[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by The Hunter of Jahanna: quote: But then you turn right around and lump ALL Christian denominations into one big melting pot and condemn ALL of them over the actions of a few. You also claim a "double standard" based on a current event as compared to actions that occurred over several years.

I am not condeming anyone. I am just saying that if the church is going to shuffle the men around then they should extend the same courtesy to the women. Last I heard the church was paying all of the attorney fees for the priests involved in the molestation of children. I wonder if they will be paying this womens attorney and court fees?? My real bone of contention is how the men in the church seem to get the royal treatment while everyone else gets treated like a second class citizen.Also, since every denomination follows the same bible that would make them all pretty much the same in my book. Unless they have all rewritten the bible to follow their own economic ends. I mean its like swing set building instructions. No matter how many people read them you still end up with a swing set at the end of the day.[/QUOTE]We all follow the same Bible, but different denominations have vastly different doctrines.

The Catholics believe that only the priest can intervene directly with God That's my understanding anyway - if any Catholics want to correct that assumption, please feel free. No offense is meant and none will be taken.

I have a friend who is in the Lutheran seminary. According to him, everybody - including ALL other "Christian" denominations and even the "mainstream" Lutherans - are ALL on the Fastrack to Hell.

Still, the primary issue here is the treatment of the Catholic priests vs the treatment of this female teacher - so I'll focus on that.

Most Christian denominations do not have the type of heirarchy found in Catholic churches. Baptists, Lutherans, and all the rest DO "assign" pastors to certain churches, usually away from their hometown. HOWEVER, unlike in the Catholic church, the congregations in the other denominations have every right to "kick a preacher out of their church" if they don't like him.

As I said before, the Catholic church is the ONLY denomination where this practice has been found to be widespread and ongoing...and where there is documentation that the "sins of the priest" have been "covered up" by the church leaders.

You may not think you're comparing apples to oranges, but you are. There are major differences in the structure of different denominations, and the Catholics are pretty much unique in their set-up.