From what I know of other religions many are the same. They very a bit but the general principles are the same. Islam is just as ridgid as catholicism. People believe what they choose to and take from religious texts what they need to fit their own personal desires most of the time. The corruption of the original beliefs doesnt mean that the source of the beliefs is at fault. Religion has done alot over the past 2000 yrs + for the advancement of a civilized society. Many charities and the original thought of charity stems from religious beliefs.  
     I personally am not religious but can see that some need it and find their beliefs comforting. In any group you will find people who are corrupt. There is way to much money in religion to think that itd be immune to corruption. Do you believe other religions are much better than christianity?

Simply put,  NO,  all religions are not the same way.  Spiritualism,  put into a theism,  is Pantheism.  Pantheism/Spiritualism is the believe that we are all connect to that oneness of the Universe,  we are all interconnected.    
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWXzxUdJVyM

Buddhism is the only truly neutral religion in the world I can think of but buddists have had corruption and scandals as well.  
         The catholic church was instramental in the end of slavery (serfdom) in much of europe, led to the creation of many laws, held the kings of europe responsible for many of their actions and educated many. The churches recorded much of the history we have today. The Crusades were a very black spot on the history of the church adn I agree, many of the christians who participated in the crusades did so for personal gain. The point is every large group of men is corrupted at some point. The catholic church spoke out against Nazis very early in their persecution of jews and aided allied efforts and resistance efforts in occupied areas.  
         In the last 15 yrs the Roman catholic church has taken a difference stance to the bible claiming its not a science book and cant be taken as one. So your constant point of 10,000 yrs is outdated.  
          In 2004, a Theological Commission overseen by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) issued this statement: “According to the widely accepted scientific account, the universe erupted 15 billion years ago in an explosion called the ‘Big Bang’ and has been expanding and cooling ever since. [...] Converging evidence from many studies in the physical and biological sciences furnishes mounting support for some theory of evolution to account for the development and diversification of life on earth, while controversy continues over the pace and mechanisms of evolution.”
 
Catholic Schools all around the world (including the US) teach scientific evolution as part of their science curriculum.
http://listverse.com/2009/07/13/top-10-misconceptions-about-the-catholic-church/
         
         Without the Catholic Church – the largest charitable organization in the world – millions of the world's least fortunate would suffer. Catholic Relief Services works in nearly 100 countries and reaches 100 million of the world's poorest with emergency aid and health care, including 280 HIV and AIDS projects. Catholic Charities USA provided food services to 6.5 million people last year, according to Vatican sources.  

You cant pick and choose though. Do you think Aids would be running wild in africa if the people there followed the actually teachings of the bible?  Even HIV orginizations say the only true protection against it is abstinance or monogomy. You can still get aids using condoms. Safe sex is more than just condom use.  
      There is a reason its still reguarded as the largest charity in the world.

“In social terms, the Church is present in a very efficient way. Hospitals run by the Church are always full, and it's not just because of the medical service, but also because of the heartfelt care and concern.  There are several hospitals and clinics that do a lot with few resources.”

You didnt read any of the slavery link I posted right?  
    Condem the whole church because of the actions of a few... sounds like your arguments for gun control as well. THe church has been trying to change. Child abuse is horrible and unforgivable. The church should never have tried to cover it up or handle it themselves. But here are some stats for you.
   In the United States the 2004 John Jay Report commissioned and funded by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was based on volunteer surveys completed by the Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. The 2004 John Jay Report was based on a study of 10,667 allegations against 4,392 priests accused of engaging in sexual abuse of a minor between 1950 and 2002.[59]
 
The surveys filtered provided information from diocesan files on each priest accused of sexual abuse and on each of the priest's victims to the research team, in a format which did not disclose the names of the accused priests or the dioceses where they worked. The dioceses were encouraged to issue reports of their own based on the surveys that they had completed.
 
The report stated there were approximately 10,667 reported victims (younger than 18 years) of clergy sexual abuse between 1950 and 2002:
 Around 81% of these victims were male.
 Female victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests tended to be younger than the males. Data analyzed by John Jay researchers, shows that the number and proportion of sexual misconduct directed at girls under 8 years old was higher than that experienced by boys the same age.[60]
 22.6% were age 10 or younger, 51% were between the ages of 11 and 14, and 27% were between the ages to 15 to 17 years.[61][62][63]
 A substantial number (almost 2000) of very young children were victimized by priests during this time period.
 9,281 victim surveys had information about an investigation. In 6,696 (72%) cases, an investigation of the allegation was carried out. Of these, 4,570 (80%) were substantiated; 1,028 (18%) were unsubstantiated; 83 (1.5%) were found to be false. In 56 cases, priests were reported to deny the allegations.
 More than 10 percent of these allegations were characterized as not substantiated because diocese or order could not determine whether the alleged abuse actually took place.
 For approximately 20 percent of the allegations, the priest was deceased or inactive at the time of the receipt of the allegation and typically no investigation was conducted in these circumstances.
 In 38.4% of allegations, the abuse is alleged to have occurred within a single year, in 21.8% the alleged abuse lasted more than a year but less than 2 years, in 28% between 2 and 4 years, in 10.2% between 5 and 9 years and, in under 1%, 10 or more years.
 
The 4,392 priests who were accused amount to approximately 4% of the 109,694 priests in active ministry during that time. Of these 4,392, approximately

If the actions of a few are reasons for condeming them all, whites, blacks, hispanics, catholics, christians, muslims, the whole human race should be ended today. EVERY section of society has murders, rapiests, child molesters ect.  
     Priests dont necessarily offend more often than the general population. Check it out.  
    http://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/global-prevalence-child-sexual-abuse

I dont know anything about Wynn, cant comment.  
   Didnt the church actually turn over all documentation on child molestation in the last 10yrs and start trying to pay reperations? I'm not arguing what they did covering it up was right. It wasnt, but I cant say that it voids everything else that the church has done to help people. Its very myopic to think that it does.  
    I asked who fills the void if the church didnt exist and never recieved an answer.

Research carried out by the BBC Sinhala service has revealed that over the last decade, nearly 110 Buddhist monks have been charged for sexual and physical assaults on minors in Sri Lanka.
    In one recent and disturbing case, monks of an unnamed eastern Sri Lankan Buddhist temple were accused of ignoring constant appeals by parents of abused children to prevent such practices from taking place within its premises
   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15507304

As a recall Pope Benny abdicated on a Thursday, and on the Monday of that week, HBO ran a two hour documentary about pedophilia in the Church and pointed the arrow of the cover ups to Ratzinger since about 2002. A coincidence? I don't think so.

Yes it was and I knew about it, but I'm sure the HBO documentary cemented the link and really put it on the table for everyone to see.

Why did they elect him? I don't know, maybe the cardinals didn't care but events in the last several years since his "elevation" have moved quickly.


-- Modified on 4/21/2013 6:21:12 PM