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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kosh on June 27, 2010, 02:15:58 pm

Title: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Kosh on June 27, 2010, 02:15:58 pm
 Still up to their same old tricks: duck and cover (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/10427935.stm)


Quote
Pope Benedict has joined mounting Vatican criticism of raids by Belgian police investigating alleged child sex abuse, calling them "deplorable".

In a message to Belgian bishops, the pope expressed solidarity "in this moment of sadness".

Several buildings were searched in raids targeting a retired archbishop and the graves of two prelates.

Belgium's justice minister has responded to the criticism robustly.

Stefaan De Clerck defended the police action, in a series of TV interviews on Sunday, saying the investigation is legitimate and normal procedures were followed.

"The bishops were treated completely normally during the raid on the archdiocese and it is false to say that they received no food or drink," he said.


I wonder how many people will get a clue and quit the church.....
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on June 27, 2010, 02:34:44 pm
I've heard that they even searched the tombs :nervous:
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Liberator on June 27, 2010, 02:57:09 pm
See, the whole issue could and would be put away if the Church would do the MORAL AND ETHICAL thing and turn these degenerates over to authorities and strip them of their status ASAP after discovery.  Send a message that this behavior is unacceptable.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Mongoose on June 27, 2010, 04:25:54 pm
See, the whole issue could and would be put away if the Church would do the MORAL AND ETHICAL thing and turn these degenerates over to authorities and strip them of their status ASAP after discovery.  Send a message that this behavior is unacceptable.
Um...the Church does do that, and has for a long time now.

And Koth, regardless of the very real issue of child abuse over the past several decades, you don't find something a wee bit excessive about detaining bishops for nine hours straight and digging up old graves?
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: mxlm on June 27, 2010, 04:55:04 pm
Wait, detaining people for nine hours is excessive?

And I'm sure the Belgian police have nothing better to do than grave rob. They were probably just amusing themselves.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Mobius on June 27, 2010, 05:05:00 pm
See, the whole issue could and would be put away if the Church would do the MORAL AND ETHICAL thing and turn these degenerates over to authorities and strip them of their status ASAP after discovery.  Send a message that this behavior is unacceptable.
Um...the Church does do that, and has for a long time now.

No, it doesn't. Vatican is a safe place for priests and bishops who are responsible for child sex abuse, and nothing has been done to get all those criminals out of there.


On a side note, I'm using another computer with a prehistoric keybord which prevents me from posting in lightblue.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: karajorma on June 27, 2010, 06:39:44 pm
And Koth, regardless of the very real issue of child abuse over the past several decades, you don't find something a wee bit excessive about detaining bishops for nine hours straight and digging up old graves?

Not in the slightest. It's exactly what would have been done if they weren't bishops. Should we make a special exception for priests? Cause funnily enough that's what the Vatican seems to want.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Mongoose on June 27, 2010, 06:42:28 pm
Wait, detaining people for nine hours is excessive?
Depending on the circumstances, yes.  Why did they need to be detained in the first place just to conduct a search?  At least over here, if you get a warrant served on your property, you're not exactly thrown in a holding cell until the search is complete.

No, it doesn't. Vatican is a safe place for priests and bishops who are responsible for child sex abuse, and nothing has been done to get all those criminals out of there.
Again, no.  The Vatican has made it very clear over the past several years that cases of suspected child abuse are to be handled by the proper civil authorities, and those priests who are convicted of it are certainly defrocked.  Obviously, this policy wasn't in place a few decades ago, which has led to the flood of allegations over the past few years, but it's definitely the case now.

And Koth, regardless of the very real issue of child abuse over the past several decades, you don't find something a wee bit excessive about detaining bishops for nine hours straight and digging up old graves?

Not in the slightest. It's exactly what would have been done if they weren't bishops. Should we make a special exception for priests? Cause funnily enough that's what the Vatican seems to want.
So was there solid evidence that these "documents" the police were looking for in these gravesites even existed in the first place?  Or was it simply a power-happy police commissioner looking to make a name for himself?
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: mxlm on June 27, 2010, 07:26:11 pm
Well, why don't you go research the Belgian standards for probable cause and such and get back to us :p
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Kosh on June 27, 2010, 07:36:04 pm
Quote
And Koth, regardless of the very real issue of child abuse over the past several decades, you don't find something a wee bit excessive about detaining bishops for nine hours straight and digging up old graves?

I'm not Koth. :P


Detaining them for 9 hours straight is excessive? Not in a situation like this. Hopefully this raid will show them once and for all that they cannot continue trying to cover up these problems. I think it's really just a show of force, to remind them that they have to answer for their earthly sins.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: karajorma on June 27, 2010, 07:40:36 pm
Kosh, stop trying to act like Judge Dread. Whatever crime these people may have committed they are currently considered innocent. It's reprehensible conduct for the police to decide that they are guilty and attempt to punish them this far in advance of a trial.

If they were detained it must be the same way anyone else would be. No more, no less.

So was there solid evidence that these "documents" the police were looking for in these gravesites even existed in the first place?  Or was it simply a power-happy police commissioner looking to make a name for himself?

I'm unaware of why the graves were searched in the first place but any policeman digging up graves for no reason is definitely causing trouble he doesn't want to have. So I suspect that there was a good reason. Especially as you usually have to convince a judge in order to get an exhumation.


So instead of taking the position that this was some crazy abuse of power without any reason to think that let's allow those involved to do their jobs.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Kosh on June 27, 2010, 07:44:15 pm
Quote
Kosh, stop trying to act like Judge Dread. Whatever crime these people may have committed they are currently considered innocent. It's reprehensible conduct for the police to decide that they are guilty and attempt to punish them this far in advance of a trial.

If they were detained it must be the same way anyone else would be. No more, no less.

But in trying so hard to hide it they've tried to circumvent the legal system. That's the real problem with what they did, they believed they were above the law as an organization.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: BlueFlames on June 27, 2010, 08:45:59 pm
Quote
The Vatican has made it very clear over the past several years that cases of suspected child abuse are to be handled by the proper civil authorities, and those priests who are convicted of it are certainly defrocked.

And herein lies a problem with the Vatican's sovereignty:  Would an accused member of the clergy be deported from the Vatican's borders to face trial by those proper civil authorities?  You cannot have a conviction without a trial; you cannot have a trial without the accused on-hand to face his accuser, and you cannot have the accused on-hand, if he's tucked away in a state ruled by an individual/group with a vested interest in keeping the whole affair quiet.  It's all so much wonderful lip-service paid to justice, while maintaining a safe haven for the people who least need it.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Mongoose on June 27, 2010, 09:36:20 pm
I can't say I've heard of a single case of a priest residing in the Vatican itself being accused of child molestation, though one certainly could exist.  Even so, the vast majority of cases in question involve citizens of their countries of residence, so deportation is never an issue in the first place.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: iamzack on June 27, 2010, 10:04:05 pm
They don't bring the priests back to the Vatican, they send them to out-of-the way churches where they don't think anyone will report the abuse. (http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-pedophiles-paradise/Content?oid=1065017)
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Mongoose on June 27, 2010, 10:55:48 pm
Yes, we know what happened back then.  A lot of people made a lot of indefensible decisions, and a lot of innocent children suffered as a result.  I was responding to BlueFlames' point, which isn't really what the issue is about.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: iamzack on June 28, 2010, 01:02:00 am
Women and children are worthless in the eyes of most mainstream religions. Hence anti-abortion, pro-molestation organizations like the the catholic church, or most predominantly muslim states.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Qent on June 28, 2010, 02:26:17 am
I haven't found anything official about the Catholic teaching on indirect abortion at this time, but from what I've seen so far, you're always permitted to save the mother's life. After that consideration you can try to save the baby's life. I'd assume that by symmetry the same goes for the baby.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Grizzly on June 28, 2010, 04:10:32 am
On a side note, the belgium police also happened to seize the dossiers of a dutch investigation which was running on the subject and now faces some serious problems.

Sigh.

Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Nuke on June 28, 2010, 04:43:13 am
threads like this usually follow the same format and theres really no point discussing anything so il just add my usual 2 cents...

NUKE THE VATICAN!!!!
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: NGTM-1R on June 28, 2010, 08:05:08 am
On a side note, the belgium police also happened to seize the dossiers of a dutch investigation which was running on the subject and now faces some serious problems.

It's worse than that. They seized documents relating to internal Church committee set up to hear and investigate claims of abuse. Either the Belgians have no concept of victim's rights or they're complete assholes.

These people did not come to the state for redress of their grievances. They sought redress from the Roman Catholic Church, through the Roman Catholic Church. The whole concept of the state hijacking information given in confidence by victims of abuse is wrong on more than one level. It's not quite up there with raiding pyschatrist's files on their patients, but it's getting there.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: StarSlayer on June 28, 2010, 08:41:47 am
Belgians...

"Greedy pseudo French bastards!  They make my blood boil!"
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Thaeris on June 28, 2010, 09:14:07 am
Women and children are worthless in the eyes of most mainstream religions. Hence anti-abortion, pro-molestation organizations like the the catholic church, or most predominantly muslim states.

Do you enjoy defecating from your mouth, Zack? There's an episode of South Park which demonstrates the proper technique if you're really into this sort of thing...
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: BlueFlames on June 28, 2010, 11:18:57 am
Quote
NUKE THE VATICAN!!!!

Now that's an advantage to the Vatican's sovereignty!  You don't have to declare war on Italy to level the place!  ;)
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: BloodEagle on June 28, 2010, 11:36:03 am
Quote
NUKE THE VATICAN!!!!

Now that's an advantage to the Vatican's sovereignty!  You don't have to declare war on Italy to level the place!  ;)

When has declaring war ever been a necessary excuse for leveling Italy?  :P
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Snail on June 28, 2010, 11:39:28 am
Cue Mobius.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on June 28, 2010, 03:43:02 pm
Belgians...

"Greedy pseudo French bastards!  They make my blood boil!"
HEY! Over half of us ain't pseudo-French! :mad:
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: newman on June 28, 2010, 03:49:01 pm
On a side note, I'm using another computer with a prehistoric keybord which prevents me from posting in lightblue.

<offtopic>I nominate this as post of the month. Mobius ran outta blue powah!</offtopic>
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: StarSlayer on June 28, 2010, 03:49:30 pm
Belgians...

"Greedy pseudo French bastards!  They make my blood boil!"
HEY! Over half of us ain't pseudo-French! :mad:

Tell that to John Cleese (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXvhcw07do)

On a side note, I'm using another computer with a prehistoric keybord which prevents me from posting in lightblue.

Mr. Scott I need more powder blue powah!

I cannah do eet capan' the keyboard she's all maxxed out!
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Nemesis6 on June 28, 2010, 07:13:20 pm
Initially, the Pope himself refused to comment on all of these so-called "rumors". Then they blamed the devil for this latest bout of bad publicity...

Organized crime syndicate is the label that best fits these evil people.

Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: Aardwolf on June 28, 2010, 10:05:11 pm
Women and children are worthless in the eyes of most mainstream religions. Hence anti-abortion, pro-molestation organizations like the the catholic church, or most predominantly muslim states.

Do you enjoy defecating from your mouth, Zack? There's an episode of South Park which demonstrates the proper technique if you're really into this sort of thing...

 :wtf:

Wait, maybe understanding how that was relevant / appropriate...

No, I'm gonna stick with :wtf:
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: The E on June 29, 2010, 02:56:48 am
Must have missed that post when splitting the thread, sorry.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: NGTM-1R on June 29, 2010, 04:17:49 am
Initially, the Pope himself refused to comment on all of these so-called "rumors". Then they blamed the devil for this latest bout of bad publicity...

Organized crime syndicate is the label that best fits these evil people.

What Thaeris said. Particularly since you're, y'know, lying.

I mean, seriously people. When the guy who wants to blow up God thinks you're just spouting hate speech, you need to get down off the horse.
Title: Re: Investigating sex abuse = bad?
Post by: karajorma on June 29, 2010, 04:33:10 am
I tend to agree with NGTM-1R here. The Vatican has done a lot of very questionable things and they should definitely pay the price if they have been complicit in the latest scandal but let's not start having a go at the whole of Catholicism for the behaviour of a few.