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| Photo credit: Peter Watts |
The thing that struck me most about this story of an order of Catholic Jesuits who have agreed to pay out $166m to the (Native American) victims of child abuse (at the hands of their priests) was not the sexual abuse.
We all know that priests have been abusing children sexually. We know how widespread it’s been (and hope it no longer is). Somehow, it’s not that shocking anymore. Amazing how easily we become desensitized to something isn’t it?
The thing that hit me most was the money.
What business does the Church, or any so-called religious institution, have hoarding hundreds of millions of dollars?!
I somehow can’t imagine Jesus ‘saving for a rainy day’.
I mean, it’s not like there are people starving in the world is it? Or villages without water? Or vast numbers of homeless refugees?
I’m not saying that the ‘victims’ of those priests don’t deserve a little compensation.
I’m saying that they shouldn’t need to be compensated, because they should never have been abused in the first place.
And a church that is one of the wealthiest institutions in the world, and whose representatives damage the people they are meant to protect, needs to be seriously questioned.
5 comments:
I agree completely. Faith shouldn't be monetized like that. But then again we tend to think of the Church as a spiritual organization. But can there be such a thing? Isn't faith an internal process?
Religious institutions are money-making machines and nothing more. I say, tax 'em! :D
Religion is the old politics.
Jesus said there would be wolves in the church and was back then....to hurt people! These men are not God's people...plain and simple. Now paying money out to victims is not a bad thing at all!
Acts 20:28-30
King James Version (KJV)
28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Good thing though...they say that of priests and preachers only about 2% abuse...so hopefully that is 5% realistically...God bless the rest!
yes, I'm sure it is a small percentage (although actually 5% is not so small)... Let's look at it positively - 95% are devoted, committed, virtuous people, walking a path that is not easy.
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