I have never felt so misrepresented, nor insulted, in my life.
We had a class discussion today, where for over an hour, we had panel (composed of people playing roles of real-life experts and respected individuals) covering the topic of gay marriage.
First of all and least importantly the young man portraying an archbishop didn't know anything about being Catholic. He used statements like "Catholics believe..." and generalized the entire population of nearly a billion individuals. He claimed that I, as a Catholic, believe that marriage should not be legal between homosexuals. He used terminology that I'd never heard before, making up words to represent Catholic ideals and beliefs that he truly had no understanding of.
Secondly, the crowd thought it fitting to ask him "...if raping children is okay, then why isn't gay marriage?" (Trying to bring up the issue of pedophiles that had been found in the service of the church, being shuffled around so as to cover up what was going on.) On this, I'd like to say that I've never in my life met a Catholic that believes either in pedophilia, nor has any connection to what building you worship God under having a connection to raping anyone, let alone children. I also have never met a single Catholic that has AGREED with the decisions made by a VERY SMALL minority of individuals in the Catholic Church to shuffle these attrocious men around. I doubt there are any Catholics out there that have ANY sympathies to those that committed those crimes, but I DO KNOW that every Catholic that I know feels massive SHAME in these individuals that are connected to us only by our book and practices. All that I know ALSO feel a great worry for those children that were molested and worse by these priests, whom all Catholics I know detest.
Catholicism has NO CONNECTION to a person being a pedophile. There are protestant, jewish, aetheist, agonist, skeptic, muslim, taoist, buddist, and mormon pedophiles (to name a few) as well. One of the class members actually came out and said directly "Catholics have a very large community of pedophiles" as if Catholics hold some sort of pedophiliac club meetings or something. There are no such things in existence anywhere that I know of, let alone within a group of people that truly believe in a Catholic Doctrine. It is our own leniency and acceptance and forgiveness of sins that allowed these disgusting, disgraceful individuals that have committed such crimes into the church. These people, whether looking for easy work, a guise to attract physical prospects among children or adults, like smooth selling salesmen, used their charisma and knowledge of the scripture to stand forgiven and were able to get more second chances. Those that knew in the higher ranks, and allowed this, I am ASHAMED of. It makes ME ashamed to be associated with them in any way, almost as much as I am ashamed to be associated to those that committed these crimes.
The class as a whole was VERY agreeable to the statements that were said against the Catholic Church. When I brought up that I was Catholic half way though the discussion, I could just see every student turning back around in their desks and bring up that wall of not wanting to listen to my ideas, even though I'd been respected as an orator and as a fellow student and ideologist that was respected...as the class has every day, since the class started nearly 2 months ago. I am ashamed to be in a culture that stops listening to someone because they are of a different religion, which is, as they are completely unaware, almost identical to their own. You want to accuse me of being immoral? Fine. Do so. But give me solid reason, and make sure you aren't prescribing me to something you are equally guilty of. It is that same hippocriticism that I am accused of for believing the same thing as most protestants out there. I've studied all the religions that I've listed above by the way. How many have you studied? How open is your mind? This is not directed to my friends, whom I know to be of an open mind, but to those that may read this, and think being a Catholic means that you deserve to not be listened to. Thank you for your time in reading.
First of all and least importantly the young man portraying an archbishop didn't know anything about being Catholic. He used statements like "Catholics believe..." and generalized the entire population of nearly a billion individuals. He claimed that I, as a Catholic, believe that marriage should not be legal between homosexuals. He used terminology that I'd never heard before, making up words to represent Catholic ideals and beliefs that he truly had no understanding of.
Secondly, the crowd thought it fitting to ask him "...if raping children is okay, then why isn't gay marriage?" (Trying to bring up the issue of pedophiles that had been found in the service of the church, being shuffled around so as to cover up what was going on.) On this, I'd like to say that I've never in my life met a Catholic that believes either in pedophilia, nor has any connection to what building you worship God under having a connection to raping anyone, let alone children. I also have never met a single Catholic that has AGREED with the decisions made by a VERY SMALL minority of individuals in the Catholic Church to shuffle these attrocious men around. I doubt there are any Catholics out there that have ANY sympathies to those that committed those crimes, but I DO KNOW that every Catholic that I know feels massive SHAME in these individuals that are connected to us only by our book and practices. All that I know ALSO feel a great worry for those children that were molested and worse by these priests, whom all Catholics I know detest.
Catholicism has NO CONNECTION to a person being a pedophile. There are protestant, jewish, aetheist, agonist, skeptic, muslim, taoist, buddist, and mormon pedophiles (to name a few) as well. One of the class members actually came out and said directly "Catholics have a very large community of pedophiles" as if Catholics hold some sort of pedophiliac club meetings or something. There are no such things in existence anywhere that I know of, let alone within a group of people that truly believe in a Catholic Doctrine. It is our own leniency and acceptance and forgiveness of sins that allowed these disgusting, disgraceful individuals that have committed such crimes into the church. These people, whether looking for easy work, a guise to attract physical prospects among children or adults, like smooth selling salesmen, used their charisma and knowledge of the scripture to stand forgiven and were able to get more second chances. Those that knew in the higher ranks, and allowed this, I am ASHAMED of. It makes ME ashamed to be associated with them in any way, almost as much as I am ashamed to be associated to those that committed these crimes.
The class as a whole was VERY agreeable to the statements that were said against the Catholic Church. When I brought up that I was Catholic half way though the discussion, I could just see every student turning back around in their desks and bring up that wall of not wanting to listen to my ideas, even though I'd been respected as an orator and as a fellow student and ideologist that was respected...as the class has every day, since the class started nearly 2 months ago. I am ashamed to be in a culture that stops listening to someone because they are of a different religion, which is, as they are completely unaware, almost identical to their own. You want to accuse me of being immoral? Fine. Do so. But give me solid reason, and make sure you aren't prescribing me to something you are equally guilty of. It is that same hippocriticism that I am accused of for believing the same thing as most protestants out there. I've studied all the religions that I've listed above by the way. How many have you studied? How open is your mind? This is not directed to my friends, whom I know to be of an open mind, but to those that may read this, and think being a Catholic means that you deserve to not be listened to. Thank you for your time in reading.