Some of our friends have been nurses for years and they have told us about young girls, some 12, 13 and 14 years old, coming into the hospital PREGNANT, some giving birth. Now, how come I did not hear about the raids on these peoples houses, CPS taking these girls away from the families?

Hello Pilot,

Darlins64 stated much of what I wanted to say, but I will put in a bit more. Priests, pastors, even teachers, should be held to a higher standard. The betrayal of some priests is horrendous, especially when they attack the most innocent among us.

What numbers are showing is that most of the abuse occured between 1960 and 1984. Of the allegations in 2006, 71% involved abuse that took place between those years, according to a report published in the Catholic Lighthouse of May '07.

From my point of view, much of the homosexual predation occurred because men who were unfit for the priesthood were ordained in the 60s and 70s, as the Church "opened" itself up to the standards of the culture (somewhat) after Vatican II. This is not an excuse, but does provide a partial answer for getting to the root of the problem.

Since the scandal broke in 2002, and even before, reforms were made in the seminaries to eliminate those young men unfit for the priesthood, for stricter reasons. This has helped immensely, as we see now that our younger priests ordained in the 90s and this new century are faithful, orthodox priests who support the teachings of the Church, and any "free love" aspects have been rooted out and proved incorrect for the priesthood.

Also, the Church has put in background checks of all personell, from priests, CCD teachers, down to custodians. This is a good thing, and should have been done earlier. As a CCD teacher, I had to undergo a background check. Because of our education policy in our diocese in which the children are taught about "inappropriate behavior" of adults, a child told of his family member who was molesting him, and the family member was dealt with through the authorities. There might be more out there who have spoken up.

I can appreciate hyperbole, but unfounded hyperbole I don't.  I agree that the bad priests give the rest a bad name, and ammunition for others. But I also realize that there are a myriad of good priests out there who do not stray from their calling and help millions of people.

Pilot, while it is true that there were some Catholic Priests who sexually abused both male and female children, that does not mean ALL priests are child molesters.  Don't get me wrong, I believe that it is especially horrendous that a priest would defile an innocent child, and cause them such agony, guilt, shame, pain - physically, emotionally and spiritually --- And Christ Himself gives specific warnings about harming a child..... These pedophiles, priests, ministers, pastors, teachers, CEO's, band directors, athletic coaches, bulldozer operators, actors and lowlife scum.... will have a special place in hell for their actions. 

It is unfair for you to put ALL priests and the Pope in the same category as those who perpetrated those acts.  There are good people who become priests.... my cousin, Fr. Martin McGuill is one of those good priests who'd never harm a child!  The late Fr. Wolfgang of Victoria loved the children of his parish and would have NEVER harmed them!  As a former catholic, I could name many priests who were wonderful!  (And my reasons for leaving the Catholic church are simple:  I married a Lutheran and wanted to attend a church as a family... it was far easier for me to become Lutheran than it was for him to become Catholic... The doctrines are virtually the same....)

As far as the FLDS goes, in this particular case... I have mixed feelings.  I don't see why they would take 400 children away from their mothers based on an anonymous phone call.  However, I was watching the Today program this morning, and 3 women were interviewed.  Their answers were rehearsed, vague, and un-emotional.  If my children were taken away from me because I was a member of a certain church, you'd better believe that I would leave the church in an instant and find another one.....   When asked at what age are girls allowed to marry, the mothers refused to give an answer!  So there is something to be suspicious about... I don't think it should involve taking away children, but it warrants investigation.

Pilot, there's nothing vague about "prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."  In this case, where's the proof?  There was a telephone call from someone who claimed to be a sixteen year old victim, but the authorities have yet to find her.  I'm betting this was a put up call from the state which was looking for an excuse to go into the FLDS compound.  The only people who the state says was at risk were pubescent girls being forced to marry older men.  Even if true, and we haven't seen any evidence of that, why separate all the kids from their mothers?  Good luck getting over 400 kids adopted!  Are the taxpayers going to be expected to raise them?  Not exactly the way I want my tax dollars spent.

Those people, like the Branch Davidians before them, have been living their lives the way they see fit and practicing their religion the way they see fit and the government just can't stand for people to exercise that much freedom.  "Congress shall make NO LAW..."  It's not vague and it's not hard to understand unless you work for the government.  In that case, the Constitution doesn't apply.

May well be that he is a "man of god". I am sure that is what all of the priests who have been caught and exposed in the "Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal", as well as the many more who have escaped detection, have to a man(?) claimed. Fact is, since I was born in 1950, the Catholic church has paid out billions(with a B) of dollars in settlements in "absolving" the sexual abuse of young altar boys and parishoners. The track record is there in public record for these "celibate" men. The male body was designed by the creator to perform a natural function, and many of these dudes who swear to lay off of women in the name of God, obviously have another purpose in mind, and are not particularly bashful about acting on their own unnatural urge. Is it only the church? No, it is not. It is rampant among law enforcement, the prison system, the workplace, schools, and oh, the general public. The deal is, that the clergy kinda sticks out like a sore......er, thumb, when it comes to the unholy practice of homosexual pedophilia. I think it's a matter of in general, not exactly "practicing what they preach" for very many of them. Much like lawyers, it is the unscrupulous ones that give the rest a bad name...........

Pilot, for you to allude to the pope as the King of the Pedophiles is pathetic.

 Benedict is a man of God, and his message is "Christ Our Hope." 

Want to find a real coven of pedophiles? Check out the public school system, which according to Carol Shakeshaft,  a Hofstra University professor, has an epidemic of sexual abuse. Shakeshaft helped to prepare the U.S. Department of Education's draft report on "No Child Left Behind" and she stated to Education Week magazine, "So we think the Catholic Church has a problem? The physical sexual abuse of students in schools is likely more than 100 times that of the abuse by priests." (NCR 9/2/06)

AND if you read the AP report in 2007, the sexual abuse in public schools is STILL going on, while people interested in bashing religion turn the other way while getting their jollies talking about Playmates and internet porn on their blogs.

 

NIce job of being vague on the "prohibiting the free exercise thereof".........I don't think that was intended to be a mask for a bunch of old guys locking a flock of puberty age girls behind game fences in a remote west Texas hell hole and forcing them to be one of a stable of "wives" for a bunch of dirty old men acting in the name of "God", making more hand picked dirty old men and a slew of concubines for the guys who don't get culled for having some morals.  Sorry, but to qualify as being able to "freely practice", they need to do it above board for all to see and comply with our laws. You know, like that other sect......the one with the King of Pedophiles, the old guy in the hat, on his American Stadium Tour '08. I will have to admit, I admired the Chronicle for putting a story about and African group of Christians on page one today, bumping the papal visit back into the bowels of the paper with "Finger" Furniture, and the stories about the rest who our society seems to worship.......Britney, Ashley and Mary Kate, and Miley Ray Cyrus and Beyonce'. 

Home schooling is just that. It is a responsible parent looking, assessing, and knowing that they can meet state criteria, and still are willing to make the necessary sacrifice and to do a better job.......at home. There are preset curricula and guidelines set by the Texas Education Agency that must be adhered to. Nothing secretive about that. Nothing sinister. As a matter of fact, I would guess that whether the students be Muslim, Hindu, Baptist, Catholic, or Mormon, that they might even allow them to take time for prayer or meditation, should they choose to do so. I seriously doubt, that there are many if any FLDS or any other secretive cults practicing illegal sex with minors, or polygamy openly who have applied to the TEA for permission to home school.

I still say something about this raid stinks. Where is this mysterious 16 year old?

Looks like abuse going on but the execution of this order has a strong odor, much like Waco but without the violence. They knew for 4 years this was going on and waited till now to do this, in this manner? Without a doubt they need some good Constitutional lawyers. The kids are getting some trama from those that claim they are "rescuing them".

Hope the home school society's are keeping their ducks in a row. Never know what the guvmint will call abuse Rebecca, California is already heavy at work.

I just had an idea.  Why didn't they put up HUGE billboards outside of the camp displaying messages like,  "Don't want to marry that old man?  Call 1-800-get-help" or something similar.  (1-800-uget-out)  HUGE billboard visible to all camp residents.  You know, you could even make frequent flybys with airplanes and pull a huge banner with a similar message.  Like Port Lavaca Ford did.  Remember that?

Great point Rebecca.  They let the children 4-yrs. old and younger stay with their mothers. Well, I know my 6-yr. old would be VERY traumatized if he was taken away from his family setting and his mother.

The women haven't been accused of the abuse. Why take the children away from their mothers?

I hope legal action is taken because of the separation of the children from the mothers.

 Even though they haven't found the caller, I do understand that alleged abuse was going on. Yet the way this was and is being handled amounts to torture for the innocent children involved.

I was thinking that if the govt. really cared about the type of abuse that was alleged wouldn't they just take the girls who were 14 years and older?  The abuse was the forced marriage of young girls.  Then why did they take ALL ages of children?  Why not just the "marrying ages?"  That would have been less traumatic and more in context with the claims.