When are Christians going to take responsibility for the heinous behaviour of their priests, brothers, and brethren? The latest discovery of mass graves of indigenous Indians at state funded Christian schools in Canada is yet another example of horrendous activities having taken place via the hands of Christians in positions of responsibility. We have seen a litany of sexual crimes of abuse perpetrated upon children in schools and churches across the globe over decades revealed in recent times. Christian priests and brothers as serial offenders leading to victim suicides and the destruction of their lives via drug and alcohol addiction. Many of these crimes are recent and have continued over decades and centuries in historical terms.
A Betrayal of Trust by Sick Individuals
The evidence is there for all to see and there is no disputing the disgusting crimes committed by these human beings dressed up in uniforms designed to signal service to divinity and trustworthiness. It is this betrayal of trust which makes the sick and disturbing behaviour all the more heinous. The Christian paradigm of good and evil should be questioned in the light of these crimes committed by the proponents of this religion. Talk of god is, in my view, a smokescreen for the very real actions of human beings.
Church Hierarchies Support Makes Them Complicit in Crimes
This is not a case of a few bad apples. The disturbing support provided to Christian perpetrators of child sexual abuse by the church hierarchies has made these leaders complicit. The hiding of crimes and repeated failures to correctly deal with these according to law directly involves these church leaders as facilitators of these disgusting crimes. The message to the wider public is that our institution and priesthood is more important than the vulnerable victims of these crimes. The church values itself and its vocational members over these children.
Belief in god is an anachronism in the twenty first century. It is predicated on a belief in an unseen deity. Religions like Christianity originated in the Bronze Age several millennia ago. These beliefs have been handed down from parent to child over many generations as part and parcel of cultural customs, which provide identity within families and societies. This is why a belief in an invisible and scientifically unverified deity has managed to survive despite the modern world we live in. Belief is a comforting concept inextricably linked to the love of parents and family for many believers. These beliefs are tolerated and seen as harmless by the majority of Australians.
However, religious belief can be exploited by those who wish to do so. It is a psychological weak spot in the minds of believers. Parents can expose their children to influential people on the basis of shared belief. The belief in an invisible supernatural entity who watches over all of us creates a warm fuzzy glow where vigilance would better serve. Christians who deny their base instincts and bang on about god are not harmless if they are actually sexual predators. We have seen many paedophiles move into positions of trust within church institutions, as school teachers and priests. There is evidence of this poison chalice being handed down generationally within church groups. God was not watching over these crimes and preventing them.
The whole concept of god has let down these individuals again and again. The idea of good and evil is not a harmless paradigm. It promotes a split within individuals and promotes not taking responsibility for behaviours. Human beings are those real people who make up churches and their institutions. God and a belief in god are bogus. When are Christians going to take responsibility? We are all very real individual humans who are each responsible for our own actions. All this talk of god is a distraction from reality. We are all responsible for our own behaviour. The buck stops with you and, in my case, with me.
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