Proxima Centauri

If you know kids who might be at risk this can show them where to get help.

<a href="http://www.eclipse.co.uk/thoughts/celibacy.htm" target="_blank">http://www.eclipse.co.uk/thoughts/celibacy.htm</a>

If you know any bright youngster who is getting too much attention from priests, teachers at a Roman Catholic School they may want to persuade him to become a priest, (her to become a nun). Showing such youngsters this website or telling them the contents could save them from a lifetime of celibate frustration and misery.

sullster

This is an excellent point and one that I have thought also.

Given the long history of anti-Catholicism in the USA, this scandal is a gift to anti-Catholic protestantism in the USA.

What could happen is that theist minded people alienated from catholicism will go to the fundy churches. Thus, as you say, we loose moderate minded catholics and get nasty fundies.

Yet, the catholics have themselves to blame. The church's hierarchy marched the march of folly. What morons.

Foxhole Atheist

The priesthood of any religion is a parasite upon the society in which it flourishes. The abuse tended upon society has always been a known entity. However, now that the attorneys have discerned the public mood with regard to our children, and the fact that big bucks can be wrangled from the Catholic Church, everyone who can is feasting at the trough.

Don’t get me wrong. I certainly do not condone abuse of a child, be it sexual, physical or mental. But, lest we forget the children who have been sacrificed to the deity of certain religions, what kind of abuse can we call that?

Anunnaki has the better idea. Let’s work to rid all our societies of the priesthood.

And Spirit Branded: you may turn the other cheek. But I will not.

Goliath

As I said on another thread about this very topic, I hope that the priest in question had a painful, long, excruciating death.

Sincerely,

Goliath

IvanK

To those who are reveling in the suicide of this Catholic priest, do you really think it impossible that an atheist somehwere might be found to have committed the same kind of acts? What would you make of theists using that fact to condemn all atheists while expressing the wish that they would all kill themseves or go off and live in caves?

Personally I wish no ill to any Catholic priest, pederast or not, complicit or not, beyond that dished out by the justice system. Gus Hall-like sentiments might be colorful but they're hardly appropriate, at this time or any other.

Proxima Centauri

Given the long history of anti-Catholicism in the USA, this scandal is a gift to anti-Catholic protestantism in the USA.

What could happen is that theist minded people alienated from catholicism will go to the fundy churches. Thus, as you say, we lose moderate minded catholics and get nasty fundies.

I would think 'moderate minded catholics' would be more likely to become moderate minded Non-catholic Christians than fundies. That is not certain though. Those who have recently lost their faith can be confused and suggestible. They could become easy prey for fundies or anyone else.

The SEC Web is a forum for INTERNET INFIDELS throughout the world. You in the United States understand your priorities better than I do.
Here in Britain we have France, a Catholic country twenty miles away across the English Channel.
Ireland, also a Catholic country is just as close and there are plenty of Irish immigrants here. Recently I criticized a religious picture in a shop and a Catholic with an Irish accent accosted me and told me why he thought I shouldn't have criticized the 'Holy Church'.
Fundies are nasty. Child molesters are also nasty, I think more so. We should fight both.
If you want to fight fundies here's a useful link to the Skeptics Annotated Bible.

<a href="http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/" target="_blank">http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/</a>

Its useful against all Christians but specially useful against fundies who take the Bible literally and rely totally on it.

Shake

then by Anunnaki: Anunnaki, I think SB was referring to my waffling on what should be done with the priests. Apparently, SB missed my point about 'prison justice' ... I was thinking the other prisoners would "get rid of the problem" if ya know what I mean
Edited to add:
by the way, I recently heard of a 2nd suicide by a priest

[ May 23, 2002: Message edited by: Shake ]</p>

seebs

Wow. It fills my heart with respect and love for atheists as a group to know that at least one atheist hates people who disagree with him so much that he doesn't care if they all die.

How, exactly, is an external observer who hasn't formed an opinion supposed to distinguish between your hatred and that of, say, Pat Robertson? I can't tell the difference from here.

sullster

I take a back seat to no one with my opposition to all religion and my utter contempt for priests who have molested and hurt children, yet this thread has bothered me and so I will respond.

Atheists or anyone else for that matter should not gloat over someone's suicide and should not wish a like fate on others.

We do not wish priest suicides. Period.

Theists who are lurking here should not be able to go back to their fellows with "proof" that atheists are nihilists.

We do not wish death on 39,999 priests. Jail terms for guilty ones only. We are not nihilists.

Anunnaki

First of all it looks like you can`t tell the difference of a lot of things including whats mythology and whats real historical fact.

If you had read the thread you would know that I don`t condone anyone killing anybody nor do I not care if people who don`t agree with me die. I guess I shouldn`t be surprised that you missed it since you seem to miss a lot of crucial points in other peoples posts in much the same way as you see only what you want to see when you read your bible. (I`ve read your posts in the "true Christian" thread. )

Enjoy your time here backpeddling on centuries of Christian theology while driving the members of these forums crazy. I`ve had about as much as I can take of this insanity so I`m leaving these forums and won`t get to witness you talking these guys into accepting jesus as their savior using nothing more than your incredible god-given high moral standards.

Adios!

Btw....
I apologize if my OP might possibly be construed by misguided and ignorant Christians as "proof" that atheists are nihilists. We are already seen as the lowest of low by many religious people and I`d hate to be responsible for lowering us one more notch on the morality scale.

[ May 25, 2002: Message edited by: Anunnaki ]</p>