The reason why a person would remain a part of the Catholic Church is as Father John stated; Furthering Christ’s work. Blame has been misplaced. If a Bishop, Priest, religious or layman fails to live up to the standards he is preaching, the blame lies with him and not with the message he preaches. His actions say much about himself but not about the teachings of Christ. Jesus certainly practiced what he preached, but if someone else preaches Jesus message exactly the same but does not practice it perfectly, it is not logical to conclude that the message of Jesus must be flawed. By way of analogy, if it were proven that Albert Einstein was a child molester, that would not disprove the theory of relativity. A system should not be judged by its worst adherents but by its best, those who actually live up to its standards. Judge the Catholic Church by its saints, not by its hypocrites.
Even among the Apostles was Judas, a traitor. We wouldn't leave Jesus because of Judas. So we keep the faith and defend Jesus's Church, because the actions of those who do not keep the Church's teachings do not define us. For every Judas, there are eleven good Apostles. If being hurt by the Church causes you to lose your faith in God, then your faith was in people and not in God.
If the justification to abortion is purely financial and if the mother has older children, why not kill them instead? The older children require more and are more expensive than the baby. The mother will save more money killing the older children rather than the unborn child and she will have more time to become financially stable. Of course, that argument sounds ludicrous, we do not eliminate children because we cannot afford them or provide them with material things.
It’s been awhile since I’ve looked at this site. There’s been some interesting commentary! Like Father John, I would like to address the “Catholicism largely has been a tremendous cover up for child predators” comment.
First; The Catholic Church does not have a monopoly on child abuse. Most child abusers have one thing in common, and it's not piety—it's preexisting relationships with their victims. That includes priests and ministers and rabbis, of course, but also family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, scout leaders, youth-group volunteers, and doctors. Three quarters of abuse occurs at the hands of family members or others in the victim's "circle of trust." The overwhelming evidence is that those who abuse children seek out situations where they have easy and legitimate access to children.
One reason we hear so much more about Catholic abuse than transgressions in other religions and secular organizations: its sheer size. It's the second largest single denomination in the world (behind Islam) and the biggest in the United States. When you consider the per capita data, There isn’t a larger incidence than other faiths, and certainly not more than secular abusers.
Second; The Catholic Church is the worlds oldest and longest lasting organization. Every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, and clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to do. The very essence of health care and caring for the sick emerged through the Church, through the religious orders, in direct response to the value and dignity that the Gospel assigns to each and every human life.
In the United States alone the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students every day. The Catholic education system alone saves American taxpayers eighteen billion dollars a year.
This year Catholic Charities will provide millions of free meals to the hungry and the needy. We don’t ask them if they are Catholic — we just ask them if they are hungry. Catholic contribution on a local, national and global scale remains unsurpassed.
Of the world religions it encompasses by far the largest portion with 1.2 billion Catholics. It is the foundation for every form of Christianity that has come since.
Your kind & loving heart is such a beacon of strength.
As you know only too well, life can be cold & cruel, but the ever lasting love you have for your wife is a beacon of light shining so brightly it could warm not only that dark place that holds you, but every dark corner on earth. I hope you eventually find your way back to each other, but until then, I hope you know your kind heart is cherished and appreciated. I for one only hope to be loved this much by someone in my lifetime. Take care of your beautiful loving soul.
I found you through your awesome art, but really enjoyed reading all your posts.
Reading your stories, I sympathize with you and how unfairly treated things can be in your justice system.
I come from a tiny country called New Zealand (some maps don’t even have them) and I can’t say we do much for helping prisoners back into society but would never allow for health and safety to be compromised. Basic human rights should NEVER be compromised and I’m sorry you have to experience it!
But your constant positivity and kindness must be a refreshing for those around you. Never underestimate the power of it!
I hope you’ve had no more troubles with equipment.
RSS
Even among the Apostles was Judas, a traitor. We wouldn't leave Jesus because of Judas. So we keep the faith and defend Jesus's Church, because the actions of those who do not keep the Church's teachings do not define us. For every Judas, there are eleven good Apostles. If being hurt by the Church causes you to lose your faith in God, then your faith was in people and not in God.
If the justification to abortion is purely financial and if the mother has older children, why not kill them instead? The older children require more and are more expensive than the baby. The mother will save more money killing the older children rather than the unborn child and she will have more time to become financially stable. Of course, that argument sounds ludicrous, we do not eliminate children because we cannot afford them or provide them with material things.
First; The Catholic Church does not have a monopoly on child abuse. Most child abusers have one thing in common, and it's not piety—it's preexisting relationships with their victims. That includes priests and ministers and rabbis, of course, but also family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, scout leaders, youth-group volunteers, and doctors. Three quarters of abuse occurs at the hands of family members or others in the victim's "circle of trust." The overwhelming evidence is that those who abuse children seek out situations where they have easy and legitimate access to children.
One reason we hear so much more about Catholic abuse than transgressions in other religions and secular organizations: its sheer size. It's the second largest single denomination in the world (behind Islam) and the biggest in the United States. When you consider the per capita data, There isn’t a larger incidence than other faiths, and certainly not more than secular abusers.
Second; The Catholic Church is the worlds oldest and longest lasting organization. Every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, and clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to do. The very essence of health care and caring for the sick emerged through the Church, through the religious orders, in direct response to the value and dignity that the Gospel assigns to each and every human life.
In the United States alone the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students every day. The Catholic education system alone saves American taxpayers eighteen billion dollars a year.
This year Catholic Charities will provide millions of free meals to the hungry and the needy. We don’t ask them if they are Catholic — we just ask them if they are hungry. Catholic contribution on a local, national and global scale remains unsurpassed.
Of the world religions it encompasses by far the largest portion with 1.2 billion Catholics. It is the foundation for every form of Christianity that has come since.
ml Erne
Your kind & loving heart is such a beacon of strength.
As you know only too well, life can be cold & cruel, but the ever lasting love you have for your wife is a beacon of light shining so brightly it could warm not only that dark place that holds you, but every dark corner on earth. I hope you eventually find your way back to each other, but until then, I hope you know your kind heart is cherished and appreciated. I for one only hope to be loved this much by someone in my lifetime. Take care of your beautiful loving soul.
Nicki
I found you through your awesome art, but really enjoyed reading all your posts.
Reading your stories, I sympathize with you and how unfairly treated things can be in your justice system.
I come from a tiny country called New Zealand (some maps don’t even have them) and I can’t say we do much for helping prisoners back into society but would never allow for health and safety to be compromised. Basic human rights should NEVER be compromised and I’m sorry you have to experience it!
But your constant positivity and kindness must be a refreshing for those around you. Never underestimate the power of it!
I hope you’ve had no more troubles with equipment.
Keep drawing, writing, expressing.
Mel
Was a pleasure to stumble upon your journal entries.
Keep writing, cos even in the black and white pen and paper there is colour in it !
I hope the sunrises are still as beautiful.
Mel