South African cardinal suggests child abuse is illness not crime

by besty 40 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  wezz

  Not that I'm catholic(not even close), but I think we should read the whole story here. He was speaking of abusers who themselves abuse. It seems as if the journalist ambushed him here.

  Now before I get flamed, I don’t necessarily agree with him, nor do I consider myself knowledgeable of the subject so as to give 'expert views'.

  I have two kids of my own and find any child abuse disgusting and without excuse.

  I just don’t think we should judge if we don’t know the whole story, al la witness style...

  http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/SA-cardinal-apologises-for-controversial-comments-20130318
• 

  humbled

  I cried at the end of "Old Yeller".

  Yeller, the faithful family dog, was locked in the corn crib, crazy with rabies after he had been infected defending his people from a rabid wolf. The oldest boy, teary-eyed had to shoot him.

  I had a hard time sorting it out at 8 but somehow I knew that they couldn't let the dog out to bite everyone.
• 

  cobaltcupcake

  "My concern: How can society deal justly, fairly & equitably with the abused, who has suffered incalculable damage, then goes on to abuse?

  "Do the Church & society not have to consider the damage he suffered when deciding what to do? Or does the abused abuser lose all his rights?

  Yeah, well, I was sexually abused by several family members when I was a kid and I'm not a pedophile. Being abused does not automatically make you an abuser.
• 

  Sulla

  Address the issue of these Prelates not contacting the police and you may find the real issue. These Cardinals actions of shifting child molesters around so that more people were harmed!

  Oh, designs! You are such a tool! Look, when you reach a point where even the true, factual statements of the other side send you into a rage, it's time to step back. And, to the point of this thread -- which you disregard to hunt your white whale -- is centered around the statement that pedophillia is a disease. Which, as it happens, it is.

  But you simply can't admit that. Don't you think that's funny?
• 

  truthseekeriam

  Exactely why I will never have any interest in organized religion again!
• 

  Lady Lee

  sula sula sula

  To sexually abuse a child is a crime. it is a sin and those who do it are sick It scores full points in all areas. Moving a child molester - let's just use that one term because it covers all bases, from one place to another does not address the criminal act. It doesn't offer a "cure" for the mental disorder. Saying they are sorry in a confession booth or in front of a bunch of elders doesn't remove the sin.

  And doing nothing just puts more children at risk.

  To properly deal with it any suspected cases of the sexual abuse of minors MUST be reported to either the police or to child protective services. One will notify the other. They have no problem making sure an abuser gets caught and hopefully is prevented from abusing other kids and in many places they are put on a watch list as convicted felons. Some get therapy - which really doesn't work that well. Some wind up in prison and if they don't come out in a box they will just go right back to doing what they do.

  I kinda like the idea of setting them all up in their own little town somewhere they can't get away from, like an island thousands of miles from anywhere, and let them abuse each other.

  mP All are criminals, not most, as soon as they take that first move towards a child and don't stop themselves
• 

  designs

  Sulla- I did address the issue of whether predatory sexual aggression against minors can have mental/medical/biological components, you however can't seem to get your head around the felony act that these religious leaders have committed and covered up.

  You make a comment about my rage at these persons who harm kids, were you ever sexually abused, many of us were as kids. You are on the wrong side of this issue. You are like George Wallace standing on the steps of the High School defending Segregation, my South right or wrong 'Segregation forever'.

  Your Cardinal O'Brien couldn't even bring himself to resign when exposed for abusing others. That is from the conditioning he has heard and taught for decades by his peers. Sweep sweep it under the rug we're the Catholic Church God's #1.

  You call the police when a minor or an adult is sexually molested.
• 

  Sulla

  Yes, designs, thank you for your blazingly obvious observation. Really, one ought to call the cops in cases of sexual abuse? Who had any idea of such a thing? It was wrong of bishops not to do so, tolerating as they did the "filth" (Benedict XVI's term) of abusive priests?

  Without you here to pound the table, how would anyone have known all this? You've done a great service by speaking of nothing else, regardless of the thread topic. Indeed, the idea that one adult in a position of power (Cardinal O'Brien) making a pass at another adult (a seminarian) is now, in your mind, a criminal act would surely be news to all the companies in the US, who are all stupidly working under the opinion that such things are internal matters.

  But that just makes my point, as if it needed making again: you are un-hinged and blinded by bigotry and hatred for the Church.
• 

  LouBelle

  ah from my neck of the woods - delightful (not) Ja, many south africans have a warped sense of what is crime and what isn't anymore.
• 

  designs

  Eyes wide open Sulla, sad as an adult you chose to join this corrupt religion, that can be fixed you know by you alone.

  CEOs resign or are ousted by their boards for sexually harassing employees. Employees can seek criminal and civil action.

  Let's hope the RCC pays dearly for their mess, but you know what the Leadership is planning don't you- the $bill gets passed to the parishners, suckers.

  The Wt. will simply divert donations from its suckers to pay for their lawsuits, they haven't figured out how to have 'fund raisers' to cover their lawsuits.