Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/01/28/credibly-accused.html
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All of our “leaders” need to be held accountable to the same levels they want us – the people – to be held accountable. If they are allowed any wiggle room, they will vibrate.
Don’t tell us it’s wrong to rape a child and then go and rape a child. Don’t tell us it’s wrong to lie, cheat, and steal, and then lie, cheat, and steal.
As for the pedophile priests, it’s become so commonplace that I would say every priest should be looked at as though they are a pedophile regardless of proof until they chose to start outing their own and stop this shit. I first started noticing “child abusing priest” jokes in the ’80s. That’s 40 years ago now, and it’s still a thing. Enough already.
Just like every cop should be viewed as a threat until they stop closing ranks and protecting the shitty people in their midst.
And politicians. Fucking lord, the politicians.
Two things we need; accountability and empathy. And this chair.
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Yes! and…
The lack of leaders’ trustworthiness has always been true, IMHO, but in my lifetime we’ve become much more aware of it. I’m convinced our rightful distrust results in many evils, including lots of thumb-yer-nose voting (say, in the presidential election).
I was bullied by Catholic children in my 1960s childhood (about my atheism), so I never had any trust of that church. But I also read paperback mysteries in the 1980s, and several had plots of amateur sleuths uncovering pedophile priests. I was really surprised that it was years later that the authorities caught on.
Further personal side note: one of the earliest people in the church hierarchy who was caught covering up was in Minnesota: Kevin McDonough, who was in my high school class (and on the debate team with me). I was not in touch with him, but media coverage implies his career trajectory got pushed off track by it (still a priest, though).
We all thought he’d be pope some day, and apparently he had the right ethics for the job! /s
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It’s a sex cult for priests not a religion.
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Now hold up, that’s not fair. You’re leaving out 2000 years of extortion, torture, murder, and forced labor.
The Catholic church is one of the most depraved, wicked human institutions ever. It ought to be outlawed.
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Let us not forget that this goes on in other organized religions. I can’t back things up with links to newspaper articles etc so I’ll refrain from naming the two blatant cases I know of.
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It goes on in all authoritarian power structures. It’s a feature, not a bug to them.
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I was going to say that none of the names on this wikipedia article were catholic priests. They were in positions of power over children though.
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I endured 12 years of diocesan school. Seven of the priests in my parish and / or high school during that time were named in the PA attorney general’s report.
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Sports - the other religion. See: the beatification of Kobe Bryant.
An old schoolmate of my wife just went public with his years of abuse by a choir director at a high-profile Episcopal school (the abuser was an employee of the church technically, but worked with the students). At the time, the director was quietly asked to leave and went out of state to continue teaching. As far as I can tell from the public statements of the school, they are only now informing his current employers of the history of the accusations…20 years later and facing a lawsuit.
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