I have a friend who is baptist and we don't see eye to eye on alot of religious issues.And since i am catholic,this has started to kill our relationship.But i will never put down my catholic religion,as he keeps saying i should leave the church, I told him this would be like turning my back on everything i believe,and by no means will i ever leave the catholic church.And he doesn't believe that the catholic church was the first christian church(jesus Church) Won't the clergy accused of these actions go to heaven like the rest of us catholic's by asking god for forgiveness of there sins.Sorry for rambling but i'm sick of everyone jumping on this (catholic priests media bandwagon,and i'm sick of seeing it portrayed that way on every tv show i see.Just last week boston public jumped on the bandwagon by having there show,portray a catholic priest as a child molestor.Well answer the best you can from my venting.

-- Andrew m Tillcock (Drewmeister7@aol.com), December 07, 2002

Answers

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

Dear Andrew, Of course they will, if they repent of their sins and ask forgiveness. If your friend doesn't want to believe that the Catholic church was the original Christian Church, just ask him to produce a writing from any other Christian Church prior to the 11th century. You can certainly show him documents of the Catholic Church dating at least back to the 2nd century. Peace, Paul

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), December 08, 2002.

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

Hi ANdrew- well it's hard to be patient with people who go overboard with the blame, but it's also hard living with the fact that these things happened. It is disheartening. But of course anyone who repents and asks is forgiven, just like you and me. Why would they be any different???

The way I see it the reaction of the press and the public and the TV series etc etc is just something we have to sigh and put up with, because these things really did happen, and they are a real burden put upon all Catholics now. It doesn't matter if most priests are good men, and loving and faithful and true...terrible things did happen, we can't deny that. And it would be terrible to deny it, because so many people were hurt. I understand your venting tho- really do. Maybe the best thing we can do is to accept the problems as fact, but also to pray very hard for all priests, both those who sinned in this regard, and for those who have not. I really don't know WHO has the harder path to travel right now. Neither seem very good to me. But God bless them all, and of course, the victims of any abuse, who I am sure hurt so very much.

But certainly we can still understand the anger over any abuse, or covering up of abuse. I'd be mad too, I'd be beyond angry if it were MY child.

But an innocent priest could be my child too. God help anyone who falsely accused him.

What are we to do???

Suffer and pray, I think. It will be OK eventually.

It's not easy tho. Well God bless you too.

XOXO Jane

But certainly we need to support the priesthood.

-- Jane (jane@don't like spam.either), December 08, 2002.

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

Thanks and god bless you both too, paul and jane,and i will pray for all involved and for a speedy end.

-- Andrew m Tillcock (Drewmeister7@aol.com), December 08, 2002.

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

But what about the young boys whos bummicks are ruined for life - they have nigtmares and turn hommosexual when they have had sex in the recctum- the Sin on these boys is the turnning them toward Satan and his hommosexual Ways and for that the hommosexuals Cannot be forgiven for somdomising the boy's bummicks - Gerald Krivilec

-- Gerald Krivilec (gerser4555@alembic.com), December 08, 2002.

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

Of course they can be forgiven, but the difficult thing is, do they care about being foriven? I am not speaking of all, but some of them.That pedophaelia, get a good hold on these guys.The answer with the bummicks is right, What about some of those kids, who may never be able to enter a healthy marriage relationship? These homosexuals do not have kids of their own, so they have to recruit.

-- ed Richards (loztra@yahoo.com), December 08, 2002.

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

Thank you gerald and ed,you are also correct in stating that the kids suffered and will probably suffer for the rest of there lives,I pray this kind of thing never happens again.I know what has happened is horrific but i don't want to see the entire catholic church bashed again and again so frequently.These few invovled in the investigation don't account for a micro of the full body of the catholic church so I don't know what else to say.

-- Andrew m Tillcock (Drewmeister7@aol.com), December 08, 2002.

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

Anyone who truly repents of their sins and seeks God's forgiveness will be forgiven. That's the entire basis of Christianity. Look it up. :-)

-- Christine L. :-) (christine_lehman@hotmail.com), December 09, 2002.

Response to Will the priests in the sex investigation receive full forgiveness of there sins

Yes, the can and should be forgiven. HOWEVER, they should ALSO be held criminally responsible for their crimes. Who knows, maybe a lifetime in prison would give them some empathy for their victims.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), December 10, 2002.