livius drusus

Probably not, actually, seeing as I am a woman. But leaving aside this basic failure of your simile, are you claiming that it is somehow intrinsic to the nature of people with a penis to rape, impregnate and force abortions on women under their care? If such appalling behaviors are in fact "natural" for all men and the clergy are not only not exempt from them but at the very least equally as bad if not worse, then I would ask Catholics the same thing Gemma asked us:

Does this speak to the nonexistence of God?

The Church is the ultimate in hierarchical, paternalistic structure. If there are endemic problems in the organization, then the structure should seek some kind of solution, or at the very least provide some kind of solace for the victims of "false prophets" instead of simply keeping the wolves amidst the sheep.

I don't blame a God. I don't believe there is any such thing. This is not another one of your problem of suffering threads, sophie. Gemma has claimed that nuns are happier than the general populace. I (and many others) have asked for evidence supporting this assertion. We have also provided evidence that directly counters this assertion.

Gemma needs to provide some evidentiary backing and rational rebuttal before we even get to the issue of whether any actual greater than average happiness among nuns proves the existence of the Catholic God.

livius drusus

Many things are difficult. Humans can and do do them every day. Particularly when dealing with sexual trauma, denial and avoidance are coin of the psychological realm.

Gemma Therese

No, it speaks of free will, a wonderful gift when not abused. God wants us to choose Him freely.

By the by, WHERE did I claim that nuns are happier than the general population??????? Do cite me, as I forgot writing that! I asked why they are happy in general, even though they give up things of the world.

Gemma Therese

livius drusus

If happy clergy support the existence of god, then depraved, criminal and unhappy clergy can only support its nonexistence. You're the one equating individual happiness with proof of God, not me. I don't think happiness proves the existence of God anymore than unhappiness disproves it. Your apologetics are of no interest to me, nor are they particularly on-topic.

In reply to my umpteenth request for evidence that nuns as a group are happy, you replied:

Since it was an analogy you constructed to prove your assertion valid just as a matter of common sense, the general population standard has to apply to nuns as well as it does to the battered women. If it does not, then your reply above was meaningless.

Gemma Therese

Then really, why dedicate any time or effort to me?

Gemma Therese

viscousmemories

And you were answered, but let me answer you again:

You're assertion is baseless, your reasoning is infantile, and you are either unable to comprehend or unwilling to acknowledge that your theory has been disproven so thoroughly that your continued participation in this discussion is mildly embarrasing, even to someone (like myself) who doesn't pity you for your deliberate refusal or sad inability to acknowledge truth.

You should try a different angle, Gemma. You have failed here.

vm

Ensign Steve

She wasn't blaming God, she was blaming the Church, which is made up of men. Read your own first paragraph again and see how it completely contradicts your little anon quote. (hard to blame something that doesn't exist)

livius drusus

Because I was labouring under the illusion that this was "a serious thread" not some PR stunt for the Nashville Dominicans. Obviously I was wrong, but now that I've spent time, effort (and $6.95) on rebutting your generalizations, I would very much like to see you reply to even ONE substantive point I've made instead of picking at motes in my eyes time and time again as you stagger under the weight of the log in yours.

Ennazus

Gemma,

When livius drusus posted this,

why did you choose to ignore the first three sentences and respond to the last sentence with this?


What about the first three sentences? Do they make any sense to you at all?

sophie

Nowhere357 : Exiled leader has emotional unstability due to loss of country. Yeh.

Beggar finds emotional stability in a crust of bread. yeh.

If not what then? How does one retain such?

2 no's to your no.