OT - Politics, Religion... the taboos

[RoadRaven]

I was raised catholic. I'll be recovering for the rest of my life! heh
~T~

LOL, this reminded me of a Billy Connelly show, he said " I went to a Catholic School - I majored in guilt"

Seriously though. Its not just priests who are guilty of this - It happens with people in a position of power... school teachers, cub scout leaders, doctorsetc... They may or may not be gay, but they do have issues with power and they do prey on the vulnerable.

Sometimes the vulnerable are young children, sometimes they are teenagers, sometimes they are the elderly and sometimes they are women.

Too often, rape or other sexual abuse is about power and control, not about sex... and like we all agree, sexual preference or tendancies has little to do with breaking moral, ethical or legal laws.

I am a survivor of rape (note - survivor, not victim) and if anyone did something remotely similar to one of my children, I am sure my response would be extreme, even if I had to bide my time.

[Trek420]

RoadRaven "Its not just priests who are guilty of this - It happens with people in a position of power... school teachers, cub scout leaders, doctorsetc... They may or may not be gay, but they do have issues with power and they do prey on the vulnerable."

yep yep, in the martial art I do, the first teacher I had and I trained with him from about 1979-83. I got too busy with college and stopped training for a couple years then came back to training, and he was gone, his assistant instructors headed the school.

Wha' happened?

It had been found due to some brave kids coming forward that he'd been abusing kids in the kids classes (just the girls). this was found out to be true and he was confronted and in an unprecedented move the head of our style stripped him of rank and forbade him to even train! I'm sure it was heart-wrenching for Saito Sensei because this guy was the favorite student.

But it had to be done and in the end he did the right thing.

Occaisionaly we hear rumor that he's somewhere leading a class or trying to train. But always seems like rumor. Recently he did show up at a dojo (school) in CA and was quickly recognised "oh, you. We've heard about you" and was quickly and simply presented with a letter, aparently there is a formal letter that he can not train anywhere ever again.

In a way I feel sorry for the guy, such a waste of talent. He was my teacher after all. Supremely talented, gifted but at minimum he's deeply flawed and possibly downright evil. I'm sure he knows that if not for that he'd be a master instructor by this time. Oh well.

[Irulan]

In a way I feel sorry for the guy, such a waste of talent. He was my teacher after all. Supremely talented, gifted but at minimum he's deeply flawed and possibly downright evil. I'm sure he knows that if not for that he'd be a master instructor by this time. Oh well.

I would never, ever feel sorry for someone who makes a choice to use their power/position inappropriately no matter how much supposed "talent" is being thrown away. How many abusers have had people make concessions because they were only caught once, they were an asset to the business or community in other ways, or they had a lapse in judgement or any of 10000 other excuses that charismatic abusers get away with. He made the decision to do the things he did, no one forced him or coerced him, unlike his victims.

Irulan

[Trek420]

poor choice of words on my part...First of all I've never understood why no legal action was not taken at the time, why he's not in jail .... or worse. As far as I know nobody sued, prosecuted...

I wasn't around the school when the "fit hit the shan" but I don't think there is a statute of limitations on this heinious (sp?) crime and even if there is it would not have been passed then.

The fact that it's around a martial art is most deeply deeply disturbing to me. that's the whole thing with power and the implication to a kid ... I'm surprised the guy is still on the planet.

and no I don't think pedophiles could ever ever change, rehabilitate whatever you want to call it, some people just take up space and oxygen on the planet that could better be used by others or ferns or whatever.

[slinkedog]

Okay, I'm chiming in, now. I grew up Catholic, but converted to Protestantism a long time ago. I am one who does not view pedophiles as homosexuals and vice versa.

I have to say that I do feel somewhat sorry for those who perpetrate crimes. We are all operating from some level of damage. Some of us are more damaged than others. Some of the severely damaged can go on to lead very healthy lives. Some cannot. I don't know if that is a matter of choice or a matter of frailty, but I don't think it's up to me to decide that. All who have been hurt have my compassion. Yes, I feel angry when I hear about someone being subjected to violence or abuse. It turns my gut. I do believe there is evil in the world, but I believe it's kind of a trickle-down effect, if that makes any sense at all.

This is not to say that I don't think people should be held responsible for their actions. We most certainly should be. However, I still feel badly for everyone involved. And I am thankful for the grace that has been bestown upon me by others all my life. I've needed all of it that I've gotten and then some!!

[Veronica]

And I am thankful for the grace that has been bestown upon me by others all my life.

I like that. It just struck a chord for some reason. Me - I thank god - or whoever is in charge - that I have it so good. I don't know how I got to this place, or if I deserve it, but I'm awfully thankful to be here.

V.

[slinkedog]

I like that. It just struck a chord for some reason. Me - I thank god - or whoever is in charge - that I have it so good. I don't know how I got to this place, or if I deserve it, but I'm awfully thankful to be here.

V.

Well said, V.

[trayc]

I haven't read all of the other posts yet so this comment might have already been made. As I am not catholic I don't know this information but isn't it true that boys make up most of the altar boys or other areas in church? If so, then that is the only reason that the priests abused boys. Pedophilia is a crime of opportunity and manipulation so it stands to reason that it was boys not girls abused because the priests had more of an opportunity with boys and not girls. It doesn't make the preists gay because they chose boys to prey on, they just had more of an opportunity to prey on these boys.