A Matrix-style poster depicting a Catholic priest as Neo isn't a spoof. The Catholic Church really is distributing these things. It's part of their
new recruitment campaign:
The poster's creator, the Rev. Jonathan Meyer, 28, associate director of youth ministries for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, says pop culture is the key to attracting young men to an occupation that has gotten bad press.
"If we can get high-school youth to hang a picture of a priest in their room, that's huge in helping young men to answer the call to the priesthood," the cleric said. "Anyone who is a 'Matrix' guru looks at the picture and automatically gets it."
Crucifix in hand, Father Meyer posed for the poster, rated R for "restricted to those radically in love with Jesus Christ." Running time is "all eternity," and its title reads, "The Catholic priesthood: The answer is out there ... and it's calling you."
I'm wondering how far the Neo as Catholic priest analogy can be extended. In the second Matrix movie, Neo has sex with Trinity. So how are we supposed to interpret that? In one sense it seems appropriate (priests are dedicating themselves to God, or the Holy Trinity), but in another way it doesn't seem to be the message the Church intended. (via
Notes From the Lounge)
A Matrix-style poster depicting a Catholic priest as Neo isn't a spoof. The Catholic Church really is distributing these things. It's part of their new recruitment campaign:
Comments
May St. Michael the Archangel Protect the One true Church.
Michael Vitale
A Matrix-style poster depicting a Catholic priest as Neo isn't a spoof. The Catholic Church really is distributing these things. It's part of their new recruitment campaign" And also KAOS please do not use the Bible as evidence as it is blatant you are no theologian and twist scripture with you foolish atheist ways because all you want to do is avoid the truth at all costs.I.E. NOT meant as an insult. Just the hard facts comspiracy theory boy. Look a U.F.O.! PEACE.
Please don't claim that this never happened as it has been well established in several of the criminal cases against the molesting priests. If you look back a ways in this thread, you'll see where I provided links to news stories about this.
In fact, the priest suspected of molesting the greatest number of boys was moved to the Vatican, putting him out of the reach of American prosecutors. This is grossly immoral and unconscionable.
YES! If you were a real vitner, you'ed do just that and burn out the entire field, as you know, infection and diseases left in the corner of a field, will eventually reinfect the crop time and time again until there's no goodness left in any grape at all! And as far as making fun of you is concerned, what the fuck are you on, Morphine! I certainly don't think that systematic organised child abuse is something to make joke's about! You're blatently making paedophile pathetic excuse's, which are classic divertive tactict's in the Ministery Of Defence Dog-Ma, and believe me, i broke my S.A.S. dad to bit's and piece's just looking in his eye, even though he went to malaya in 1942 for Wayko Burma Style training, and you and you're reverse psychology Freemason dogma shit is the fucking joke! So where have i written the joke???? where's the punchline???? Unless you're talking about you're Vatican's Condemnation of Jeanntte's, the Spannish type '$', that are known as May Polis, and you're Freemason Fama Fraturnitatis deal with the Europe and U.S. Military's Punch and Judy is the Football for the A.D.H.D, Assult Dad's Home Dromedary 'Ass' of a Wife Beating Club, so that DAD can fuck all the kid's for a Dollar, and make the daughter's their Scapegoat's in the all the Public Record's system's in Europe! A man made church has no God, only the left hemisphere Super Id, ie; Munchasen Syndrome, for short! And here's one for you to work out; who'se daddy would name their son a 'Nanny goat's Pleasure'? Answer: 'Zeigmond Freude' in German, got it yet? still jealous of a female shaking her Kundalini, then!
Nyx is upon us once again,
Let's throw a party,
Light a few fire's,
And make some profit,
Because the truth Dawn'd on everyone again!
So come on, WHY does the Vatican hide their paedophile Priest's around the globe then?? THERE'S NO LOGICAL EXCUSE WHATSOEVER, you just can't admit you're just an organised paedophile ring, dealing in drug's, money laundering, and beside's prostitution racket's RUN UNDER THE VERY NOSE'S OF THE JUDICAIL SYSTEM'S, is the BIGGEST ART SCAM via the German SS Freemason/Skull and Bone's Society's ketamine Experiment on Children that began in 1919! Talk about Global Warming, it's not the planet that's coming to the boiling point, it's YOUR FEAR of the imminant explosive bomshell that's going to explode into the Public Pavement about the your real Vatican's Rat-Singing War Tactict's, and underground Global paedophille ring's with the Military's protection! Now that ain't no joke, is it!
It is a POSTER, that's all. Can you handle that? Or are too small brained to comprehend that?
By the way, you don't happen to live in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, do you?
"Catholicism is RIGHT, in the Bible it says the true church will face persecution so thank you for just affirming Catholicism is the one true faith."
Even IF we accept the Bible as the "word of God" (a HUGE if), it has apparantly escaped your attention that the Catholic Church is far from the only church which has experienced persecution over the centuries.
I'm puzzling over how you see people rightly criticizing the Catholic Church for COVERING up pedophilia (a crime) as "persecution."
If YOUR child was molested by a priest, would you refrain from reporting that crime to the police on the grounds that it would be "persecuting" the church to do so? Yes or no.
"When you persecute the Church though you UNKNOWINGLY say "all priests molest boys" this bible is lies, etc... persecuting the church, which is what I was talking about, not a priest who got what he deserved"
Please show where I've ever said that ALL priests molest boys.
Clue: I never said any such thing.
"Also unless you literally have seen these "cover ups etc..." then you have no authority on this consiparcy theory topic personally you are assuming what is not granted an illogical error."
Please take a moment out of your undoubtedly busy schedule to look at some of my earlier postings in this thread. You'll see where I give my sources for the information that members of the Catholic Church's hierarchy covered up for some of the molester priests.
The fact that YOU are unaware of this evidence does NOT prove that it doesn't exist.
By the way, your notion that if a person hasn't personally seen something, then it can't possibly exist is highly irrational. Have you been to India? No? Then how can you be sure there really is such a place? Get the point?
Fianlly to this comment that Cranky said "Please show where I've ever said that ALL priests molest boys.Clue: I never said any such thing." Try not to take everyhting so literal. There is no need to try and read between the lines. I'm not using codes so when I generalize a statement like that I am simply trying to make a point in the short amount of time I have alloted to myself to type to you on this website. Hope you have a great day! Peace and many Blessings from God, and may The Blessed Virgin protect her sons Church during all its troubled time. "God"
Uh, yes, I know EXACTLY what "yellow journalism" means and I didn't link to the National Enquirer or anything like that. You would have known that if you actually looked.
"While they (the priests) may have resided in their respected Churches at a particular moment in time about 6 months to a year ago the Church not only fired them telling them they were not allowed to ever be a priest deacon etc... but had the authorities arrest them and had them face criminal prosecution."
Not true. I'm not aware of any case where Church officials themselves reported child molestation on the part of priests to the authorities. If you know of such, please give us links to reliable press reports about it. If you look at the links I gave you, you'd see where the priest who seems to have been the worst violator was relocated to the Vatican so as to take him away from U.S. police. That is indefensible.
As I see it, you have your conclusion already drawn and NO facts will change your mind. That's unfortunate; the Catholic Church DID cover up for the actions of some priests. Pretending it didn't happen won't change reality or help the victims get past what happened to them. Your concern should be for THEM, not for making excuses for the Church.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week525/cover.html
http://caribbeanhindu.net/Catholic_Priests.htm
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/207489
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0203/14/i_ins.01.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/breaking/2007/09/sd_diocese_settles_sexual_abus.html -
Now lets talk about YOUR websites.
1.Skeptic Forums is not a legitimate source to site MR. Media Guy. With all due respect to him, these people are like KAOS if he did heroine and smoked crack 50 times a day, excuse the harsh kind-of anagolgy.
2.You nalso cited a source "harpers" I believe it is. But on that same site it says Pope John Paul the 2nd (this was an old internet site from before he left this planet)said the priests in these scandals are in fact sinners and "regretted the dark shadow of supsicion" this has caused to be put directly over the Catholic Church. It also mentions how The Catholic Church has paid money saying that "While this is a regrettable thing to happen and we know money can not stop the hurt from these families we hope that it will help, even if it's just a little"
3.In your other cited sources the dates are circa 2003 and I'm sorry to say there isa thing called "time" that actually passes and well to be quite honest as is shown by just my five (out of nine) sources that a lot HAS changed since 2003.
Hope to hear back from you! "GOD"
"GOD"
In the article your first link goes to, there's NOTHING that says that the Church took any measures to inform law enforcement about the molesting priests. Yes, it says the Church apologized to victims AFTER IT WAS SUED AND SETTLED WITH THEM. Big whoop. In case you don't know, an apology is often specified as part of the settlement in a lawsuit.
From your second link:
"Since January, Cardinal Law, the nation's senior Catholic leader, has apologized twice for allowing Father Geoghan to be placed in a parish in 1984 when the cardinal knew of his pedophile past."
Hmm, so an upper-level Church person (the Cardinal) covered up for a molesting priest TWICE, by his own admission. In case this is lost on you, this proves MY point, not yours.
Your third link is an article about the Pope condemning abuse of children by priests but says NOTHING about the Church having cooperated with law enforcement to bring those priests to justice prior to the law suits brought by the victims.
From your fourth link:
"Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law is the most senior U.S. prelate. He and other church leaders knew about Geoghan's pattern of sexual abuse, but kept it secret, hoping to solve it, and moved him from parish to parish for years."
The fifth link starts off with:
"The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego has reached a $198.125 million settlement with 144 people who were sexually abused by Catholic priests and church workers."
Since you seem to have missed it, my point (which I thought was very clear) was that the Catholic Church had knowledge of priests molesting boys and DID NOT inform law enforcement about those crimes. One of your own links says precisely that.
Here was the sequence of events.
1: SOME priests molest boys, sometimes many boys and sometimes over a period of many years. Church officials, including Cardinal Law, knew about this but did NOTHING to stop it or turn the priests into the police.
2: Some of the victims, now grown-up, file lawsuits against the Church.
3: The Church says it will fight the lawsuits, which it claims are baseless.
4: The victims do not give in and continue to pursue the suits.
5: In the fact of the evidence, the Church settles the cases for millions of dollars.
5: Then and only then does the Church apologize to the victims (which it had previously claimed were lying) to save face with the public.
You seem to think that the Catholic Church deserves to be praised for apologizing to people who were hurt and exploited by priests after years of calling them liars. I don't.
To turn to "Mikey" for a moment, how exactly was I "dominated"?
I am talking about the right now in my comments though while you seem to be stuck in the past. Here is an excerpt from PBS: "Cardinal BERNARD LAW: I made a mistake in assigning John Geoghan. I regret that assignment.
SEVERSON: There were other mistakes. Within the last few weeks, the diocese has released the names of 80 other priests accused of sexual abuse. What was once a closely kept secret within the Church has now become an explosive issue -- one that threatens the tenure of Cardinal Law, a senior leader in the Church and a friend of the pope.
Cardinal LAW: My apology to them and to their family and particularly those who were abused in assignments, which I made, comes from a grieving heart.
3: The Church says it will fight the lawsuits, which it claims are baseless.
4: The victims do not give in and continue to pursue the suits.
5: Then and only then does the Church apologize to the victims (which it had previously claimed were lying) to save face with the public."
How exactly does that disprove your theory? WELL, it never said once that I remember that the Church fought the lawsuits. Where, from what LEGITIMATE site did you get that info? It never said in any yours or my sites that the Church said ANYONE was lying about being molested. What the sites DID say was that a Cardinal gave a priest a second chance. sorry for all of you non-christains out there but Jesus told us to give second chances and to forgive on another. His apostles even preached in Acts that Jesus was the Messiah and gave them second- chances to become Christians. Christianity IS about second chances. These sites of mine only go on to say that "the diocese has released the names of 80 other priests accused of sexual abuse.: Right there, right there it says that The Church has given over the priests to the authorities. This is also what my sites from PBS,Japan today, and sandiego news say started this whole "scandal" idea. When they realeased the news that Dioceses were now giving away names of the criminals and handing them over to the authorities the press had a field day. And as all press does, to make money they blew everyhting out of proprption. They made a mountain out of a molehill. I'm not saying the priests weren't wrong in molesting innocent children. they were wrong, but the Church gave away those priests to the authorities. The Church did nothing wrong. They only did what they thought was best for the Church. They gave the priests a second chance and when they failed that 2nd chance the Church handed them over to the authorities. THE cHURCH DID NOTHING WRONG AND NO I DON'T THINK THAT "the Catholic Church deserves to be praised for apologizing to people who were hurt by priests ." I JUST FEEL THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU need to calm dalm down for a second and rationally think things over. The Church did NOTHING wrong. The PRIEST DID. Not the Church.
For what I hope is the last time, I'll tell you AGAIN what I've been saying all along. The Catholic Church covered up the CRIME committed by priests who sexually molested children.
"God" claimed that that wasn't true. To "prove" his claim, he linked to articles which clearly said it WAS true. Sorry, but that's more than a little silly.
I NEVER SAID that the Church didn't "forgive" the molesting priests. OK, it did. So what?
What I said (which is 100% accurate) was that Cardinal Law and others in the Catholic Church hierarchy knew about the molestations and DID NOT report them to law enforcement or the families of the victims. As "God's" own links prove, that DID HAPPEN, which was the point of contention between us.
Now that he has been shown to be wrong on that point, "God" wants to change the discusion to whether or not the Church forgave the priests.
It doesn't matter if the Church forgave the priests. THE LAW says that if you have knowledge of a CRIME like sexual molestation, you are supposed to report it. Cardinal Law and others broke the law by NOT reporting the crimes. That is "obstruction of justice." There is no law that says if you "forgive" the molester, you don't have to report his crimes.
You know, I'm starting to feel like I'm watching a movie I've seen before.
Some time back, a person using a different name appeared on this thread. He followed the exact same pattern as "God." He, too, linked to articles which completely contradicted the point he was trying to make, which was identical to "God's."
When I pointed that out, his tone changed, his spelling got worse and he seemed to "lose it." Eventually, he was banned from the forum after lashing out incoherently and calling me names.
I'm sure you can guess what I'm thinking here.
"What the sites DID say was that a Cardinal gave a priest a second chance. Christianity IS about second chances."
Is Christianity also about breaking the law? As I've said repeatedly already, so what if the Church "forgave" the child molesting priests? Cardinal Law and others in the church's hierarchy BROKE THE LAW by NOT reporting their crimes to the police. "Forgiving" them is just a way to avoid doing what the law REQUIRED them to do. It added to the pain of the victims and created the possibility of causing MORE children to be sexually molested.
If that's acceptable to Catholics and the Catholic Church, I'm glad I'm no longer a member.
Ethan said:
"I still don't get how you did not understand "God's" position on this."
Oh, I understood it perfectly well. It was just irrelevant to what he was trying to argue with me about. I said that higher-ups in the Catholic Church had covered up the crimes of the priests who sexually molested children (and I was correct about that). "God" said I was wrong and then, to "prove" his point, gave us links to articles that showed me to be correct. Interestingly enough, Joshua did the exact same thing months ago.
"I bet you are a skinny, nerdy, little, white guy in his 40's that has nothing better to do than post stuff on here every day for the past 3 years or so."
Incorrect in every respect.
"Oh and I'm an atheist by the way so what now??????? My standing on this situation? I'm with 'God'"
"Sorry I had to. And yes I know I said I was a evangelical but know what? I'm not anymore after hearing what everyone here has written in "the name of God" Quite frankly I'm disgusted."
And I'M the one who should look up "cognitive dissonance?"
1."Judge lest not ye be judged"
2. "Let he whom has not sinned cast the first stone"
3."...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
...Or for you non-Catholics-
1. Don't judge people because of their faults etc... or you too will be judged just as if not more harshly than you judged.
2. Who are you to criticize one persons faults or errors for you to have made mistakes and not always done the right thing.
3. No one is perfect so why do you insist on judging people whom have made errors at a moment in their past, for you have too, and if you truly want to judge these priests please Cranky- tell me your most horrible sins/errors in judgement.
In conclusion either get a life or quit judging people for errors they have made in their past.
OK, for what I hope will be the last time, I'll explain this. I don't care if the Church "forgave" the child molesting priests. Under the law, those in the Church hierarchy had a REQUIREMENT to report what they knew to the police.
The fact that Cardinal Law and others "forgave" them for this sins in no way changes the fact that they broke the law by not reporting those crimes. Spritual forgiveness does NOT relieve you of your responsibility under the law.
Besides, don't you find it disgusting that Law and others allowed the priests to continue to be in contact with children AFTER THEY KNEW (by Law's own admission) that boys had been sexually abused?
You don't need to quote the Bible to me, thank you very much. I'm aware of that scripture; it isn't relevant to the legal situation.
"Do you even have kids and if so why would you lie to us about them being molested? That's not cool man."
Yes, I have two grown children. What exactly is it you imagine I "lied" about?
"You are more narrow-minded than those people who think the Beatles are actually good singers- but then again you probably do like that band."
And the irrelevancies begin.
"Anway to get back on topic... In the Bible and Qoran (If that is how you spell it) and Torah, or whatever etc...- All of them mention at LEAST once that God is above the law."
Uh huh. So what? This may come as a surprise to you, but America is NOT a theocracy, nor is it a "Christian nation." Priests and other clergy can be and have been arrested on more than one occasion. NOTHING in America says that a member of the clergy is above the law.
"So in other words the Church did what it felt was right and did what was the Biblically correct thing to do- they made the Church the final authority and when they deemed it necessary for those priests to got to jail- after giving them a second chance as "God" says best "...a Cardinal gave a priest a second chance."
Again, completely irrelevant to the law of the United States.
Apparently, in your fantasy world, a priest could murder someone and it would perfectly OK for the higher-ups in the Catholic Church to have knowledge of that and withhold it from the authorities. Fascinating. Also completely wrong.
"sorry for all of you non-christains out there but Jesus told us to give second chances and to forgive one another."
Uh, yeah, he did, but Jesus was speaking about SPIRITUAL forgiveness, not protection from civil penalties.
It's very sad that you think that a priest should be able to sexually molest many children and receive NO punishment for those disgusting acts.
I don't think that's "Christian." I think it's deranged.
"WOW- THANK YOU- APPARENTLY YOU ARE TOO IMMATURE TO HEAR THE TRUTH. end of discussion."
Well, you sure told me! (You WERE talking to me, right?)
I'm surprised you didn't go with, "I'm rubber, you're glue."
Some of you guys make me feel like a Major Leaguer playing Tee Ball at the Special Olympics.
1. For you information Cranky, America was FOUNDED by CHRISTIANS. This country was founded and based on Christian priciples and if you don't believe so you need more of that medication you're taking - whatever it is.
2."Yes, I have two grown children. What exactly is it you imagine I "lied" about?" Let me restate the question so you can understand me. Were your children ever molested and is this how you have this twisted view on this priest pedohilia situation?
3.You also said "NOTHING in America says that a member of the clergy is above the law." No that's true it does not but it also doesn't say people can't be in cults like the KKK, Or for example the Scientologist faith, and other cults most featuring suicide as a means to salvation. Just because American Laws have not covered EVERYHTING in the world regarding religions etc... does not mean that they are AGAINST their beliefs or in some cases FOR their beliefs (Like for instance the KKK's hanging and harassing of Jews, Catholics and Blacks.)
4. You also said "Apparently, in your fantasy world, a priest could murder someone and it would perfectly OK for the higher-ups in the Catholic Church to have knowledge of that and withhold it from the authorities. Fascinating. Also completely wrong." No not wrong. Completely Right actually. For as I stated before the Churches in countless religions believe that The Church is the final authority. And once again this Nation WAS founded on Christian principles so it is not wrong, they are not withholding it from the authorities they are simply dealing with it on their own, having no need to ask the authorities for help (except for when they desire it), because The Catholic Church founded by Christ himself believes that the Holy Spirit will guide the Church into the direction HE wants it to go. Thus the Church working under the guidance of The Holy Spirit does what they HE feels is best and so that is why they gave the priest's second chances. Because "Christianity is about getting second chances."
5."You said : "Uh, yeah, he did, but Jesus was speaking about SPIRITUAL forgiveness, not protection from civil penalties." I'm not talking about civil penalties. As molestation is a sin the Church "spiritually forgave" the piests, not with the intention of breaking the law or "protecting them from civil penalties" but with the intention of trying to be like Christ in every single aspect of life and once again hopefully for the last time they did this because Christiantiy IS about getting second chances.
"For you information Cranky, America was FOUNDED by CHRISTIANS. This country was founded and based on Christian priciples and if you don't believe so you need more of that medication you're taking - whatever it is."
Ah, personal insults: the last refuge of those who don't know what they're talking about.
No, sorry to break it to you, but American was NOT "founded and based on Christian principles."
If it was, wouldn't the Ten Commandments be the law of the land? You may not be aware of this, but it isn't illegal to NOT honor your father and mother. It is NOT illegal to "put another God before" the Christian God. Nor is it illegal to "covet another's wife" or "covet another's goods."
Yes, SOME (not all) of the Founding Fathers were Christians. They spent a very hot summer in Philadelphia working on the Constitution, arguing over every detail. Interestingly, they didn't include a single references to Jesus. Don't you think they would have if they really intended this to be a "Christian nation"?
The only official document of the U.S. government to my knowledge which actually addresses the notion of America being a "Christian nation" is the Treaty of Tripoli. The Treaty says that the "United States is in no way founded on the Christian religion."
By the way, just for laughs, you should do a little research on what some of the Founding Fathers had to say about religion in general and Christianity specifically. Some of the quotes are VERY amusing. Hint: they aren't what you'd like to believe they would be.
I realize that FACTS are of no interest to you in this case since they would disprove your no doubt deeply-held beliefs, but for many of the rest of us (especially those of us who don't like superstitious nonsense), they're pretty important. The facts don't support your opinions.
Let's see if I can predict what will happen next. You will either bring up the "In God We Trust" thing and the Pledge of Allegiance thing OR you will call me some names, say you're going to pray for me and stomp off.
Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli reads:
"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."
See, that's one of those "fact" things that you dislike so much. OK, what document of the United States government can you come up with which contradicts that quote?
Remember, it has to be an official document of the U.S. government which says that America is a "Christian nation" or words to that effect. No, personal opinions, no matter whose they may be, do NOT count.
Good luck chasing that chimera.
What I've been saying from the beginning of this discussion is that the LAW requires a person who has knowledge of child abuse to report such to the police. I never said anything at all about the Bible.
The fact is that what the Bible says is completely irrelevant to the laws of the United States. Priests can be, and have been, arrested. If what the Bible says was relevant, then one could get away with any crime, including murder according to I'm Not, by simply quoting it in one's own defense.
Saying "I'm not guilty because God has forgiven me" ain't gonna work in a court of law. Feel free to test your theory if you ever get into trouble.