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Randy Doverall wrote:

Hi, guys —

  • Why do Catholic priests assault young kids so often?
  • Why does this keep happening? : (

Randy

  { Why do Catholic priests repeatedly assault young kids and wasn't Jesus a Communist? }

Eric replied:

Dear Randy,

Actually studies — by Protestants (See Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis by Philip Jenkins) — have shown that the rate of abuse for Catholic priests is not materially different from Protestant married clergy.

The difference is that the Catholic Church is large, organized, has big coffers and meticulously documents what it does, and so attracts lawsuits and publicity. Also, people so hate what She stands for that they want to take Her down so this feeds the media frenzy.

Eric

Randy replied:

Hey Eric!

Thank you for your response!

  • Okay, that's fair but why priests?

I read an overview of that book, but not the book. I don't think that I want to buy it to read it, but I'm really troubled about all of this coming to light in the media. Maybe there is a bias toward Catholics, as we are a country built on Protestant values (which I don't consider a good thing). However:

  • Why Christian priests then?
  • Even among clergy for any religion, why is this so common amidst a specific group of people?
  • What are they teaching in seminary schools, or priest schools, or whatever?
  • Is it just sick people that get into this stuff?

I just don't get it and the Church spends millions of dollars settling cases like this. It's disgusting and my parents are funding it every Sunday with their church donations. Maybe, according to that book you recommended, other religions are doing this too. This is awful and I could never bring myself to support an organization that does this.

Randy

Bob replied:

Dear Randy,

Ultimately the reason that this is happening is demonic.

A little over a century ago (1884), Pope Leo XIII had a vision of the devil challenging God, promising that, if he was given sufficient time and access, he could destroy the Church. So God gave him a time (essentially the 20th century).

During that time, Communism spread throughout the world as was testified in Congress by Bella Dodd and in other testimony, it was said that the Communists infiltrated the Church with a deliberate intent to destroy it from within.

There were many elements to the strategy, but:

  • homosexual clergy
  • satanism, and
  • other facets of destruction

were intentional.

There have been scandals in an unprecedented manner in every vile category as the fruit of those planted seeds have ripened. If not for the promise Christ made to Simon Peter, the Church would simply be ashes by now. (Matthew 16:13-19 foretold in Isaiah 22:15-25)

There is a spiritual battle raging in the world but especially for the soul of the Church.

  • Are we shocked by the depravity that has gripped many clergy? <Absolutely.>
  • Are we going to abandon the Church and the good priests who still do battle with the powers of darkness seeking to destroy us all? <Never.>

We must choose sides, and I, with all my brothers and sisters that truly seek to follow Christ, put on the armor of God and wage battle every day through:

  • prayer
  • sacrifices, and
  • a quest for holiness.

That is the call; that is the game plan.

Peace,

Bob Kirby

Randy replied:

Hey Bob!

Thank you for your response!

This sounds bogus to me.

  • Do you have any references or places where I can research this?

By the way, according to the Bible, Jesus is a Communist.

23 I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:23-24)

Randy

Eric replied:

Randy,

  • In what way does Matthew 19:23-24 demonstrate that Jesus was a Communist?
  • How do you define Communism?

Eric

Bob replied:

Randy,

In ancient times many cities had gates that were narrow and had low arches. If you tried to pass through on a camel you would get stuck, unless your camel was made to go low (a deep bow analogous to humbling oneself). If one was especially rich and his camel were saddled with overstuffed bags, the problem was even more difficult, so the saying Jesus used would not be lost on his audience. Impossible to pass through, no, but difficult and requiring humility.

It has nothing to do with wealth per se but attachment to wealth that supersedes ones love for God. Jesus taught us that God comes first, before everything else: money, people, power, possessions, etc. That doesn't mean He condoned a governmental system that abrogates all rights to the state and denies religious freedom, which is what Communism does.

Here is a simple google search on Bella Dodd you can do. Google this in and do your own research:

Peace,

Bob Kirby

Randy replied:

Hi guys,

I don't know how you don't see it. It's textbook Marxism.

That verse I sent is a good synonym for the French Revolution type of Communism. You know, revolution and guillotines but instead of me defining Communism, I can send more biblical clues.

44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

Acts 2:44-45


The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'

44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Matthew 25:31-46

These are hugely Communist ideas.

Also, this has nothing to do with my question about clergy assaulting the youth. I would really appreciate if we could stick to the subject.

Randy

Mike replied:

Dear, Randy —

When you state:
By the way, according to the Bible, Jesus is a Communist.

This interpretation completely contradicts who Jesus is and what Christianity is. Any Christian would rebut this erroneous interpretation immediately before answering your original question.

You said:
Also, this has nothing to do with my question about clergy assaulting the youth. I would really appreciate if we could stick to the subject.

You said:

  • Why do Catholic priests assault young kids so often?

Because they, like us, are sinners.

We are all sinners due to the fall of Adam and its consequences: a temptation to love the flesh. Deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes are just as fully human as you and me. They have temptations and fall into sin just like us.

At the same time, you can't paint all priests with the same brush. We have some excellent priests who live model examples of holiness. The mass media may want you to paint with a broad brush but that would be unjust and untrue.

I remember hearing about some Protestant observers who were overseeing the events of Vatican II. One observer thought the Church was falling apart and appeared chaotic. He questioned a Catholic Cardinal on this and, paraphrasing the Cardinal, He said:

We've been trying to destroy this Church [by our sins] for about 2,000 years and can't; it's got to be Divine!

You have to separate:

  • Behaving scandalously and
  • Retaining True Church Teachings.

They are two different things. To the faithful, the key thing we notice is that the official teachings of the Church have never changed!

  • Why?

Because it is not our Church, it's Jesus' Church; a Church with a lot of saints and a lot of sinners, so come join us!

You said:

  • Why does this keep happening?

I wrote a commentary to answer your question with a suggestion for a remedy. You can read it here:

Hope this helps,

Mike

Bob replied:

Randy,

  1. Communism takes away from individuals by force and redistributes it to others.
  2. Christianity impresses upon the individual to act responsibly toward their neighbor's welfare by freedom of the will.

Both seem to have the material welfare of people in view, however:

  • one acts in Love
  • the other by forceful coercion, depriving others by coercion.

The Christian answers to a just God, who impresses on his conscience how he should act; the other [the communist] answers to unjust men who impose their will on others.

This is the masquerade of Communism: there is no love, only class warfare and resentment.

Jesus said, "the poor you will always have with you . . ." (Matthew 26:11), and did not discourage the lavish anointing with oil He was offered. (John 12:1-8) He never said His Mission was to eradicate poverty, but rather to save souls.

Your equivocation doesn't work. Freedom is central to one and not the other.

Bob

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