This is why I'm not a Catholic

Because according to them, this man would be eligible for forgiveness and redemption...

A former Catholic bishop from Nova Scotia faces child pornography charges after being stopped by authorities at the Ottawa Airport last week.

News of the charges broke just days after Raymond Lahey, 69, stepped down as bishop of the Diocese of Antigonish, citing time needed for personal renewal.

Not in my book, and not under any God I'd want to follow.

Comments

[Craig Cobb]

Ah ah--steady, steely typing hands and minds here, Canadians! Criticizing the wondrous Abrahamic Judeo-Christian sects will win you one to three years behind bars from the Orwellian mind marms at the Canadian Human Rights Commission. "We Are The [New] World [Order] Canada" is globally infamous for its Marxian (real name, Moses Mordecai Levy) racial-envy, Multi Culty Hasbara hate against Anglo Magna Carta-won freedom of speech.

So unless you are the CTV, CBC, or of the "right race", you'd better avoid any commentary on the Right Reverend Lahey.

[Bob Devine]

I am saying this as a Catholic. I am not what you would call an active one but I try to do my best according to what I learned as a child. Condemning the church for the actions of one man or even many to me does not seem very fair.

I know the story of another 2 men. Both polish of a like age and circumstance. Both survived the nazis and communist occupation of their country. One of them went on to become an artistic person of note that met a 13 year old girl and has been in the news a lot lately. His name is Roman Polanski.

The other his name was Karol Wojtyla, he also had an encounter with a 13 year old girl. Her name was Edith Zierer. Karol saved the life of the one he encountered and went on to become Pope. Her family relates her story with appreciation.

Do you condemn all Poles because of Polanski? Do you praise all catholics because of the pope? I think not. You judge according to ones actions and when they do wrong you punish the wrong doer not all his acquaintances.

Many churches have many problems but none should be condemned because of the actions of a few.

I do not know how much it means to anyone but thats my opinion for what it`s worth.

[Monnie]

Bob,

No one would condemn an entire group based on the behavior of one or even a few members.

However, the Catholic Church has a long-established history of protecting its predatory priests. Cardinals protect bishops, who in turn protect priests. This has been going on for millennia! Certainly, the Catholic Church is far from the only religion which has misbehaved. However, its huge numbers, its long history, its claim to be the true church founded by Peter and presided over by successive Popes who all presume to speak and act with God's authority, and its very authoritarian philosophy, all make it a special object of attention when its EVIL leaders are protected.

Having said all that, I do wonder with what justification the government was searching his PC. Was there a tip, or is this SOP in Canada? While I do not condone child pornography, I recoil whenever I sense that a government agency has encroached on personal liberty without VERY good reason.

[Bob Devine]

Monnie.

I really have a hard time explaining myself like I would like to about this kind of stuff on the computer. My first post with trying to keep my thoughts straight with my one finger hunt and peck typing was hard but I will try to explain my thoughts.

I know that the Catholic church has been plagued with these kinds of stories for a long time. I would imagine even with all the attention that all these terrible things have bought they will continue to happen. Not because the church is evil or whatever you want to call it but because the people that do that kind of thing recognize the fact that they can infiltrate the system and take advantage of their position to do these awful things to young boys and girls.

If the Catholic Church was not there they would soon find the next easiest avenue to their objective. Be it another church a school, sports club, dance academy whatever.

The Church teaches Christ`s lessons that if you truly repent that God will forgive and you will gain the gates of heaven. That is a far cry from escaping the consequence of your crime here on earth.

The good bishop and anyone like him should pay in full for their deeds. Forgiveness by God does not equal escaping our laws I wish our courts would have harsher sentences for those convicted. They will also answer to God when they die if their repentance was false.

Some people will find it hard to believe but the Church despite these perverts does much good in this world and we would be far worse off without it.

I hope that gives you an idea of where I am coming from. I`m not the best by a long shot at explaining myself but I try. And it takes a long time the way I do it too. LOL.

[Wonder Woman]

Bob,

I would never condemn all Catholics for the actions of a few. That is very far from the point I was trying to make.

It is the very concept, within Catholicism and Christianity in general, that a person is entitled to forgiveness and redemption, no matter how heinous their crime, if they seek it. Regardless of the way Catholics practice it, that is at the heart of it's doctrine. It is this founding principle which undermines the credibility of the entire movement. We are not meant to judge but what consequences could these types of people have to face if we do not?

I'm not just picking on Catholicism here. Any religion that would offer excuses or forgiveness for this kind of behaviour (Islam, for example) is equally contradictory.

But you are right...It doesn't necessarily make all Catholics bad.

[Bob Devine]

WW.

They are forgiven in the eyes of God if they truly repent. If God inflicts a punishment also I have no idea. That is between those that commit the crime and God.

Here on earth they should suffer the full consequence and wrath of the law. For the reasons I stated in the other post to Monnie Those scum will find a place for themselves no matter what. I do not think it fair to blame the church for their deceptive ways.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

[Wonder Woman]

It's ok, Bob. That just keeps things interesting ;)

[Texas Canuck]

Well said Bob. Because of the nature of humanity, there will never be a perfect society and sadly, any religion will be free of psychological misfits and perverts using their faith and power to inflict despicable acts upon the followers.
I'm probably not a good Catholic because I can't accept everything the church says or does on blind faith. As for forgiving any perverted sinners who are priests, forget it. I'd happily break a commandment to send this guy to his maker and let the Lord pass out the forgiveness.

[Monnie]

Bob and WW,

The Biblical solution to this apparent conundrum is that eternal judgment is up to God, but that the state is responsible for punishment in this life. Punishment, up to and including capital punishment, was authorized and acknowledged. The idea was that corporal punishment was both just and would help deter bad people from doing horrible things.

The issue that many have with The Catholic Church is that it fails to properly police its ranks to try to minimize abuse in the first place, and then tacitly accepts it by failing to come down on these monsters like a ton of bricks.

Bob, don't make the common mistake of conflating two disparate issues---the church doing good deeds compensating for failures in other areas. That argument doesn't wash.

Reminds me of the late 1990s when Bush was Guv of TX. There was a murderess on Death Row who claimed to have found religion, and was living a positive life in prison. Many wanted him to pardon her on the basis that she had been rehabilitated. He wisely said that God could forgive her if He chose, but as Guv he was going to do his job and see that she paid the price for her crime. He got a lot of grief for that from many, but I supported that decision and still do.

[Allan]

WW - May I humbly offer some correction as an instructed Catholic?

First, no one is "entitled" to forgiveness and redemption - it is an unearned, and unearnable, gift.

Second, redemption and forgiveness does NOT equal "no punishment". Christians believe that 1) all of us are sinners and 2) even the worst of us can repent and avoid eternal damnation in hell. And that is all Catholic absolution can offer; we must still pay for our sins through divine purification or, if you prefer, purgatory.

In other words - everyone gets what's coming to them. Even hell, if they choose it.

Let's face it - there's no justice down here, behind enemy lines as C.S. Lewis put it, so perfect justice must be elsewhere.