Post by hibernicus on Dec 18, 2008 16:14:03 GMT
Jibril: I would have thought that those who sue priests for abuse do so for various reasons including the following: (1) To expose the perpetrators for what they are and so protect other potential victims (2) To vindicate themselves from the charge that they are liars and slanderers who have falsely accused innocent priests. (3) To uphold the general principle that crime ought to be exposed and punished.
MAy I also point out that you do not distinguish between profiteering and the pursuit of liabilities justly due to one. If Fr. X rapes a child and causes him/her many years of suffering including material loss, Fr. X is bound to make whatever material restitution he can as a precondition for forgiveness, and this is the victim's due by right - Fr. X is not entitled to withhhold it, it already belongs to the victim.
You are advocating a principle of absolute nonresistance to evil which is more reminiscent of Hinduism or Buddhism than mainstream Christianity. Let me ask you a question, Jibril. Do you believe that it is wrong to resist a Hitler or a Stalin? Do you believe it would be better for the whoe world to be ruled by such tyrants than that resistance should be offered to them? Do you think, let us say, that Hermann Goring (whom I am ashamed to say was a believing Christian) should have been allowed to go unpunished for the crimes he committed; that he should have been allowed to live free, rich, respected and honoured, and die at last in his bed? Please post your answer on the Scandals thread, where you shoudl have posted this as well instead of starting another thread; I'm sure we would all be very interested to hear it.
MAy I also point out that you do not distinguish between profiteering and the pursuit of liabilities justly due to one. If Fr. X rapes a child and causes him/her many years of suffering including material loss, Fr. X is bound to make whatever material restitution he can as a precondition for forgiveness, and this is the victim's due by right - Fr. X is not entitled to withhhold it, it already belongs to the victim.
You are advocating a principle of absolute nonresistance to evil which is more reminiscent of Hinduism or Buddhism than mainstream Christianity. Let me ask you a question, Jibril. Do you believe that it is wrong to resist a Hitler or a Stalin? Do you believe it would be better for the whoe world to be ruled by such tyrants than that resistance should be offered to them? Do you think, let us say, that Hermann Goring (whom I am ashamed to say was a believing Christian) should have been allowed to go unpunished for the crimes he committed; that he should have been allowed to live free, rich, respected and honoured, and die at last in his bed? Please post your answer on the Scandals thread, where you shoudl have posted this as well instead of starting another thread; I'm sure we would all be very interested to hear it.