Where are your tithes going?

Zakath

Resident Atheist
... or offerings for that matter...

Are they going to pay for the illegal and immoral activities of your church leaders?

From the Boston.com News, the Boston Globe web site

Diocese's assets to pay sex-abuse victims
Wash. ruling may have local effect

A decision by a federal bankruptcy judge in Spokane, Wash., who ruled that the assets of the Catholic diocese could be liquidated to pay victims of sexual abuse by priests, could have far-reaching implications for dioceses across the country, including in Boston, leaders of two lay reform groups said yesterday.

Peter Borre, cochairman of the Council of Parishes, a group that is assisting parishioners who oppose the closing of their parishes, said he believes the ruling might encourage more victims of clergy sexual abuse to come forward and file suit against church officials, two years after about 550 parishioners in Boston settled their claims with the archdiocese.

''We are going to see a significant surge in claims because, to put it a bit crassly, sexual-abuse victims and their attorneys will now see much larger sums of money available for settlement," he said. ''Everything within the diocese is now potentially on the table if it comes to Chapter 11 proceedings."

...

That last line should give some folks pause... in a big legal settlement, all church assets may be on the table for dissolution or sale when the leadership screws up.

It pays parishoners, whether Catholic or non-Catholic, to watch their leadership more carefully. :think:
 

fool

Well-known member
Hall of Fame
Zakath said:
... or offerings for that matter...

Are they going to pay for the illegal and immoral activities of your church leaders?

From the Boston.com News, the Boston Globe web site



That last line should give some folks pause... in a big legal settlement, all church assets may be on the table for dissolution or sale when the leadership screws up.

It pays parishoners, whether Catholic or non-Catholic, to watch their leadership more carefully. :think:
Who cares about there stuff, I want to see all the leaders who knew about the abuse behind bars.
 

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Zakath said:
... or offerings for that matter...

Are they going to pay for the illegal and immoral activities of your church leaders?
"immoral activities"?????

"immoral activities"?????

"immoral activities"?????

Zakath did you just type.... "immoral activities"?????

Please tell us how a moral reletivist could determine such a thing. :)
 

Zakath

Resident Atheist
fool said:
Who cares about there stuff, I want to see all the leaders who knew about the abuse behind bars.
Well, that won't happen very often when you've got "God's Man" in the White House... :rolleyes:

Heck, the justice department isn't even allowed to prosecute KPMG for billions in admitted tax fraud!
 

fool

Well-known member
Hall of Fame
Knight said:
"immoral activities"?????

"immoral activities"?????

"immoral activities"?????

Zakath did you just type.... "immoral activities"?????

Please tell us how a moral reletivist could determine such a thing. :)
Molesting children is illeagal in the time and place where they did it, so is covering it up.
 

Zakath

Resident Atheist
Knight said:
"immoral activities"?????

"immoral activities"?????

"immoral activities"?????
No need to get excited, we read it the first time. :rolleyes:

Zakath did you just type.... "immoral activities"?????
Yup, that I did. :thumb:

Please tell us how a moral reletivist could determine such a thing. :)
In case you haven't been following it, these organizations have been covering up the sexual abuse of minors by pastors. That is conspiracy to escape proscecution, which is illegal and immoral; as was the abuse in the first place.

It is immoral because it unecessarily injures others.

Tell us, Knight, don't you think that sexual abuse of minors by pastors is immoral?

Don't you think that covering up such activities is immoral, as well?

:think:
 

fool

Well-known member
Hall of Fame
Knight said:
Do you define immoral as anything that is illegal?
No, but in this case their activities were illegal so we'll go with that. If at some point haveing forced sex with minors becomes legal it will still be wrong and I'll have to fall back on the "because I say so" arguement.
 

Zakath

Resident Atheist
Knight said:
Why is it immoral to unecessarily injure others?
Because as a humanist, I believe it is my obligation to refrain from unecessarily harming another human.

I think we all know you do not believe that to be sufficient basis for making moral decisions.

You asked for my basis of judging morality, I gave it to you. I don't expect you to agree with it. :nono:
 

fool

Well-known member
Hall of Fame
Zakath said:
Because as a humanist, I believe it is my obligation to refrain from unecessarily harming another human.

I think we all know you do not believe that to be sufficient basis for making moral decisions.

You asked for my basis of judging morality, I gave it to you. I don't expect you to agree with it. :nono:
You're a Humanist?
 

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Zakath said:
Because as a humanist, I believe it is my obligation to refrain from unecessarily harming another human.

I think we all know you do not believe that to be sufficient basis for making moral decisions.

You asked for my basis of judging morality, I gave it to you. I don't expect you to agree with it. :nono:
Maybe to others it is not immoral to unecessarily injure others.

As a moral relitivist what makes you right and them wrong?
 

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
fool said:
I'll have to fall back on the "because I say so" arguement.
Fair enough, I will take that as a concession and therefore focus on Zakath.

Thanks for playing, better luck next time. :)
 
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Zakath

Resident Atheist
Knight said:
Maybe to others it is not immoral to unecessarily injure others.
Society disagrees with them so that's their problem, isn't it?

As a moral relitivist what makes you right and them wrong?
Similar to what drives you - belief. Differing objects of belief, but similar human processes.

BTW, nice attempt at thread hijacking. ;)

Do you actually have anything germane to the topic of the Opening Post, or not?
 

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Zakath said:
Society disagrees with them so that's their problem, isn't it?
Who cares if society disagrees with them?

Is "society" your moral compass?

Similar to what drives you - belief. Differing objects of belief, but similar human processes.
You know the basis of my belief - I am trying to determine the basis of your belief.

BTW, nice attempt at thread hijacking. ;)
Um, when a moral relitivist makes a claim of immorality, questioning that assertion could hardly be considered thread hijacking.
 

fool

Well-known member
Hall of Fame
Knight said:
Fair enough, I will take that as a concession and therefore focaus on Zakath.
"Because I say so"is the basis of everyones' morality. If you get it from a book, you are simply nameing a surrogate, that does not change the fact that you are the one making the decision.
 

Zakath

Resident Atheist
Knight said:
Who cares if society disagrees with them?
It makes it considerably easier to get a conviction and sentencing in a court of law.

Is "society" your moral compass? You know the basis of my belief - I am trying to determine the basis of your belief.
You obviously don't seem to be able to understand it, even though we've had this discussion, what, about a half dozen times?

:shrug:

Um, when a moral relitivist makes a claim of immorality, questioning that assertion could hardly be considered thread hijacking.
In your opinion...

As I asked previously, do you have anything germane to the point of the OP - watching the behavior church leadership?

:think:
 
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Zakath

Resident Atheist
fool said:
"Because I say so"is the basis of everyones' morality. If you get it from a book, you are simply nameing a surrogate, that does not change the fact that you are the one making the decision.
I would agree with your point. The individual decides to accept one moral system over another by accepting the book. It still boils down to individual choice.
 
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