This is not true. Haven't you heard about the Protestant churches in Canada and the problems with them molesting children? And to the fact that it was in the 50's and was covered up until a few years ago? What about the Native Canadian (Indian) children brought up in Protestant orphanages abused and molested and it not coming to light until recently. Yes it happens every where and so do the coverups. What about the Amish men molesting their daughters (extremely prevalent) They are also not prosecuted if they are forgiven by their Elder (I think it's called). To call this a Catholic problem is just plain out wrong. It is a people problem that occurs in each and every church. If you haven't heard about it with other religions it's because they haven't uncovered the truth yet. And the relocating goes on every where as well, you just haven't heard about it yet.

My thoughts exactly

Every other religion isn't the topic here. It's the Catholic church. It's the hypocrisy of the whole matter that is getting to me. How can this pope say that only those who are Catholic go to heaven because all others are not of a true religion, when they allowed this to happen and honestly help facilitate it by repeatedly moving the priest when the knew what they were doing.

I'm not attacking the people who worship there, they are worshiping God. I am attacking the hierarchy of the church itself. That is the difference.

Of course, I know that Jesus was Jewish. From my understanding (and of course I could be being incredibly ignorant again) Jesus didn't speak in churches at all. He spoke to the people where they were be it on a mountainside or where ever they needed him, not in million dollar, marble covered, hand painted buildings.

They did cover it up, that was my point. If it was your child that was raped repeatedly, how would you feel about the organization that cared more about trying to save face than protecting the children. Even now when some of the priests were going to court after all of these years, it was money from the Catholic church that was being used to defend them! I could not put my money in a collection plate if I thought one cent went for that.

You do think I'm an idiot! fine. The minute one of these people told them of what happened, they should have marched their employee to the police office or at the very least threw him out on his ars, not try to hide them far away among more children.

They have paid an awfull lot of hush money over the years to try to make the problem "go away." I can't speak for the parents of the children who were raped by someone they trusted, but perhaps they didn't know if it would be more damaging to their children to make all of that public. The sad part is that the church leaders knew and continued to allow more kids to be victomised. I find that unforgivable, in my opinion of course.

No, the Catholic Church IS the topic here because that was what was originally brought up in both this post about Pope Benedict and the last post about the same topic. He is wrong and that is what most of us are saying. The early days of the Christian Church may have been the Catholic Church, but things sure have changed in 2000 years.

SO, to bring it back to the ORIGINAL reason for posting - we are getting way off course: I don't think there are many of us here who agree with Pope Benedict on this one. There isn't one true church.

Now, as the moderator of this forum, I am going to try to bring it BACK to the original post and to remind everybody to not attack other people's beliefs or church. If it continues, I will have to either lock or delete this thread.

This is not about pedophile priests (feel free to start another thread about that) or attacks on LDS or the Catholic Church. This is about comments that Pope Benedict made concerning the "one true church" if there is such a thing. Let's keep it civil, please.

From a non Catholic person, about the origional topic, and asked in the most friendly way...

If someone is Catholic and doesn't believe what the leader of that church, the pope, is saying on your behalf, why would you still go to that church and support it financially.

I'm not attacking, just trying to understand.

Because the church is more than the pope! A LOT more!

I don't always believe or support the president, but I still love the fact that I am an American and would not change that for anything in the world.

You are not going to agree with a leader on EVERY issue. Except for Jesus. I have agreed with him on everything, obviously.

Plus, for ME, I believe God has told me over and over again he wants me to remain in the Catholic Church. I have often thought of leaving and he always brings me back. I know that is where he wants me to worship. I know any believer will understand that. We don't always agree/like what God wants us to do 100%, but we have to do it.

Okay- I researched it a little bit- the Catholic Church developed from the church started by Jesus (I forget the verse- I will look it up again- but it basically said from these rocks start my church and hades shall never pass through)- BUT it stopped resembling the original church long ago!

This is in the Bible I TImothy 4: 1-3 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctorines of demons, speaking lies in hyprocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, comanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe to know the truth"

IMHO- I don't believe what the Pope is saying. If he wants it to be the original church- go back into all of his documents from the beginnings of the Catholic church and undo everything that they started while in the process of developing the catholic church- including Easter, Christmas and the worshipping of Mother Mary and saints cause quite frankly- I consider that worshipping other idols- that are not God. Then maybe I will become a Catholic and believe that it is the original Church.

Big sigh! This is one of the BIGGEST myths about the Catholic Church. I know this is not part of the original post, but I have to clear this up, so please forgive me the digression.

The Catholic Church does NOT worship Mary or saints. We pray to them for INTERCESSION. In other words, if I come to Mommysavers and ask you all to pray for my sick mother, it is the same thing as praying to Mary and asking HER to pray for my sick mother. She interceeds for us to her son, Jesus, just as other believers pray to Jesus and ask him for healing for my sick mother.

I have never worshipped Mary or any other saint nor have I experienced any such worship in the Catholic Church. Saints are just people we should emulate in our lives.

NOW! Back to the original topic, AGAIN!

I've stayed out of this little hotbed of a topic, but I think that Treehugger's question is a perfectly valid question, and deserves an answer from many Catholics, since there are many opinions on this.

Some Catholics believe that you must adhere strictly to the doctrine, both liturgical and political, of the church. Other Catholics are strict liturgicalists, but moderate in regards to the political side of the church. Still others are more moderate and individualistic in their thoughts on both the liturgical side and the political side.

I fall somewhere between the second and third camps. I believe that the political ideology, while born out of the teachings in the Bible, have taken on less of a "what is moral and ethical, in essesence, what would Jesus do" to a "what we believe should be moral and ethical and what we interpret that Jesus would do". That is where I part ways with my Church.

I am a faithful Church goer. I say my prayers and believe in the liturgical ideals that were taught to me during many years of Mass and CCD. I get a sense of peace when going to Mass. And I don't agree with all of the political ideologies of the Catholic church, either. I don't go to Church to have my priest tell me how I should think or what is right/moral/ethical. God gave me a brain to use, and use it I do. I go to Church to hear my priest talk about the Gospels, explain to me what the apostles were trying to say, and to give me his interpretation and how the Gospels fit into today's world.

Now, in terms of Pope Benedict's comments on the Catholic Church being "the one true church", let's all be honest with ourselves. Every Christian church, be it Catholic or Protestant or some variation, believes that they are the "true" church. That their interpretation of the Bible is it. They are right. Did the Pope say that non-Catholics were going to Hell if they didn't become Catholic? No. In fact, he said nothing that the second Vactian Council didn't also say all those years ago.

Did he say that because Catholics revere the Eurcharist and that according to Catholic doctrine, the Catholic church views itself as closer to the teachings of Jesus? Yup. But you know what, my dear sweet sister, who is Pentacostal, believes her flavor of Christianity is closer to the teachings of Jesus than other doctrines or faiths. And you know what, that's okay.

We all believe what we believe. Do I believe that the Catholic Church's doctrine is somehow better than other denominations? Nope. I think that when all of the politics and posturing and power plays are stripped away, it's all pretty much the same Bible. We all just pick and choose what we think is most important, and focus on that.

I apologize for this very long and rambling post. And I sincerely hope, Treehugger, that I have answered your question, instead of spurring more questions.

May Peace be with all of you.

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Thank you, that did help answer many of my questions. It's "all of the politics and posturing and power plays" that tend to make such a mess out of something that should be so wonderful. I think too, that it can discourage people from getting involved with organised religion at all. In the end, I hope my simple prayers from home will be heard.

beautifulbabies,

I chimed in to this thread because I was trying to state the LDS church and my personal belief is that EVERYONE has a right worship as they please. I was not trying to start a "holy war" with anyone, nor trying to inflict my beliefs upon anyone. I was just trying to give perspective.

Please do not flame my religious beliefs because you do not agree with them. I am also not denying anything you have said, although I feel it has been taken out of context. I will not go into detail trying to defend what I believe, but if anyone wants to PM me, I will answer questions on a personal level.

I think we are all adults here, and have our own opinions, but in no way does it make it right to outright trash my religion knowing I just posted saying I was LDS.

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