Thursday, April 8, 2010

THE VATICAN STRIKES BACK AND SCAPEGOATS GAY PEOPLE

[Bishop] Bernando Álvarez said that there are 13 year olds who are wanting to be abused, and 'if you are careless they will provoke you' (See here.)

More recently:

The Vatican heatedly defended Pope Benedict XVI, claiming accusations that he helped cover up the actions of paedophile priests are part of an anti-Catholic "hate" campaign targeting the Pope for his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

Vatican Radio broadcast comments yesterday by two senior cardinals explaining "the motive for these attacks" on the Pope and the Vatican newspaper chipped in with spirited comments from another top cardinal.

"The Pope defends life and the family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, in a world in which powerful lobbies would like to impose a completely different" agenda, Spanish Cardinal Julian Herranz, head of the disciplinary commission for Holy See officials, said on the radio.


[For the full article, see here.]

Notice, how the pedophile and ephebophile scandal that has rocked the RC Church throughout the world is being diverted by the Pope's spokesmen into the alleged motives of those holding the Pope to account for this debacle by stating, "The Pope defends life and the family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, in a world in which powerful lobbies would like to impose a completely different agenda...."

So, advocacy of civil rights for Gay people which, of course, includes the right to marriage, is used and is seen as the culprit by these Vatican toadies (seemingly trying to portray the Pope as a victim), rather than the coverups by assorted clergy of pedophiles and ephebophiles in their very midsts who have been allowed to be shuffled to other parishes by assorted bishops where they have been free to prey on other young men and children. And these pathetic, perhaps hypocritical and mendacious, apologists for the Pope don't even have the decency to blush!

We saw this same tactic, scapegoating of gay men, used by the current Pope a couple of years ago when he did a virtual witch hunt to weed out people with "deep seated homosexual tendencies" and those who support "the gay culture."

Check this out:

"The Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'.

"Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women.

"One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.

"Candidates who show a homosexual tendency will not be allowed into the priesthood unless they can demonstrate that they have been able to remain chaste for at least three years."

The Vatican's current stance on homosexuality dates back to 1961 where a ruling said that being gay was a "perverse inclination."


[For the full article, see here.]

Scapegoating members of a minority group about whom it is felt that it is safe to persecute is nothing new when people seek to defend the indefensible! Rather than admit that pedophiles have their own unique sexual orientation apart from their being heterosexuals or homosexuals, the Vatican seeks to defend the RC Church and the Pope by blaming gay men whose sexuality it says is a "perverse inclination."

To call child molestation of a boy by a man "homosexual" or of a girl by a man "heterosexual" is to misunderstand pedophilia. No true pedophile is attracted to adults, so neither homosexuality nor heterosexuality applies. Accordingly,[Dr. Gregory] Herek suggests calling men's sexual abuse of boys "male-male molestation" and men's abuse of girls, "male-female molestation."

Interestingly, Anna C. Salter writes, in "Predators, Pedophiles, Rapists and other Sex Offenders", that when a man molests little girls, we call him a "pedophile" and not a "heterosexual." Of course, when a man molests little boys, people say outright, or mutter under their breath, "homosexual. Herek writes that because of our society's aversion to male homosexuality, and the attempts made by some to represent gay men as a danger to "family values," many in our society immediately think of male-male molestation as homosexuality. He compares this with the time when African Americans were often falsely accused of raping white women, and when medieval Jews were accused of murdering Christian babies in ritual sacrifices. Both are examples of how mainstream society eagerly jumped to conclusions to that justified discrimination and violence against these minorities. Today, gays face the same kind of prejudice.


[For the full article, see here.]

In recent years, the Catholic Church in the United States has paid over $2 billion in abuse settlements. In Ireland, some parishes have said they may have to take up a Sunday collection to help fund abuse settlements. (See here.)

The RC Church that allows children to be sexually preyed upon over generations, and seeks to cover up that obscenity, and seeks to buy the silence of the abused victim and cause agonizing pain to the families of those children, is nothing short of perverse!

It's the RC Church that is perverse in this matter, and it complicates its perversity by blaming gay men for its scandal. Moreover, the RC Church contributes to its own perversity by turning away out and emotionally intact gay men from their seminaries, and by default accepting (if not tacitly encouraging) many self-loathing closet cases who are likely to lack emotional/sexual maturity, virtually setting up a petrie dish to act out their immaturity on vulnerable pre and post pubescent children. This latter group are not likely to be gay as much as they are likely to find it easy to emotionally and sexually relate to pre and post pubescent children, making them pedophiles and ephebophiles, and not gay men at all!

Gay men have an emotional and sexual affinity to other men; lesbians have an emotional and sexual affinity to other women. Pedophiles whose victims are either boys or girls have a completely different sexual orientation altogether!

Moreover, by blaming gay people, and bearing false witness against them, contravening one of the Ten Commandments, clergy in the hierarchy of the RC Church are betraying their ignorance and/or hatefulness toward Gay people and toward God's creation, which contravenes Jesus' commandments to us to love and not judge others! In addition, they idolize their own dogma regarding Gay people, and by so doing contravene an other one of the Ten Commandments.

Although apologizing for the pain suffered by victims of clergy abuse, during this past Palm Sunday celebration, "The pontiff said faith in God helps lead one "towards the courage of not allowing oneself to be intimidated by the petty gossip of dominant opinion". (See here.)

"Petty gossip of dominant opinion?" What's so petty about expressing revulsion and outrage at child sex abuse lasting for countless generations, aided and abetted by assorted clergy and bishops in their desire to place the image of the Roman Catholic Church over and above the well-being of children and their parents who trusted those who horribly betrayed them? Harry Truman showed more decency and courage than does this Pope when he said, "The buck stops here!"

This Pope attributes the heat he is feeling about these scandals to the "Petty gossip of dominant opinion."

What gall!
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8 comments:

DC HAMPTON JACOBS said...

Jerry,

Not what gall, but what contempt for the lay Catholics he's supposed to be "shepherding". When people want to tell me Pope Ratzi a religious leader, I have the same response that I give to those who want to say Dan Savage a Gay Rights leader. You know it only too well: "Smear lipstick all over that pig, as much as you want! Any color, any flavor, any brand! It's still pork to me, and I'm not having any!"

Jerry Maneker said...

Hi Don Charles: When protecting any institution, be it "religious" or not, trumps the welfare of children and adults, be it by sexual abuse, toxic rhetoric, or discrimination, that institution has nothing to do with the things of God!

Nowhere in the Bible will we see Jesus condemning anyone, save for the legalistic Pharisees who sought to put yokes of bondage onto others, and who excluded from fellowship those who didn't adhere to their rules and regulations, their doctrines and dogmas.

The Pope and the Vatican, modern day Pharisees, and their minions, have caused untold suffering to countless numbers of people, and no decent person, no Christian, no LGBT person, has any business giving credibility to that institution by his/her presence and money.

And the same must be said for all denominations and churches who bear false witness against LGBT people, and who seek to deprive them of full and equal civil and sacramental rights.

Moreover, any Gay person who attends such churches betrays his/her self-loathing, despite rationalizations and rhetoric to the contrary; enables and facilitates homophobic clergy to continue to attack them and all LGBT people with impunity. Best wishes, Jerry.

Unknown said...

This does NOT surprise me...

Jerry Maneker said...

Hi Gayte-keeper: I truly believe that equal right for LGBT people must be fought in two arenas: the courts, and homophobic denominations and churches. In fact, it would be desirable for Lambda Legal, for example, to file a class action suit against the RC Church (and one or more other homophobic denominations and churches) for spreading lies about LGBT people and thereby helping to cause suicides, assaults, and murders of LGBT people. The best defense is a good offense! Best wishes, Jerry.

genevieve said...

Jerry, it hurts and angers me when LGBT people desire spritual nourishment but are rebuffed. You could say that the Pope is complicit in the deaths of innocent LGBT people.

Jerry Maneker said...

Hi genevieve: As long as the Vatican states that being Gay is a "disorder," and acting on it is "evil," I can't see how spiritual nourishment can be found in the RC Church. There are some good clergy in the RC Church, but even they are subservient to Vatican and Papal dictates.

For spiritual nourishment within the Christian framework, if one wants to worship where he/she is unconditionally accepted, I recommend a Metropolitan Community Church, some United Church of Christ churches, some Disciples of Christ churches.

Why would a person attend a church that calls him/her disordered? Best wishes, Jerry.

Derek said...

You are an anti-Catholic bigot with an agenda to promote a form of psychopathology and nothing more. Your hate campaign is being seen for what it is.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Vatican+envisions+enemies+pope+root+scandal/2787403/story.html

Jerry Maneker said...

Hi Derek: I'm posting your comment as is, and let others decide the nature of the "psychopathology" that is at issue here. Best wishes, Jerry.