Santorum Knew: Priest in D.C. where Santorum Worships Charged in July 2002

[kerrygoddess]

Santorum Knew: Priest in D.C. Church where Santorum Worships Charged with Sex Abuse in July 2002

August 1st, 2005
Rick Santorum claimed yesterday on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that in July 2002, when he wrote the article that has recently resurfaced, calling Boston the “liberal” seat of church abuse, he did not know that there were similar cases in PA. In my earlier post on this today, I noted that George Stephanopoulos called him on that statement.

Since my earlier post on this, I have received numerous newspaper articles from an anonymous source, dating back to March 2002 that all make reference to church abuse cases in PA. The most interesting article was from July 12, 2002 - Capitol Hill Pastor Faces Child Sex Case.

The pastor of a historic Capitol Hill parish that serves many Roman Catholic members of Congress was placed on leave yesterday after a Washington area man accused him of sexual abuse in the early 1970s, the second such allegation against the priest.

The last paragraph of the article notes that among the church’s parishioners included “Sens. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.).”

It’s absolutely despicable that Rick Santorum is playing politics with with the victims of these cases. If this is some sort of marketing ploy to sell his new book to conservatives it’s a sick joke aimed towards those who have suffered. No man with any sense of moral dignity, would continue pushing this issue as Santorum has.

It’s time for Rick Santorum to step up to the plate and do the right thing, as it is he who dredged up these painful memories and put them back in the limelight. Instead of working to help heal the victims of church abuse Santorum has perpetuated the ugliest of rumors and lies in the name of politics and marketing.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=124

[snowbear]

1. Is it true Rick Santorum and Tammy Faye Baker are having an affair?

That's what I hear... :evilgrin:

[noonwitch]

11. I wouldn't wish that on Tammy Faye

I have some sympathy for the woman. I don't think she's all that smart and was not criminally culpable in the PTL scandal. Then again, I also don't have much sympathy for the people who actually sent donations to the organization-people should be careful about who they give their money too.

[PlanetBev]

2. Santorum is amazingly stupid.

He makes it seem like clergy sexual abuse is something that was invented in the 20th and 21st centuries. This shit has been going on for 900 fucking years. What kid was going to speak up to his parents during the Middle Ages? Nobody talked about that type of thing in those days and priest were treated as infallible.

Can you imagine how many thousands of children have suffered over the years at the hands of these vermin?

[kerrygoddess]

3. Good points...

Try telling that "man on a dog"! I'm not particularly fond of the church... I lead towards the goddess myself.

[wli]

4. actually I'd be careful there

Views of pederasty/pedophilia were different in the past. Not that I'd approve, but when you start getting into significantly different cultures (i.e. the predecessors of ours) contemporary characterizations fail.

ON EDIT: To further clarify, this is largely centered around the notion that what we'd now view as molestation/victimization carried significant shame for the victim.

[kerrygoddess]

7. I believe that

many left the church in light of what is now known about the past... most of which was buried for hundreds of years. Between the abuse of women and pedophilia... it hasn't changed all that much. It may have been looked upon differently in the past but what stays the same is the same. It's been going on forever and it's high time it stops.

[NAO]

5. Man-on-boy is MUCH WORSE than man-on-dog

Christianity is the longest running atrocity in human history.

From the persecution of Gnostics and other sects in the first few centuries, through the Inquisition, the Witch Hunts, right up to today's pedophile priests, Christianity has inflicted more suffering on mankind than Hitler, Stalin, Genghis Kahn, Pol Pot and all the "really bad guys" combined. It has been a 2,000 year nightmare of violence, intolerance, torture, murder, destruction and child molestation.

***

The Religious Right is really OUT OF CONTROL and is exerting a greater and greater influence on our society. They are flexing their muscles in the political process, the economy and our entire culture.

Let us remember that the first time Christianity spread rapidly and gained control of the government (in Rome from 200 - 500 AD) it resulted in the utter collapse of Western Civilization and ushered in 1,000 years of darkness, superstition, ignorance and suffering.

Finally, after a millennium of Darkness, mankind began to see the Dawn of The Age of Reason and The Enlightenment. Humanity recovered some dignity, science was freed from the chains of religious superstition and real progress began.

The Constitution of the United States of America was one of the crowning achievements of The Enlightenment, being a document for the Establishment of a government that did NOT MAKE ONE SINGLE REFERENCE TO "GOD". With the establishment of the United States, government as well as science was freed from the domination of religious superstition.

Now, every day in the news there is some story about how the religionists are exerting their influence. Radical Clerics like James Dobson and Jerry Falwell get air time on network news. Religionists are organizing and boycotting businesses that do not adhere to their version of personal morality.

The specter of religious superstition is once again casting a frightening shadow over our world. The ghosts and demons of the Dark Ages, once believed to be banished forever by Reason, are again haunting our culture. Christianity destroyed civilization once before - it could happen again

The Freethought Zone
Science and Reason Over Religion and Superstition
http://freethought.freeservers.com /

Freedom from Religion Foundation
http://www.ffrf.org /

Secular Humanism
http://www.secularhumanism.org /

Secular Web
http://www.infidels.org/index.shtml

Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason - Online
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/thomas_paine/age_of_reason/index.shtml

Complete Works of Robert Ingersoll - Online
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/robert_ingersoll/index.shtml

[kerrygoddess]

9. Good points...

Thanks for posting this!

[DanCa]

6. It's all reflection and deflection with these people.

Rather than admiting this priest was capable of such henious acts he deflects his anger onto liberals. Pathetic Rick really pathetic.

[enough]

8. kick

[Ian David]

10. Damn, how did I miss this post yesterday? n/t

:kick: