Urging a sprawling religious institution to take immediate remedial action to redress a scourge of pervasive sexual abuse within its ranks is unlikely to generate global controversy. Unless that organization is the Catholic Church and the edict is issued by a secular watchdog and muddied by the Vatican’s unique status as a hybrid sovereign state ruled by its own religious laws and mores.

On Feb. 5, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a stern rebuke of the Holy See for its failure to comply with its international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The panel’s observations in its second periodic report on the Vatican accused it of systematically protecting pedophile priests and showing greater concern for preserving its own reputation and protecting the perpetrators than for upholding the best interests of the children.(cleanhippie note: This IS what happened here. That is fact. Does anyone dare anyone to deny this?) It called on the church to remove abusive clergy from official duty, turn abusers and those who shielded them over to state authorities for prosecution and release its voluminous archives of sexual-abuse complaints.

The U.N. report has reignited a lingering debate between defenders of the church and critics who deplore its handling of the sex-abuse crisis. Survivor groups and their supporters hailed the report as a watershed development in their arduous and lengthy battle to seek redress for past and ongoing abuses as well as efforts to prevent future ones. They have long criticized the Vatican for hiding behind a stony and impenetrable wall of secrecy, obstructing justice, protecting abusers and punishing whistle-blowers.


http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/2/the-vatican-stillprotectspedophilepriests.html

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VATICAN CITY — Two white doves that were released by children standing alongside Pope Francis as a peace gesture have been attacked by other birds.

As tens of thousands of people watched in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, a seagull and a large black crow swept down on the doves right after they were set free from an open window of the Apostolic Palace.
WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 21, 2014: Snow ball battle around the fountain at Dupont circle.(Photo by Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post)

Must-see photos of the week

A look at some of our favorite images of the week.

One dove lost some feathers as it broke free from the gull. But the crow pecked repeatedly at the other dove.

It was not clear what happened to the doves as they flew off.

At Fri Jan 10, 2014, 12:42 PM you sent an alert on the following post:

I think it's because of the way they act
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4310517

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

YOUR COMMENTS:

If this posters use of "DU Atheists" is not the textbook definition of both bigotry and a personal attack against an entire SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED group of people, what is?

JURY RESULTS

A randomly-selected Jury of DU members completed their review of this alert at Fri Jan 10, 2014, 12:54 PM, and voted 0-6 to LEAVE IT ALONE.

A rescue mission in Kansas City has barred atheists from helping to feed the homeless for Thanksgiving this year, even though the group has volunteered the past two years. The Kansas City Atheist Coalition announced the bad news on their website on Saturday that the Kansas City Rescue Mission had turned down an offer to assist with this year’s Thanksgiving event.

“Kansas City Rescue Mission has decided to use the meals they deliver as a chance to proselytize to its recipients by inserting religious literature into the meals,” the coalition noted. “They informed us that we ‘would not be a good fit’ (emphasis theirs) for volunteering with them, and declined to respond to any further inquiries.” President Josh Hyde pointed out that the group had about a dozen members show up to volunteer at last year’s Thanksgiving Outreach.

--snip--

The Kansas City Rescue Mission website notes that “hunger affects hundreds in Kansas City and KCRM wants to make it easy for you to reach out to our neighbors in need.”

“We’re counting on your help to supply the hundreds of pounds of food needed to provide 2,400 meals for hungry, poverty-stricken and homeless men, women and children through our three Thanksgiving community outreaches,” the mission says.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/11/christian-rescue-mission-bans-kansas-atheists-from-volunteering-at-thanksgiving/

One does not associate church with Hepatitis A, most of the time church is the least expected place to contract the virus. Surprisingly, hundreds of people may have been exposed to Hepatitis A while taking communion. The exposure happened in late September and early October in North Dakota.

While Bishop John Folda served communion, he exposed hundreds of parishioners to Hepatitis A. Bishop John Folda served the communion at five different churches in Fargo, Grand Forks, and Jamestown. He acquired the virus in Italy while attending a conference. He did not have any knowledge of contracting the virus, he stated “I wish I had known I was ill so I could immediately refrain from participating in public activities.” North Dakota state Health Department issued an advisory of exposure for anyone who attended the services. Bishop Folda issued a statement saying “I sincerely apologize to the people who may have been exposed to the virus.”

Hepatits A can cause serious liver problems. Signs and symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Vaccinations are available for Hepatitis A, though they are usually given to people who are at high risk of exposure. The Hepatitis A vaccine may be prevented if the vaccine is given within two weeks of exposure. Unfortunately, the parishioners learned of the exposure too late to get the vaccine.

The director of communications for the Diocese of Bismark says Catholic churches and institutions have been very careful during communion ever since the 2009 outbreak of the H1N11 flu. North Dakota Catholics may pass up communion, washing hands and keeping good hygiene is important to help prevent Hepatitis A. Currently, Bishop John Folda is completely recovered and has been cleared by the doctor to resume normal activities.

http://www.goddiscussion.com/114390/possible-hepatitis-exposure-from-north-dakota-bishop/

Professor Jim Al-Khalili, a theoretical physicist and science broadcaster, said Monday at The Cambridge Union Society that Christianity had commandeered humanistic values.

In his presentation, Al-Khalili said he believed in the Golden Rule: One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. The ethical maxim is often attributed to Jesus Christ.

Echoing the thought of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, a member of the audience said it seemed like secular humanists had “killed God” but were “still doing what he said” by adhering to Christian morality and values.

Al-Khalili responded by saying the situation was actually reversed. Christianity had hijacked human values. "For me, that is what defines me as a human, that I have the capacity to love, to empathize, to sympathize, to be kind,” he explained.

“Yes, those were values that were taken up by the Abrahamic religions and rightly so, because [it was] back at a time when people needed to be told those are important human values. For me, I don’t think I need to behave in a certain way because I want to seek the reward of God or because I fear the punishment of God. I do them because I’m a human being.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/15/professor-jim-al-khalili-christianity-hijacked-human-values/