Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I can only speak for myself and do so. I'm a 'survivor' of various forms of abuse from many years ago when I was institutionalized (ward of the state) between age 6-12. This is documented. I learned long ago not to wallow in self-pity, not to let someone tell me how 'scarred' I should be, that I should be encouraged to get back at those who wronged me, but rather to get on with my life.
And, I did.
But that's just me.
What would be so wrong with fighting (to one's capabilities) to get the "state" to change its ways for the better? I would think your insight could only help, if it ever came down to it.
I can only speak for myself and do so. I'm a 'survivor' of various forms of abuse from many years ago when I was institutionalized (ward of the state) between age 6-12. This is documented. I learned long ago not to wallow in self-pity, not to let someone tell me how 'scarred' I should be, that I should be encouraged to get back at those who wronged me, but rather to get on with my life.
And, I did.
But that's just me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LuminousTruth
What would be so wrong with fighting (to one's capabilities) to get the "state" to change its ways for the better? I would think your insight could only help, if it ever came down to it.
Life was quite different back in the day. Abuse was still abuse but it wasn't taken as seriously as it is present day. No excuse ...simply a fact. Many things would not have been reported to the police because few would have even thought to. This was simply not the thinking back then. We've been conditioned these days to accept a police state. Society wants to lock up everyone who steps out of line because this IS the thinking today. It wasn't back then.
Also, bear in mind that psychologists were not stirring the pot by telling 'abuse victims' how mentally scarred (for life, no less!) that they were. If one is told something enough times by 'experts' then so they are. I don't mean to make light of this but few people are scarred for life unless they choose to be. But, psychologists and social workers have to justify their existence somehow.
Okay, we know that abuse occurred. Okay, we know how appalled we all are. Okay, we know that we must prevent these things from happening in the future. And we will from now on. We're now more enlightened than we possibly could have been decades ago. Please bear in mind the time factor! The 1950s (for me) were not the year 2016. Yes, we already know what happened without continually covering the same ground. The past is the past. Let's move on.
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
10,202 posts, read 7,945,607 times
Reputation: 4561
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomulusXXV
Life was quite different back in the day. Abuse was still abuse but it wasn't taken as seriously as it is present day. No excuse ...simply a fact. Many things would not have been reported to the police because few would have even thought to. This was simply not the thinking back then. We've been conditioned these days to accept a police state. Society wants to lock up everyone who steps out of line because this IS the thinking today. It wasn't back then.
Also, bear in mind that psychologists were not stirring the pot by telling 'abuse victims' how mentally scarred (for life, no less!) that they were. If one is told something enough times by 'experts' then so they are. I don't mean to make light of this but few people are scarred for life unless they choose to be. But, psychologists and social workers have to justify their existence somehow.
Okay, we know that abuse occurred. Okay, we know how appalled we all are. Okay, we know that we must prevent these things from happening in the future. And we will from now on. We're now more enlightened than we possibly could have been decades ago. Please bear in mind the time factor! The 1950s (for me) were not the year 2016. Yes, we already know what happened without continually covering the same ground. The past is the past. Let's move on.
We still go after Nazi war criminals, rightfully so.
We should still go after pedophilia priests, rightfully so. Once we are done with that, then we can move on, not before.
As an addendum to the above. Again, I don't want to make light of the topic or come across as being insensitive. I just think we need to reach a point (this witch-hunt has been going on for decades!) where we make sure that it doesn't happen again (and I think we have) but move on.
My god. That sounded like 'Do your worst. You will not be able to do anything about it - the priests are protected by a powerful organization.'
Quote:
Originally Posted by RomulusXXV
As an addendum to the above. Again, I don't want to make light of the topic or come across as being insensitive. I just think we need to reach a point (this witch-hunt has been going on for decades!) where we make sure that it doesn't happen again (and I think we have) but move on.
Maybe I am unfair. That sounded like "all the time you are digging up old cases, the effort could be better put into preventing new ones."
Why is the rcc asking for past offenses to be protected by statue of limitations on the basis of lapse memory but are prepared to not have a limitations on new offenses? Because of the cover ups. I think they have made big strides, the problem is that abuse was so protected in the past. The Priest in the town I grew up in was shifted from town to town, not for abusing kids he was great with them, but for being to close to his housekeeper.
Some of it is just pragmatic. Settlements have cost them billions worldwide, over and above the loss of credibility and moral leadership. I'm sure their bean counters and attorneys are wanting to staunch the flow of both money and members out of the church. It's not just direct legal costs and fines and settlements, either, it is the reduced giving and catholic school patronage from an increasingly disillusioned membership.
While Catholics have dropped only slightly as a percentage of world population in the past century (from 17% to 16%) their geographic distribution has shifted away from relatively affluent Europe to poorer regions like subsaharan Africa and the Caribbean. They are projecting power much further and getting much less back for the coffers per capita I would suspect. Thus a sustained serial exposure of pedophile priest tales is a disaster.
The irony of this supposedly spiritual organization behaving just like a corporation is hard to miss. Protect shareholder value and who cares about doing the Right Thing, setting wrongs right, or preventing further harm!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That sounded like 'Do your worst. You will not be able to do anything about it - the priests are protected by a powerful organization.'
...knock ourselves out...
