Religion The God Question (continued in Part 2 - link in last post)

[hardon]

I went to a Christian Brother's college and although I never had any personal problems, I know a few blokes who did.
I got the regular beltings, the strap or the yardstick across your fingers etc, but never anything sexual.
I got much more violent treatment by the nuns in Primary school, the old bitches.
Six of the former brothers from my days were named in regard to pedophilia, two suicided, before they faced any inquiries. don't know what happened to the others, though I recall one of the Priests, Father McCardle, not implicated in anyway as far as I know, is now in the Canberra area. He would probably know what came of the allegations.

i can't imagine what experiencing these kinds of abuses could do to the developing mind of a youngster, particularly issues with authority and relationships.

i wonder if these abusive attitudes were endemic in religious institutions, or part of broader attitudes to children in society?

 

[The Scales]

I went to a Christian Brother's college and although I never had any personal problems, I know a few blokes who did.
I got the regular beltings, the strap or the yardstick across your fingers etc, but never anything sexual.
I got much more violent treatment by the nuns in Primary school, the old bitches.
Six of the former brothers from my days were named in regard to pedophilia, two suicided, before they faced any inquiries. don't know what happened to the others, though I recall one of the Priests, Father McCardle, not implicated in anyway as far as I know, is now in the Canberra area. He would probably know what came of the allegations.

That is a shitful outcome anyway, that you were subjected to physical abuse. I knew one rock-spider, not associated with the church who topped himself before his court appearance, and I didn't know he was a paedo until after his demise.

My three priests were all of Irish heritage, and while that did not preclude them from kiddy-fiddling, they seemed more concerned with the drink, than molestation ( in my experience ).

I had sadistic nuns running my primary school too, most on a power-trip, and free with corporal punishment. Logistics and economics denied me the secular secondary schooling experience, ha ha, praise the lord. I would have hated to know some of my mates were subjected to sexual abuse.

 

[Contra Mundum]

I went to a Christian Brother's college and although I never had any personal problems, I know a few blokes who did.
I got the regular beltings, the strap or the yardstick across your fingers etc, but never anything sexual.
I got much more violent treatment by the nuns in Primary school, the old bitches.
Six of the former brothers from my days were named in regard to pedophilia, two suicided, before they faced any inquiries. don't know what happened to the others, though I recall one of the Priests, Father McCardle, not implicated in anyway as far as I know, is now in the Canberra area. He would probably know what came of the allegations.

Yeh the ones that taught me were unrelenting sadists - those pricks that would contrive to strap the whole class had issues. It is sickening the sexual perverts would pick on the kids from Clontarf or at Bindoon Agricultural College where they had little chance of parents interfering

 

[Lester Burnham]

My three priests were all of Irish heritage, and while that did not preclude them from kiddy-fiddling, they seemed more concerned with the drink, than molestation ( in my experience ).

What a bizarre statement. There is no suggestion that your three priests commited any "crime" except to occasionally have a glass or two of wine. There is no suggestion that their Irishness somehow needs them to be precluded from an otherwise kiddy-fiddling inevitability.

 

[skilts]

I went to a Christian Brother's college and although I never had any personal problems, I know a few blokes who did.
I got the regular beltings, the strap or the yardstick across your fingers etc, but never anything sexual.
I got much more violent treatment by the nuns in Primary school, the old bitches.
Six of the former brothers from my days were named in regard to pedophilia, two suicided, before they faced any inquiries. don't know what happened to the others, though I recall one of the Priests, Father McCardle, not implicated in anyway as far as I know, is now in the Canberra area. He would probably know what came of the allegations.

How come you know so much about my life? I'm pleased to say this treatment had little effect on me, because I never swallowed the bullshit that made kids vulnerable to their attempts to induce guilt through thuggery. I saw them for what they were - less than human. The sad thing was that there were so many Christian Brothers who were great teachers and splendid influences on youth. However, even though they knew of the methods employed by these latter-day practitioners of the Inquisition, they never spoke up against them. I found this even more unforgivable than the behaviour of the psychopathic sadists. They knew all, and did nothing.

I'm not sure if I was the recipient of sexual abuse from a Christian Brother, but I'm pretty sure I was. His name was Brother B D Coldrey, and he taught me French, in Leaving, at Parade Christian Brothers College, in East Melbourne. One day, I'd neglected to complete the required homework. This turd told me to meet him after school, at what used to be St Kevin's College, before that institution moved to Toorak. The building was at the bottom of the school property, away from the main building, which fronted onto Victoria Pde. It backed onto Albert St. He had me meet him on the top floor of this building, in one of the classrooms. The whole building was deserted. He gave me a stern lecture about my recalcitrant behaviour in regards to the homework. He then had me bend over the desk and drop my trousers and underpants. He then proceeded to give six cuts across my bare arse with a strap. What made me think this was a sexual activity for him was the glassy-eyed look on his face after he'd finished. Luckily, that look in his eye revealed to me that he was just another pervert, so, rather than being traumatised, I was merely contemptuous.

Many years later I happened to run into a bloke who had attended the same school, but about ten years later. He informed me that this a-hole was still pulling the same stunt, this time with a thirteen year-old boy. A few of the blokes who were doing Matriculation that year found out what he'd done to the kid, and belted s**t out of him.

It should be mentioned that there is another Brother Coldrey, called Barry M, (I don't know if they're related) who, unlike his namesake, has devoted the past twenty years of his life to exposing the brutality, sexual deviances and cover ups perpetrated by the Christian Brothers, at great personal cost. He is a good man.

The chaplain of the school was the Very Rev. Monsignor Penn Jones, who had an administrative role at St Pat's Cathedral. The kids knew him as 'Penis' Jones, because all he wanted to discuss while hearing confessions of young boys was how and with whom they played with themselves. In the past five years, it has been revealed that he raped a class mate of mine over a period of about four years. My former class mate eventually suicided in the late 2000s, a broken alcoholic wreck.

The truly hideous thing about these people is the power they exert over their victims, because of the assumption that abounded that the religious were good people. Parents of abused children refused to believe what they were being told about these activities. Rather than being good, these people who assume the role of arbiters of morals, were and are, evil, fraudulent and worse than useless - all of them. If all the Catholic priests and brothers on the planet were to die tomorrow, it would be no loss. They've never been part of this world anyway.

 

[evo]

I got the strap plenty of times in state school; primary school at that. It wasnt just a mick thing. Pretty appalling in hindsight.

As far as the heavier stuff went though, seems like the priests were the specialists. I guess that is what you get when you are able to find young men weird enough to want to marry god for life.

 

[The Scales]

What a bizarre statement. There is no suggestion that your three priests commited any "crime" except to occasionally have a glass or two of wine. There is no suggestion that their Irishness somehow needs them to be precluded from an otherwise kiddy-fiddling inevitability.

Sorry that comes across as bizarre for you. I was attempting to get the point across that imo the priests had other distractions ( like civilians ), and didn't require molestation as an outlet. They just seemed like good blokes, in retrospect, who enjoyed a drink - the Irish connection was that they related well to my ( Irish ) parents and myself.

 

[The Scales]

How come you know so much about my life? I'm pleased to say this treatment had little effect on me, because I never swallowed the bullshit that made kids vulnerable to their attempts to induce guilt through thuggery. I saw them for what they were - less than human. The sad thing was that there were so many Christian Brothers who were great teachers and splendid influences on youth. However, even though they knew of the methods employed by these latter-day practitioners of the Inquisition, they never spoke up against them. I found this even more unforgivable than the behaviour of the psychopathic sadists. They knew all, and did nothing.

I'm not sure if I was the recipient of sexual abuse from a Christian Brother, but I'm pretty sure I was. His name was Brother B D Coldrey, and he taught me French, in Leaving, at Parade Christian Brothers College, in East Melbourne. One day, I'd neglected to complete the required homework. This turd told me to meet him after school, at what used to be St Kevin's College, before that institution moved to Toorak. The building was at the bottom of the school property, away from the main building, which fronted onto Victoria Pde. It backed onto Albert St. He had me meet him on the top floor of this building, in one of the classrooms. The whole building was deserted. He gave me a stern lecture about my recalcitrant behaviour in regards to the homework. He then had me bend over the desk and drop my trousers and underpants. He then proceeded to give six cuts across my bare arse with a strap. What made me think this was a sexual activity for him was the glassy-eyed look on his face after he'd finished. Luckily, that look in his eye revealed to me that he was just another pervert, so, rather than being traumatised, I was merely contemptuous.

Many years later I happened to run into a bloke who had attended the same school, but about ten years later. He informed me that this a-hole was still pulling the same stunt, this time with a thirteen year-old boy. A few of the blokes who were doing Matriculation that year found out what he'd done to the kid, and belted s**t out of him.

It should be mentioned that there is another Brother Coldrey, called Barry M, (I don't know if they're related) who, unlike his namesake, has devoted the past twenty years of his life to exposing the brutality, sexual deviances and cover ups perpetrated by the Christian Brothers, at great personal cost. He is a good man.

The chaplain of the school was the Very Rev. Monsignor Penn Jones, who had an administrative role at St Pat's Cathedral. The kids knew him as 'Penis' Jones, because all he wanted to discuss while hearing confessions of young boys was how and with whom they played with themselves. In the past five years, it has been revealed that he raped a class mate of mine over a period of about four years. My former class mate eventually suicided in the late 2000s, a broken alcoholic wreck.

The truly hideous thing about these people is the power they exert over their victims, because of the assumption that abounded that the religious were good people. Parents of abused children refused to believe what they were being told about these activities. Rather than being good, these people who assume the role of arbiters of morals, were and are, evil, fraudulent and worse than useless - all of them. If all the Catholic priests and brothers on the planet were to die tomorrow, it would be no loss. They've never been part of this world anyway.

Kudos for you for coming through that unscathed, can't say for sure that I would have.

You seem to have picked up early the hypocrisy of the institution, just wondering what was the lightbulb moment, or was it a gradual dawning?

 

[skilts]

Kudos for you for coming through that unscathed, can't say for sure that I would have.

You seem to have picked up early the hypocrisy of the institution, just wondering what was the lightbulb moment, or was it a gradual dawning?

I suppose it was when I discovered masturbation. I then knew that, either by commission or omission, my rabidly Catholic parents had been lying to me. What? They thought it unworthy of mention that this wonderful thing happened within my body? The first time I ever did it was during Sunday Mass, while sitting next to a school mate, who explained the process. I was about nine years-old. About a year later, my brother was severely injured through being kicked by a horse. My parents insisted that I go into my bedroom and pray for his recovery. It was at this point that I realised that in praying, I was doing nothing other than talking to myself. The whole thing of religion has been an absurdity to me ever since.

 

[The Scales]

I suppose it was when I discovered masturbation. I then knew that, either by commission or omission, my rabidly Catholic parents had been lying to me. What? They thought it unworthy of mention that this wonderful thing happened within my body? The first time I ever did it was during Sunday Mass, while sitting next to a school mate, who explained the process. I was about nine years-old. About a year later, my brother was severely injured through being kicked by a horse. My parents insisted that I go into my bedroom and pray for his recovery. It was at this point that I realised that in praying, I was doing nothing other than talking to myself. The whole thing of religion has been an absurdity to me ever since.

Part of me hopes that is a piss-take, part of me hopes that is real.

 

[skilts]

Part of me hopes that is a piss-take, part of me hopes that is real.

I am hopeless at writing fiction. Some would say this applies to all other forms as well.

 

[Lester Burnham]

Sorry that comes across as bizarre for you. I was attempting to get the point across that imo the priests had other distractions ( like civilians ), and didn't require molestation as an outlet. They just seemed like good blokes, in retrospect, who enjoyed a drink - the Irish connection was that they related well to my ( Irish ) parents and myself.

Thanks for the clarification. I went to a school with Irish brothers too. There was often a big stack of beer piled up outside their residences. Never heard the merest hint of wrongdoing towards the pupils. But if you are saying a boozing habit replaces or diminishes the desire to molest kids then I would disagree. Surely they would be two distinct behaviours.

 

[The Scales]

Thanks for the clarification. I went to a school with Irish brothers too. There was often a big stack of beer piled up outside their residences. Never heard the merest hint of wrongdoing towards the pupils. But if you are saying a boozing habit replaces or diminishes the desire to molest kids then I would disagree. Surely they would be two distinct behaviours.

I am pretty certain my priests had no prediliction towards molestation. I agree that alcohol abuse and sexual abuse are not mutually exclusive behaviours. Just trying to get across that as far as priests lifestyles are permitted, these guys seemed to not display anything untoward or criminal.

The fact that these priests drank regularly, as opposed to other abstaining priests I had met growing up, was a point of differentiation that I used as rationalization - for them not to be like so many other priests that went down the molestation road.

 

[Pie eyed]

That is a shitful outcome anyway, that you were subjected to physical abuse. I knew one rock-spider, not associated with the church who topped himself before his court appearance, and I didn't know he was a paedo until after his demise.

My three priests were all of Irish heritage, and while that did not preclude them from kiddy-fiddling, they seemed more concerned with the drink, than molestation ( in my experience ).

I had sadistic nuns running my primary school too, most on a power-trip, and free with corporal punishment. Logistics and economics denied me the secular secondary schooling experience, ha ha, praise the lord. I would have hated to know some of my mates were subjected to sexual abuse.

Ill be honest, I don;t feel I have any side effects from the treatment and got no different in State schools later on.
It was a phenomena of the era and, even though I'd love to, I can't even suggest it was something specifically religious in nature.

 

[Contra Mundum]

Ill be honest, I don;t feel I have any side effects from the treatment and got no different in State schools later on.
It was a phenomena of the era and, even though I'd love to, I can't even suggest it was something specifically religious in nature.

Yeh - the idiots that champion a return to the "good old days" of these corporal punishments of kids forget how horrible and damaging it was.

 

[Gus Poyet]

The biggest sadist at my school wasn't any of the Brothers. It was Brendan McCartney. True story.

 

[The Scales]

I am hopeless at writing fiction. Some would say this applies to all other forms as well.

You're a pretty entertaining read imo.

 

[Bennett.]

is it justified to lie for the sake of science?

Interesting article

http://www.evolutionnews.org/2014/05/darwin-defendin085831.html

 

[hardon]

is it justified to lie for the sake of science?

Interesting article

http://www.evolutionnews.org/2014/05/darwin-defendin085831.html

well, the stories and achievements of these early pioneers and scientists stand alone with or without the back stories that touch on religions suppression or persecution. it's really a little sideshow that makes you crack a small smirk or give a little shake of the head, but isn't really needed to support the science in the show.

just as an aside, i wouldn't visit or 'learn' from sites that are associated with intelligent design. you may feel like you are learning sciency stuff, but you will just be making yourself dumber and more ignorant with every word you read. i urge you to stop it while you can.

 

[Bennett.]

well, the stories and achievements of these early pioneers and scientists stand alone with or without the back stories that touch on religions suppression or persecution. it's really a little sideshow that makes you crack a small smirk or give a little shake of the head, but isn't really needed to support the science in the show.

just as an aside, i wouldn't visit or 'learn' from sites that are associated with intelligent design. you may feel like you are learning sciency stuff, but you will just be making yourself dumber and more ignorant with every word you read. i urge you to stop it while you can.

the point is that once science needs to be lied about, it is no longer a valid quest for truth and knowledge.
Nice twist you place on it though....

 

[CotchNCo]

is it justified to lie for the sake of science?

Interesting article

http://www.evolutionnews.org/2014/05/darwin-defendin085831.html

What an amazing site.

 

[hardon]

the point is that once science needs to be lied about, it is no longer a valid quest for truth and knowledge.
Nice twist you place on it though....

you are confused. it is not the science, the discoveries or the laws of nature that are being 'lied' about. this is the back stories of the people that have in a couple(?) of cases been embellished.

don't kid yourself. all of these peoples discoveries work. they are 'truth' and they run the world you live in right now. no amount of nitpicking of a popular science shows portrayal of the characters back stories is going to diminish the usefulness of the scientific method.

 

[hardon]

the point is that once science needs to be lied about, it is no longer a valid quest for truth and knowledge.
Nice twist you place on it though....

which episodes have you watched?

which back stories do you disagree with?

how far do they disagree with the accepted historical stories?

 

[Theseventhhamster]

What an amazing site.

It's not quite the flat earth society but it's pretty funny.

 

[Bennett.]

so...you're happy for scientists to lie and distort things as long as it can 'disprove' religion?