Peter...What are you trying to say? Only an idiot would maintain that no girls are subjected to sexual abuse by priests, but the fact remains that the vast majority of this abuse was perpetrated against teenage boys and young males by adult men.
In my book that is not paedophilia, but homosexual assault.

Joe...I'm surprised by your remarks. As a father of four, of course I am horrified by paedophilia and the sexual abuse of young people, my remaqrks on pubescence were to illustrate the difference between paedophilia and homosexual abuse, not to excuse either.

My stance in these threads is to protect children and get to the truth of why this disgusting behaviour is so rife, not nfurther a political ideology, like that which is regurgitated daily by so many here.

These people care not a fig for children's welfare, or homosexual's welfare(on another thread)...Only for their dogmatic determination to impose their view of the world on everyone.

This thread is not about the abuse of children to them, it is simply a chance to attack what they see as a "conservative" church and a "conservative" Pope.

In today's Times, Mr Richard Dawkins, a noted atheist and author of "The God Delusion", is quoted as saying.......
"There are no Christians, as far as I know, blowing up buildings. I am not aware of any Christian suicide bombers. I am not aware of any major Christian denomination that believes the penalty for apostasy is death. I have mixed feelings about the decline of Christianity, in so far as Christianity might be a bulwark against something very much worse."

It is my belief that the thing which Mr Dawkins fears is "Orwellian liberalism" as practiced by 90% of the Mudcat membership.
An endless search for a mythical equality, regardless of the effect this may have on the future of society, dismissal of any sense of personal or community responsibility, and a dogmatic determination to hold the party line at all costs, never resorting to reason or objective thought......this creed will ensure that what should be a free, proud and inspirational species, will evolve in their image, as weak willed, dumb automatons.

Ed....Thanks for having the honesty and the bravery to post the links.
I think you may be one of the handful of real liberals here.

Joe..(again)....Why did you feel obliged to traduce Ed's links by attributing them to "right wing thought" as if it were some sort of disease.....this is exactly the problem in discussing all these issues, the truth comes from all wings, as does deceit.
Labelling opinions as "wrong" simply because they are held by the wrong person or group is not liberal.....it is the most severe form of reaction......Ake