Senator Santorum doesn't believe Priests abused 5 yr olds!

[jimrh]

I have to post this link to this interview because it's simply unbelievable.

He seems to believe that the whole Priest abuse scandal was purely about homosexuality.

" In this case, what we're talking about, basically, is priests who were having sexual relations with post-pubescent men. We're not talking about priests with 3-year-olds, or 5-year-olds. We're talking about a basic homosexual relationship."

If you want to read the entire interview here is the link: https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-04-23-santorum-excerpt_x.htm

These are the people who we've elected into office and now are running this country.

This man is also widely talked about with respect to running for President in 2008.

I wonder if there's any hope at all.

Jim [Frown]

 

[dwf]

Jim,

Thanks for the reminder of the very sad state of public life in the United States.

For me, this story acts as a reminder that I cannot look to the government and its elected officials for hope and comfort.

Whether it's about sexual abuse, priests or war and peace, if I look to those people (them!) for my sanity I am going to be stark raving mad.

The most frightening aspect of the story in the newspaper is that his opinions are exactly what the majority (albeit a small majority) of people in our country have supported by their votes.

Personally I have found that taking a longer look at our culture and its implications in our society has led me to understand that the country I imagined I lived in and the actual state of our nation are very different indeed.

In a way it's sort of a relief, to live in a country that's more fucked up than I am!

I'd like to believe the US is a tolerant, open and compassionate place, but the people we elect do not bear that belief out.

For someone who thinks of himself as being 'aware', I allowed myself to believe what I wished were true, instead of what exists in reality.

Our culture as it is represented by the government at its highest level is crass, unfeeling, self serving, mean spirited, intolerant, petty, vicious and hypocritical.

And here I thought it was the land of the free and the home of the brave. Just another really big dysfunctional family with a sick, pathetic, alcoholic, abusive, neglectful father at the head.

It's up to me to make the difference in my life and in the world. If I depend on people like R. Santorum I'm definitely screwed.

Thanks for giving me a chance to vent.

Regards,

 

[Stephen_5]

Senator Santorum's interview is exactly the kind of illogic that I've come to expect from his camp. He can't seem to separate homosexual from pedophile. He can't separate a consensual act from an abusive act. He seems to think that two adult guys or two adult women who love each other will be the downfall of western civilization as we know it. The senator and his followers believe that they are right and everyone else is going to hell so they want to 'save' everyone.

His statement that he doesn't have anything against homosexuals just homosexual acts is ludicrous. He apparently believes that if everyone would just stay in the closet then everything would be all right.

What an idiot! I've become more and more progressive, no, liberal! Liberal to me means accepting of all points of view but standing up for basic human rights and protecting the people that are most vulnerable. I'm so tired of the neocon movement trying to control every aspect of everyone else's life.

Enough for now,

Steve

 

[sophiesdad]

I just wanted to add something as a side comment. Having been in the seminary and finally leaving realizing I would have been a miserable priest, I hope that people understand that even though we hear about the priests who DO abuse, there are thousands of other priests who are wonderful human beings and who wouldn't THINK of doing something like that. I have many friends from the seminary who are clerics now and are mortified that this should happen much less be swept under the rug by a few bishops.
I really hate the press in some ways because all they do is dig up the **it in the world and it makes us start to believe that a whole group is judged on a few (hmmmm, sounds like prejudice, huh?).
I in no way defend those who have committed unspeakable crimes against children (or adults)... I just hope that the world will not condemn the whole group of clergy and/or Catholicism in general because of those who have been misguided and bastardized the basic teachings of love and concern for each other. Contrary to what the media would like us to believe, there ARE good people out there who are doing great things to help others.

Sophiesdad