Ireland passed a blasphemy law last week that claims anyone who utters or publishes blasphemy against god is guilty of a criminal offense. The law says “any religion”, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess they are most concerned about their sacred Christianity.
This is so ridiculous it sounds made up. What century do we live in? Are their doctors reverting by to bloodletting as well?
What makes this law even worse is it comes out immediately following the massive child abuse scandal in the Ireland Catholic Church. After six decades of horribly abusing children, they want to be sure the victims are criminally prosecuted if they dare blasphemy against the god that allowed them to be repeatedly abused. God damn, that’s messed up.
Here is a excerpt of the new law:
Section 36
(1) A person who publishes or utters blasphemous matter shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding €100,000. [Amended to €25,000](2) For the purposes of this section, a person publishes or utters blasphemous matter if (a) he or she publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion, and (b) he or she intends, by the publication or utterance of the matter concerned, to cause such outrage.
Section 37
(1) Where a person is convicted of an offence under section 36, the court may issue a warrant (a) authorizing any member of the Garda Siochana [police] to enter (if necessary by the use of reasonable force) at all reasonable times any premises (including a dwelling) at which he or she has reasonable grounds for believing that copies of the statement to which the offence related are to be found, and to search those premises and seize and remove all copies of the statement found therein, (b) directing the seizure and removal by any member of the Garda Siochana of all copies of the statement to which the offence related that are in the possession of any person, specifying the manner in which copies so seized and removed shall be detained and stored by the Garda Siochana.
So the next time you’re in Ireland and you get upset, be sure to yell, “Judas Priest!” so you don’t get arrested.
(via)
Tags: Abuse, Blasphemy, Catholic, Church, Convicted, Criminal, God, Ireland, Irish, Jesus, Law, Prosecuted
July 13, 2009 at 8:33 am |
I seriously can’t even wrap my brain around this one. WTF?
July 13, 2009 at 9:31 am |
How convenient for the catholic church, after years of child abuse they will walk away like nothing ever happened. This is a big slap on the face to all the people abused and to humanity as a whole.
This stupid law does not only affect justice and atheists but also all religions.
July 13, 2009 at 9:45 am |
Dear BeAttitude,
“What century do we live in?” I hate to say it but we live in a century which “consequences for actions” do not want to be applied, and I mean any actions.
I am Catholic and I as you am sickened by this whole mess. Brian is correct in saying, “This affects all religions.”
Abuse should never be tolerated in any century especially against children. Abuse should never be tolerated in any establishment be it a Church, School, Playground, Home, or anywhere.
I am urging all Catholics and Religions alike, to do what is the right thing to do regarding this matter. Catholics, we have a hiearchy, that we can write, call, or even go to see, and we need to speak out against these things.
We need to go to our Priest and Bishops and tell them how we
feel about any Priest or Nun sexually or physically abusing any child which has been given to their care. That we as a Catholic Community and Family are not going to tolerate this anymore.
The victim here is not our Church it is those children who have and will live with this all the days of their lives. Who some are adults now trying to cope with what was done to them.
As Catholics we are many and we have many voices. Please do the right thing and let our hiearchy know how you feel.
God Bless
July 13, 2009 at 1:40 pm |
Yes, of course, let the hierarchy know how you feel.
I do not know where you live, Sandy. At first I thought, from the context and the phrase “we are not going to tolerate this anymore”, that you were in Ireland. But perhaps not. In any case, the following needs to be said in response.
Complaining to the hierarchy was not enough when this kind of abuse was discovered in the US. There was no real action until the victims and outraged church members organized to bring public pressure on the church; in Boston, MA in particular. Support groups were formed for the victims. Victims were assisted in suing the church. Ongoing publicity brought the matter to the attention of the general public who demanded that the law enforcement agencies prosecute the abusers, and a few of the worst offenders were convicted and sent to jail. Then the hierarchy noticed.
But even after a Cardinal Archbishop was replaced so that an “outsider” could clean up the archdiocese, even after the church paid hundreds of millions of dollars across the nation to settle the victims’ civil suits, even after pedophile priests were sent to prison, there is widespread opinion among both church members and the general public that the hierarchy still does not understand the problem and sees it only in terms of public relations.
So yes, of course, let the hierarchy know how you feel. Then keep the matter in the courts and the newspapers until you get some kind of real action (albeit inadequate and temporary). That is how you will show that you “as a Catholic Community and Family are not going to tolerate this anymore.” In confronting the church on this matter, you have more power as citizens than as parishioners.
July 13, 2009 at 10:03 am |
Um, the two are not related. Blasphemy is against God, not against those humans who run His church on earth. Taking those who abused children and prosecuting them is not blasphemy.
I don’t like the idea, though, of a state proclaiming a state religion.
July 13, 2009 at 10:09 am |
My point isn’t that they are the same. My point is people should be able to blasphemy against a god of a church that allowed six decades of atrocities to be performed against defenseless children.
The country of Ireland ignored these crimes, but they are somehow concerned about upholding an archaic biblical law. They need to forget blasphemy and focus on their hypocrisy and idiocy.
July 13, 2009 at 11:03 am |
But you co-related them as if. Look, men, sinful men, run the Catholic Church. Sinful men shepherd the flocks. Those priests and nuns, even though consecrated, are still sinful men.
Did you know that Jesus picked sinful men to be his followers?
Why? Because there were no sinless men. And yet he created a Church, which is holy because he is holy. We will never abandon the church of Peter because of Judas.
You may blaspheme if you want. If you do, you shouldn’t be worried about what the government of Ireland might do to you, but what God will do when you go to meet him.
Again, it is not blasphemy to prosecute those who committed these crimes. Blasphemy is against God.
Other than the fact that God is outside of time and His law is eternal, you’re right, in your second comment.
July 13, 2009 at 11:23 am
I knew the Christian rationale would be coming. Your god is off the hook because evil men did it.
We are talking about defenseless children abused for SIX decades. Where was your god when this was going on? Did he forget how to smite people? God can choose evil men because the church is full of them.
Blasphemy is literally a victimless crime.
Then you give me the old, “you’ll get yours when you meet God” comeback. Why do you choose to live your life in fear of an invisible man? It takes more than flawed theology and folklore to rationalize fear of a god you can’t see, doesn’t answer prayer and allows horrible things to happen to innocent children. You can live in fear, I’ll just live.
July 13, 2009 at 11:27 am
By the way, how is God’s law eternal?
For example:
Killing your children for dishonoring you
Killing someone for working on the Sabbath
Killing homosexuals
Killing someone for infidelity
Forcing a girl to marry her rapist
…And many, many more.
You no longer practice these laws. So how is God’s law unchanging and eternal? Your God evolves just like everything else in the world.
July 13, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Maybe God evolved from self replicating polymers as well, BeAttitude!
Natural Selection is still the boss around here!
July 13, 2009 at 12:25 pm |
This is beyond disgusting.
I know I had difficulty with God answering prayers related to such human emotional basics as “being content,” but we’re talking about rape on such a violent scale. Physical beatings and sexual torture were going on and you just know that those young Irish boys were crying out to God to help them. The sad thing is that stuff like this still goes on. Innocent children pray their hearts out to God so that they won’t get abused that night.
There’s no ends that could possibly justify those means. If God is truly omniscient and omnipotent, then He’s a disgusting piece of filth. There’s no plan that necessitates child rape and torture. God has given these men every reason to curse His name. For the Irish government to pull this kind of slap in the face is disgraceful.
July 13, 2009 at 1:23 pm |
God’s laws ARE unchanging. Man’s interpretation of them does change. God’s laws are simple. Love God, love your neighbor. Don’t kill, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t covet. Nothing there has changed.
God allowed the greatest evil when he allowed men to kill his only Son for us. It’s man who’s corrupt, as evidenced by the Irish clergy who molested and raped children, in violation of their own vows.
But before you start casting stones, please examine your own conscience. You demand consequences on earth, not understanding that consequences after death are more…eternal.
July 13, 2009 at 2:35 pm |
What a load of crap.
Picture this: Jesus telling the little boy while he is being molested “don’t worry, this priest is going to pay the consequences after death”
David, your entire comment is bullshit.
July 13, 2009 at 2:42 pm |
There is absolutely no reason to believe there is life after death. Your faith is little more than wishful thinking.
If you want to believe in a god that tosses people into a lake of fire for eternity and still call him a “loving god”, that’s your choice. I find it very sad to spend the days of your life fearing and serving an invisible deity based in such flawed theology.
And why does it matter if I believe in God? Why is God’s BIG test for us to have faith in something invisible? Why is that so important? I can break every one of God’s laws as long as I believe in Jesus and say I’m sorry. Kill, rape, cheat on your wife, steal, gossip and covet. Just remember to believe in Jesus. That makes perfect sense.
July 13, 2009 at 3:00 pm |
You should read Exodus again, David…
July 13, 2009 at 2:06 pm |
Verbifex,
Hello and I live in south central Texas, where right now it is hot, with no rain, and my grass is brown:>)
I understand your statement regarding just going to our hierarchy, but it is a start, and from there we can see what else needs to be done.
I agree this needs to be in the courts, but most of all I would like to see those victims in Ireland and the United States be able to get the help they need to mentally overcome this, if they can. I know first hand how this sort of abuse eats at your very soul night and day as an adult, and that is enough said on that, as far as myself.
Most of all every Catholic needs to get off of their complacent rumps, including myself, and start enforcing change on these things. After all we are a Church. If we just turn our heads around and ignore this, we are as guilty as those Priest and Nuns.
You can read my next post to BeAttitude to see how I am going to begin to make my stand. This will be only the beginning.
Love to you in Christ, Sandy
July 13, 2009 at 2:26 pm |
Sandy, I really hope you don’t think that the Irish scandal is the only one the catholic church has been involved.
Have you seen the documentary: “Deliver us from evil”. I highly recommend it.
From imdb.com: “Documentary about Father Oliver O’Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children”
There are a lot of cases like this around the world. Many don’t make it to the American media.
July 13, 2009 at 2:37 pm |
Dear BeAttitude,
I have really had to search my own soul over this matter today, and I am as guilty as charged. I am a Catholic who even though I have prayed for this and about this, I have been complacent myself regarding this matter. We cannot undo what has been done, but we must do our best to assure to the best of our abilities this does not continue.
I do not want you or anyone ever to think that this does not churn my stomach to the point of vomit, as it even goes beyond that.
Again, I have searched myself long and hard today, and I want you to know I do not apologize for being Catholic and I will remain one, as I do the love the Church, even though I detest evil of any kind, especially in myself. The Church is not evil, it is always man.
This is what I as a Catholic am going to begin with. Like I said I will make my stand to our hierarchy. I will financially support the Church for what I feel it needs to sustain me in it, and the rest of my tithes will go to sick and abused children for one year or more if that year comes around and I feel I need to continue. I will not say some will not be Catholic institutes as I do support St. Judes. I will go on line and do a search on places that help these now some adults/children.
I will do this in hopes that I can at least help one child/adult get the help they need.
I will also blog on this matter for one year. I will do research and see what other organizations help these people and do my best to support them also.
BeAttitude I want you to know Jesus said about our children, that those who hurt them, better a milestone be hung around their necks. The people that do this will have consequences on one end or the other. This hurts God to His core. God though is not to blame for this, it is the evil heart of man. Any cover up or the like is disgraceful.
David I know I do not need to defend you, but I have to say this on your behalf. BeAttitude, David and myself have had conversatioins for the past several months. David shoots it straight and does not mince words, but he does love our Lord with all of his heart. I know David does not uphold this sort of thing for one moment. David being a Christian and loving and believing in God, is concerned about your soul, regarding what you say about God, and he is trying to help you see, this is in no way of God. Being that he is a Christian please see and respect that he wants you to go to heaven and it is only through love that he wants this, if you believe in God or not.
Like I said I will devote myself to this cause strictly for one year, starting today. Like I said, at the end of the year, I will see where I am at.
Many of us would cut off our right arms with no problem if it would mean not one other child would be hurt. It will not mean that. We can only do what we can do, but we must do something.
God Bless, Sandy
July 13, 2009 at 2:52 pm |
I’m glad to hear your mission to help those in need. Just save your money for the organizations that help people. Every dollar sent to the Catholic Church is supporting a defunct dictatorship.
You also tell me that God is hurt to see what is happened to these children. This all-powerful god is so hurt that he does nothing about it? If I witnessed someone molesting a child and I could stop it, I would. But God has better things to do than protect his faithful followers and innocent children. That isn’t much of a father, and certainly isn’t worthy of praise.
July 13, 2009 at 2:43 pm |
Brian,
I know it is just not in Ireland. It is a shame, cunning, and just plain evil, but I have to begin somewhere.
I as a Catholic cannot apologize to God nor man enough for what has happened. But with everything in my heart I am so, so very sorry.
We also must realize this is an evil which is sweeping almost all institutions now in some form or fashion. It is behind closed doors in homes. We as adults have to do what we can to get it to stop.
God Bless, Sandy
July 13, 2009 at 3:32 pm |
Dear BeAttitude,
I cannot change your mind nor heart about God, and as you know I do love Him myself, very very much. I have respected your beliefs even though I do disagree with them on this matter. Please repsect mine is all that I ask.
Tearing down one another is not going to help those people one minute. Your post made me do a complete examination of myself on this matter, and for that I thank you. Like I said, “Guilty as charged.”
BeAttitude we have to do something more than complain, and all of us writing here today, need to ask ourselves, “How can we help the victims?”
So watch for my upcoming blogs, and if you ever do want to discuss why I feel about God the way I do, I will be happy to share this with you. Until then, I will not bash you for you not believing, please do not bash me for believing, or by bashing God to me.
This thread really needs to be what you intended it to be, and that is about the harm which has happened to these people. On most points you made I do agree, but not about God, so there is no need for us to make a totally bad situation worse, or to take that any further.
Remember I was a child who cried to God very much over just about the same thing, but I still love Him.
Take care and again thanks for the soul searching you made me do.
God Bless, Sandy
July 13, 2009 at 5:12 pm |
My intention is not to disrespect you. I disagree with you on something very defining and core to your life. That will always come across as disrespectful even if that isn’t the intention.
But yes, we both should be asking how we can help the victims of crimes like these. On that we certainly agree.
July 13, 2009 at 4:45 pm |
Please feel free to contribute – http://functioningalcoholic.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/jesus-christ-its-the-irish-anti-blasphemy-law/
July 13, 2009 at 5:32 pm |
Dear BeAttitude,
Let us say it is done then, and see what we can do. I am now looking up info I feel I need to get people directed to the help they need. I have come across some things I did not even know about as far as help for people. This is truly what matters to me.
I will post this as soon as I complete research.
I know your intention is not to “disrespect me” it is just an upsetting situation for all of us. Those who believe and those who do not. Nerves get on edge and feelings get hurt sometimes. The one thing that will bring people together is a common goal, and that goal should be to help those who need it.
God Bless, Sandy
July 13, 2009 at 5:45 pm |
Stating that the church is bad, religions poison everything, and it’s leaders are con artists is not disrespect for the believers. I can’t respect an institution that covers up pedophiles. From the pope down, for me, they are all guilty. The pope, before being the pope helped the cover up of the pedophile priests in the sates. He can’t be prosecuted because he is the pope. That makes me sick. The whole vatican should be paying.
I have zero respect for any religion or belief system, I respect believers I do not respect certain ideas.
I do not respect the idea that if you are a criminal and then you accept jesus before you die then you are going to meet the lord (wathever that shit means). But, if you spend your life doing good and you are an atheist like myself then you are going to hell (whatever hell means).
Sandy, after you watch “deliver us from evil” you could also watch “twist of faith” and “the boys of St. Vincent”
July 14, 2009 at 3:44 pm |
Brian, prove that Cardinal Ratzinger knew and helped cover up ‘pedophile’ priests. Prove it. And for your information, the whole Vatican is paying. So is the whole Church. Money that should be spent on taking care of the poor in the third world is being used to pay legal fees and paying those victims. Every Catholic that contributes to his parish is paying for those priests.
And you have no idea what you’re talking about. The Church teaches, and we are to believe, that God loves everyone equally. Every person-athiest, Buddhist, Catholic. Hates our sins, and being the just judge, we will someday pay for all our sins.
Your condemnation of what took place 40 years ago is hindsight. 40 years ago, they did what was commonly accepted in the psychological community to rehabilitate priests who were engaging in homosexual acts with boys (not pedophilia, technically speaking). When it happened, they asked ‘experts’ and listened to them. Did they try and control the problem ‘in house’? You better believe it. They did the same thing any organization does when they find out there’s a problem within. They try to correct it quietly. There is, for the most part, no guilt among the bishops, other than those that actively engaged in sexual acts. They should have shut them all up on a farm in the frozen tundra and let them pray for mercy to God, their ultimate judge.
July 14, 2009 at 9:12 pm |
Oh my dog, what a lame excuse you are presenting for that pathetic church. Do you thing money does much to heal those kids?
Prove that Ratzinger knew nothing. Why do you still use the “rotten apple” excuse. That’s disgusting.
These pedophiles priest and bishops were suppose to be man of god, they were suppose to be moral. But, god does not exist, nor moral come from god.
And, yes I have more than idea what I am talking about.
I want to see those priests go to jail now and publicly admit their guilt, I don’t care about eternal justice.
July 15, 2009 at 10:00 am |
Pathetic church? The largest charitable organization in the world? Pathetic? Baloney. Yes, every dollar sunk into charity gets to those in need, and yes, it does help.
So you have no proof. I can show proof of what he is doing now to rectify the situation.
You stated what I’ve said all along. MEN, sinful men, did wrong. Though the problem has been way overstated. Those men should be prosecuted, and they are.
And no, you don’t have even a whisper of an idea what you’re talking about. Go ahead-put your faith in YouTube. That’ll get you a long way.
July 15, 2009 at 7:08 pm |
The vatican is comparable to the cosa nostra. It’s a big mafia organization.
July 14, 2009 at 9:54 pm |
Hey Brian,
Will be checking on those movies and I think I have seen the boys of St. Vincent.
I have to comment though on your statement “Do you think money does much to heal those kids?”
No money does not heal those kids take it from me. (I am now posting on the matter on the Catholic and related blogs) and you will see how I feel about that. The name of my post is My Molester Smothered Me.
What the money does do, is allow those kids/adults to hopefully get the help they need to learn how to live a productive life with this horrible sin which was done to them. I speak from experience they need it.
Victims of molestation never heal. What we do is learn how to live with it, as it never goes away either. We learn how to cope with the memories of the abuse and for all of us, some form of torture. Also the loss of our childhood we have to learn how to deal with this, even as adults.
We need help to learn these skills and also to put the molester at times where he should be in our lives as one or two things are going to come out. The victim is going to see them as a “god” or a “monster” which I will address in future postings. Some and I was very lucky to be spared this, but some are drug addicts, alcoholics or are dead from suicide and they do this to forget the pain.
Sometimes therapy helps a lot with these things and sometimes it does not. How wonderful it would have been for me if I would have had financial help. After insurance paid for my therapy I was still 47,000.00 in debt and I had to pay for it all and it was hard.
So maybe this explains it a little better.
God Bless, Sandy
July 14, 2009 at 10:00 pm |
Sandy, David,
In the mean time take a look at this BBC documentary:
Brian
July 14, 2009 at 10:06 pm |
And please see the following parts:
If you still have the stomach.
Brian
July 15, 2009 at 8:38 am |
Dear Brian,
I really do not have to watch anything not to be disrespectful. I have lived it all of my life. I am having to re-live it now as I have promised I would do my best to educate people on what a child goes through not only as a child, but a teenager and adult as well when this happens to them, and this is very hard on me. My own memories are enough for me, but that does not mean that I do not feel the greatest of sorrow for the others just like me.
When you speak to me, you are speaking to someone who knows first hand. For me the best thing I can do is try to get people to see this is a life long sentence placed upon a child, but being that said, there is help out there that we can live good lives and be happy. That in itself is a very hard struggle for most of us.
This is a crime Brian, and anyone who does it needs to be punished. The person who did it to me is dead, but I am alive, I still have the memories, but I am happy. If anyone reads this who has been molested that is what I want to tell them. Do not give up. I know your struggle is so hard, but struggle through it. Get beyond it, and get whatever help you need to do so. That is the best I can do.
Like I said, I am living my own hell right now. I cannot just sit and say nothing anymore. It is wrong and I am sad to say, a child is getting hurt somewhere right now in a home, school, daycare, Church, or some place else. I wish I could be at all of those places and stop it but I cannot. I am doing my best.
God Bless, Sandy
July 15, 2009 at 10:16 am |
Sandy,
I am really sorry to hear what happened to you. I take a big hit when I hear stories like that. It bothers my a lot when a person of authority abuses, specially when this person is suppose to be some sort of moral compass.
I was never mistreated by a religios person, but I have seen many cases of abuse (not only child abuse). My home country is mostly catholic and I have seen parents defending the priests and the church over their abused kids. That makes my blood boil.
I am sorry but I don’t buy into the “a few rotten apples argument” I would say that there are only very few good apples in the church bag.
And don’t see the point of hanging to a church that have done nothing to protect the more vulnerable, and do all they can to protect the guilty. They want to keep believers blind and hanging to a very stupid and anti-human belief system.
Why do you keep believing in a god that has done nothing for the vulnerable? All you think you know about god comes from a book created, manipulated, copied, interpreted and mistranslated by the old catholic church.
July 15, 2009 at 10:57 am |
Oh Brian, it makes my blood boil when child molesters are defended. I do not care who they are. I could tell by your post that you had either been abused or had been around abuse somewhere in your life. I could tell this by your rage. I used to have the same rage and still do, but I have had to learn to handle it in a more constructive manner to help myself and others. This is why therapy is important to a certain extent.
Hanging onto a Church and believing in a god that has done nothing for the vulnerable: Well this is kind of hard to explain to someone who does not believe in God to begin with, but I will try.
I do not hang on to a Church. I hang onto to my beliefs and I how feel God intended to be worshipped. Brian I was very angry with God for a very long time regarding this, and it took until I was up into my 30′s to tell Him so, as I was scared if I did I would be struck dead:>) But I wasn’t. I remember the day well when I told Him I was so angry. I will be posting on this in future post.
God has proven His love for me and His existence many times in my life. Why He did not stop it from happening to me or others, as because He gives us the will to choose good and evil. If He had of stopped it then He would have been forcing His will and God wants to be loved and worshipped by us because we want to, not because He forces us to. If He forces us not to do evil, then He will have to force us to love Him. I know you do not understand this, because you do not believe in Him. God never forces His will upon us.
In my beliefs God had nothing to do with what happened to me. The one who did this to me, is the spawn of the devil to me. God never promised me a life without hardships and evils to bear. What He does promise me, is He will get me through them, and Brian He has. It has taken a lot of years, tears, anger, hate, but now all of that is gone, and I do have peace with it. Without God I would have never obtained that peace.
It is to Him I go to, whenever it creeps up on me, and I get to thinking about it all.
It happened and it does me no good to keep asking the why’s of it. There is no ratinalizing someting so irrational. For many years I tried to rationalize it. There had to come a point in my life where I had to live and I begin to work on that and it finally came. I had to let go of the anger and the hate as it was destroying me, not my molester. When hate and anger takes root in us it festers and destroys. I wanted to live.
My belief in God and again this is hard to explain to you, is through faith and that is all I can say.
I know parents have defended the priest and the like and I have heard some say they were slapped across the face by their parents for even telling them they were molested. All I can on that I have never heard of such ignorance in all my life. I have never heard in such cruelty to a molested child in all of my life. It is just stupid to me.
I have to keep my focus on staying healthy with this, so I can be of help to others. I know you hate this so much, then do something, about it. Quit trying to reason it out, because you will never be able to. Take the situation and find out what you can do in your country to help.
This is the best answers I can give to you. I know some make sense to you and some do not. They are my answers and as usual the best I can give.
God Bless, Sandy
July 15, 2009 at 12:41 pm |
Sandy,
Just for the record. I was never abused, I’ve never been around abuse of any type. My life has been filled with love. My parents were the best. I have seen many abuses by different religios leaders, and I have seen people denying the reality of this. I am no angry with god because I believe he/she/it does not exist. I understand you position about your beliefs. I am no trying to de-convert you, I am saying you are a valuable human being with or without the believing in god part.
I have no questions related to god, I might not have all the answers, but I have no questions about his existence. Please, do no stop trying to reason it out.
Yes, I am doing things about it. Being vocal is one of them. Being here is one of them.
Sandy, please allow me to recommend a book for you: (not related to abuse)
Out of God’s Closet: This Priest Psychologist Chooses Friendly Atheism by Stephen F. Uhl
July 15, 2009 at 3:42 pm |
Brian,
We are at that place where I call the crossroads, I believe in God you do not. As you well know I am not at all coming against you for that. We each have our own path in life. You are as valuable as me as a human being, regardless of what either one of us believes.
I did not mean to imply you had ever been abused and trust me if anyone understands your rage it is me. I am so glad your childhood was filled with love, for the exception of the molestation mine was also. It was the molestation that changed my life though. Like I have promised I will do my best to make everyone see what it does to a child, but can only do it once a week, as it is just too painful to do it everyday. I will take all the support I can get during this year.
I will read your book, I read all the time. I as well am not trying to convert you. If you will permit me to recommend a book for you it is “A Father Who Keeps His Promises” by Scott Hahn. It is truly the best book I have ever read.
After we read them, we will have something else to talk about:>) Thank you for speaking out against one of the most awful crimes done to children. Thank you for seeing it has to be stopped. I know one day there will be that child which you will help save from this. It might be through your speaking out, or by some other way, but you will do it. That is it Brian, we can only do it one child at a time.
God Bless, Sandy
July 15, 2009 at 3:51 pm |
Brian,
One other thing, an Athiest and a Christian came together to help children. If that ain’t a hoot:>) You and I have just proven respect of and for one another can be done, if we just try. Sandy
July 15, 2009 at 7:03 pm |
I’ve never heard of that book, but I will check it out. Hey, I encourage you to keep your head up.
Take care,
Brian
July 19, 2009 at 9:12 am |
David, Sandy:
are you still here? please see this news from time.com
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1911495,00.html?xid=rss-fullworld-yahoo
This is way too fucked up my friends.
July 19, 2009 at 6:51 pm |
I am here Brian.
What do you want me to say Brian? That is okay for a nine year old to have twins when she does even know what that means and could die from giving birth to them? Or that is okay to kill two little babies who have not had the chance to live? Whatever answer I give is the wrong one isn’t it?
Do I think the parents should have been excommunicated. NO!
Why? I believe the parents took the only choice which they felt they could. Either way they went would have been wrong and this child is already here and is theirs. I think the age of the child should have been considered in regards of excommunicating them. The choice to me for them, was the lesser of the two evils. I believe they did what their conscience lead them them to do and I do not believe they had an evil intent in their bodies. I firmly believe they had the life of their child first and foremost in their hearts.
Brian, since you sent this to David and I and that is okay as far as I am concerned I will tell you what bothers me the most. You the hate the Church and that is all well in good and I have never come against you on that if that is what you want to do. Do it. I realize many try and right our wrongs by saying how much we good we do and we do good things also, but that does not rectify molesting children at all.
But this is what concerns me about the article more than anything and your reaction. It is all about the Church which it needed to be told, and very little is said about that sick, perverted, sub-human monster that raped a nine year old girl.
If you are going to hate Brian, hate the molester more than anything else. If he had never of placed his nasty, filthy, dirty, rotten damn hands on that child to begin with, none of this would have happened. As much as you hate the Church do not lose focus on the children. Most of all the molester.
Brian, I remain Catholic because unlike you I believe in God and how and where I worship God is between He and I. Just like you not believing in Him is your own business. I also feel I can be of much more help being a Catholic to these victims, then I can by not being one. I am a Catholic speaking out against the molestation of children by the priest or anyone for that matter, I am speaking out against it in the Catholic Church or any Church. See to me it does not matter where the hell it happens it matters to me that it happened. Being that said, it does matter to me when it is covered up, Priest are moved to another place only to hurt another child, but I say this and I also mean this for any institutions doing the same thing. I hold with none of it, but again where and how my spiritual life is, is mine alone.
My main conern is for the kids. Would I have excommunicated those parents, no! And I did not excommunicate them. If I had my way they would be back in there tomorrow. But I cannot have my way, but I can help the kids. That is my concern. The politics of it all makes me sick. When a child is molested adults need to grow up and do what is right for all the innocent parties concerned. I do not feel as if this was done here as far as the Church, saying the parents were wrong, as there truly was no right choice in it at all for them.
I hate this was done, I more than hate the little girl was molested, I more than hate two babies had to die because of it, but more than anything if I was allowed to hate another human being on this earth which I cannot, it would be a child molester. That is where my focus is, on the child, and on any cover ups anywhere.
Have a good one, Sandy
July 20, 2009 at 8:04 am |
I agree with you, the focus should be on the children and avoiding that these situationes ever happen again.
Yes, I hate the church as an institution, I hate the politics and the herarchy and I hate the inhumane position of the vatican, but I will never do any harm to any of them.
July 20, 2009 at 8:26 am |
Nor will I. Being that said, have a great day. Sandy