Im a catholic and so tired of hearing about all of these priests raping and molesting little children and ruining their lives forever. It makes me wonder if they are in some way in work with the Devil.
2007-11-12 07:48:46 · 18 answers · asked by WildcatDemise 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes I know other people are evil as well. But they are supposed to be seen as so holy and loving people. Its hard to take the religion seriously when the ones you look up to in the church are raping your children. It seems to me faith in christ alone without the church is the only important thing
2007-11-12 07:57:18 · update #1
This is a response to the Cathy's comment, "why are you looking up to the Priest as something holy".
The Bible says that to whom much is given much is required. A priest who is leading his congregation in mass & scraments throughout the year, is required a higher standard then comitting falonies like "molesting little children". The same standard applies to the protestant church ministers as well.
2007-11-12 09:39:43 · answer #1 · answered by Steve 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, not all Catholic priests are evil. It is a very small percentage. I am Protestant but have a very good friend who is a Catholic priest and he is a wonderful man, loving, obedient, humble, open minded, passionate about God. He has been a priest for over 50 years and I have never heard anything negative about him.
But think about it. If you were satan, who are the people that you would try to convert to evil? The people in power. The people that we look up to. It serves his purposes far more to have someone like a priest fall than an ordinary person. When people see a priest fall it may stop them from seeking God and that is what satan loves. So, I would bet that he works very hard to entice the good people to his side. It stands to reason that he could find the vulnerabilities of a few priests when he works so hard at it.
Don't stop seeking. Pray for the fallen that they may regain their salvation. They are just men who have lost their way.
Their are many good men and women in the church. Do not let the stories about a few keep you away. Otherwise, satan has succeeded.
2007-11-12 16:24:58 · answer #2 · answered by Shine! 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Like people everywhere there are good and there are bad. Statistically there is no more pedophilia in the Catholic Church then in the general population, and it is less then other denominations.
It was just the media coverage on the Catholic Church was much higher.
EDIT: Why are you looking up to the Priest as something "holy" the Catholic faith and the Catholic Church holds the priest as nothing more then a man (like any other man). No more power, knowledge, wisdom, or goodness then any other man,he receives no special "light" at his ordination to make him anything more then what he was before it. It is the office that is holy, not the man, do not confuse the two.
2007-11-12 15:56:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all, not ALL priests are raping and molesting little children. The ones who are need to be found out, punished and stripped of any right to serve in a church. (It's okay with me if after they get out of jail, they live in seclusion and help take care of aging priests or whatever, but they should have NO contact with laypeople).
So your question is off. Are some people who have taken vows to be Catholic priests evil? Yes. And so are some protestant clergy. And so are some teachers, some scout leaders, some athletic coaches, etc., etc., etc.
There is evil in the world and there is no point pretending it's not there. But there is also no reason to be foolish and say all the evil is found in one set of people -- most of whom are innocent. Let the blame fall where it deserves to fall.
2007-11-12 17:23:30 · answer #4 · answered by sparki777 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There have always been evil people in God's Church. VERY few priests and bishops have been guilty in this terrible sin and scandal.
Don't leave Peter because of Judas.
In addition, many of those bad priests entered the priesthood between the '60s and '70s. Things are much better with the changes in weeding out the bad men early on in the process.
2007-11-12 22:03:12 · answer #5 · answered by SigGirl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i understand where youre coming from...such news can be soul-destroing for a young catholic. Yes like any other human being a catholic priest is also capable of doing evil. this evil is rife in the world and but not in the catholic priesthood. being a catholic preist does not make a person evil...the preisthood was instituted by God. Do not let your faith in His Church be strayed by the evil actions committed by a few. The Church does NOT and will never tolerate evil.
2007-11-12 16:42:51 · answer #6 · answered by Orita 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look, I am terribly, terribly sorry that this scandal hit the Church. It's sick and sad. What I get angry about, however, is when people start stereotyping ALL priests as child molestors. How fair is that? How many times have we seen school teachers arrested for having sex with their students? How fair would it be to then start labeling ALL teachers as pedophiles JUST BECAUSE they are teachers? Doesn't make any sense, does it.
Priests are our spiritual fathers, but they are also men, human beings, sinners. The sin must be dealt with, and the afflicted on both sides healed.
2007-11-15 10:09:27 · answer #7 · answered by Danny H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pastor Billy says: a Church was in God's plan. Before we experience Jesus on the cross the Lord builds his Church and it was One and visible (a city on a hill, light on a lamp-stand)
I've heard an Evangelist say "if your looking for the perfect Church as soon as you enter it it won't be perfect anymore"
also I'm constantly reminded by non-Catholics , "we are all sinners".
yes we should hope and pray that our spiritual leaders stay true to their vows however the Church never taught that our pastors are immune to sin because of their position.
Try to remember that Jesus instructed us to obey those in authority "for the know the truth, so do as the say not as they do" also remember the Church has yet to be perfected, it is a prefigurement of the kingdom to come. Many fundamentalist and non-demos believe they can run without the Church because they take the same position you are eluding to, that it is completely corrupted by the devil and they are better off being a Church of 1.
I suggest you review this out of date website for a better view of this societal problem. http://www.reformation.com
2007-11-12 21:34:17 · answer #8 · answered by Pastor Billy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Judas was supposed to be holy too. One of the original 12
2007-11-12 16:03:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't see Father K as evil somehow. He's just too nice. And actually the stats are higher for childmolestation in other denominations. They just don't get media coverage. Bad people are every where, not just in the Catholic Church
2007-11-12 15:52:57 · answer #10 · answered by ~Heathen Princess~ 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋