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jojammin t1_j9v1xlc wrote

Here is a non-paywalled story.

>A report identifies 115 priests in MD diocese who were prosecuted for or have been credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 600 kids.

For those still a member of the catholic church, why? Do you actively support pedophiles or do you pretend your membership in the organization is somehow not doing that?

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Punkinpry427 t1_j9vue7h wrote

The Catholic Church is history’s largest pedophile ring.

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madriutt t1_j9yted7 wrote

Responsible for more human suffering than any organization in the history of humanity.

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j9yxeh4 wrote

As an outsider I'd say it's the later. They view their membership in their local church and don't see it as necessarily part of the larger whole. They see the good in the church but can mentally ignore the bad.

It's also hard for some people to separate from institutions they've brought up their whole lives. Look at Hogan and Republicans. He can see that the party has huge rotten components and that those are the majority within the party. But he can't leave it.

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shawtyallday t1_j9z204u wrote

Thank you for trying to understand how people who still belong to the church may feel. There’s not one single mentality shared by every person who still belongs, but you’re right on the money for a lot of people.

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Inevitable_Sherbet42 t1_j9zcpdw wrote

Tradition, and a desire to change the church as a member of the flock.

I don't care if it's a futile effort, I've found comfort and safety in the faith, and I want to ensure that all can also experience that comfort and safety, while also punishing those who abuse that trust.

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[deleted] t1_j9w04wg wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9w2faf wrote

Wouldn't get what?

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[deleted] t1_j9w4n73 wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9w4t0c wrote

I'm talking to you though.

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[deleted] t1_j9w603u wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9w6s7s wrote

So what did you mean by that?

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[deleted] t1_j9w7iy9 wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9w7z18 wrote

So what are your thoughts on it? Why do Catholics remain in a church with such a prolific history of child sexual abuse?

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[deleted] t1_j9w8lkg wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9w9kr1 wrote

I'm not particularly interested in convincing people to leave. I'm genuinely curious. I'm not a member of any church, but if I found out that Starbucks had a long history of child abuse and sex crimes, I wouldn't go to Starbucks, especially not with my kids. So why do Catholics continue going to church? If you have an honest answer I'd be open to hearing it.

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Flames1913 t1_j9xagwf wrote

If you want an honest engagement, I have been convinced by the theological and epistemological arguments laid out by writers like the doctors of the church and have yet to see convincing disprovings of their writings. I am bound to a system that is deeply, deeply flawed but represents what I believe to be the legitimate body of the Church of Christ, who I think was the Son of God. I will go to church, and advocate for changes in the Church but as a believer in the Bible I'm obligated to attend.

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[deleted] t1_j9wa9im wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9wc0tx wrote

Humor me, I'm not as stupid as you might think.

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[deleted] t1_j9wcr70 wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9wcy11 wrote

I used to be a Methodist Christian and my stepmother is Catholic so I have a pretty good idea of what Catholics believe.

Next time you don't want to explain yourself, maybe don't say anything at all. Waste of everyone's energy.

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[deleted] t1_j9wdwil wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9wdzks wrote

I don't know, that's why I asked -_-

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[deleted] t1_j9wf433 wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9wj54w wrote

Again, next time might as well just keep your mouth shut. The persecution complex gets old.

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[deleted] t1_j9wjcm8 wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9wjxt5 wrote

You think I'm way more pretentious than I actually am. I asked you a serious question in good faith with no ill intentions and you just want to throw a pity party. Whatever.

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[deleted] t1_j9wk33k wrote

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we-overcome-us t1_j9wkf8r wrote

I know it's the internet but you are awful at reading tone.

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thriller24 t1_j9x1oim wrote

Catholics believe that you can be forgiven for any sin as long as you confess. That’s why they just shuffle “problematic” Priests around to different churches/schools.

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jojammin t1_j9wrjpf wrote

You're right. I could never understand why you support pedos every Sunday. I get you were brainwashed as a child, but at some point you have to wake up

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j9yxtyq wrote

>You wouldn't get it.

Originally I was going to say that's because you couldn't explain it, which means you're probably wrong. But you're probably right in this for me. I wouldn't get it.

For example, as someone in a position of trust with people I'm a mandated reporter. Even though it means I have to do uncomfortable things it means I'm protecting innocent people. I embrace that part of my job.

The church has fought off being mandated reporters and in fact hides things from the government as part of what they do. I'll never understand putting people, including children, at risk for more abuse. And I'll never understand people who support those institutions.

Edit: I can give an even better concrete example. The Church won't release it's report about the schools in Canada. They know who committed which crimes. They're all old. People just want confirmation. Church won't give it to them. I won't ever understand.

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[deleted] t1_j9z8ao1 wrote

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j9zbs7t wrote

You think this is about moral superiority?

Not a general concern for people's wellbeing?

That's pretty cynical of you.

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[deleted] t1_j9zncax wrote

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j9zq1lm wrote

Maybe for you...

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[deleted] t1_ja04ija wrote

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_ja1b0fr wrote

I’m not looking for any of this shit.

But you are answering the question I guess. People deflect and do mental gymnastics to avoid thinking about it.

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SerjoHlaaluDramBero t1_j9xqohs wrote

>For those still a member of the catholic church, why?

I have no responsibility for what a bunch of free-love hippy priests did decades before I was born.

As a public school survivor, I am more concerned with the ongoing public school sex abuse scandals, which are 100 times as widespread as the Catholic Church sex abuse scandals of the twentieth century. There are sickening parallels between the decades-old abuse cases in the article and the ongoing abuse still happening in public schools today.

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Expendable_Red_Shirt t1_j9ywoe5 wrote

>As a public school survivor, I am more concerned with the ongoing public school sex abuse scandals, which are 100 times as widespread as the Catholic Church sex abuse scandals of the twentieth century. There are sickening parallels between the decades-old abuse cases in the article and the ongoing abuse still happening in public schools today.

There absolutely is widespread abuse in the public school system. There is also widespread abuse in the Catholic church. It's a little silly to blame it on hippies and free love but ok.

I'd argue that public school systems, when alerted to abuse, try to do the right thing. The Catholic church covers it up.

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