Paedophilia / pope and parallels

[Nightingale]

80% of the sexual abuse that Catholic priests are accused of, involves priests molesting boys. The problem is not that priests are not allowed to marry, the problem is that seminaries have allowed allowed gay pedophiles to slip through the filtering process.

A group that I an involved with had an incident where the guy in charge of youth sports activities was molesting some of the young boys he was supervising (he's currently in prison). He was perfectly free to marry, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he was a gay pedophile, and specifically sought out that job because he wanted opportunities to be around young boys.

Similarly, the Catholic Church needed to do a better job in filtering out priest applicants who primarily wanted to be priests in order to spend time with altar boys.

Enthetan, the Catholic Church has been in dire need of priests for years, and you could be exactly correct about the filtering process. The numbers simply aren't there. That's the reason Deacons are allowed to perform so many of the rites, heretofore granted only to the actual clergy. Of course, numbers are down in all religious orders, as well. That's why many of the Catholic hospitals, schools, etc. closed. The supply of cheap labor could no longer offset the operating costs, or at least, the church was not willing to spend its vast funds for those. That is one of my big hopes for the C of S, too! If the SO and staff numbers continue to decline substantially, that source of cheap labor will regulate the expansion of the C of S and threaten its very existence. If that decline doesn't close the C of S entirely, it will certainly cause a reorganization, since profit is most definitely one of its motives and goals. So, the dismantling of the SO is mandatory to at least stunt the growth of the C of S, which I believe we are seeing. Yes, free the slaves! Let the plantation owners be responsible for the day-to-day operation, and let's see what changes occur rapidly.

Thanks, Arthur Dent, for your kind words. Your story was certainly interesting, too! You are a survivor!

 

[Enthetan]

Nightingale,

You are very right. The supply of cheap slave labor is what holds it all up. It allows for money for lawyers and private investigators to harass and "fair game" critics, and maintain DM at a high standard of living.

In some form, Dianetics and Scientology could survive in a form similar to what they were in the 50's and early 60's, with field auditors running their own show, and a few organizations running training. But the field auditors would be pretty autonomous, the orgs would retain 90% of their GI to pay staff with, and any Int Management organization would consist of at most a dozen or so people.

 

[pollywannacracker]

True, O great Degraded one. I think the Catholics are a bit wiser. The guys that exposed their sexual abusers didn't get excommunicated, though might have been threatened.

This would simply be a suppressive act if a Scientologist actually exposed child abuse he's received from a scientologist in good standing.

If he looses his status and get's declared HCO may go to the authorities and expose the child abuser with no problem, if they feel like it.

I suppose countries vary on the law here. I understand that if you have information that someone is likely to continue criminal activities you should let the authorities know, but I'm not sure. If the Church has broken any laws here it might be interesting to find out.

Isn't this called aiding and abetting a criminal? If I knew with certainty about some child being abused and I failed to act on that knowledge by informing the appropriate agencies, then I could be charged in aiding and abetting the criminal element. In the States, there are many publicized news reports of a parent, other family member, other adult, etc... being charged with the crime of silence. That is why physicians, etc... are expected by law to report any suspician of abuse.

Not only is this to protect the person who has the knowledge, but it is first and foremost in place to protect the innocent who have little to no voice.

Thus, if HCO were to later offer up evidence that on a former member who is expelled from the Co$ was involved in such abuse, would they not be held up to the same standard of obstructing justice and aiding and abetting a criminal? Would that not be punishable by law?

Better for the Co$ to keep their mouths shut so as to keep the bad PR internalized. NOT!!!!!

-PWC

 

[Touchstone]

"Pedophile" and "homosexual" are two different categories, even if priests are molesting boys. "Let's keep out the gays!" in response to pedophilia is scapegoating: convenient, decisive-looking, and ineffective.

Calling Slappy Miscavige an 'Ayatollah' plays on stereotypes I'd rather not have reinforced. He's not a Pope, not an Ayatollah, but a tyrant, a dictator, a creation of Hubbard's system.

Muddying the waters can be fun, but it it can be quite destructive.

 

[degraded being]

80% of the sexual abuse that Catholic priests are accused of, involves priests molesting boys. The problem is not that priests are not allowed to marry, the problem is that seminaries have allowed allowed gay pedophiles to slip through the filtering process.

A group that I an involved with had an incident where the guy in charge of youth sports activities was molesting some of the young boys he was supervising (he's currently in prison). He was perfectly free to marry, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he was a gay pedophile, and specifically sought out that job because he wanted opportunities to be around young boys.

Similarly, the Catholic Church needed to do a better job in filtering out priest applicants who primarily wanted to be priests in order to spend time with altar boys.

It could be more complicated than that. If they are gay then they would not have considered marriage anyway. So as a catholic the preisthood is a natuaral direction. I suspect that a lot of them did not go the to molest people, they could have actually had good intentions to be a priest or a "brother" (monk)/teacher.
Of course when they get there, with no opportunity to have sex partners of there own age, ........etc.
Some of them may have joined as predators, but not all.
Some priests may have thought that they would have been "taken away from temptation" - thinking that they would do something good for humanity and not be put in the path of homosexual temptation.

 

[degraded being]

The recent media has certainly created a situation where the cofs can not hide behind the skirt of the Catholic Church or position itself with it to improve it's image as it has tried in the past. Thanks to the Catholics who speak out and the media.

It was interesting to read your views as an ex-nun, Nightengale. It is unfortunate that money and religion cannot be separated in either the Catholic Church nor the cofs. The Catholic Church has centuries old ties of money and political power, punishment and excommunication. It will never relinquish this at any cost. I doubt that the uprising from it's parishioners would ever dismantle it. (Nor is that the push; I believe reform is more their intent.) It will do what it has to do to remain, as it always has. It will hide the abuses and protect the abusers. It is money and power.

The cofs has had a good role model and is simply following suit. Right down to the (ideally empty) buildings. Hopefully, it's dissenters will cause it's fall by getting actual indictments at the top. Even then, the
cofs may well rise again in other hands as it is a self-perpetuating organism by design.

But, the lack of a long history, is still on our side. The efforts to expose it are proving relentless, which is what is needed and encouraging to see.

AD your post is right on my intended topic in the OP.
That is what the thread was intended to be about.

 

[degraded being]

I understand TAJ, but it's a joke more than a precise thought.
Do you agree with him being referred to as the Pope of Scientology? I don't.
It occurred to me whilst listening to the CofS spokeshole playing the "Pope" card when referring to Miscavige.
Surely it's valid to point out that his role is much closer to Ayatollah than Pope. I'm sure most Catholics would think so.
But you ARE right, religious demonisation really has no place on a Message Board like this. ( Just kidding, mate )

Panda, you referred to the video where the "Pope" card was played.
Such irony. Intended to be used to advantage, but concurrently the Pope had the newshounds snapping at his ankles about the fact that he Himself may have helped cause some of the coverups of what.?.....ABUSE. That got me thinking of the parallels, hence this thread. The COS uses mainstream religion as a huge protective hegemonic sheild. Their sheild is simultaneously being torn to shreds.
Their protective sheild may end up doing them more harm than good.