Ah, Michael, Michael -

You are absolutely right - and you are profoundly wrong.

You present a very good analogy. There is no doubt in my mind that the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo scandals are proof of deep-seated corruption in the leadership of the U.S. Military; and I have no doubt that the child molestation scandal is proof of the deep-seated corruption in the leadership of the Catholic Church.

So, do you propose that the U.S. Military be completely disbanded? No, you can't - even I as a pacifist, acknowledge that we have to have some sort of organization for national defense.

Same thing holds true for the Catholic Church - the management may be profoundly corrupt, but the Catholic Church has been the seat of the Catholic Faith for two millennia; and the Catholic faith is my faith, it is part of who I am.

In both cases, abandonment is not a realistic choice - the only choice is to stand and fight for what is right. And if I stand for justice and integrity, then I think that those who share that value should support me, and not condemn me for failing to run away from the problem.


-Joe-

P.S. I do not acknowledge the primacy of the Pope or the authority of any bishop or priest over me. I consider them to be my equals (and sometimes, I tend to look down on them).