Did the sexual abuse cases in the Catholic church ever change your thoughts about the church?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops convened a meeting in Dallas on June 12, 2002 to address the sex abuse scandal. However a Dallas Morning News article revealed nearly two-thirds of the bishops attending had themselves at one point covered for sexually abusive priests





Roman Catholics spent $615 million dollars on sex abuse cases in 2007














Do you think that things will ever change in the Catholic Church??? Do you think in the future the Vatican will start allowing priest to marry?Did the sexual abuse cases in the Catholic church ever change your thoughts about the church?
Do you know what I've had a problem with on this scandal? Why did the parents accept monetary payoffs, instead of insisting on criminal justice? I think this is the bigger scandal.Did the sexual abuse cases in the Catholic church ever change your thoughts about the church?
Not really. It just drove home the belief that all of us are sinners and it is really quite naive to believe that one group of people is any better than another.





In every population of human beings are going to a few sick or evil people who commit horrible crimes, even in the Church.





The percentage of pedophiles in the clergy of the Catholic Church is actually less than that of society in general.





These few terrible people do not negate the faith, hope and love of over one billion Catholics.





Remember that the Church is neither the Church hierarchy nor the priests. The Church is God and His relationship with over one billion living Catholics on Earth and God only knows how many in heaven, all of whom make up the Body of Christ.





Remember that political scandals in nations, even up to and including the highest leaders, like President Nixon and the Watergate scandal, do not make the nation as a whole wrong, immoral, or worthless. And the Catholic Church is so much holier and more important than any nation.





With love in Christ.
I have to differ somewhat on the statement about marriage or lack of making a pedophile. What happens if someone cannot get married and therefore cannot have sex but has too strong a sexual desire? They will seek out some way to satisfy that and what way could they but on young, defenseless people, some of whom cannot tell what happend.





The Catholic Church errors in that they require their priests not to marry. Jesus spoke to this very issue:


10 His disciples said to Him, ';If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.'; 11 But He said to them, ';All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.





Some people God has given them the ability to work for Him without those problems. But you can't expect everyone to and God didn't. Jesus said it clearly.
First, priestly celibacy has nothing to do with child molestation. That is a tired, used up argument.





Second, the Church has taken aggressive action to stop others from being harmed. Even the Pope, during his April visit to America, publically apologized to the abuse victims.





No, I never thought about changing my faith or leaving the Church. It was sinful, human priests that committed those crimes. The Faith and doctrines of the Church had nothing to do with that.





God bless.
I do not believe that the Vatican will ever allow a priest to marry. Priests haven't married since all the way back to Peter.





You also can't be so narrow minded about this.


am not trying to defend ANYONE who sexually abuses a child, because I abused at a young age myself. But you also have to realize that this happens EVERYWHERE, not just the Catholic church.





I feel like the only time people pay close attention to sexual abuse issues is when they feel as though they can put down another group of people and put themselves above those people.





I wish this issue would be taken as serious with everyday predators like it is with the Catholic church, maybe then we'd get some where.






No----God did not create any religions, man created all religions. God said come together not form hundreds of different churches. Secondly, priests, popes, bishops etc etc etc are just Man, why some people pray to them and act like they are God I don't know but they are just man doing a job. And, as we all know, man is far from perfect.





Pedophiles come from all occupations....
If you would like more answers, consider asking around this site as well...





http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay.鈥?/a>
It doesn't just happened in Catholic Churches it happens in the churches in America as well. It's all of Christianity.
No they may not want the priests to get married.But I think they should make sure that priests and nuns lead a more respectful life before they preach again.
Nope.. just re-inforced them. Being married or not has nothing to do with it. You think being married stops someone from being a pedophile? WRONG.
Sparki77 has the facts. She is correct. God bless you.
No. Just because Barry Bonds cheated in baseball, does that mean baseball is not real?
No.
which Church?





1. RCC church


2. The Body of Christ.
I was actually trying to decide if I would become Catholic or not when the abuses came to light.





You're oversimplifying the whole situation. Here are some FACTS that you left out:





1. The official teaching of the Church condemns -- and always has condemned -- the abuse of children.





2. MOST priests were not abusers.





3. The bishops who covered for sexually abusive priests were acting on the advice of secular psychiatrists who suggested that pedophiles were ';in love'; with their victims and needed to be moved away from the victims to prevent recurrence. The same advice was given to (and used by) the public schools, Boy Scouts and other organizations where pedophiles tend to hide because they get unfettered access to victims. (And yes, shrinks know better NOW, but they didn't back in the 1960s and earlier, when most of this abuse took place).





4. The money spent on sexual abuse cases goes to provide victims with the help they need -- hardly an improper expense.





5. Things have ALREADY changed...new policies have been put into place to help protect children.





6. Dads and stepfathers have a higher rate of sexual attacks on children than any other demographic -- should we just keep all our kids away from their own dads and stepdads to protect them?





7. Marriage does not ';cure'; pedophile tendencies. It's a psychological disorder that cannot be cured. In fact, clergy in other Christian denominations who are allowed to marry have the same rate of these abuses as Catholic priests.