14 Truths
Cardinal Sean Brady refuses to go. He maintains that threatening abused children to stay quiet does not compromise his integrity.
I despise the evil Catholic Church.
As a statement, this is entirely subjective, and therefore, completely irrelevant in the grander scheme of things. Rather than dealing in such flippant iconoclasm the Inquisition believes that verifiable facts are the only relevant submissions in discussing the worth of the Catholic Church. As an organisation the church has no moral prerogative. Here are 14 incontrovertible statements that prove this.
Anyone who attends mass, baptises their children or sends them to Catholic school should be aware that they are, in small part at least, guilty of promoting and supporting these concerns. Any involvement with a Church which behaves according the the following list, is tacit support through a visible congregation.
None of what follows will be news to anyone, but when listed together the true picture of the church becomes clearer.
1
In Ireland the Catholic Church locked away unmarried mothers, gave away their children and made the mothers work unpaid. This process only ended 16 years ago.
2
The Catholic Church rates the ordination of women to be an offense punishable with the same degree of severity as child abuse, ensuring that the Catholic Church is anti-equality, and that are women are held to be inferior to men in every regard. For further evidence of the Catholic Church’s misogyny bear in mind that at the same time that the Church denounced female ordination, the Pope wrote out Mary Magdalene from Jesus’ circle of friends in his book for kids. Thus continuing a traditional campaign against the integrity of Jesus’ most prominent female supporter.
3
The Catholic Church supports child abuse. Surreptitiously moving an abuser without informing the police, and then allowing them abuse again without reprimand is, in no uncertain terms, supporting that abuser. It is also a crime. The case linked here involves the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
The most often used defence by the Church is that abusers represent only a tiny minority of an otherwise perfect membership. If that were so then the cases would not be globalin their horrific reach.
4
The Pope is not infallible. Infallibility only relates to matters of doctrine and was only introduced as a measure ~200 years ago. However, the Catholic Church claims that it is infallible as an entity in its own right.
5
Not many followers actually believe in Catholic doctrine. Take transubstantiation, for instance, which is a fundamental tenet and difference with protestantism- estimates vary but less than half Church goers believe the wine is blood. An Italian priest, Father Maurizio, who drove home drunk from mass has conclusively proven the myth for what it is.
6
The Catholic Church’s sacrament of penance encourages an ugly view of right and wrong and their justifications. Minor criminality and corruption rates are higher in predominantly Catholic countries.
7
The Catholic Church cherry picks those who can be accepted into its embrace. Gays are personae non gratae but rapists are okay with the Catholics.
8
Factions of the upper echelons of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy enjoy the procurement of male prostitution.
9
The Catholic Church thinks its okay for its lay congregation to pay the punitive damages after its priests abused their children.
10
The Catholic Church itself is no more morally upstanding than any other corrupt organisation.
11
The Catholic Church “deplores” the judicial and legal process.
12
Despite its profession to the contrary, the Catholic Church does not promote God’s laws. The Bible itself is not a direct copy of Jesus’ words, the traditions have evolved over time and matters of doctrine have been debated and amended, such as 300 years after Jesus’ death when men decided the ‘true’ nature of God. The rules it follows are constructed by humans with the same faults and flaws as any others. Non-contemporaneous notes hold less sway in legal battles, and yet none of the New Testament is contemporary to Jesus meaning we hold lower standards of proof for our religions than our daily lives.
13
The Catholic Pope began the crusades as a bid for political popularity and geographic expansion, thus opening a wound between two faiths that continues to fester. The church has never said sorry and to this day apologists incorrectly claim the wars were defensive (See Book 1 in bibliography).
14
The Catholic Church is wealthy. Nevermind the dubious origins of this wealth (tribute from subjugated native Americans, indulgences etc), the fact remains that the Bible tells Christians that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven.
Many people have a spiritual need in their lives, make sure your choice is informed and not a matter of convenience.
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This article was posted by Ronan McDonnell on Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 02:58.
It is archived in Culture, Myth, Religion and tagged catholic, child abuse, church, evil, pope, priest, Religion, women.
