Being Catholic doesn't make me bad!!!!

Being Catholic doesn't make me bad!!!!
F

FlyWM

Registrant
I'm catholic, so what? Well today being Ash Wednesday I went to church and recieved ashes on my forehead in the shape of a cross, a catholic tradition. Well when I went to a store after church, someone called me "A dirty catholic child abuser" and spat in my face, this just disgusdted me so much!!! I do see the irony in it, and have to smile at that, but still where does this guy get off? Not all catholics abuse children, not even all priests abuse children, yet this guy took the sins of a few and placed them on all catholics, and that just bothered me, it is just so sick I can't even tell you. I am not the child abuser...............I am the child.

scott
 
Have we really sunk to this level as a society? Is this really 21st centry America? "I know your works. Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have only a little strength, but you have kept my word and have not denied my name." Revelation 3:5 keep your faith and let no man come between you and your faith.

Brian.
 
Scott, Brian,

Isn't there something in there about, "suffering persecution in my name," as well. Wear it humbly, Scott, I think the tradition calls us to remember it as from ashes to ashes.
We Lutherans will gather tonight for the same remembrance...I'll be thinking of you and how you endured that rebuke. I don't think that I'll be seeing Mel Gibson's new movie, either, I've witnessed enough violence, and I don't need to be dragged to the cross to get the point.
Everyone of us ought to be willing to protect and preserve each man's dignity and religion, without that, then, I think that we've lost what it means to be American.
Blessings, Scott, and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive that guy who didn't learn that lesson in Kindergarten, either.

David
 
that just doesn't make sense - not to
make light of it - but you should have told him
"You need a tic tac!"
 
Scot,
I am so sorry you had to go through that. I am a Catholic Deacon, and have had some experiences like you had today. Some people want to lump us Ordained men all together, those few who did abuse, with the rest of us who never did, and never will.
Kind of like people saying All Cops are on the take, or all fill the in blank are fill in the blank.
Sterotypes are tough. So happy Lent Scot, pray for me and I'll surely pray for you.
printer
 
I'm sorry you had to endure such ignorance today, Scott. I'm glad the irony of it was not lost on you, but still... that was wrong for him to say to you. I hope you are able to practice your faith without that ruining it for you.

-Sean
 
I would have been disgusted too Scott. As much anger as I have against the catholic church and churches in general, I'm still stunned at that person's behavior towards you as an individual. It would certainly have trigger a shame spiral in me. In the past, the spiral would have been to the point of suicidal thoughts and maybe behavior.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Do you have a place to talk about this with someone besides here?

Not all catholics or protestants abuse children. Since the phenomenon about clerical perpetrators occured in the USA, can someone say all americans are child abusers? I have no doubt that someone, somewhere is at least thinking that. Acting on that is another story. I know I would not have thought of it at the moment if it had happened to me, but I wonder if criminal law could apply there.

Are all believers in Islam terrorists/murderers? From the vantage point of this countrys political climate, we might think that.

Your aggressor here is pretty sick.

In my life I have harbored many prejudices, it is part of the human condition to do so. In my life, I have been pretty sick too. I also see, But for the Grace of God, there go I. Personally, as an agnostic, I use the term God here, loosely. That man could have been me, and could be me in the future on a bad day when Im feeling small and petty

I wonder what his behavior towards a woman with ashes on her forehead would have been? Male=perpetrator? Hatred of males? If this person was a male, was it an extension of his own self hatred/hatred of his father?

I was born and raised catholic. My anger is about the conspiracy of silence around sexual repression that I see most religions practicing, let alone the catholic religion. This secrecy is how children are left so unprotected.

Even our "father / pastor / moolah(sp?)" Bush perpetuates this oppressive attitude, with his black and white thinking (I use this term, thinkink, loosely), in our current politics.

I hope you have a better day Scott.

By the way my name is Bob. I havent been here for several months because of back surgery about 6 wks ago. Tee hee,... I think they found where I hide my anger, and didnt know what to do with it. I think they put it back where they found it.....We'll see.........

Be gentle with yourself...

BOB
 
Roman's 8:35 ISV

"Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or a sword??"

2nd Corinthians 12:10 ISV
"That is why I take such pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong."


The Psalm of David (23rd) ASV

"Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul: He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and lovingkindness shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever."
 
Scott,

I am sorry that you were subjected to such narrow-minded mob mentality, along with the disrespect to you and your reglious beliefs.

There isn't a thing wrong with being catholic and having faith.

Keep the faith,
Bill
 
Scott,

I'm sorry that you had to go through that most unpleasant moment. I, too, am Catholic and really empathize; very few Catholics are child abusers. I think that this person is probably reacting the way he has been taught to by our society's educational and social structure: all truth is found in the media. If it can't be found in a soundbyte, it's false. Still doesn't make it any more pleasant, I know. You'll be in my prayers.

Tom
 
God Bless you Scott,

I'm sorry for you that you had to endure that for Christ's sake, and I hope that you can forgive that person for such a nasty display. I just pray that the person who did this realizes that they spat in the face of Christ when they spat in the face of a brother.

in XC' love,
Philip "Subdeacon"
 
Scott,

I am truly sorry you had to put up with that garbage from a small-minded ignorant bigot who would never know what it's like to walk a mile in your shoes.

subdeacon is right. They better remind themselves of jesus' words when their judgment comes: "I never knew you, depart from me! When I was sick, you didn't heal me, when I was hungry, you didn't feed me, when I had no home, you didn't shelter me....Verily, I tell you, when you refused to the least of my brothers these things, you also have refused me."

Peace and love,

Scot
 
I am really sorry, too, that this happened to you, Scott.

I've had similar experiences. All my life I have been subject to very personal verbal attacks and sometimes violence or the threat of violence because I am gay.

Bigotry, as familiar as I am with its characteristics, still surprises me when I witness it.

It is such a waste of intellectual and emotional energy.

After years of it, I have learned that it often comes out of deep unrealized and unconcious pain. That is why I suggested that the guy who verbally attacked you might be a victim himself.

I'm not going to suggest to anyone here that anyone "should" be compassionate towards perps of any kind. The anger that is felt is too justified.

It may not be appropriate to say so here but I have found that working on compassion and empathy is essential to my own recovery.

I know (and am ashamed) that I am capable of perpetrating these kinds of verbal attacks and worse. Finding out where that impulse comes from within myself has helped me understand where it might come from in others.

That doesn't excuse any of it but it helps me deal with it to have a possible explanation.

Brett
 
There are 60,000,000 Catholics in the US, 10,667 people t claim to have been abused by a priest (say claimed because the Catholic Church is seen by some to have deep pockets) that means that the odds of being abused by Catholic priest is 1 in 5624 thats .002% of Catholics. Next time someone attacks your faith, keep that in mind.
 
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