I have a serious question. As you have read lately, Pope Benedict XVI has been taking a lot of heat for the growing pædophilia scandal in several countries. But, it is the reaction that raises a question in my mind. I know the responses that I have read from the Vatican and from other Roman Catholic sources. The vast majority of them are supportive. Several of them pointed out some discrepancies in the reports from the news media.
But, there is this question that I have. There were also quite a few news stories and blogs that accused the various news media not simply of a priori presuppositions, but of deliberate malice aforethought. Several of the articles and blog were written by non-Romans. Uniformly, they all went on to talk not simply about a liberal mindset or liberal presuppositions or liberal philosophy, but rather to talk about deliberate attempts to destroy the Roman Catholic Church, and, eventually, all conservative Christianity. And, this was applied not simply to some of the news media and to some of the articles, but uniformly to every article. In fact, if one reads those articles and blogs, it becomes clear that to question the Vatican’s version of events is already proof that one is part of the conspiracy.
Nevertheless, I have a question. How do you tell the difference between a mindset and a conspiracy? How does one tell a difference between tough investigative reporting and a deliberate attempt to falsify and destroy? If every time that someone writes a negative article about a person or cause you support, you claim conspiracy or “liberal hatred”, then how can anyone ever write a negative article about you without you shutting your mind off and refusing to consider the possibility that the article may have a point?
Finally, I have a question. If anyone outside your circle who writes a negative article is labeled as a fellow traveler with those who are seeking to destroy you for ungodly reasons, then what prevents those outside your circle from simply dismissing you as a self-deluded and biased person? You see, ultimately if all your defenses are simply to claim that the critic(s) are biased and conspiring, what then separates you from a group such as Scientology that takes exactly the same tack?
I am aware that there are groups that would like to destroy Christianity. There are people like Richard Dawkins who openly and overtly advocate the ending of religious influence in any part of society. I am aware that there are liberal Christian groups who are quite happy about Pope Benedict’s problems. I can easily believe that there are some who would deliberately distort truth in order to make their point. I have no doubt that the news media generally catches the broad overall story, but messes up periodically on the details. Nevertheless, catch that the claim is that investigative newspapers in many parts of the world are, each and every one, part of the “liberal hatred” of the Church if they report on this story in a negative way. That is a rather amazing claim that would easily lead to a diagnosis of paranoia were that type of claim to be made by an individual (everyone is against me).
And that, of course, is what led to my questions. Too many of the “conservative” articles and blogs that I am reading sound more like paranoia than they do like rational discourse.
And is it called paranoid if they really ARE out to get you???
But seriously, I don’t think that if you got all the people who have written/reported such in a room that they would all agree on anything much less how to run a conspiracy of such a possible magnitude. There are people who don’t like Catholics, some who don’t like Christians, some who don’t like religion of any sort and some who just don’t like pedophiles and people who keep them from justice.
That being said, you have a situation that seems to be an institutional blindness/denial in the Catholic Church (though I have seen it in other denominations but not to such a degree) that is widespread enough and reaches high enough heights in the hierarchy to be an excellent target for any and all of said individuals. That, however, does not make it a conspiracy. That the world at large is disgusted and scandalized at the actions of the church in protecting and hiding individuals who preyed on innocents instead of protecting the innocents should be no surprise. When anyone who holds themselves out as “special” or who is seen and treated as above the masses whether in politics or religion or sports goes so blatantly astray, negative public reaction should be expected. When such actions are ongoing and seem to be or can be perceived to be standard operating procedure, it is going to be even worse. Frankly I think the Catholic Church has set the situation up and deserves whatever investigations need to be done to make sure that no further children are harmed.
If instead of buying victims off, the church had called the police the first time such an incident came to light, that would have been the end of the story. Big headlines for a week until the next scandal came along and fair warning that anyone else who tried it would be prosecuted to the extent of the law.
Personally, it horrifies me that supposedly responsible individuals actually allowed accused pedophiles anywhere near a child again in life. My experience was not with a Catholic Church but another denomination. A known and previously convicted (in another state) pedophile was active in the church-teaching Sunday School, taking children on trips and as a chaperone for activities off church grounds etc. I went to the pastor of the church with the court records from the other state and begged them to not allow children to be alone with this person. I was accused of being mean, vindictive and insane and threatened. they saw him as an active church member who CARED. Pedophiles can be extremely charming and engaging people. Not every devil shows its horns. When the man was arrested yet again and the investigation included interviewing and examining all the children who had been in contact with the man at the church, I must say the pastor did call and apologize to me and state that they wished they had listened in the first place. The apology was nice, but it did not keep more children from being traumatized in the first place.
Amen to everything Alix said.
And what troubles me the most is not what the critics are saying but the form of defense chosen by authorities in the Roman Catholic Church. They are not only attacking the critics, but making themselves out to be the victims by comparing the attacks with “anti-semitism”.
Is it a conspiracy when the whole world, independently of one another, sees through this?
At the risk of sounding like a leftist, I’ll quote Trotsky: “The true criminals hide under the cloak of the accusers.”
When Conspiracy Logic is in effect:
1) Lack of evidence for a Conspiracy is Proof of The Conspiracy being able to silence anyone.
2) Evidence against a Conspiracy is Disinformation Planted by The Conspiracy.
3) If the Conspiracy Theory doesn’t fit the facts, invent a Bigger Conspiracy.
4) The Dwarfs are for The Dwarfs, and Won’t Be Taken In.
The morning drive-time jocks are having a field day with this. From always mentioning “Pope Benedict the Former Hitler Youth” to appending “pedophile” to every church title — “Father-pedophile, Bishop-pedophile, Cardinal-pedophile, etc”. My editor (for Infinite Space, Infinte God II) tells the story about someone who submitted a “Catholic” SF story for the anthology whose “Catholic” component was having the main character was molested by a priest back in childhood.
P.S. Morning drive-time radio today described Pope John Paul II as “Patron Saint of Child Molestors”.