This makes me utterly furious. The reasons are obvious, and don't need to be explained.
But it's just another example of what happens when churches make 'priests' in to these high-up, go-to guys, the ones who have to intercede between us and God.
They are so holy and pure that they can't get married and have sex. No, instead they walk around in gowns and stalk out little kids online. They are very holy, because they are not having sex.. until they molest a kid.
Yeah, that system works great.
God said get married. God said have sex. So whose bright idea was it to think foregoing those good, God-given gifts was the way to holiness?
Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)
Huldra Forsvant (Theodor Kittelsen)
10 comments:
well to answer your question Benno, only th biggest organised religion on God's earth, thats who. Catholicism as a whole has to be the MOST hypocritical form of christianity (or any religion for that matter. Scientology doesn't count because they're just plain stupid).
I couldn't agree with you more mate.
The problem that arises for me is that, these men, representatives of the church, have been so for many many centuries...
What else is cooked up?
what does grooming mean?
Maybe I don't want to know.
I'm still trying to get my head around Catholicism. Two of my really good friends are cathols (as I like to call them) and getting married this year. One of them told me yesterday that the process for her getting married is rigorous. She has to make a compulsory donation to the parish of about $500 (on top of fees for hiring the church, priest, etc), go to marriage courses, attend mass for at least five months prior to the wedding, sign a statement saying she'll raise her kids catholic, will use FNP (family natural planning)instead of contraception, etc.
But the thing that struck me as odd is that she isn't a "God believer", never goes to mass, sleeps with her fiance and is completely secular in her way of living. But the church don't seem to want to have any input in her life or get to know her - they basically want her to sign on some dotted line and be done with it.
Sorry to take up your comments with this long post but I find it perplexing.
Pedro, I just don't understand the attraction, and why it would be the biggest organised religion. I don't get what a christian would get out of it. You go to mass, the priest mutters a few unintelligable words, and pardons your sins (like he has the power to do that) and off you go on your way. But maybe that's the attraction- it doesnt have to be a real, life-changing thing, it can just be an hour on sundays, you get your slate cleaned for a week and you're 'right with God' Whoever he is.
Soph, I find it massively perplexing too. I find it hard to not be bitter and angry, and frankly repulsed at what I see of Catholicism. But then, I don't want to do damage to christianity by ranting about them. Wouldn't the world just see that as, oh another dumb christian criticising another brand of christian..
That marriage rigmarole sounds ridiculous, and like something the Pharisees would cook up. Sign here, pay up, goodbye.
You just long for Jesus to storm in to the temple again with his whip and yell "Get out, brood of vipers!"
And oh yeah, I hate how a good word 'groomed' has now taken on this dark, repugnant other meaning..
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Soph... Our growth groups at church all read through "Nothing in my hand I bring" by Ray Galea last year. Great book. Easy to read. And I found it really helpful in understanding the Catholic church and its beliefs.
Hey Ben, I think the reason they don't allow marriage for priests may lie in early church history. I haven't done any reading the issue of priests and marriage, but recently have been looking at the early church and some of their doctrines.
Basically the early church wbegan to influenced by the Hellenistic philosophies of the time, as neo-platonism and Gnosticism. Both these philosophies reject the material world and see only the spiritual as "good". Consequently, flesh becomes that which is evil, and the Jewish idea rooted in the bible of resurrection and creation which is "good" got left behind. So if the best way to God is through the mind and spirit, and rejecting the flesh, you can see why sex is not seen as a good thing.
This view has permeated Christianity for the last 2000 years, and it's effect is seen in christians view of the environment, on how we preach the gospel (your souls is all that matter) and how we treat work (only good for evangelism). God's creation is good, so good that his plan of salvation includes our physical bodies, which God loves.
This might be some of the reason the catholic church says it's better not to marry. Makes sense to me anyway.
Interesting stuff Geoff. I always thought that the doctrine came from the "husband of one wife" qualification and the idea that the church is the "bride of Christ" - though there's some funny gender bending going on in that logic...
There are good reasons for a person remaining celibate but it is up to the person, not some regime, as to whether this is one of the gifts God has given them.
As for 'priests', all Christians are part of a "royal priesthood" so I get puzzled by the idea of excluding women from the clergy / priesthood (not just a Catholic thing there). It's a case of "God has already called me as such in the same way He has called all Christians; what makes you able to veto Him?"
Trouble is, Ben, it's not just the Catholic church that has these issues. Married guys do this kind of stuff too.
I agree that the whole celibate, weird, removed lifestyle thing isn't helpful (or right) and a couple of years ago I remember getting all cross with the catholic church for this kind of stuff. Weeks later, a minister in my own denomination, who was married and had for many years run a successful church, was caught doing the same kind of thing.
It's horrible and sickening and scarry and so so so sad, but it's not an out-there problem that's confined to the RC's. People do this kind of thing. As Christians, we're told we mustn't, but some still do. How do we handle the disgrace of this as a church? And how do we help those who struggle sexually to resist temptation?
[Not sure why the church bailed him. Seems strange. If he is guilty (though we don't know that for sure yet) he might as well be in jail serving his sentence.]
Simone's right - there's plenty of married guys (and women for that matter) inside and outside the church and in and out of positions of authority who do similar things.
However, there seem to be conflicting reports on whether it's "The Church" or simply a person with a position of power within "The Church" who has posted bail:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/15/2656830.htm?section=justin
The other thing that always occurs to me is that it's very easy for someone to make a false complaint. This may be a very clear-cut case but there have been others that get high profile, someone's name is dragged through the mud and it turns out to be a false complaint. Apart from perhaps a charge of "wasting police resources" the liar gets no long term effects, their name never comes up again but the real victim is left high and dry (never mind making it harder for victims of real crimes later). I'd change my name if that happened to me.
You all make good points. I think maybe the one I most needed to hear was what you said Simone, that this is not restricted to Catholoics.
And that got me thinking about my own sin, and about whether I have any right to start throwing stones. Have I not been perverted? Have I not done terrible things? Am I not just as in need of God's mercy?
Maybe it's not a useful endevour to write posts about how much I disagree with a denomination. Do I achieve anything by doing so? Dunno.
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