[Scamp]

Why do people still give money to the Catholic Church? I'm not Catholic. So I can't figure it out. But it is very well known that they have a child molestation issue. It is reported that the Catholic Church has paid out Billions of dollars due to lawsuits in reparations for their elders lust of forcing sex on children.

Obviously they must know about the child molestation homosexual rape sodomy issue. But the Church still brings in billions of dollars. Why is that? Please explain. Do Catholics think God is OK with homosexual rape of little boys?

[mikema63]

It's religion, why even bother asking these questions?

It's God's church and that's all they need to know.

[The Immortal Goon]

Actually, statistically, Protestants abuse children more than Catholics do. The difference is that Protestants tend not to have all their positions be designated as clergy—a lot of Protestants will in fact deliberately avoid having some kind of clergy. Catholics do have clergy in about every dumb level you can imagine, meaning that while more abuse takes place at Protestant churches than at Catholic Churches (if nothing else, Protestants have Sunday school and Catholics don't), Catholic clergy does it more often than Protestant clergy as the latter is a nebulous term.

The other thing is that there has been a cultural shift (for the better) in the last twenty years. It used to be that hiding abuse was considered better for the victims as it was considered shameful to have been abused. The Boy Scouts, the military, all kinds of organizations used to routinely hide abuse scandals—at least nominally—for that reason.

Finally, the Catholic Church is the single largest charity in the world.

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

As Mikema points out, it's a bit of a pointless question to ask why people who have faith in a particular religious organization would donate or give tithing to that religious organization. A lot of Mormons disagree with their church's position on gay rights, but they still pay their tithing. Muslims still pay zakat. Some Catholics donate to the church. Among Lutherans I know, some also donate a little bit every so often to their church as well, and so on.

This was reported by Fox News back in 2007, but at that time, there were about 260 reported cases of child molestation every year in American Protestant churches, while the Catholic figure per year was a little bit lower but still roughly the same.

The mainstream media has all but ignored the recent Associated Press report that the three major insurance companies for Protestant Churches in America say they typically receive 260 reports each year of minors being sexually abused by Protestant clergy, staff, or other church-related relationships.

Responding to heavy media scrutiny, the Catholic Church has reported that since 1950, 13,000 “credible accusations” have been brought against Catholic clerics (about 228 per year.) The fact that this number includes all credible accusations, not just those that have involved insurance companies, and still is less than the number of cases in Protestant churches reported by just three insurance companies, should be making front page of The New York Times and the network evening news. It’s not.

Sex abuse among clergy, clerics, religious officials occurs with pretty much every single religion.

So I suppose the next time you donate money to whatever church I assume you attend, Scamp, you should ask yourself the same questions you asked in your OP... or better yet, realize you can probably think of something a little more intelligent next time.

[Scamp]

I actually thought I could ask a serious question here, without being personally attacked. I was wrong.

[The Immortal Goon]

Whoa—where's the personal attack?

[mikema63]

Yeah, I don't see anyone attacking you?

[Scamp]

Maybe Goon and Einstein can think of something a little more intelligent next time.

[Scamp]

no offense intended.

[Potemkin]

This question:

Do Catholics think God is OK with homosexual rape of little boys?

was offensive. If you're willing to dish it out, then you should also be willing to take it.

Now let's just draw a line under this and move on, okay?

[mikema63]

I fail to see how faith isn't sufficient explanation for why people do something. It is an extremely powerful motivator in people's lives.

[Scamp]

I fail to see how faith isn't sufficient explanation for why people do something. It is an extremely powerful motivator in people's lives.

Agreed. Why else would people be offended by my legitimate question?

[mikema63]

Well, characterizing the pedophilia scandal as purely gay is a good start.

[Scamp]

Well, characterizing the pedophilia scandal as purely gay is a good start.

Well shucks Einstein, my post first mentions child molestation twice before mentioning homosexual activity. But maybe you, In all your wisdom can post the actual percentages of the molestation, gay and not gay.Thanks.

[The Immortal Goon]

Scamp, are you going to reply to the actual answers to your actual question, or do I need to make this thread disappear because of hostility all around?

[Hindsite]

Why do people still give money to the Catholic Church? I'm not Catholic. So I can't figure it out. But it is very well known that they have a child molestation issue. It is reported that the Catholic Church has paid out Billions of dollars due to lawsuits in reparations for their elders lust of forcing sex on children.

Obviously they must know about the child molestation homosexual rape sodomy issue. But the Church still brings in billions of dollars. Why is that? Please explain. Do Catholics think God is OK with homosexual rape of little boys?

Many people are raised from a child in the Catholic Church as Christians and they believe that giving to the church is like giving to God what He is due. They are not going to stop giving to God because of sinners in the church. They believe in forgiveness and loving the sinner but hating the sin. They will often remove an offender as instructed by the apostle Paul, but following that procedure may take more time than many would like.

They are taught from childhood that the church is the body with Christ as the head of the body. Their Pope is to be the physical representative of the head of the body until Christ returns in glory.

[Scamp]

I have a friend who is Catholic. He and his wife wanted a divorce. So he went to his Church and told them. They said we do not believe in divorce. My friend said well, I have $10,000. The Church said we do believe in getting an annulment, and your price will be $10,000.

Does the Cathoilc Church worship Lord God Almighty, or do they worship the Almighty dollar?

[Potemkin]

Does the Cathoilc Church worship Lord God Almighty, or do they worship the Almighty dollar?

Having lots of money is a sign of God's favour, Scamp. The more money you have, the more God loves you.

[The Immortal Goon]

I very much doubt that he was gauranteed an anullment.

[quote='"Jesus in Mark 10:11-12"]Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.[/quote]

An anullment is to find that the marriage never actually happened. Francis just recently reformed it to make it easier, but you needed three tribunals, full investigations, witnesses, and a bunch of documentation and whatnot in order to prove you weren't really married despite, probably, actually having been married.

The money is probably also there to discourage the whole thing anyway.

Most Catholics just go to the courthouse and get divorced as, in most countries now, the state marries you--not the church.

[mikema63]

The Catholic Church is very old and has been very powerful. It's not particularly surprising that it's organized in a way that supports a powerful organization.

This is hardly Catholic only behavior, look at any Protestant mega church.