AMEN!

There is the one tenet in the Catholic mindset, that keeps the blinders on, and the mind of reason, disengaged! Faith! Faith in God, faith of the popes "infallibility', faith in the "leadership", (priest's nun's ,etc.,) and the ever present "fate', of excommunication, for disagreeing, in any principle, or way, of the churches, "teachings! This blind faith, per say, has been responsible for centuries of abuses,that to the logical person, is nothing short of criminal,much less, anti Christian! I to, am a product of 12 years of Catholic education, the very one that has taught me to reason,inquire,and live my life,with ethics,and compassion, and love of my fellow humans plights, and foibles! Nowhere , was it implied, that I had to except what has become, just another dark mark, on the century's of abuse, that the church, can attribute, to its past! So, logically, I don't, and have found that I can relate to God, on my own terms,without "help", and live my live,as I think it should be lived, in grace, and love for my fellow humans, just as Christ said! "Where you gather in my name,( even as one) there shall I be!"

Robert,

That last line in your comment says it all!

Jeff

Aside from those who perpetrated, condoned or ignored the abuse, church leaders are charged with fulfilling Catholic doctrine. Despite your best efforts to asuage those who would be offended by your, yes, church bashing, you hang the whole church on two factors; 1). abuse by a small percentage of individuals and 2). church doctrine, such as its pro-life posture. Quinn is simply not Catholic, regardless of what he calls himself, and the Cardinal did the right thing...in accordance with the church's DOCTRINE. You might not like it, but the church doesn't and God willing, never will, bend to the whims of an increasingly base, secular society. Good for you that you recognized your need to find another, more easily-lived altar. Catholicism is not for the faint of heart.

According to studies, a larger percentage of school teachers abuse students than Catholic priests. (I've seen an estimate that 10% of California students will be sexually harassed or assaulted before the end of high school.) And a larger percentage of ministers in other Christian denominations, as well. Where is the outcry? Oh, right--no deep pockets in individual churches, small denominations, or local school districts.

Yes, individual priests and bishops have done horrible things, or covered up horrible things. That does not mean that the institutional church does not still have the moral authority to speak out against evils in society, or to call it's own members--Quinn claims to be Catholic--on the carpet for their behavior that can lead others into sin.

If bad behavior by members prevented an institution from following its charter, the police department could not arrest anyone, nor could legislators pass laws, nor day care workers care for children, nor columnists state their opinions in a public forum.

God bless the secularists !!

The thought that comes to mind for me in reading this is that there is just another example of hypocricy...Do as I say, not as I do...Live as I say, not as I do... You need to live your life a certain way.... (rather than we need to live our lives a certain way)...

Whether or not it is a small percentage of the Church or a large percentage, the denials, protections,and attempts to discredit the individuals who came forward with complaints is a sin, and is shameful, and the Church leaders who observed it ought to have experienced AT LEAST the same penalty as Joe Paterno has experienced.

That said, it also just shows that humans are humans, and that certain humans are not Gods, they are humans, and will commit acts of sin, as all humans do. Rather than condemn the entire religion or the people who follow that faith, I prefer to pray for all,and to pray for consistency and credibility and authenticity... as such, having the Church make acknowledgements for past derilictions of duties also asks upon us one of the most difficult but necessary elements of the faith... forgiveness.

Yes, the easiest thing in the world is to throw stones. And it is easy to find fault... in others.

Let those who live in glass houses throw the first stone. And then see if the glass house remains unshattered.

Jeff you should share your ponderings and responses today with the priests and nuns you regularly keep up with. It is obvious you have some unresolved issues with respect to the Catholic Church. I would also recommend the Catholicism series on PBS. It is excellent.

Best regards.

Women's lives and health are at risk at Catholic hospitals because of a battle with Catholic bishops. A Catholic bishop excommunicated a nun and then the whole hospital because it aborted a woman's pregnancy to save her life! "Doctors at Catholic-affiliated hospitals ... are forced by church doctrine to provide substandard care to women with miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies in ways that can leave the women infertile or even endanger their lives."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/opinion/27kristof.html

The church is run by powerful white men with little respect for women and even children. They have supported and even lead wars - from the Holy Wars to the Iraq War - where millions have died for no reason.

We all know this and yet people and more specifically the media elevate them giving them a mouthpiece to express their contorted views.

What do leaders of other churches and service organizations say about Quinn giving an award to a woman who helps rape victims?

Kamenetsky: Report child abuse to rabbis, not police
July 21, 2011
(JTA) -- A leading American Orthodox rabbi, Shmuel Kamenetsky, said that child abuse should be reported to rabbis, not police.

Kamenetsky, the vice president of Agudath Israel of America's Supreme Council of Rabbinic Sages, said in a speech July 12 in Brooklyn that the sexual abuse of a child should be reported to a rabbi, who would then determine if the police should be called. He made the speech as a search was being conducted for an 8-year-old Brooklyn boy, Leiby Kletzky, whose dismembered body was found the following day in a dumpster and in the apartment of Levi Aron.

Aron was indicted Wednesday in the boy's murder.

A recording of the Kamenetsky speech in Flatbush first appeared July 17 on the Failed Messiah blog. Kamenetsky was repeating Agudath Israel of America's official policy banning Jews from reporting child sexual abuse to police, according to the blog.

A representative of the Shomrim, a volunteer civilian patrol in New York, told the New York Daily News that his organization keeps a list of alleged child molesters whom they have not reported to the police. The New York Jewish Week reported that it is possible that Aron may have been known to some in the haredi Orthodox community, but that they did not report him to the police.

Mr. Ward,

Are you afraid to write an article about the Jewish rabbi's? I think so! Your anti-Catholic bigotry is beyond reproach.

Also, Cardinal George did not single out Ms. Goodman, he singled out Gov. Quinn who accepted $500,000 from a pro-abortion PAC. Cardinal George acknowledged he was misinformed that Gov. Quinn was presenting an award to the pro-abortion PAC that he accepted money, instead of an individual.

This is all yesterday's news, except for your bigotry. Aren't you a little late on this story?

The article states:

-- When he finally understood the magnitude of his mistake, just what did the cardinal do? It certainly wasn’t anything as rash as issuing an apology. He stoically claimed he “regrets” that Goodman felt attacked and added, had he been aware of her story, “We may have found another occasion to say something about the governor.” --

So Cardinal George was looking for an occasion to say something about the governor and, in his rush to judgment, targeted Ms. Goodman erroneously. What comes to my mind is that the church leaders are upset that Catholic Charities can no longer legally be given state aid for their work -- undoubtedly good work, but they are hampered by an unreasonable interpretation of church doctrine whereby they cannot grant adoptions to same-sex couples. The governor is following state law, and the church is following their "law," or the interpretation of their belief system by their leaders.

There may be other issues between Cardinal George and Governor Quinn that contribute to this feud, but it seems to me these two events are connected.

On the subject of Catholic priests, Jewish rabbis, school teachers and football coaches being guilty of child abuse, it is clear to me that this is the human condition, not a matter of religious denomination or secularism. Also part of our patriarchal culture is the secrecy and cover-up of misdeeds by members of the "club". Rabbis, cardinals, school principals and coaches are all guilty of the abuse and guilty of covering for the perpetrators. We must do everything we can to protect our children and expose hypocrisy!

This author's time would be better spent "occupying' a seat in English 101. Regarding what is evidently his excruciating case of Catholic-derangement-syndrome, kindly exorcise those demons privately in the future.

Wait...God is love...
Love is blind...
Ray Charles is blind...
Do you think... never mind.

Eagle Eye, I deleted your comment because when a comment starts "How do we even know she was raped" nothing good is going to follow.

Elmhurst Eagle,

I really appreciate you taking the time out to comment. I do. But honestly, nothing about this column (or anything, hopefully) should inspire anyone to accuse a rape victim of lying. So again, I deleted your comments.

Thanks,

Robert

Jeff,

I’m not quite certain of what you are trying to achieve with this opinion. In thinking about it, I can summarize it in the following ways.

1) I’m an opinion columnist and am searching for the most emotionally charged articles to grab people’s attention.
2) I’m a former Catholic that is trying to justify why I left the Catholic Church.
3) I’m unhappy because the Catholic Church has such an impact on American politics and don’t think they deserve it.

Being a Catholic means that you appreciate the church that Jesus created. Along with that is understanding the trials that the church has gone through during the 2000 years of it’s existence. The church is comprised of people, faith, sacraments and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jeff Ward can make a decision to understand this and embrace it or criticize it and make it a goal to drag it down as much as possible and attempt to weaken it’s influence. I highly doubt that will happen, however if that makes you feel that you are making a difference, so be it. (cont.)

It is just unfortunate that you, as well as many ex-Catholic’s have taken this path. My question is why? Why don’t you see the good instead of focusing on the bad? Sure, there have been mistakes that should be accounted for, but why be so negative and determined to bring down the entire institution?

I am probably close to your age and have been raised in the same environment you have been raised. It’s the “cradle Catholic” era. I have also been angry with everything that has gone on with the sex abuse scandal. However, I will not let that get the best of me. I strengthen my faith by going to mass on a regular basis, receiving the Eucharist and returning to the bible and sacraments instituted by Jesus and my faith. I also pray that the faith will be strengthened by this trial. I think that works best. Based on your comments I’m not sure what spiritual path you have taken. But in the future, I hope the Holy Spirit guides your words because they are certainly a reflection on yourself. If you feel comfortable with that, so be it….it’s your choice.

Robert, thanks for the censorship and being Jeff's good cop, bad cop.

Rape is a horrible crime and because it is, it carries a tough sentence. Just ask the boy from Glenbard West who was sentence last week to 14 years in prison.

Jeff's opinion column pertains to this woman, Ms. Goodman. I just want to know, what source Jeff is using for the story. How did he come to learn about Ms. Goodman. We have Governor Quinn's pro-choice TV ad staring Ms. Goodman that was paid for by Ms. Goodman's mother's PAC and we have Ms. Goodman, herself.

I'm not saying that Ms. Goodman is not a victim here, but why are there no police reports, hospital reports, eyewitnesses, etc. We also have a statement from Ms. Goodman that another 18 year old girl was raped by the same man, during the same summer, but no police reports or hospital reports were found. Nor were there any eyewitness.

Incredibly, neither Ms. Goodman and her mother nor the other victim and her family filed a police report to get the monster off the street. The D.A. cannot get Ms. Goodman to file a report or give a name to go after the rapist in order to protect other women.

If Jeff wants to hold up a person for having guts, he should write about the Glenbard West girl that stood up to her rape victim last week and sent him to jail. This is the real news of the week and she is our true hero!

Bigoted, Anti-Catholic Writer Jeff Ward Is At it Again!
-----------
I hope Catholics put our moral money back in our pockets and not advertise any more in Patch until Mr. Ward's ends his anti-Catholic smear campaign.

Karen and Robert, is it possible to flag an entire column inappropriate for hate speech and bigotry?

Dear "Reverend Mother"... Nobody's 'excusing' the abuse on any level, but don't make it uniquely "Catholic" either. It isn't. Of the millions upon millions of Catholics worldwide, I can assure you, there is plenty of outrage for each and every victim. Also, abortion is the VASTLY ELECTIVE termination of life...a means of birth control. The fact that it is a choice is, in my opinion, physiologically inarguable. It is also inarguable that life begins at conception, for life is not possible WITHOUT conception. Of course its a choice...a choice that should be made SOONER.

Rape is a horrible crime. However, as it is said, two wrongs don't make a right. Rape is not an excuse to kill a child. When someone kills a pregnant mother, it's ruled a double homicide. When a woman kills her child, it's called a "choice". God help us Americans who hide murder in semantics. Thank you, Catholic church, for being a moral voice in an immoral world. The fact that it has been infiltrated with and attacked by evil simply show that it is a moral force to be reckoned with. If we weren't on the right moral course, Satan wouldn't bother with us. Pedophilia is everywhere, by the way. Case in point, the recent Penn State events. The media (you included) simply choose to magnify those offenses by church religious in order to tear down what God has built. Shame on you, Jeff Ward. Get your facts straight, as well. The Chuch has been steadily recognizing and taking steps to rid itself of its sexual sins - more than most Americans can claim. Bravo, Cardinal George, for shepherding his people according to the teachings of the Church and not caving to American culture.

EWS -- I never said it was "uniquely Catholic". I'm sure other religions have their issues, I am familiar with those of MY religion and I am ashamed of our so-called leaders for constantly looking the other way and forcing 'doctrine' instead of DOING THE RIGHT THING. As long as we have Popes and Cardinals and Bishops and other so called leaders of the flock who shuffle the offenders from parish to parish, only to prey on other innocent children and adults, OUR CHURCH IS CORRUPT. When are we going to get leaders who will finally 'grow a pair' and stand up for what is right and put those perpetrators behind bars, or get them into rehab and out of our churches, schools, youth groups, camps, choirs, etc.? As far as your comment regarding 'a choice that should be made sooner,' hmm, how does a RAPE VICTIM (whether she is someone's girlfriend, acquaintance, WIFE, or total stranger), make that choice, when the sex is unwanted and forced upon her? Why should she bear not only the shame of the violation and of course the judgment of courts, clergy, and people like Elmhurst Eagle who dare ask, "how do we know she was raped.." -- but now she's supposed to bear the child of her accuser? Contrary to what you and all doctrine-fed fanatics believe, not all conceptions are miraculous and wonderful. Why should a woman carry an unwanted child resulted from UNWANTED SEX? The choice "to be made sooner" lies with the MAN who chose to violate her. The woman in the article was RAPED. (cont'd)

(Cont'd) - The award that was given to her was sponsored by an organization who has done a lot of GOOD for women just like her, who started out as VICTIMS but then became empowered by taking control of their own lives and their own bodies. I'm not saying that abortion is OK in all cases. It is certainly not an alternative to birth control, but it should be left as a CHOICE so that women who fall victim to rape or who are in danger of losing their own lives, can be spared life-changing sorrow for them and their families. Not all abortions are done for 'convenience'. Those that are, however, are up to GOD to judge - not the Church leaders or doctrine-fed fanatics. People who live solely by doctrine don't see or hear THE WORD. God sees all angles of a story or situation. Fanatics and hypocrites see only what they want to see and are quick to site bits and pieces of the Scripture which may or (or may not) suit their purpose. The Church has hidden behind such excerpts too long. CHRIST hung out with sinners. He understood sinners. He FORGAVE sinners. He condemned, if you recall, the HYPOCRITES who were the first to point fingers and throw stones and yes, sight Scripture to their advantage. Pedophile priests and the church leaders who protect them are hypocrites and sinners. Christ will forgive them, if they repent and pay for their sins, but how can they if they are never brought to justice?

Jeff, to add to your comment -- If I were Cardinal George, I would RESIGN on the grounds that I have failed my congregation by not protecting their children!

Karen -- Jeff won't have to give Christ the 'laundry list' of complaints against the Church because Christ is more than aware and I'm sure his 'list' is much longer than that of Jeff's. I'm certain Christ is very saddened and disappointed in the Church he once entrusted to St. Peter and whom he now entrusts to the Pope. You can bet that Peter would not have looked the other way when issues of corruption, indecency, and crime within his church were brought to his attention. Especially crimes against children. Jesus loves the children more than any of us. I can assure you, Christ is OUTRAGED and will hold accountable those on his 'list' when "he comes again in glory to judge..." Jeff won't need to do a thing.

Dear "reverend mother", please do not assume that I know not of what I speak, as I have been in shoes of which you know not - including an abusive marriage and issues of "choice". I know EXACTLY what it is like because I lived it. Clouded judgement? Hmmm. I think not. I believe I have singular clarity, and I resent the assault on my beliefs, judgement, and me personally by you, who have not even disclosed your identity and are hiding behind a false title. I know my faith, and I believe in forgiveness and redemption. Cardinal George is human, and who are we to judge his past sins? We are not God. Do you personally know what sins he has confessed or what God has forgiven? All he, or any one of us can do is learn from the past and go forward each day trying to do better. I certainly hope there is forgiveness because I would not want to have every sin I've committed blacken the good I've tried to do. The Church has instituted " protecting God's children" and taken many steps to correct the past. I believe Cardinal George is trying to move forward and do the right thing NOW, as we must each do every day. You must be perfect yourself to hold others to a standard of perfection.

Other thoughts... Did the child conceived through rape have a choice to live or die? Does committing a second sin rectify the first? Is life - the life of an innocent child no matter how he was conceived - worth less because of how it was created? and aren't you criticizing Cardinal George for exactly what you've asked him to do - "grow a pair and stand up for what is right"? Very contradictory reasoning. Whose judgement is clouded after all?

And who is the hypocrite, condemning the sinners? Who is judging Cardinal George and others rather than letting God judge the "big picture"? Reread you comments and look in the mirror.

Bob, fine, to pacify you, I'll change my wording from 'the rapist is rarely caught' to the rapist is RARELY HELD ACCOUNTABLE. Feel better? Putting a rape victim through the agony of the case and the trial -- the skepticism and scrutiny that entails is bad enough. Putting her through nine months of carrying the spawn of the demon who raped her is emotional, psychological and physical torture. Some women can handle it, and GOD BLESS THEM eternally. But not all can -- especially young women or girls who are barely out of childhood themselves, or wose, women with special needs or disabilities. I used to be PRO LIFE, conservative, blinded by doctrine. But now I see that there are many sides to every choice. Now, I have more compassion. And as Christ could tell you, there is more to faith than doctrine itself. There are many shades of gray, nothing is black and white. There may be reasons why an abortion might be a blessing, who are we to say? Christ understands the anguish behind every decision -- behind every CHOICE. No one said the choices are easy. Most women agonize over having to resort to abortion. Not many of them skip to the clinic. Their reasons are theirs. Their judge is Christ. Not you, not I. If they cannot cope and abortion is their only, desperate hope, than so be it. Christ will comfort them, not condemn them. Can you say the same?

Jeff, to start off I don't believe in any religion but I believe there is a God out there, so I believe that EVERY church and religion is crazy leading me to my question, Were you touched by a priest as a kid Jeff Or fondled with? Molested? hey if I was touched by a priest I would be writing an article too on the subject, i don't know bout anyone else but I'm here to lend a helping hand to you if you were infact molested its okay I'm here for you buddy don't be ashamed SPEAK OUT ( like you are doing) hundreds of boys in the catholic church or any church are molested on a yearly basis and are afraid to speak out, I respect and look up to you for speaking out and I thank you if only more people would reveal they have been molested as a child by a church i think there would be a stop to this madness

The bottom line is this. I love writing for Patch because no other venue provides this kind of direct link to readers. Though my motto has always been “continuing the conversation,” some of you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I don’t know who you are.

And as much as it pains me to say this, if you don’t offer me the same courtesy, I will be forced to ignore your posts.

By all means, and within the bounds of reason, let’s keep the conversation going. I love hearing what you’re thinking. It doesn’t get any better than the discussion following my Wheaton College column.

But, as I also like to say, if you can’t find the fortitude to put your real name on it, then it ain’t worth saying.

Written by Jeff Ward

This article is dumb, composed of infantile logic, predictably regurgitative, and sophistic.

davidlgray.info

Thanks for your article.

Jeff, you wrote "I was an altar boy, a church reader and volunteered on numerous projects. I still keep in touch with some of the nuns, teachers and priests from that time....And three of my most prized possessions include two quotes done in calligraphy by one of those nuns, and a cross made out of wood from an old St. Nick’s pew."

It sounds like you have some serious history with ole' Mother Church, Jeff. There's some good service, good connections to good people, and some inspiration in there too. So why not occupy yourself, Jeff? We sure do need people like you in the fold.

Fact is, there are, and have always been (and you know this since you had a good Catholic upbringing, full of history) people working from within to occupy the Church, struggling to reform and renew it. It didn't all end with Vatican II. Remember Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, George's predecessor? One of the last things he did was to help found an organization devoted to just that kind of dialogue (http://catholiccommonground.org). National Catholic Reporter (http://ncronline.org) and Commonweal Magazine & Blog (http://www.commonwealmagazine.org) are also places you might begin your "Occupy the Church!" journey, or at least find some others wrestling with some of these same issues from "inside".

Keep asking questions, keep writing, Jeff.

The only journalism award I’ve ever won (and I had to share that one with then-Beacon-News Managing Editor Rick Nagel) was an honorable mention for religion reporting. Rick and I told the story of a group of Geneva parishioners who had challenged their monsignor and how the ensuing factional fighting was tearing the church apart.

written by Jeff Ward on September 23, 2011 with 130 comments.

It's all about the comments
written by Bob McQuillan November 5, 2011

If Sandusky and Penn State'ers are going to jail, so then should all the sick bastards in the Catholic Church who molested and raped children.

It is one of the reasons that I view organized religion with skepticism. And I am a follower and am very respectful of Jesus Christ, to the point where I have a winged cross tattooed on my arm.

The Catholic Church, and churches in general, I view with skepticism because of all of the waste that goes on. I lump it in with Government. There is so much waste, in terms of the food that is wasted at governmental or church events, the wasted money that is spent on golden chalices for the church, or brand new office equipment for governmental agencies, or Nancy Pelosi's special airplane privileges when she was Speaker of the House, etc.

It's not a partisan issue, either. Any waste of government funds makes me angry. I am also angry about wastes of donations in the Catholic Church-- however, people are WILLINGLY donating their money, so unless they demand accountibility, silence is consent.

And I am not saying that Sandusky and the Penn State'ers SHOULDN'T go to jail they should have gone to jail about 10 years ago when this first started.. But I am saying that it is a media spectacle that dominates the 24/hour news cycle, and nobody is making a big deal about the sex scandals in the churches that are still undoubtedly going on today.

Well put, Michael. The Church and the government need to be accountable for their corruption and shameful waste, but, as long as their are passive followers who prefer to look the other way while putting their money in the offertory, or campaign, not much is going to change.

I will stop viewing the pious defenders of the RCC as self righteous enablers of sexual rape of children when they demand that Ratzinger present himself for sworn deposition in the litigation over the cover up his institution criminally orchestrated.

This sums up satan's attitude.

He is up about Penn State and the RCC.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/13/penn-state-scandal-snl-devil-weekend-update_n_1090750.html

Kos - i ain't gonna debate you and have you drowned me in trumped up facts, figures, websites, etc.. Its simple, its the economy stupid.no.just kidding :), we are ALL just sinners.

Kos, best of luck to you and your crusade to bring down the church. gurgle, gurgle :)

What an interesting conversation. But everyone seems to take several things for granted without question.

So, I will question.

The idea that there is a conscious entity that created and manages the universe is an unprovable assumption.

The idea that this entity, if it exists, inspired ancient scribes to write what that eventually became the Bible or other religious texts is an unprovable assumption.

The idea that the RC Church or any other institution speaks for this assumed being is an unprovable assumption.

Therefore, the idea that there is a “correct doctrine” is based upon a whole series of unprovable assumptions.

One may accept a doctrine or reject it but both choices are based upon faith, not fact.

To state that any particular doctrine in the “right” one and that all others are false is an unsustainable argument.

Churches, of any faith, are human institutions.

Under our Constitution all faiths have the right to state their beliefs and we have the right to accept any, all, or none.

When one of these faiths tries to incorporate its particular beliefs into the law of the USA it is in violation of the first amendment to the Constitution.

Likewise, if members of any faith violate the law they are subject to the legal consequences, regardless of their position in a church.

It does not always work that way in reality, but it should.

Jeff, come back and visit St. Nick's, Evanston some time. We struggle to embody the kind of integrity of which you write here. I'm sharing your column with my colleagues on the parish staff (I am a lay minister here) and some other parishioners. I think you'd find your childhood parish to still be a source of support and nourishment!

Jeff, You seem to assume that if I make a statement contrary to "traditional Christian belief" I am putting myself in danger of physical attack from whom? Christians? That never occurred to me.

Kevin, my comments apply to all belief systems. There is myth, magical thinking, superstition, provable fact, and the unknown. You choose what you wish to believe. Please don't tell me what I should believe. In return I promise to respect, if not share your beliefs.

RM, If you study our history you will find that many founders (including Jefferson, Madison,and Franklin) were mistrustful of religious institutions. They saw the results of the battles between the RC and Protestant Church in Europe and did not wish to have that here any more than they wanted a king. That's why the clause pertaining to religious freedom and separation of church and state appears in the very first section of the Bill of Rights. Many references to God were included as a non-denominational convention or added years later.

Are human beings incapeable of being moral without the guidance of a supernatural being? Must we have the threat of reward or punishment in the form of heaven or hell? Are we incapeable of establishing an adequate way of addressing morality ourselves?

To return to Jeff's original point, I too find it interesting that we have seen arrests, firings, and lots of anguish over the Penn State issue but that so far only one serving US Bishop has been charges with a crime. Why is that?

111 comments! Almost there, come on we need to get at least 20 more to rank among the highest Jeff Ward commented opinion columns.
I know you can do it.

Kevin;

We do not know much about the morality that existed in pre-historic times but anthropological studies of stone age peoples living in modern times find that nearly all have developed some form of "religion".

The presumption is that the idea of life after death may go back tens of thousands of tears as evidenced by burials of Neanderthals and early homo sapiens. Perhaps the concept of a supernatural creator, or at least life after death is in inherent to humans.

I'm pretty sure that early humans had a concept of morality. Certainly modern stone age people have, although it may differ from our own.

There are some 20 different "major" religions in the world (depending up on your source) and at least 6 different Christian churches with perhaps more than 6000 separate denominations. I presume that all of them think that they alone have the correct answers to things.

I did not think of, nor did I imply "collusion". You inferred that on your own. I simply asked why so few prosecutions. I'm still awaiting an answer. Anybody have any ideas?