Coloring Outside the Lines

Christina, people who sexually assault young people choose their victims wisely. You evidently don't lack self esteam thus would never have been approached.Tthese children are bullied into keeping their mouths shut. My problem with the comic book is that it doesn't say beware of the priest and clergy but generalizes to beware of all adults. Talk about creating a paranoid congregation.

This is a shame, but necessary. Kids have to look out for themselves. As we have seen, they can't count on the clergy. I'm sure that there have been thousands of confessions by predatory priests, yet no one ever thought "maybe we should do something about this". The chirch has a culture of secrecy. Clergy are expected to tow the company line and not make waves. This culture will never change because democratic processes are not in place to force change. As a result, the only effective defence is persistent public outcry and aggressive legal action.

It's a shame that this is required, but it is. Until proven otherwise we should assume that kids have to be on the defensive with clergy. We need to assume the church will not effectively police itself. After all, with all the confessions that I am sure were heard from predator priests, no one ever thought "maybe we should do something about this". By its nature, the church's culture is "shut up and tow the company line" . Disagreement and free expression are frowned upon. Persistent public heat and skepticism are the only effective ways to combat the threat.

Absurd simply absurd. The catholic church has a rich history of murder and mayhem throughout the centuries. Sexual child abuse is a mere trifle. At first i thought that this was a satirical cartoon/ joke from the Freak Brothers comic. But it is more than that. It is frighteningly ignorant and stupid.

Read the livs of the saints?Give me a break! What is a saint? A person anointed as such, many,many,years after the fact(to make the job easier)so as to replenish the ole coffers, of the already rich church. New saints generate huge income, prayer cards, books, relics, momentos, etc. A saint is one who performs a miracle as per the church definition. The acts of the apostles have several of them raising bodies from the dead, and other wonderous events, willy-nilly.real crowd pleasers. Have any of you ever witnessed a true miracle performed by a religious person, other than the sunday TV hucksters?If priests are human, why do we make them live sub-human lives?And why the concentration of these abusers(humans) in the catholic church?

Men in habit are also subject to the same human weaknesses and temptations the rest of humanity must contend with. The spiritual and regimented life they have been trained to live do not in anyway shield them from their own weaknesses which they must continuously try to contain and struggle against. A reading of the lives of the saints instructs us that the struggle continues during their entire lives. Prayer and mortification help them control their human frailties. We, too, can help them succeed in their vocation with our own prayers and in not giving them occassions to sin. Making our young people aware that our priests are also humans would help them maintain a proper and respectful relationship with them.

Abolish the confessional! That is where they learn who is vulnerable and easy pickens!Christina: a dated a girl molested by onw of those charming priests who would NEVER commit such an atrocity. Because the town felt as you did toward him, she did not report it! It is just such an attitude as yours that protects them> They all are potential abusers. They sit in confession for hours, alone in the dark,: they are not permitted healthy sexual release::they dress in ridiculous feminine lacy and gaudy embroidered gowns, and they drink wine during their ceremony,early in the morning while still fasting .How do we expect such abnormal behavior to produce normal,balanced human beings?

Christina Chang: I grew up across a small street from the rectory and convent and spent a lot of time in the rectory doing odd jobs for the priests.I met many priests over the years, certainly more than you, and be assured ,they all could be abusers.I don't trust your experience or judgement. I also dated a girl who was fiercely,forceably, abused by a "fine young priest" in the rectory where she helped out getting the church ready for services. He was one of your beloved charmers who could NEVER be an abuser. And so predictably, she remained silent for many years.( I wonder if she ever told anyone other than me?)Why did he pick her(besides her attractiveness?) He learned about her sex life in the confessional!! That process is medievial and vile, and harmful to the priest as well. It should be abolished.My sainted Italian grandmother went to church every day, but she NEVER in her entire life sat in confession. I wonder if she is in " heaven? Knowing the priest's and seeing them almost every day,I " protected" myself by lying about my sex life when I sat in (forced) confession).

First children are taught not to get into cars with strangers, and now it's not to be left alone with a priest. How about removing the priest instead of warning children about the dangers of being left alone with a priest whom they've been taught to trust.
If the catholic church followed biblical direction for leaders of a church, this wouldn't be as big of an issue. But then again, there are a lot of "traditions" that the catholic church does that is not biblically based.

First children are taught not to get into cars with strangers, and now it's not to be left alone with a priest. How about removing the priest instead of warning children about the dangers of being left alone with a priest whom they've been taught to trust.
If the catholic church followed biblical direction for leaders of a church, this wouldn't be as big of an issue. But then again, there are a lot of "traditions" that the catholic church does that is not biblically based.

It's utterly ridiculous. While children should be taught about protecting themselves, the church needs to be sure that they are keeping on top of protecting their children. It should not be the childrens' responsibility to make sure that abusive priests aren't lurking around. There is such a strong symbol of using an angel to relay the message. Think about the power that the priests have had over the children that they abused. I am tired of the church thinking that they are the know all/see all of morality. Lisa

Interesting. While I don't disagree that kids should not be alone in a room with an adult, how are they explaning this to kids when they make their First Reconciliation?? I can't imagine the priests will go for leaving the door open....

It's about time. The Catholic Church has major problems in the morality arena. Apart from the problems with pedophilia in the clergy, the Church's meddling in politics for so-called "Pro-Life" candidates who are severely morally challenged, and here in Missouri the "Right to Life" PAC's pro-war, pro-tobacco, anti-healthcare and anti-education positions call into question the direction of their moral compass.