(sits back in rocking chair, smoking pipe):

This reminds me of an old job application I once perused, back in my days with the country club.

Under "what job did you like the least and why" the kid replied "McDonalds. I didn't like the greasy environment."

Under "what was your favorite job" he wrote "McDonalds."

A cow orker, a funny young lady, said, while nodding her head knowingly "hmmmm, he really DOES like the greasy environment."

My point? Do you love or hate the Catholic Church? Despite your protestations that you have your own problems with it, you have NEVER jumped higher off the fence in your assertion that we should just stop talking about it. I'm not even saying you SHOULD love or hate it, but why can't anyone else talk about it? It's what THIS thread is about.

The whole "hush hush" you seem to advocate sounds like...EGAD...what this thread is about!

You are employing your *ahem* classic Classic debate style.
I didn't say this. I didn't say that. Cite it please. Verbatim.

I mean all this in the best of ways, of course.

Do you think it is more common in the C, or equally as common in all walks of life?

I don't think its an issue specific to the CC - aside from that I don't know.
Sadly, I think its probably more common in other religious organizations as was mentioned a few pages back by Squirrel.
As far as it happening in other organizations, I don't think they have the structural design for it to be as much of an issue.

neither

I never said we should stop talking about it - N.E.V.E.R.
I never said you couldn't. 0 fer 3
WTF are you talking about?
Which proved my point - you cannot because I never said it.

:right:

You, my kind sir, have outdone even yourself. :applause:

;)

Classicman, is being his classic self.

Jebus, it boggles my mind.

what's that - reality?

So it does happen in other organizations, but you're not certain whether it happens more in the CC than in, say, Hebrew school. But more likely in all religious organizations than in all non-religious such as camp leaders and sports coaches, band instructors etc.

Buuurrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnnnn. :D

I actually almost changed my user title this week to "now with an even more tenuous grasp on reality" but I couldn't decide between using "reality" or "sanity."

Correct.

We know it happens/has happened in many organizations - schools, scouts, sports... I don't think it happens in "all" of anything.

It happens in any organization with a power structure that has a vested interest in covering it up, and a membership base too 'loyal' to walk away after the betrayal.

It'll be interesting to see how loyal American Catholics really are. My sampling to date suggests that the RCC is in for a very long, bumpy and ugly ride.

Most are not loyal at all. The churches are closing left and right.

I've kind of lost track of the point of this thread. Was there a point?

I'm getting really very frustrated at the vitriol against the Catholic Church. Yes, it happened, and it's horrible, and I'm glad it's been brought to light. But . . .

I believe that the percentage of people victimized by religious is minuscule compared to the young people that are being abused every day by their parents, relatives, stepparents, friends of their parents, by foster parents and the foster system. Yet there is no corresponding outcry against parents; no demand to overhaul the foster care system, no widescale lawsuits against the state. Why? Because we're all too busy pointing fingers at the convenient, easy to hate, churches. And you can't sue states anyway, because they have immunity.

I say, get to the root of the problem in our society through openness and education. People can be indignent and righteous all they want by pointing fingers, but this is a wider problem, and the wider problem is not being addressed, because people don't want to believe this is happening in their backyard, in their homes, in their neighborhood, to their own loved ones.

pfagh!

Like the Dallas Cowboys.
But that would mean that Americans would have to have a health, mature perspective on sex, and ALL churches are against that.