to all the christian brothers and priests once they get out of jail.after sexually assaulting many children,orphans and there parishioners children,even some nuns were involved,shall we forgive them and send them back to there schools and parishes.it was ok buy the church at the time.most bishops new about it and did nothing.the power of god and the church can we trust them anymore.
2007-05-19 22:12:05 · 23 answers · asked by fatdadslim 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I am a follower of Christ, and I am falling far short of the Glory. If I understand you correctly, you are asking your question from the standpoint of a Catholic. I agree with the word which says all is able to be washed clean by the Blood of our Lord. There are things that even if forgiven by God, there are natural consequences. Child molestation is one of the most universally abominable of sins. The sad statistic is that molesters are the least rehabilitable of all offenders. The Catholic church conspired to protect these offenders by shipping them to another unsuspecting parish where they had a whole new bunch of innocents to choose from. I deplore their acts more than I have the words, but I guess the perverts excuse is that they are sick beyond comprehension. But as for the higher ups that sought to cover up and call children liars to protect the churches money, those men need to do more time than the lot of them. To put filthy money over the innocence of the little ones. I am a Protestant. I protest the forbidding of marriage because I believe it attracts people who have sexual problems they are running from. Maybe if marriage was an option, Catholics could attract more young people that had a natural attraction for the relationship that God intended to lead to marriage.
2007-05-19 22:37:20 · answer #1 · answered by One Wing Eagle Woman 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
For Christians, to forgive is not to forget. God forgives my sins but still demands that I confront them in my discipleship of Christ. We have to apply the same principle to those who abused our children. As Christians, we have to try to forgive them and reconcile them to the Church. But that does not mean that we have to pretend like it didn't happen. Pedophiles should not be placed in positions in which they can cause more damage. And even though they shouldn't be vindictively punished to excess, bishops who were complicit shouldn't be rewarded with cushy jobs in the Roman curia, either.
It is right to be a bit wary of whoever is around our children. These incidents have shown us that we need to be wary even when such people are priests, bishops, and nuns. But if the bishops are what Catholics think them to be - successors of the apostles - then they can still be trusted in their official teaching office. After all, no bishop, however, caught up in the sex scandal, officially taught that pedophilia was a good thing. In other words, trust them insofar as you do what they say and not what they do.
2007-05-20 05:22:35 · answer #2 · answered by harlomcspears 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is really a tough one requiring one to temper belief with human feelings. We are taught to forgive to be forgiven. Could I forgive if it were my child who was a victim? I really do not know if I could truly forgive, but I would try. However people who commit these types of crimes (not just the religious persons committing them) cannot be rehabilitated. Lets call them what they are sexual predators. They will repeat their crime. There is no cure for their degenerate, unnatural desires. They should never again be allowed around children.
Trust of the power of God and the Church should not be judged by these crimes. In these last days Satan is pitting all his army against God and His people. We as parents need to educate our children at an increasingly early age about this type of person. We must be vigilant in the care of our children and who they come into contact with.
These perverted people are not exclusive to the clergy, daily we are told of teachers, police, and physicians who are being charged with sexual crimes against children. These also used to be people one could trust.
2007-05-20 06:22:16 · answer #3 · answered by Nancy B 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We have always had sexual deviants ever since the beginning and like any perversion they seep their way into whatever gives them the best cover and the religious life has been one of these, but we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak,the majority of religious are good men and women who do not deserve the stigma they have to live with because of a few perverts.
I believe and hope that whenever any cleric is discoverd and convicted of these crimes they will never be allowed to practice as trusted ministers ever again.
I also believe that Priests do not become paedophiles but paedophiles do become Priests,it is in them from the very start.
2007-05-20 05:28:50 · answer #4 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God's forgiveness extends to everyone, but forgiveness doesn't mean allowing someone the opportunity to resume something again as though nothing happened.
Even though we forgive these people, that doesn't mean that what they did was OK, or not harmful. And it's proper not to allow them to continue in their positions even though both we and God have forgiven them.
"Hate the sin, love the sinner" is probably the best way to describe it. We forgive them, but at the same time, do not condone their actions, or blindly trust that they would not be tempted to do it again.
2007-05-20 06:01:40 · answer #5 · answered by the phantom 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We should not put them back in their respective positions. Unfortunately, sexual offenders almost always offend again. These individuals in jail should engage in the same rehabilitative services offered to other inmates and learn another trade and register as a sexual offender upon release. The Bible warns about messing with children. Christ was very specific about that. They can be forgiven like anyone else but in our society we shouldn't put them back into the path of temptation. They should work elsewhere upon release.
2007-05-20 05:18:03 · answer #6 · answered by LaDonnaMarie 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, they are to be forgiven, but not be priests/nuns/bishops/monks again as they broke one of the vows made to God and the church.
2007-05-20 05:32:38 · answer #7 · answered by freek 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pedophilia is despicable and unforgivable, especially if it's a child's religous leader that abuses the trust. Convicted sex offenders cannot work in schools. Most states have explicit laws forbidding that. I doubt any of them will go back to work in schools. That's plain stupidity.
2007-05-20 05:17:52 · answer #8 · answered by LeilaK 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, no of course not.
Even if the church did want to forgive them and take them back, it would be a huge controversy. It just wouldn't be possible. At least, I hope not. I’ve been surprised with the Catholic Church before.
2007-05-20 05:17:05 · answer #9 · answered by A 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you know i find that hardly any other religion does this kind thing. but do you really think god wouldn't mind if young children were to freely molested and raped? when it is a sin to have intercourse before marriage? so to your question i am NEVER EVER letting my children to be alone with a priest or a "brother" .
2007-05-20 05:20:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋