Because being called out on harboring child molesters is JUST LIKE being persecuted

[mystickeeper]

I don't usually love Maureen Dowd, but I've gotta say that every time in the last two weeks that I've wanted to write a blog post about how much I despise Benedict XVI and the priests who represent the face of Catholicism to the world, she goes ahead and does it for me. It's just...UGH. IT IS HOLY WEEK, SIR. HAVE A LITTLE HUMILITY. Instead of

Comments

[wrdnrd]

I have not very often gotten the "How can you be a Christian considering [X horrible thing they've done]??", but i like to respond with, "Those horrible things were done by humans -- how do YOU feel?"

[lilaia]

I think the difference is the Catholic Church holds itself up as an arbiter of morality and moreover expects people who aren't Catholics to live by those morals.

It is also true that the actions of a few do not mean the Church as a whole is worthless and that all Catholics should abandon their faith. Rather, if the Church would just admit the wrongdoing and deal with the issues, people would be inclined to be forgiving (of the Church of course not the abusers).

[mystickeeper]

And America/the U.S. Congress does not also pretend to be an arbiter of (Christian) morality, expecting people who aren't of the same faith to live by those morals??

I am totally with you on the members of the Church hierarchy needing to own up to their shit - I hope that my post did not convey otherwise.

[lilaia]

The US Congress has a wider range of views and people and doesn't have only select people standing up every Sunday to preach. America does pretend to be an arbiter of morality but without the same carrot and stick. Other countries can choose not to abide by our rules but they will only lose out on aid money, not be told they will burn in Hell.

And no, I didn't mean that you didn't believe the Church has to own up. I meant it's not right for people to ask you why you are still a Catholic, as if the actions of those few were the actions of the whole.

[raanve]

When congressmen molest boys, nobody says, "Shit, I'm going to stop being American!"Yeah, this was exactly the point I made the other day when someone was questioning why lay Catholics wouldn't just abandon the faith because of (what is often viewed as) rampant corruption in the Church hierarchy. Thing is, as you say, we don't stop believing in democracy because high-level representatives of democracy are corrupt. I hardly think that the weight of most of these wrongs rests on the laity

[homo_nescius]

I never thought of that politician analogy before, but it really is perfect! (Not that I've ever gone around demanding people justify their faiths to me