question about catholicism?

Question

Hello, I have always followed the status of the catholic church in the United States. After the Los Angeles Archdiocese recently agreed to a $660 million settlement to victims of sex abuse in the Church, I became much more interested in activism aimed at holding the church accountable for its many abuses, both moral, financial and spirutual in the United States. I am also interested in revealing, in a balanced, fact-based way, the differences between American culture and free thought and the Catholic church and its suppression of dissent. To this end, I was wondering if anyone knows of any established anti-Catholic groups in the New York City area, which are dedicated to revealing not only the Church's deplorable cover-up of sex abuse, but the inconsistencies of many of its spiritual claims with the Bible and its peculiarly non-American culture. I am not a fanatic, but a Ph.D educated man interested in a robust, fact-based and constructive anti-Catholicism. Any resources would be great

Answer 1

Go to hallindsey.org and read Jack Kinsella's article today. Jack is an ex-Catholic (thank God) and you can write him a personal note.

Catholicism is counterfeit Christianity.

Another good resource: biblelight.net and Mike Scheifler

Answer 2

The first resource you should read is the Bible.

Matthew 13:55-56 and Matthew 23:9 and 1 Timothy 4:1-4 should be at the top of your reading list.

Of course please read the whole Bible.

Remember that Cardinal George from Chicago admitted on TV that 25% of Roman Catholic Priests are homosexuals.

I have a five page Word document which I will E-mail to you or anyone else who asks, which compares the teaching of the RCC with the Bible.

To get this document you need to ask for it and tell me your real E-mail address since its too large to send any other way.

Pastor Art

PS: Religious leaders who abuse children and defend their action by claiming freedom of religion are sadly mistaken. The first ammendment was never intended to protect those who abuse children then hide under their religion. This is why Warren Jeffs roommate in Prison should be Cardinal Law from Boston.

Answer 3

Sexual abuse or any abuse at any level is horrendous, whether done by Catholic Hierarchy or any other person.

I agree that these people do need to spend much time in prison for their misdeeds. I do agree with you when you say, that there is inconsistency of many spiritual claims with the Catholic church and with the Bible. You must realize that many of these people are Christians and we can not judge their faith in Jesus Christ.

I am not Catholic and I believe that Jesus is the head of His church and no one else. However, they have free will to worship God in the way that they choose. To fight people because of their way of worshiping God is why there are wrongful religious wars.

Religion causes many problems. Jesus Christ is not a religion, He is the personal relationship between Himself and His followers who call Him Lord and Savior, His church. Those who do not know Him do many evil deeds in His name.

We are told in Romans, chapter 12:17-18, Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "it is mine to avenge; I will repay, " says the Lord.

Why not spend your time and energy on keeping a tight reign on your tongue and looking after widows and orphans like God tells us to, instead of hateing? He tells us that this is the only religion that He accepts. James 1:27.

Answer 4

You're in luck! There are innumerable groups of fundamentalist bigots you could join, all trying to demonstrate that the Catholic Church's teachings are in opposition to the book the Catholic Church compiled for its own use, even though none of them can agree with the others on what a given passage in the book actually means. Sounds like you are ready for Chick Publications. It's difficult to maintain bigotry for long without such a convenient source of pre-packaged hatred and ignorance. You may be educated in some areas, but you are woefully ignorant in others.

Answer 5

You would be going against the Vatican, and their secrets will never be revealed to any one like the F.B.I. has found out, and to challenge them would be like signing your own death warrant, I have been a catholic for over 60 years and have spoken to many priests and bishops, I also am a professional man and there are somethings you just do not press when it comes to the catholic church. may God bless.

Answer 6

One of the central beliefs of the United States of America is the freedom of religion. See amendment 1 of the Constitution of the United States of America: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html

From your question and associated remarks, it looks like you want to throw this freedom away unlike the Catholic Church which seeks and supports the freedom of religion for all human beings.

In the Vatican II document, Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae (Human Dignity), the Church states:

The human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits.

For the entire document, see: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651207_dignitatis-humanae_en.html

With love in Christ.

Answer 7

Why just concentrate on the Catholic Church? Do you think that is the only place pedophilia occurs. There are lots of churches who have pedophiles, as do schools,police stations,fire stations, in every walk of life.

Answer 8

Understand that yes there were abuses but that dosent reflect the whole catholic church or all of its belivers.....there are 1.1 billion catholics in the world....we have the LARGEST religion in the world. Dont judge us all because of a few pedophile priests....


Catholic 17

Answer 9

Go pray about it. There are many people in power today who shouldn't be including the current US president.

Answer 10

there appears to be a ground swell of this. How about malfeasance? mishandling of monies? they just caught a priest in chicago stealing over 200k from a congregation and you know there are more priests taking money from the till.
I don't know of any organizations but it is something I am interested in also.