Catholic Church to open its doors to gay priests

[csds703]

This is a little off topic BUT what is the difference between the catholic and protestant beliefs?

 

[Dark Knight]

This is a little off topic BUT what is the difference between the catholic and protestant beliefs?

That's WAY too complicated to just touch on here, lol!!! Plus there are different beliefs even among protestants, for that matter.

 

[Casshew]

This is a little off topic BUT what is the difference between the catholic and protestant beliefs?

Protestants don't have to genuflect, for one thing:crazy:

Catholic Mass is like an aerobics workout

 

[englishleigh]

that is very offensive to me.

To me, too. Our archdiocese has a program in place for the protection of children, and anyone who works closely with children in the churches within our diocese must go through a child-protection training seminar...priests, nuns, laypeople, everyone. They have a zero-tolerance policy, and strict rules. Child molestation happens in every facet of life: Scouting, sports, church (and yes, even other denominations other than Catholicism), school, etc.

 

[BillyGoatGruff]

Billy, I am very, very sorry you and your family had such an ugly experience, and I don't blame you for feeling bitter toward men who supported someone who victimized your family.

I won't defend that sort of "minority solidarity" with a criminal (and I hope I'm never guilty of such a travesty), but I assume you know where that sort of behavior originates. (Appropriately, there's a new thread on the OJ case at the moment.) Subject any minority to years of criminalization and repeated "invention" of trumped-up charges and you will breed a deep, but pretty much automatic mistrust of law enforcement. (And as you know, even though it wasn't true in the case you describe, it was once not uncommon to accuse any and all gays of child molestation.) To me, your family's unfortunate case doesn't prove gays are "okay" with child molestation so much as it proves we as a group are still deeply suspicious of the legal system and apt to "hang together" to avoid "hanging separately."

But I will certainly grant you that being gay doesn't necessarily make one any MORE cognizant of the dangers of child abuse. I imagine gays in general are just as ignorant on the subject as straights - and therefore just as capable of denial.

As for your group of 15, gay men who had been molestation victims, that's an extraordinary collection by any reckoning! At what ages were these guys supposedly molested? Where did they live when you knew them?

They came from Arkansas (mostly Ozark communities), Missouri (also Ozarks), Alabama (rural), Mississippi (rural) and Tennessee (rural). From what I remember, they mostly ranged between 11 and 15. I particularly remember my roomie describing being "picked up" while sitting on the swings in the playground when he was 12 by a man who was probably in his 30s, taken to his home, and bent over the lip of the bathtub and anally penetrated. The man had walked into the bathroom, which did not have a lock on it. The man told him that he (the roomie) wanted him to do it because he left with him in the first place and that meant he was gay and no one would believe he didn't want it done to him.

I would probably be more forgiving to the local gay community re this incident if I hadn't discovered that they had all known about his previous arrest and that the pedophile in question had a very wide reputation amongst them as a chickenhawk. Their decision to close ranks against a man who has publically refuted being a homosexual, to the point of making it clear he considers it a perversion, despite knowing the truth about him has made me exceptioally distrustful re agendas.

 

[TisHerself]

that is very offensive to me.

And also to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TisHerself]

Yes there are Altar Girls

 

[TisHerself]

Anyone who is going to be drawn to the Church will be raised in enviornment where the Church is important to his family and a big part of his young life.

Catholicism frowns on homosexuality and considers it wrong - therefore a young man struggling with his sexuality, knowing his church does not approve of his attaction to other boys - may try to supress these feelings and want to enter the priesthood to get away from these temptations, hide from them, be cured from them by devoting his life to serving God.

This may work for a while - but everyone goes through personal crisis and has weak moments. Everyone is human.

I beleive a high percentage of Priests are homosexual to begin with - I am not saying they are active or abusing anyone - I am just saying that their homosexual tendencies may be what drew them to the priesthood to begin with. I am sure there is a lot of shame lumped on them, when they hear how immoral it is thought of, yet they have urges they cannot help.

Most children who grow up Catholic and discover at whatever point in their life they are Gay sadly choose to leave the Church for a while at least. They do not choose to enter the Preisthood that's the reality. Some do choose to become priests for the same reason as heterosexuals, they believe at the time that is what God is calling them to do.

Unfortunately Homosexual/Heterosexual they are all human and some fall, and some have been known to break there vows. Heterosexual Priests have had affairs, Homosexual Priests are not the only ones who have broken their vows of celebacy. That is only a small percentage, there is a much much larger percentage who take their vows very seriously and do not break them.
So to say they have urges they cannot help makes them sound less capable of committing to The Priesthood then Heterosexuals and that is just not so.

To believe that a high percent of Priests are Gay again the stats of the Church just don't bare that out. Like I said most Gay Catholic youth don't stick around long enough to become priests. I know this because we are seeing a resurgence of them coming back after being gone for a while.

 

[concernedperson]

Most children who grow up Catholic and discover at whatever point in their life they are Gay sadly choose to leave the Church for a while at least. They do not choose to enter the Preisthood that's the reality. Some do choose to become priests for the same reason as heterosexuals, they believe at the time that is what God is calling them to do.

Unfortunately Homosexual/Heterosexual they are all human and some fall, and some have been known to break there vows. Heterosexual Priests have had affairs, Homosexual Priests are not the only ones who have broken their vows of celebacy. That is only a small percentage, there is a much much larger percentage who take their vows very seriously and do not break them.
So to say they have urges they cannot help makes them sound less capable of committing to The Priesthood then Heterosexuals and that is just not so.

To believe that a high percent of Priests are Gay again the stats of the Church just don't bare that out. Like I said most Gay Catholic youth don't stick around long enough to become priests. I know this because we are seeing a resurgence of them coming back after being gone for a while.

Great post and you are accurately portraying the realities. The heterosexual priests were long known for their misnomers. Anyone who blames homosexuals for pedophilia doesn't understand the concept. Abusive people have been around for a long time....whether they seek to control, physically abuse or emotionally abuse it is there and the problem is not sexuality but personality disordered people who can't respect others in any way, shape or form.It is the root form of crime...it could be entitlement...it could be antisocial personality disorder....it could be any number of things that shape the perverse. But it is not average people with the right of life and living within those boundaries.

 

[englishleigh]

Yes there are Altar Girls

My daughter is an altar girl and she enjoys it, and the priests at our church treat the altar servers, boys and girls, with respect and kindness.

 

[concernedperson]

CP - I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic Girls Schools with scary Nuns :bang: who were ruthless and cruel. Don't get me started on Sister DeSales :sick:

My 2 sisters are still into the Church bigtime...

I missed this post. Girlfriend, we could share horrific memories. Had this nun in 4th grade that slapped me across the face because I didn't want to stand in line for cafeteria. I had to go to the bathroom. Sister Calistis, the beast from hell.Then there was Sister RoseMarie, the principal, who picked me out of a hundred for having prostitute hair. This was the 60's we all teased our hair. But she chose to put my hair on the intercom for ridicule and humiliate for her own purposes. We also had the nun that would hang herself out of the window so the workers on the new addition would see her....she ultimately left the sisterhood with a guy who had a hammer. But I still love Sister Joan who visited me in the hospital when I had Paige and brought me a little picture of the sacred heart of Jesus. Kind of lame but at least she visited.

 

[Dark Knight]

brought me a little picture of the sacred heart of Jesus. Kind of lame but at least she visited.

Kind of lame???? :doh: :doh: :doh:

 

[concernedperson]

Kind of lame???? :doh: :doh: :doh:

Don't make this something horrible. It was the whole situation and she wasn't to blame.It was a situational thing. I know you hate me but hate me for the right reasons. Jesus, Dark Knight, I have made every opportunity for us to reconcile and you just don't want to.

 

[Dark Knight]

Don't make this something horrible. It was the whole situation and she wasn't to blame.It was a situational thing. I know you hate me but hate me for the right reasons. Jesus, Dark Knight, I have made every opportunity for us to reconcile and you just don't want to.

Huh? I don't hate you! I don't even hold the slightest grudge or animosity towards you, lol. I just didn't like calling her giving you a picture of Christ's Sacred Heart lame. :blowkiss:

 

[concernedperson]

Huh? I don't hate you! I don't even hold the slightest grudge or animosity towards you, lol. I just didn't like calling her giving you a picture of Christ's Sacred Heart lame. :blowkiss:

OK, truce. I still love Sister Joan.She did what she could for the time. I appreciate any kindness even though it was ill placed considering everything else that was going on. I really want to get along even when we have differences.

 

[Casshew]

I missed this post. Girlfriend, we could share horrific memories. Had this nun in 4th grade that slapped me across the face because I didn't want to stand in line for cafeteria. I had to go to the bathroom. Sister Calistis, the beast from hell.Then there was Sister RoseMarie, the principal, who picked me out of a hundred for having prostitute hair. This was the 60's we all teased our hair. But she chose to put my hair on the intercom for ridicule and humiliate for her own purposes. We also had the nun that would hang herself out of the window so the workers on the new addition would see her....she ultimately left the sisterhood with a guy who had a hammer. But I still love Sister Joan who visited me in the hospital when I had Paige and brought me a little picture of the sacred heart of Jesus. Kind of lame but at least she visited.

I hear you CP.... when I was 9 1/2 I started my period, I was in Grade 2 and so scared, I didn't know what was happening to me, I thought I was dying or something and when I went to one of the Sister's - she told me I was a 'dirty girl and going to hell' and that my 'impure thoughts were what caused this to happen so young'

Impure thoughts? I played with my cabbage patch dolls and read Nancy Drew books... I didn't have a clue about sex

 

[Nore]

Protestants don't have to genuflect, for one thing:crazy:

Catholic Mass is like an aerobics workout

--------------
Casshew you are so funny!! Catholics go to confession,Lutherans confess to God and ask forgiveness,if one has a special need to make confession to the Clergy it is easily arranged.There are many similiar beliefs in these two Religons and many differances...I or I should say we have homosexual friends of both sexes..The ones' we know~would I trust him/her to babysit a young child if we had one? Yes I would.Being homosexual as far as I am concerned does not make one a pedo...from what I have seen they prefer their own age group for a mate.For what sins I have made I expect God to sit in Judgement I feel the same towards homosexuals~He will Judge ~not me.I did read an article recently where the Catholic Church has a lack of young men who want to enter the Priesthood.I'm sure all the bad publicity has not helped and I feel so sorry for the ones who are genuine in their Love for God..How does one tell if someone is celebate? I am not being smart,truly asking.I hope I haven't made someone want to "chew me up and spit me out".

Casshew,in our Lutheran Church we do genuflect while confessing our sins~very solumn moment,also after recieving Communion and during some prayers.
If I appear spaced out I am,meds for flu and COPD..We also kneel a lot.

 

[TisHerself]

My daughter is an altar girl and she enjoys it, and the priests at our church treat the altar servers, boys and girls, with respect and kindness.

As do all the Priests I know.

 

[concernedperson]

I hear you CP.... when I was 9 1/2 I started my period, I was in Grade 2 and so scared, I didn't know what was happening to me, I thought I was dying or something and when I went to one of the Sister's - she told me I was a 'dirty girl and going to hell' and that my 'impure thoughts were what caused this to happen so young'

Impure thoughts? I played with my cabbage patch dolls and read Nancy Drew books... I didn't have a clue about sex

See this is what I tried to express earlier. I was made to think I was the devil personified and then I had to go home and hear it again. I was just a little girl with little girl dreams and wanted to find my place. My best doll ever was a little baby doll....and I made my babies the best ever because I knew early on how to love your children and they are the absolute best roll models for humanity ever. I defied these people and can now stand my ground and proudly say...you f'''ked up and I will never respect you and I will never give you your day. You just missed it. My kids are all the respect I need now and yours are what "serial killers or perverts". Lord, I am so coming out...I guess it is my age or something. But I am not afraid anymore. Sorry if I offended anyone.

 

[michelle]

I missed this post. Girlfriend, we could share horrific memories. Had this nun in 4th grade that slapped me across the face because I didn't want to stand in line for cafeteria. I had to go to the bathroom. Sister Calistis, the beast from hell.Then there was Sister RoseMarie, the principal, who picked me out of a hundred for having prostitute hair. This was the 60's we all teased our hair. But she chose to put my hair on the intercom for ridicule and humiliate for her own purposes. We also had the nun that would hang herself out of the window so the workers on the new addition would see her....she ultimately left the sisterhood with a guy who had a hammer. But I still love Sister Joan who visited me in the hospital when I had Paige and brought me a little picture of the sacred heart of Jesus. Kind of lame but at least she visited.

She left with a guy who had a hammer, hmmmm.....