Part 2
The fact that humanity is flawed, this character included, does not in itself detract from the message of Faith that religion brings to those who believe. We know we are not perfect, that it is hard to live up what Christianity demands of its followers, particularly in a modern world where hedonistic pleasures of all descriptions are there for the taking. To try and be humble, caring and considerate of others, as many do try, is seen by many others as weakness. It is the greed of mankind in any form, that leads to social problems – of abject poverty for many, broken marriages, drug cultures, the evils of abortion, suicides and social alienation to name a few.

Good evening to you BAGSYL...

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm in no way a defender of the Christian faith, nor the Catholic Church.

All I can attest too is what I've seen. I'm very pragmatic, not particularly well educated, and no saviour or supporter of a God of any kind. But what I have seen with some of the most sad, dreadfully unhappy people, I've had to deal with over the years, is that some of them have revisited their Catholic beliefs, and as such managed to turn their miserable lives around !

Is that not a good thing ? Or would you have them declare aloud, '...I know all this religion and stuff is all bunkum, and now I've been set free from that lousy Church, and their idiotic, corrupt Priests...' while I'm being conveyed out to Long Bay in the back of a Ford F250, to do 'ten' with an 'eight', and having just been told by the Family Court, to keep well away from my ex wife, and our two kids !

No longer a practicing Christian nor a Catholic, just another crim lost in the system....don't matter really, he's at least been set free from all that religious stuff, so eh !

Good result eh BAGSYL ! Trouble is with people like JON J and his many warped cohorts, they've seen so little of real life, and they're so intractably ensnared in their own dreary, academic arrogance, they have this rather pathetic need to attack anything and anybody, that they themselves don't and can't understand. Sad really ?

Have a good night BAGSYL.

In the US there have been massive payouts to Catholic abuse victims through the courts as well as court-ordered naming-and-shaming of abusers, so now the good guys are taking back control of the church - http://www.smh.com.au/world/abuse-scandal-hits-new-pope-selection-20130219-2eo5b.html

What a pity our legal system allows the Catholic church to claim that there is no legal entity for victims to claim compensation from.

o sung wu
The question should be whether a belief is false, not whether it's comforting.

Good afternoon to you JARDINE K JARDINE...

You're not by chance related to the late great Douglas Jardine by chance ?

To your question, '...whether that belief is false or just comforting...' ? How do you know the belief is false ? Myself, I haven't got a clue ? Does it matter if it's false anyway, as long as it provides comfort ?

A child nervous of the dark, give 'em their favourite 'Teddy Bear' for comfort, they drop off to sleep, secure in the knowledge, their Teddy will protect them. A false belief to be sure, but does it matter ?

A person with a terminal illness, acquires great comfort from their belief in God ? Is that such a bad thing ? Or should it now be mandated, that an enlightened academic appraise them of the total absence of evidence supporting the existence of a God. And in so doing, destroy all hope of any sort of existence after their death !

You see JARDINE, my biggest beef with people like JON J herein, was the malicious and sustained invective he directed at those working within the Catholic Church ?

I'm first to say they need a 'brush' to go right through them and their kind. I totally welcome the Royal Commission into their conduct and activities. To examine the many terrible crimes they've both condoned and concealed. Further, there's evidence available attesting to the fact that the Church has even engaged in absolving many of the perpetrators who've committed these heinous crimes against our young. So bring on this Royal Commission I say, no matter the economic cost !

But, by the same token, not all of those within the Church are bad, far from it. There are many ordinary Priests, Ministers and Pastors who are both selfless, and good. Who vainly try, to do their very best for those people within their individual Churches.

I've not got a problem with anyone criticizing or denigrating the beliefs of Catholics, or Christians per so. It's all just an opinion anyway ?