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Religion/child abuse

Started by Mike Cl, September 02, 2021, 10:29:57 AM

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Mike Cl

Sexual abuse of children happening in broad range of religious settings, report finds.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sexual-abuse-children-happening-broad-110648938.html

"The sexual abuse of children takes place in a broad range of religious settings, with some found to have no child protection policies in place, a report has found.

Victim-blaming, an absence of discussion around sex and sexuality, abuse of power by religious leaders and discouraging external reporting are among the "shocking failures" outlined in the report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)."

I have a strong feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg.  And it has been going on for centuries.  For me this simply illustrates two things.  Religion promotes male dominance of the society in which said religion exists--and that leads to sexual abuse of women and children.  And allows males to dominate all aspects of a society, not just the religious part.  Religion always leads to abuse or all kinds.  Our country is living proof of that.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Cassia

And the good guys suffer as well since they are often "prejudged" or taken out of context based on their maleness or deal with the aftermath of such abuse.

Sheena

Not long ago (about 6 months tops), I came across a report that the Catholic Church spend 10.6 million dollars to prevent the statute of limitation from being extended for the benefit of the victims and therefore allow them  the chance to go out and seek  legal justice no matter how long ago the sexual abuse took place. The 10+ mil was spent by, if I remember correctly, a total of 6 dioceses from around the United States. The author related that the Autorities do not know how much of that money came from the collection plates.
Ironically, at the time I was thinking about reconfirming myself as a gesture to celebrate my 10 years anniversary of being Catholic. I converted in 2011.  That was one of the things that made me back off and renounce. ...Sadly :embarrassed: :sad2: :shocked: .
"All of us are like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." -(Isaiah 64:6)-

Cassia

Priests are sooooo creeeeepy. The composite in my mind is like this...

Sheena

Quote from: Cassia on September 16, 2021, 05:32:12 PM
Priests are sooooo creeeeepy. The composite in my mind is like this...

Fairly accurate.

"All of us are like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." -(Isaiah 64:6)-

Mr.Obvious

Quote from: Sheena on September 16, 2021, 05:18:42 PM
Not long ago (about 6 months tops), I came across a report that the Catholic Church spend 10.6 million dollars to prevent the statute of limitation from being extended for the benefit of the victims and therefore allow them  the chance to go out and seek  legal justice no matter how long ago the sexual abuse took place. The 10+ mil was spent by, if I remember correctly, a total of 6 dioceses from around the United States. The author related that the Autorities do not know how much of that money came from the collection plates.
Ironically, at the time I was thinking about reconfirming myself as a gesture to celebrate my 10 years anniversary of being Catholic. I converted in 2011.  That was one of the things that made me back off and renounce. ...Sadly :embarrassed: :sad2: :shocked: .

I'm a former catholic too. Though I've never denounced it officially. As far as the  numbers are concerned, I'm still a member of the largest church of the world.
To be honest, up until and even relatively shortly after I lost my faith in the Catholic Church (which was half a year before I could really be concidered an atheist), the amount of shit I gave a pass on, due to the indoctrinated respect for the institution, was appaling in and by itself.
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

SGOS

I was confirmed as a Lutheran when I was 11.  I just stopped going to church in high school.  I don't think there is an official denouncement needed as a Lutheran, and I don't have any particular need to do it.  But as to child abuse, my Baptist Grandmother scared the bejabbers out of me when I was old enough to talk, and I had a hell of a time shaking off that crap long after I no longer believed in God.  When you don't believe in God and Hell, there is no longer a reason to be afraid of Hell, right?  It doesn't work that way psychologically.  Intellectually, you know it to be true, but down in your subconscious, the terrors still runs amuck for a long time.  Did it affect me negatively?  How would I know?  I was afraid of it.  It was certainly not helpful in my life. 

Sheena

#7
Quote from: Mr.Obvious on September 17, 2021, 05:47:01 AM
I'm a former catholic too. Though I've never denounced it officially. As far as the  numbers are concerned, I'm still a member of the largest church of the world.
To be honest, up until and even relatively shortly after I lost my faith in the Catholic Church (which was half a year before I could really be concidered an atheist), the amount of shit I gave a pass on, due to the indoctrinated respect for the institution, was appaling in and by itself.

I am so sorry abou that. In my case to this day, I cannot really claim I am Atheist. I still believe in the sacraments. I believe in the people, in the church. Just not the clergy although that's not fair to some priests as they are decent men, looked upon from where I stand.
And the bs about women being evil and uncapable. I personally believe that's a load of trash. I served in the military "au meme titre que les hommes". I had great reviews, my bosses respected me, etc. There are women in this country who fly F-18s and B-52 bombers. etc, etc. But to the Catholic Church: they need to get in bed and make babies. or cook, wash their men's under clothes, scrub the floor and shut up. In this day and age, that's disgusting. I have no problem with cleaning for myself and for those I love and respect. But that has to do with cleanliness being a good healthy thing to uphold, and not because the church thinks that's what my sole job is. Talking about Taliban dressed in a different outfit.

As far as what you put up with in silence, I read about it a lot. So I sincerely empathize with you.

"All of us are like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." -(Isaiah 64:6)-

Cassia

The whole story how god has a son (who is also himself) temporarily sacrificed to save his own flawed (snake/apple) human creations from himself but only if we can believe all this without any real evidence... is just too nonsensical for me.

In the light of all the other religions claiming truth, the age and size of the universe, the actual origin of all the species, the complete lack of correlation of  benefits through prayers and the non proof of anything supernatural as well as the borrowed characteristics of Jesus from other earlier gods (virgin birth, dying and rising, a passion, baptism, trip to hell etc...); I call bullshit.

Sheena

Quote from: SGOS on September 17, 2021, 09:36:18 AM
I was confirmed as a Lutheran when I was 11.  I just stopped going to church in high school.  I don't think there is an official denouncement needed as a Lutheran, and I don't have any particular need to do it.  But as to child abuse, my Baptist Grandmother scared the bejabbers out of me when I was old enough to talk, and I had a hell of a time shaking off that crap long after I no longer believed in God.  When you don't believe in God and Hell, there is no longer a reason to be afraid of Hell, right?  It doesn't work that way psychologically.  Intellectually, you know it to be true, but down in your subconscious, the terrors still runs amuck for a long time.  Did it affect me negatively?  How would I know?  I was afraid of it.  It was certainly not helpful in my life.

According to the bible my friend there is NO Hell!!!! Yes that is not a typo. IT talks about Reincarnation (numerous hints). and reincarnation CANCELS hell.
The Catholic Church itself came out and admitted that they had to change that or add hell to scare people into obedience because they said if people think they'd have another life to get their act together, they'd kind of be lazy about taking care of business. So there! Hell has been added later Since the OT does not cover it.
Be at peace my friend, there is no hell for you or anyone out there to go to. Also, they did that because they knew it will insure the parishioners' permanent allegiance to the  building/clergy and not the Entity which supposedly governs it. Verses if one  has the option to reincarnate, they are put in the driver's seat as far as their spiritual growth and destiny. So the church goes back to being a mere sign post if at all.

Numerous verses quoting Jesus or Yahweh saying "do not fear", "Be not afraid", "do not fear..." Many!! But what does the church do?!?!?!I goes against that command by terrorising the very people that the presumed God entrusted it with into submission NOT to God but to it...
I remember, few years back when Ratzinger(Benedict the 16th) quit his job. I saw a documentary released at the time by HBO which they say caused him to quit. It's an explosive piece that implicates Razinger as the one who covered for bunch of mute boys being abused by this thug for years and years, as he did nothing about it him having being the head of Congregation of the doctrine of the Faith, and therefore The Key dude who investigates such scandals/ tragedies. The boys having become men at the time were getting ready to sue his filthy buttocks. And that's what got him to quit and not his supposed malady.

Anyway, in that doc i think there was a clip of this young adult lady who said one "priest" raped her at age 5!!! her father was close by btw when the scumbag did that to her. And he told her if she peeped a sound about it to anyone, her and aallll her familly will go to hell!!!!!! this is a 5 years old we're talking about here!!! The doc is titled: Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God
I don't know about anyone, but I believe that anyone who would terrorize a child or an adut with anythin including hell, is the devil from the pit and not a priest. Hell as well as Heaven are human concepts. One can just talk a look around, see how some and others live and decide if that is true or not.
"All of us are like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." -(Isaiah 64:6)-

Cassia

Yeah, the old testament Jews didn't really have much of a hell or heaven; just "resting" in Sheol. The Heaven and Hell, stick and carrot concept came from the Persians who occupied Judea as the Christian sect of Judaism was being cooked up....but there are hundreds of references of the lake of fire in the NT so you got a lot of cherry picking to do if you wanna throw all that out.

https://www2.gvsu.edu/pontiusd/hell.html

SGOS

Quote from: Sheena on September 17, 2021, 06:48:25 PM
According to the bible my friend there is NO Hell!!!!
Oh my!  It must be true then.

Sheena

#12
Malachi 4:5-6 :
Quote"See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction."
[The last book of the OT]

Matthew 17:10-13: [The first book of the NT]
Quote
"The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”  Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.  But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist."
Those are the boldest passages in the bible that document the doctrine of reincarnation. There are dozens more explicit hints here and there in the old as well as the new testament.

The doctrine of reincarnation supersedes the garbage they call hell. Jesus  said no such thing as far as hell goes. They misquoted him to authicate the scam/lie. In fact he was known to have taught Reincarnation. They sanitized the bible, but they were stupid enough not to do a thourough cleaning. This is how reliable these  scumbags are.

Furthermore, The OT portrays Elijah as this Mega prophet. Who is obviously destined for "heaven" after he dies, right? Yet the NT claims him to have come to earth, as John the Baptist, to do what Jesus have been quoted saying about him,  but to only end up being vulgarly and cheaply beheaded so a slut could have his decapitated head to give to her mother as a trophee! Now is that what they mean by "heaven"?!?!?!?!? ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE and not to me. And if that is heaven, what is hell then?!?!?!

... .

"All of us are like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." -(Isaiah 64:6)-

SGOS

Sorry that was a bit of an abrasive remark to make to a new comer.  "No Hell" in the Bible has been noted before in the forum.  And I thank you for pointing that out, but that has little effect on Christianity, or what Christians believe.  And while the maggots of of Hell were rather hard for me to clean from the garbage can of my indoctrinated youth, it was hardly my biggest problem, which revolved around only one main issue; Is there a god?  Answer that question with actual evidence, and then we can guess about what he wants or does.

Cassia

#14
OK....Please explain...what does Matthew 25:41 mean then?

Matthew 25:41
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

Really... can it be any clearer? Every christian church has it wrong? I can "sin" all I want to... worship satan, denounce jesus, be a homosexual, covet thy neighbor, blaspheme the holy spirit, piss in the holy water and still no hell, Yey that is good news ! Once again, we have the one true christian here !



...from...
https://www.bibleref.com/Matthew/25/Matthew-25-41.html


After a time on earth of great suffering and tribulation (Matthew 24:21â€"22), Jesus has finally returned as the King and the Judge (Matthew 25:31â€"32). Sitting on His throne, He has gathered people before Him and divided them into two groups, labelled as "sheep" and "goats" (Matthew 25:33) The reason for this symbolism is simply that of separating two similar-but-different sets of people. Those hearing Christ's words in person would have been familiar with shepherding; splitting up sheep and goats when bringing them in for the night was apparently a standard practice.

The group known as the "goats," on the King's left hand, have listened as Jesus has welcomed the other group, the sheep, to accept their rightful places in His kingdom on earth. He has described that group as blessed by His Father and declared that He has received every act of kindness they have done for the least of His brothers, other believers, as being done for Him personally (Matthew 25:34â€"40).

Turning to the second group, Christ delivers a very different message. He calls them cursed and banishes them to the same eternal destination as Satan and his demons. Unlike the first group, these people were clearly not believers in Jesusâ€"proven by the fact that they were not faithful to Him while He was away. Upcoming verses will explore the same dynamic as Jesus explained to saved believers: that their service to others, in obedience to Him, was proof of the legitimacy of their faith (John 13:31â€"35; 14:15; 1 John 3:11).

In the Bible, demons are angels who joined Satan in His rebellion against God. During His earthly ministry, Jesus cast many demons out of afflicted people (Mark 1:34). His description of them here shows Satan is ultimately responsible for the hordes of fallen angels who serve with him against God. They are all destined for an eternal fire (Mark 9:48), which is the same place human souls who rejected Christ will inhabit (Mark 9:43).