@jafo2010 Some things are endemic. (Go Lions!), right? THat does not make them right.
The more the sort of behaviour that leads to these incidents is 'normalized' in media and 'entertainment', the more it is excused because someone coaches a team that wins football games, the more of it there will be. It is hardly confined to religious institutions, but will be found in 'target rich' environments like schools, churches, and virtually anywhere that youngsters will be exposed to people where they either have no option to not be there, or where those same authority figures who abuse them are given respect for their position. This is why I found the whole idea of homosexual scoutmasters a grievous choice.
This means those vocations will be attractive to those who will perpetrate the sort of crimes that should carry severe penalties, simply because of the opportunities presented by their positions. Predators hunt where prey are plentiful.
I'm not excusing any behaviour by anyone that is out of line, but consider that the Catholic Church, which remains against Homosexual Marriage and abortion in policy, has been
the institution to tear down.
Spotlight was made about the Boston Diocese, and keep in mind that the cover-ups extended beyond the Church there, and into government as well.
The halls of power in the United States (and elsewhere) have been corrupted, with those who have no respect for youth, but no regard for the fundamental morality which set the standard for our (Western, Christian, American) society, even though there have ever been deviates.
If that sort of behaviour is to be eliminated from our institutions, it would only make sense to eliminate those most likely to engage in it from consideration for positions where such opportunities abound. However, that not only has not been the case, but those most likely to engage in such behaviour have been, of late, protected and even 'celebrated', to the extent that failure to hire would be seen as 'discrimination'.
Yes, the Catholic Church needs to clean house, but please keep in mind that that is hardly the only institution where the problem is present. look at the 57 flavors or protestant Churches as well. THe absence of a monolith to attack does not mean that the problem isn't present there as well.
Removal of the Statute of Limitations would be a good start.
