Catholics Have a Sense of Humor, If Nothing Else

[downbeatplumb]

Man, I feel ya on the horrific catholic scandals making the catholic church seem icky, but I grew up catholic, and never met a priest without a sense of humor. Most of them smoked a lot, and were drunks. My family, though mostly shit heads, are really funny people. I swiped this from my aunt, who posted in on her fb wall. Catholic people will always have a place in my heart, and I love going to church functions because there's wine and beer everywhere, and catholics are hilarious drunks.

One time I asked my priest, Father Luke, why god made me such a cry baby (I was 8 and everyone loved picking on me because I was sensitive), and he replied very dryly, "He doesn't like you."

We both laughed our asses off, and then he poured the rest of his beer in my cup, and patted me on the head.

I had a Catholic priest as a maths teacher at school.

Reverand Gover his name was, fantastic sense of humour.

I think he should be out of prison now he was sentenced to ten to twelve years for child molestation. ( not me I hasten to add).

Apparently he made young boys dress in tennis shorts and whipped them with lengths of vacuum hose!!

It was on the news shortly after i left school.

[helmespc]

I had a Catholic priest as a maths teacher at school.

Reverand Gover his name was, fantastic sense of humour.

I think he should be out of prison now he was sentenced to ten to twelve years for child molestation. ( not me I hasten to add).

Apparently he made young boys dress in tennis shorts and whipped them with lengths of vacuum hose!!

It was on the news shortly after i left school.

Minister in high school spent 4 years in jail on kiddy porn charges a few years after I got out of there... priest in my parish got arrested a few years later trying to pay a cop for a handjob in a park.

[downbeatplumb]

Minister in high school spent 4 years in jail on kiddy porn charges a few years after I got out of there... priest in my parish got arrested a few years later trying to pay a cop for a handjob in a park.

Had a thing for uniforms did he?

[Erinome]

That's why I made sure the people who adopted my youngest son were secular humanists. I was given to the Catholic church at birth, but my mom got me back a couple months later. Of course, I was still raised in the Catholic faith, but never heard of priest molestation until I was an adult. It's not something they talk about at all.

One thing that weirded me out as I got older, and started exploring the world at large was hearing people talk about hell. Hell was never brought up at church or Sunday school. Ever. It was literally a bad word that you had to spell out "H E Double Hockey Sticks" when you were telling on someone for saying it. We were taught that the consequences for being a bad person was a separation from god. No torture, no fire. It wasn't even necessarily permanent. You pray for the souls that are suffering in the absence of god, that he may have mercy upon them, and welcome them to paradise.

I was not traumatized by religious people until I was an adult, so I'm very lucky, I guess. Maybe the priests aren't afraid of burning in hell for molesting little children, but I doubt it. I think that many sexually perverted men- NOT gay men ,per se, but mentally sick men, who were raised in devout catholic homes, thought that by giving their lives to Jesus, it would save them. Especially considering the era in which most of these pedophile priests were raised. Just a thought. This does not, however, reconcile the fact that the Catholic church, as an organization, has handled the matter nothing close to appropriately.

[Zen Badger]

That's why I made sure the people who adopted my youngest son were secular humanists. I was given to the Catholic church at birth, but my mom got me back a couple months later. Of course, I was still raised in the Catholic faith, but never heard of priest molestation until I was an adult. It's not something they talk about at all.

One thing that weirded me out as I got older, and started exploring the world at large was hearing people talk about hell. Hell was never brought up at church or Sunday school. Ever. It was literally a bad word that you had to spell out "H E Double Hockey Sticks" when you were telling on someone for saying it. We were taught that the consequences for being a bad person was a separation from god. No torture, no fire. It wasn't even necessarily permanent. You pray for the souls that are suffering in the absence of god, that he may have mercy upon them, and welcome them to paradise.

I was not traumatized by religious people until I was an adult, so I'm very lucky, I guess. Maybe the priests aren't afraid of burning in hell for molesting little children, but I doubt it. I think that many sexually perverted men- NOT gay men ,per se, but mentally sick men, who were raised in devout catholic homes, thought that by giving their lives to Jesus, it would save them. Especially considering the era in which most of these pedophile priests were raised. Just a thought. This does not, however, reconcile the fact that the Catholic church, as an organization, has handled the matter nothing close to appropriately.

A major part of the problem too being the insistence on celibacy.
Which is strange because there is nothing in the bible demanding it and I'm not aware of any other religion that practices it.

[Erinome]

Honestly, some Catholics speculate that the reason they went into priesthood was largely because they would be forced into celibacy, while others think it's because it's a good cover for a monster.

The celibacy thing started purely for financial reasons a looonng time ago. It needs to jet, I agree.

[helmespc]

Honestly, some Catholics speculate that the reason they went into priesthood was largely because they would be forced into celibacy, while others think it's because it's a good cover for a monster.

The celibacy thing started purely for financial reasons a looonng time ago. It needs to jet, I agree.

It was my experience that many clergy I was acquainted with were using it as a cover for homosexuality... a way for them not to "bring shame" to their family. Others are definitely hiding something much worse. Very few make that lifestyle decision simply to dedicate their lives to god.

[Erinome]

There was this one priest, Father Breen, who I just adored. He baptized me, heard my first confession, gave me my first communion, and confirmed me. He was the only priest I can look back on with certainty and know that he was not a homosexual, and really wanted to give his life to god. If he is a homosexual, he does an extremely great job of hiding it. I can spot one from 50 yards with a supermodel on his arm, trust me. Looking back on all the priests I've known, aside from him, they were all gay. I really only knew one nun very well, and she was most certainly a lesbian.

The last mass I attended was the one before my own children's baptism, which I allowed because it was so important to my grandparents. My jaw dropped when Father Breen told everyone that he thought that people who weren't ready for children were irresponsible to not use birth control, despite the doctrine of the church. He has since been forced into retirement. I respect him a lot for that, especially considering my line of work.