Does this Pope support or condone those things committed by the pedophiles? I don't know enough about this particular Pope. And do you believe that, as a religious denomination, it supports such behavior? Surely not.

I am not talking about the denomination, or the extended body of catholicism, but of the institution of the Roman Catholic Church. They went to great lenghts to hide the abuse and protect the abusers. I haven't read the Bible in awhile but I don't recall that it says "Protect ye Pedophiles" anywhere, either on the Old or New Testament.

So, what you are saying is, you are a member of a child abusing cult that endorses organized pedophilia and is run by a N...

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Does this Pope support or condone those things committed by the pedophiles? I don't know enough about this particular Pope. And do you believe that, as a religious denomination, it supports such behavior? Surely not.

I am not talking about the denomination, or the extended body of catholicism, but of the institution of the Roman Catholic Church. They went to great lenghts to hide the abuse and protect the abusers. I haven't read the Bible in awhile but I don't recall that it says "Protect ye Pedophiles" anywhere, either on the Old or New Testament.

So, what you are saying is, you are a member of a child abusing cult that endorses organized pedophilia and is run by a Nazi?

No. Again, I, like many Catholics, make a distiction between the institution of the Church and its dogma and traditions (which vary greatly on the three continents where the Catholic faith dominates). Maher is anti-religious to be sure, but I'm have enough of a thick skin not to be alarmed by what he is saying. If you go after some people in a "compound" in Texas, you also have to engage the Catholic Church head on. Same sins, same crimes.

Like I said, allowing such crimes (as well as persecuting church members and leaders that stood up to abusive and genocidal policies in the Americas) undermines this Pope's moral authority. I am not going to ignore (or condone) these acts merely because they where committed by "my side" or "my faith" or "my religion".

So, you don't really agree with Maher. You don't think that the church is a pedophilia promoting cult run by a Nazi. I agree that all institutions should seek out these problems and I agree that the Catholic Church in particular had a problem which they then tried to cover up. But even at their worst, I don't think that the covering up of the crime was equal to the entire church, including the pope, condoning what was done.

If you go after some people in a "compound" in Texas, you also have to engage the Catholic Church head on. Same sins, same crimes.

I don't agree that they are the same. Was the pope himself promoting and even committing these crimes? I think that is a dis...

So, you don't really agree with Maher. You don't think that the church is a pedophilia promoting cult run by a Nazi. I agree that all institutions should seek out these problems and I agree that the Catholic Church in particular had a problem which they then tried to cover up. But even at their worst, I don't think that the covering up of the crime was equal to the entire church, including the pope, condoning what was done.

If you go after some people in a "compound" in Texas, you also have to engage the Catholic Church head on. Same sins, same crimes.

I don't agree that they are the same. Was the pope himself promoting and even committing these crimes? I think that is a distinct difference. I do think they screwed up in the cover up, but they seem to be trying to make things right (not that I follow what Catholics are doing that closely). Maher is just being a bigoted attention whore as normal.

Does this Pope support or condone those things committed by the pedophiles?

In 2006 the Evening Standard reported that the BBC would be airing a documentary which maintained that the Pope 'Led Cover-Up of Child Abuse by Priests'

In 2001, while he was a cardinal, he issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church's interests ahead of child safety.

The document recommended that rather than reporting sexual abuse to the relevant legal authorities, bishops should encourage the victim, ...

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Does this Pope support or condone those things committed by the pedophiles?

In 2006 the Evening Standard reported that the BBC would be airing a documentary which maintained that the Pope 'Led Cover-Up of Child Abuse by Priests'

In 2001, while he was a cardinal, he issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church's interests ahead of child safety.

The document recommended that rather than reporting sexual abuse to the relevant legal authorities, bishops should encourage the victim, witnesses and perpetrator not to talk about it. And, to keep victims quiet, it threatened that if they repeat the allegations they would be excommunicated.

The Panorama special, Sex Crimes And The Vatican, investigates the details of this little-known document for the first time. The programme also accuses the Catholic Church of knowingly harbouring paedophile clergymen. It reveals that priests accused of child abuse are generally not struck off or arrested but simply moved to another parish, often to reoffend. It gives examples of hush funds being used to silence the victims.

So, in answer to jatfla's question, yes, at least at one time he did.

@ ratilfar

Although born a catholic I'm leaning to Agnostic.

From the light to darkness. If you have any faith left in Christ, you may recall His words:
Lk 17:1 And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come. But woe to him through whom they come!
Now the Church in her 2000 years of existence has always been attacked in different forms. Yet the Church continues her mission of preaching Christ:
Mt 16:18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

I am not trying to condone or done play the severity of each case of abuse because of some perverted men, the victims have...

@ ratilfar

Although born a catholic I'm leaning to Agnostic.

From the light to darkness. If you have any faith left in Christ, you may recall His words:
Lk 17:1 And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come. But woe to him through whom they come!
Now the Church in her 2000 years of existence has always been attacked in different forms. Yet the Church continues her mission of preaching Christ:
Mt 16:18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

I am not trying to condone or done play the severity of each case of abuse because of some perverted men, the victims have not only suffered physical, mental and emotional harm but also spiritual harm. Jesus warned us of such perpetrators:
Lk 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones. After viewing an interview of an abuse victim who stated that he lost his faith because of such incident, I thought Christ's words may apply here.

Now it is another thing to maliciously state that the Church is a cult of pedophiles because clearly the directive of the Church is not to produce child abusers. There is absolutely no such doctrine and the perpetrators acted on their own accord. St. John in his epistle:
1 Jn 2:19 They went out from us but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us: but that they may be manifest, that they are not all of us.
If we were to apply the same standard to other cases then we might as well accuse all religions by the same token. There is none who has not gone through the same circumstance. Even outside of religion, why not use the same standard towards civil authorities, other professions and organizations? How come we don't hear of people refusing to go to hospitals because of cases where physicians abused their patients?