Australia church abuse: Priests 'must report' confessions

[Drich]

You're the one historically challenged. And you conveniently misquoted the Constitution.  It's "no law respecting the establishment of religion", sport. They didn't mean to protect religion from government, they meant to protect government from religion.  But, just like everything else, the Constitution means whatever the hell you want it to, huh?

So close... yet soo far from being historically accurate.

let's see what the 1st amendment actually says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

ooops looks like I was right and you were wrong even if I did not originally copy what was said word for word in my original paraphrase.. Seems to me The founding Fathers did indeed want to protect religion from Government, otherwise they would not have left that final clause I originally paraphrased in the first amendment..

Can't freely exercise "confessions" if the state is listening in and arresting those who confess things the state doesn't want to hear.

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Good! No such thing as sin anyway, sport.

so sorry new bus but it seem you are wrong here as well.
a sin is a recognized and defined word in the English lexicon
sin
/sin/

noun

1. an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law:

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OK, not every priest/whatever the position, is a pedophile. Let's move on from that, and I'll ask every religious person on this site a simple question. Your son/daughter comes to you with information about how they were sexually "mistreated" by one of the clergy. Now, tell me how your viscera are not twisted into knots for what your child has gone through, and go forgive the perpetrator. And don't go to the secular authorities, because they don't have authority over your selected clergy. Really? If this is the case, you ought to reconsider reproducing in the first place. Am I only going to get crickets?

ETA- not enough got defrock (sic), obviously.

What exactly is your question? If my child, or any child for that matter, told me an adult was molesting them, i'd go to the police regardless of who that adult was. Is that what you were asking?

fireball is under the impression that there is a church law the forbids anyone from reporting a priest for anything.

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What exactly is your question? If my child, or any child for that matter, told me an adult was molesting them, i'd go to the police regardless of who that adult was. Is that what you were asking?

Yes, that was my question, and I like your answer. I will note that I still think that the RCC is harboring criminals who, since they are in the clergy, get a free pass for their crimes. I don't believe in a higher power, and the criminals should be rooted out and handed over to the secular authorities, and not get some forgiveness inside the organization, which I guess supposedly makes it all better, 'til the criminal offends again.

Are you ignorant of the recent past or do you pretend that the church has not done what you have suggested several different times?

Google The R/C church defrocks preists

Again the church does regulat itself. Atheists and people who want to remain in hate and ignorance only pretend that the church thinks it is above all else. Even when it's actions show otherwise.