Catholics Blame Gays for their Pedophile Problem

[dust1n]

Catholic League Pres. Donohue: “There’s a Connection Between Homosexuality and Sexual Abuse of Minors” « SpeakEasy

As ThinkProgress noted yesterday, the conservative Catholic Leauge placed a full-page ad in the New York Times on Tuesday that claimed that the sexual abuse scandal currently roiling the Catholic Church is a crisis of “homosexuality,” not “pedophilia.” On CNN yesterday, Catholic League President William Donohue defended the assertion by pointing to a study that found that “three out of every four” of the male victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests were “post-pubescent, meaning that it’s homosexuality driven.” “It’s not a matter of my opinion to say that this is a pedophilia crisis. It’s been a homosexual crisis all along,” said Donohue. He then asserted that “there’s a connection between homosexuality and sexual abuse of minors“:

SANCHEZ: Well, let me just stop you right there, because immediately as you say that, there are people watching this show, and I can hear them saying this, Bill Donohue, shame on you. Are you saying all gays are pedophiles?

DONOHUE: As I said in the ad, which I wrote, most gay priests are not molesters, but most of the molesters have been gay. And I also said, that there’s no such thing as a — that homosexuality does not cause predatory behavior.

Let me give you a quick example. I’m Irish. Everybody who has half a brain knows that the Irish have a bigger problem with alcoholism than the Italians or the Chinese, for example. Does that mean because you’re an Irishman, therefore, you are driven to become an alcoholic? Of course, not.

 

[linwood]

In all fairness Donohue is an idiot and the vast majority of Catholics are aware he`s an idiot.

He doesn`t speak for all Catholics just the Catholic league.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Let me give you a quick example. I’m Irish. Everybody who has half a brain knows that the Irish have a bigger problem with alcoholism than the Italians or the Chinese, for example. Does that mean because you’re an Irishman, therefore, you are driven to become an alcoholic? Of course, not.

This is the problem. He's coming from the point of view of somebody who has only half a brain. Apparently, some key components of rational thought were contained in the missing half.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Donohue is an apologist for the worst of the Catholic church, and he's more than happy to fill that role.

He's giving Catholocism a bad name (not without the help of the current pope, I might add).

 

[Sunstone]

Donahue's criticism, even if it were indeed true, does not address the criminal behavior of the Catholic clergy in covering up the sexual abuse of minors. In a just world, we would not rest until every damn one of them -- including the current Pope -- is rotting in prison.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Donahue's criticism, even if it were indeed true, does not address the criminal behavior of the Catholic clergy in covering up the sexual abuse of minors. In a just world, we would not rest until every damn one of them -- including the current Pope -- is rotting in prison.

... and put into a cell with a person that would treat them just as they did the kids that they abused.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

So homosexuality has to do with child abuse I guess? This is where Christians get this kind of ignorance from.

 

[linwood]

So homosexuality has to do with child abuse I guess? This is where Christians get this kind of ignorance from.

No, they don`t get it from highers ups.

It`s an effect of the type of black & white thinking most western theists seem to have.

The pedophilia in question is mostly same sex molestation.

They consider anything same sex to be homosexual.

They miss the subtleties of the issue.

 

[Duck]

No, they don`t get it from highers ups.

It`s an effect of the type of black & white thinking most western theists seem to have.

The pedophilia in question is mostly same sex molestation.

They consider anything same sex to be homosexual.

They miss the subtleties of the issue.

Unfortunately, those western theists REALLY have problems with the ideas of consent and adulthood. That is where you get the immediate leap onto the slippery slope "if we decriminalize same-sex behavior between adults then horse-f**king by childrenz! ZOMG!" I think the issue with adulthood stems pretty directly from the dominant religion's philosophy. The abrahamic faiths are very paternalistic, and everyone is a "child" of god, so of course there is a hangup with the idea of adult behavior and choices. Issues with consent are partly stemming from the "daddy doesn't like that, so you can't do that" paternalism of the religion and partly from the whole false premise of relationships between adults to begin with. Society has some unwritten assumptions: that women can't (and aren't allowed to) have an independent sex drive, men can't control their sex drive, and men can't (and aren't allowed to) be seen as sexually desireable.

Those assumptions cause all sorts of problems. Not least of which is the homophobia exhibited by many faithful in western churches.

 

[Perfect Circle]

Wow. Apologetics at work.

 

[MSizer]

Just when I thought this whole story had reached the pinnacle of absurdity, along comes this man who manages to shock me. I'm impressed, but that's no compliment in any way shape or form.

 

[monta]

Sounds to me like the ''Catholic League'' could be a sub division of the ''Nambla''

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

As offensive as his using the label "homosexuality crisis" is (after all, if the victims had been predominantly girls, would he be talking about a "heterosexuality crisis"?), I think it's a red herring.

This guy is trying to use a sideshow to deflect attention from the real issue: priests sexually assaulted minors under their care and members of the church leadership covered it up, all on an industrial scale spanning decades or more.

He's helping to make the Catholic church even less relevant in the future than it is today, and I think I'm beyond the point where I'd consider this a bad thing.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Sounds to me like the ''Catholic League'' could be a sub division of the ''Nambla''

The North American Marlon Brando Look-Alikes?

 

[monta]

The North American Marlon Brando Look-Alikes?

:no: the North American Mikhail gorbachev Look Alikes

 

[ChristineES]

To the title of the thread:
Saying that gays are responsible for their pedophile problem is almost like that all gays are pedophiles. That is highly offensive to gays.

 

[enchanted_one1975]

The stories that the Catholic church comes up with never cease to amaze me. When I saw the title of this I thought it was going to have something to do with priests catching "the gay" from handling donated money that had been handled by gay people. Well, whatever wild stories help Catholics sleep at night. Santa Clause, Easter Bunnies, and now gay infection in the churches. *sigh* At least they aren't blaming Pagans (yet).

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

*sigh* At least they aren't blaming Pagans (yet).

(any more)

 

[monta]

The stories that the Catholic church comes up with never cease to amaze me. When I saw the title of this I thought it was going to have something to do with priests catching "the gay" from handling donated money that had been handled by gay people. Well, whatever wild stories help Catholics sleep at night. Santa Clause, Easter Bunnies, and now gay infection in the churches. *sigh* At least they aren't blaming Pagans (yet).

TBF I'm not sure ''The Catholic League'' has the popes ear :sarcastic

 

[nonbeliever_92]

... and put into a cell with a person that would treat them just as they did the kids that they abused.

Yeah!!! Let's put them in a cell so that they can experience the same horrifying things these chidren were put through so that everyone can know it's wrong and shouldn't happen to anyone.


This is so progressive,