Is Akenaton a bigot? Certainly.
It's very hard to define a sexual act between an adult male and a boy as anything other than a homosexual act. And it follows that a sexual act between an adult male and a girl is a heterosexual act. Akenaton uses that information to condem all homosexuals (and one wonders why he doesn't use the same information to condemn all heterosexuals).
That's the nature of prejudice - to use the misdeeds of the few as evidence to condemn the whole. Tens of thousands of men (maybe more) molest hundreds of thousands of boys, and it is indeed a serious and a horrible crime. And Akenaton uses that information to condemn all homosexuals. Akenaton is very self-righteous and sincere about it, but Akenaton is deeply prejudiced against homosexuals.


So, we have Jim Carroll and Smokey and mg and Fionn and a whole sheaf of others who condemn the actions of Catholic priests who have molested and abused children, and of bishops who have covered up these crimes. And these condemnations are correct - these priests and bishops did horrible wrongs, and they deserve to be punished severely.

But day after day, over and over again, Jim Carroll and Smokey and mg and Fionn and others use the misdeeds of a few to condemn the entire Catholic Church. I think it was Smokey who said no priest should be allowed to have contact with children, and I'm sure Akenaton would say that no homosexual should have contact with children. Where's the difference?

In the "Catholic Come-All-Ye" thread, Amos posted an excerpt from a very interesting New York Times article that speaks of two Catholic churches. One is the chauvinistic, male-dominated, power-hungry organization that is responsible for this horrible scandal and coverup. The other is obsessed with feeding the hungry and comforting the afflicted. As the article says:

So when you read about the scandals, remember that the Vatican is not the same as the Catholic Church. Ordinary lepers, prostitutes and slum-dwellers may never see a cardinal, but they daily encounter a truly noble Catholic Church in the form of priests, nuns and lay workers toiling to make a difference.

The article describes the Catholic Church that   I   have experienced all my life, a place that is usually full of joy and compassion and wisdom - but also an organization that has serious flaws that need to be healed.

The truth can be a very dangerous weapon in the hands of a bigot, because the bigot makes use of only those parts of the truth that support his point of view. Akenaton is correct in saying that sex between an adult male and a boy is a homosexual act - and it is a horrible thing. Nonetheless, it is not a valid reason for condemning or restricting all homosexuals.

The Mudcat anti-Catholic hordes are right in saying that it is a horrible thing for priests to molest children, and for bishops to cover up such crimes. Nonetheless, it is not a valid reason for condemning or restricting the Catholic Church. Certainly, there is a need to explore this entire scandal and to come to an understanding why it happened and what can be done to heal the harm that has ben done prevent such a thing from happening again. But the Mudcat hordes want nothing to do with understanding and healing - all they want to do is condemn and destroy. Is that bigotry? I'll let you decide for yourself.

-Joe Offer-