Pope enthralls large crowd with message of love, mercy

[Act_of_Reparation]

36. Extortion

Ask away. This organization, though, also supports some of the largest charity organizations in the world that do important work that progressives would heartily approve of. Catholic Relief Services was working in Darfur and many other poverty stricken places long before Darfur made the evening news. Catholic Charities is the second largest social service provider in the US, second only to the Federal government. They do great work. I used to work for them, and I am not Catholic. There are no faith requirements, either to work for them or receive services.

The charitable work the church supports doesn't negate or cancel out the bad. Until Catholics are allowed to choose precisely where their contributions go, the money they drop in the plate invariably funds anti-homosexual and misogynistic programs, and defending and relocating rapist priests, as well as putting clothes on people's backs. Asserting that we can't risk punishing the Church financially for its inhumane programs because of the good works that will be negatively affected is tantamount to extortion.

Should we really have to put up with bigotry and criminal accessory to rape of minors because we're afraid the Church will no longer support good causes? If the Church hierarchy were good and moral, would they even let such a thing happen?

If you want to give money to the disadvantaged, that's absolutely terrific. I encourage it. And, there's no shortage of secular charities which, given the kind of funding that is pumped through the church, could accomplish similar, if not superior results. In lieu of dropping money in the collection plate, I would urge Catholics to give to these charities instead.

The basic importance of faith to believers is best experienced in community. Do you wish for Catholics to stop going to church?

Ultimately, I think the best method of voicing one's displeasure with the Church's leadership would be to boycott the organization entirely, but I don't think merely showing up for a service is equivalent to actively funding the organization. So no, I don't feel strongly one way or the other about whether or not liberal Catholics go to church. I understand the community is important to them, and I can see why it would be difficult to give that up.

Like I said, I wasn't born an atheist.