Quote Originally Posted by Rover View Post
There’s a difference between the church and bad actors in the church. That’s like saying we should shut down the Republican Party and/or US government because of Nixon, Trump, and all their co-conspirators.
Rover, I respect your viewpoint. However, I think you keep talking about something in almost every one of your posts that's not the issue. I know of nobody who seriously thinks the Church should be shut down. I know somebody way upthread said something along those lines, but you respond to every post by acting like there's some big push to shut it down.. Why? Nobody (except way upthread when Ian Clark said something like that and was criticized for it) has suggested anything of the sort.

I agree with Jerry on this. When there is evidence linking the Vatican to cover-ups of child rape and molestation, Popes that chose to protect Cardinals, Bishops, on and on - at that point, it IS the Church as the bad actor. Literally, if you look at it theologically from a Catholic viewpoint. The Church is based on a hierarchy that people trust to do what's right. This same hierarchy has failed time and time again on this issue. In this case locally, it's just more of the same! Nothing to see here? If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, no matter how it is spun - it's a duck.