posted on September 5, 2002 11:31:47 AM new
There are 5 American priests who have filed lawsuits against their accusers. They claim the accusations are not true and damaged their reputation.
What to you think?
I think the priests should take the high road and empathsize. The advocates for the victims are saying it is intimidatition. I think so too. I think that now victims are not going to come forward as readily. I realize that in any type of accusation, there will be false accusations, but enlight of the controversy, I think the priests should humble themselves and be servants to the people.
posted on September 5, 2002 12:05:27 PM new
If the accusation is false the Priest should fight it. But it will be tough to fight. A few years ago if it was the Priest's word against the accuser, the Priest won, not so anymore with the revelations of the Institutional cover up. All things being equal, the accuser will win.
posted on September 5, 2002 01:07:03 PM new
There are plenty enough people who would like to see Catholics all go away. Some may see starting a ficticious lawsuit and unfairly accusing priests as a way to defame and help destroy the church and at the same time, reap in some monetary awards, as the priests are on the defensive. But without the facts of the case(s) in question, how will we ever know what the truth is either way?
posted on September 5, 2002 01:23:10 PM new
Except that if you look at most of these suits the people that are accusing the priests are from families that are very close to their church. Many of them had young people inside the church serving it. That's why they were in a position to be abused.
I find it hard to believe there was a mass revolt against the church by insiders that are using this falsely to damage their own church.
Nobody wants to admit that celibacy is a bad bad - unscriptural idea that fosters mental illness and perversion. That's what you get when you paint yourself into a corner by decreeing your docrines are infalible and set in stone. When you learn you need to make changes you can't do so without repudiating the whole base of your power. One of the Apostles - I forget which said in the scriptures that he CHOSE not to lead a sister about as a wife although he had the authority to do so. Not every man finds in in his power or to his advantage to follow that course.
posted on September 5, 2002 09:54:26 PM new
Don't buy the "celibacy is bad" excuse. If it was merely a case of a priest being unable to control his libido, then that priest would be having affairs with a woman (or a man if he were gay). But these cases are about pedophilia and these men would be doing the same thing even if they weren't priests.
I do think, though, that we are seeing the beginning of a witch hunt similar to the hysteria over child abuse in preschools seen in the 80s. I have no doubt that some of the allegations regarding priests being brought forward are spurious. And if a priest is being accused of something he did not do, then by all means he sould fight the charges any way he can.
