No apology, then

[zita-green]

I had hoped that the pope would take this opportunity to apologise for child abuse in the Catholic church. Blessed are they that expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed.

[naomi24]

An apology is just empty words, so I don't think that would be of any practical use whatsoever. Better the rogue priests who are still revered as 'father' were excluded from the priesthood, and their crimes exposed and punished in law.

[weecalf]

Those high up in the church should admit they knew and did nothing about .If the pope said sorry what good would it do .How can one person say sorry for anothers sins .

[mummybunny6]

Weecalf you're right. Nobody can apologise for somebody else's sins. And so are you naomi24, the rougue priests should be excluded from the priesthood and punished by law for what they've done.

[naomi24]

I prefer to live in the real world and therefore the word 'sin' has long been stricken from my personal dictionary. These priests are criminals, and so are the people who protect them. They should all be dealt with under the law.

[mummybunny6]

Depends what you think the real world is naomi24? Imo people who 'remove' sin from their personal dictionary probably do this to justify the 'anything goes' attitude that is prevelant today. :)

[naomi24]

'Sin' is the transgression of God's will. I don't believe in God, therefore the word is not in my dictionary. Having said that, it's just as well you said 'probably' there mummybunny, otherwise one could be forgiven for gaining the impression that because 'sin' is a big part of your life, you feel you hold some sort of moral high ground over the rest of us.

[mummybunny6]

Not at all naomi24. I don't beleive that any human whoever they may be are better than anybody else. We are all equals. I hope that I never gave you that impression? I'd hate anybody to think that I'd thing I was better than them in anyway shape or form!!

[Davethedog]

Mummybunny I take it you are religious and you therefor follow a religion?

[mummybunny6]

Am a christian and follow the bible :)

[Davethedog]

So therefore you awake every morning and believe in the Christian god therefore you do not countenance Allah or Budda or Krishna etc. Why not. After all your going to heaven and the rest of us aren't

[naomi24]

Mummybunny, well, if you'd hate to give that impression, may I respectfully propose that you think before you suggest that anyone who removes the word 'sin' from their personal dictionaries does it for the reasons you suspect, because that certainly indicates a penchant for self-proclaimed moral superiority.

[mummybunny6]

Davethedog. I ain't going to heaven. When did I say or give that impression? Nowhere as far as I can see! Please correct me if I'm wrong! ;)
naomi24.....load of twaddle. Just because I personally think what I do doesn't mean that I think that I'm morally better than anyone else. To be perfectly honest, after browsing on this section over the past few weeks, the people who continually pull down others if they don't think along their lines are the ones that take the high ground.

[naomi24]

Mummybunny, well, that's how it came across, and I'm just saying .... but if that's what you prefer to think ....

Dave, I believe Mummybunny is a Jehovah's Witness - and as she says, most 'ain't' going to heaven principally because they believe very few have a place in that esteemed abode. I'm sure she'll correct me if I'm wrong.

[mummybunny6]

naomi24 why are you so obsessed with putting a label on everybody? Why does it matter so much to you if I'm a JW, a catholic, buddist, muslim, athiest etc? And please stop twisting my words.......I didn't say most ain't going to heaven, I said "I ain't" completley different!

[jomifl]

It is a bit rich, accusing atheists of taking the moral high ground. I don't think the atheists on AB have passed moral judgement on anybody except the pope and some paedophile priests who have not been condemned exclusively by atheists. The church's entire existence has been based on making pronouncements about moral values and using moral blackmail to subjugate the people it tries to keep in ignoranceby ramming the 'truth' down their throats. Isn't there some biblical quote refering to 'the casting of stones'

[RATTER15]

Mummybunny, I have also stricken Sin from my vocabulary, I tend to live by morals standards!!!

Morals tell me that any God or religion that is responsible for so much death and suffering throughout the world cannot be good, that encourages murder, death torture, rape, slavery and sexism is morally disgusting, but hey that's your God!!!

[mummybunny6]

Ratters I totlly agree with you apart from one point.....it's not God who's responsible for all the attrocoties (sp?) throughout human history, it's man, living by their own rules & not God's.......

[RATTER15]

mummybunny, you really need to read your Bible, all these atrocities are straight out of the bible

Another christian who has never read her bible?

[ummmm]

He has apologised now....

[boxtops]

Does it matter - come on folks - whatever faith anyone follows, in respect of the current OP? Pope's priests "done wrong", Pope covers up - if this was business they'd all have been prosecuted, the abused - many of whom are still traumatised - would be able to have some retribution. I've never been a Catholic and I am sure they are not all to be tarred with the same brush, but nobody - nobody - should be above the law.