles working for it and the company knew about it and chose to assist in covering it up? I mean hell, look what happened to Penn State and they only had one pedophile.

[*michaelsean*]

(08-15-2018, 03:54 PM)Au165 Wrote: At what point do we realize that the church as a whole was basically acting as a criminal enterprise? I don't think it's just a coincidence that there are thousands of examples world wide of this occurring. I'm not saying there were directives sent down, however it was so wide spread that it had to be accepted within the organization, which should make the whole organization liable to criminal charges.

Obviously it'll never happen, but it should if we actually held religious organizations to the same standard we hold everyone else in the world to. Could you imagine if a global enterprise had thousands of pedophiles working for it and the company knew about it and chose to assist in covering it up? I mean hell, look what happened to Penn State and they only had one pedophile.

Time for the UN Forces to invade the Vatican.

[GMDino]

(08-15-2018, 03:27 PM)Millhouse Wrote: I disagree to a point because the Catholic Church has what no other religious sect has. And that is a massive global network of their churches with massive amounts of money from their flock, and is ran like a government from the Pope in Rome on down worldwide. This gave them ability to coverup, bribe, and hide their pedophile priests on a scale like this in Pennsylvania. And this is just one state.

I'm not aware how other religions are set up.  I'll just say that if there is a situation where a group of people have power/status ove other people there will be these kinds of abuses.

I am not defending these people in any way...at all. Period.  

I just do not think it is limited to one religion.  Maybe not the scope of it (as you say) but not totally limited.  

[*michaelsean*]

(08-15-2018, 03:27 PM)Millhouse Wrote: I disagree to a point because the Catholic Church has what no other religious sect has. And that is a massive global network of their churches with massive amounts of money from their flock, and is ran like a government from the Pope in Rome on down worldwide. This gave them ability to coverup, bribe, and hide their pedophile priests on a scale like this in Pennsylvania. And this is just one state.

scientology

[NATI BENGALS]

You would have to be a total moron to support a power hungry sexually deviant conman. Yet somehow these guys end up with flocks of pawns trumpeting their lies. I guess shame on the perpetrator if the supporters were unaware. Shame on the supporters if they where aware but still help share the message and enable.

Im just glad there is nobody fighting to allow these guys to have more governmental power.

PS
Religion is probably the most detrimental man made creation ever. Wonder what the numbers look like of nuclear weapons (thanks science!!) being the cause of death vs religiously motivated violence?

[GMDino]

(08-17-2018, 11:20 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: You would have to be a total moron to support a power hungry sexually deviant conman. Yet somehow these guys end up with flocks of pawns trumpeting their lies.

Im just glad there is nobody fighting to allow these guys to have more governmental power.

One local Bishop (now dead) actually said he was more concerned about litigation with the diocese than anything else.  

I never liked the guy anyway.

[NATI BENGALS]

(08-17-2018, 11:21 PM)GMDino Wrote: One local Bishop (now dead) actually said he was more concerned about litigation with the diocese than anything else.  

I never liked the guy anyway.

Money and power. Gotta keep the longest running con in the history of man alive and well.

[GMDino]

(08-17-2018, 11:47 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: Money and power. Gotta keep the longest running con in the history of man alive and well.

What's funny is that wasn't even the biggest reason I felt like leaving the physical church....

[*bfine32*]

(08-15-2018, 03:54 PM)Au165 Wrote: At what point do we realize that the church as a whole was basically acting as a criminal enterprise? I don't think it's just a coincidence that there are thousands of examples world wide of this occurring. I'm not saying there were directives sent down, however it was so wide spread that it had to be accepted within the organization, which should make the whole organization liable to criminal charges.

Obviously it'll never happen, but it should if we actually held religious organizations to the same standard we hold everyone else in the world to. Could you imagine if a global enterprise had thousands of pedophiles working for it and the company knew about it and chose to assist in covering it up? I mean hell, look what happened to Penn State and they only had one pedophile.

I think Martin Luther realized that about 500 years ago. 

[NATI BENGALS]

(08-18-2018, 12:08 AM)GMDino Wrote: What's funny is that wasn't even the biggest reason I felt like leaving the physical church....

I went to a friends Mom's funeral the other day... The weird man child alter boy and preacher coming out wearing dresses. The alter boy acting as the servant to the preacher sitting in a throne... It was my first time in awhile sitting through a service. 

Needless to say. It seemed weirder than ever. Almost like if you weren't brain washed from a young age you would be like wtf is this shit.  I occasionally went to church as a youngin. So i am not a total outsider. But as a grown man sitting through that stuff i was embarassed for all the adults involved

[GMDino]

(08-18-2018, 01:09 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I went to a friends Mom's funeral the other day... The weird man child alter boy and preacher coming out wearing dresses. The alter boy acting as the servant to the preacher sitting in a throne... It was my first time in awhile sitting through a service. 

Needless to say. It seemed weirder than ever. Almost like if you weren't brain washed from a young age you would be like wtf is this shit.  I occasionally went to church as a youngin. So i am not a total outsider. But as a grown man sitting through that stuff i was embarassed for all the adults involved

As I have said before I am a product of the Catholic School system.  1-12 plus a Catholic College.  Altar boy, youth group, as involved as anyone who wasn't going to become a priest could be.

I still love the pomp and circumstance when the mass goes all out with the incense and singing and props....it's the way I was raised.

But I also started questioning when I got to college and didn't have religion classes force fed to me every day.

I still even go to church occasionally.  I am a lector at our church.

My problem is and will always be with the physical church and the men who created the rules and continue to lead it astray, IMHO.

[Vlad]

(08-17-2018, 11:20 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: You would have to be a total moron to support a power hungry sexually deviant conman. Yet somehow these guys end up with flocks of pawns trumpeting their lies. I guess shame on the perpetrator if the supporters were unaware. Shame on the supporters if they where aware but still help share the message and enable.

Im just glad there is nobody fighting to allow these guys to have more governmental power.

PS
Religion is probably the most detrimental man made creation ever. Wonder what the numbers look like of nuclear weapons (thanks science!!) being the cause of death vs religiously motivated violence?

LOL really?

The only nuclear weapons ever deployed were  A-bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. That should help get you started on your research.

Yes, religion has been detrimental towards humanity...consider at all the death and destruction caused by Islamic extremism alone in the name of religion.
(I find it hilarious how all you wasted no time bashing the Catholic Church and priests, yet not a peep out of you when it came to pedophile Imams and executioners of gay people...instead you defended them.)

Furthermore, it is not religion that was most detrimental to humanity. It is secularism. Pol Pot, Mao, Lenin...

http://www.ukapologetics.net/secularism.htm

[GMDino]

(08-20-2018, 11:39 AM)Vlad Wrote: LOL really?

The only nuclear weapons ever deployed were  A-bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. That should help get you started on your research.

Yes, religion has been detrimental towards humanity...consider at all the death and destruction caused by Islamic extremism alone in the name of religion.
(I find it hilarious how all you wasted no time bashing the Catholic Church and priests, yet not a peep out of you when it came to pedophile Imams and executioners of gay people...instead you defended them.)

Furthermore, it is not religion that was most detrimental to humanity. It is secularism. Pol Pot, Mao, Lenin...

http://www.ukapologetics.net/secularism.htm

As I have stated I know the Catholic Church because I am part of it.  That is why I comment on it more.  

And I said I don't think this is a Catholic only thing.

But to force a conversation into talking about Islamic extremism is disingenuous.   This is about a specific report about a widespread problem in the Catholic church.  

Thanks for you input though. 

[Vlad]

(08-15-2018, 03:54 PM)Au165 Wrote: At what point do we realize that the church as a whole was basically acting as a criminal enterprise? I don't think it's just a coincidence that there are thousands of examples world wide of this occurring. I'm not saying there were directives sent down, however it was so wide spread that it had to be accepted within the organization, which should make the whole organization liable to criminal charges.

Obviously it'll never happen, but it should if we actually held religious organizations to the same standard we hold everyone else in the world to. Could you imagine if a global enterprise had thousands of pedophiles working for it and the company knew about it and chose to assist in covering it up? I mean hell, look what happened to Penn State and they only had one pedophile.

Never.