There is no defense to be made of the Catholic hierarchy’s handling of the massive number of sexual abusers who were and are among its clergy. The article below, however, is correct: “What Keneally fails to understand is the difference between an injustice carried out consistent with an ideology and an injustice carried out contrary to an ideology.” This Q&A from ABC is yet another example of the West’s suicidal impulse, its intense self-hatred that leads it to embrace an ideology that would destroy it, and to reject and revile its founding principles and institutions.
Anyway, Islam may not have done as much damage to Australia as Catholicism has, but just you wait.
Has Catholicism done more harm to Australia than Islam? via @GuardianAus #QandA https://t.co/wooFueaun0
— QandA (@QandA) March 3, 2019
“ABC’s Q&A and Labor Senator says: Catholicism is more harmful than Islam,” Caldron Pool, March 3, 2019 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Over the weekend the ABC’s Q&A asked their Twitter followers if Catholicism had done more harm to Australia than Islam. Attached to the question was an article from The Guardian with the implied answer. The piece, written by Labor’s Kristina Keneally, and published back in February 2017, was titled: “Catholicism has done more harm to Australia than Islam.”
At the time, Keneally wrote in defence of the ABC’s Yasmin Abdel-Magied after she was criticised following an appearance on Q&A in which she claimed that Islam was the most feminist religion.
“It seems that every Australian Muslim who pokes their head up in public is expecd [sic] to own, explain and condemn any terrorist act carried out by any extremist Muslim anywhere in the world,” Keneally lamented. “Why isn’t this same outrage applied to Australian Catholics?”
“If we were going on body count the Catholic clergy has done more harm to more Australians than extremist Muslims,” she went on to argue. “More than 4,000 reports of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic church [sic] made to the royal commission. God knows how many more are unreported.”
The following day, The Guardian amended their piece to reflect the fact that not all 4,000 allegations of incidents of abuse were against clergy but also included lay people and religious sisters.
Keneally concluded her piece by characterising opposition to Islam as people picking on “little girls in hijabs, all in the name of making Australia safe”. That’s simply not the case. The reason why people take issue with Islam, as opposed to Christendom, is because Islam’s religious text can be used, and often has been used, to justify acts of terror. Anyone who suggests otherwise simply hasn’t read the book.
The Bible, on the other hand, cannot be used in such a way, as it explicitly condemns sexual immorality, pedophilia, and terrorism. A man who follows his Bible with consistency will find no opportunity to justify any of these injustices.
What Keneally fails to understand is the difference between an injustice carried out consistent with an ideology and an injustice carried out contrary to an ideology. Do Christians have to wear the sins of those who act contrary to the fundamental teachings of their faith?…
Elizabeth Baklaich says
Thank you for spelling it out so clearly “…the difference between an injustice carried out consistent with an ideology and an injustice carried out contrary to an ideology.”
gravenimage says
+1
mortimer says
Yes, Elizabeth, that is the point. There is nothing in catholic Christianity (or Protestant) that promotes pedophilia … quite the contrary. However, Islam actively promotes pedophilia through the words and example of Mohammed, as well as through Koranic texts that assume it is permitted by Allah and his messenger.
Kristina Keneally is clueless about the authentic teachings of Islam about pedophilia, but struts about like a proud peacock in her bogus virtue as she defends the MOST INDEFENSIBLE child marriage of little girls MILLIONS OF WHOM SUFFER THROUGH LIFE BECAUSE OF OBSTETRIC FISTULAE.
Look that up, you virtue-signaller!
https://www.ibtimes.com/what-obstetric-fistula-10-facts-about-female-condition-prevalent-sub-saharan-africa-1935322
https://diseasespictures.com/obstetric-fistula/
Elizabeth Baklaich says
Mortimer, I dont know what happened to you today that you thought calling me a virtue signaller was approperiate, but let me assure you once and for all it is not.
As to your feeling the need to educate me, thanks but I am in the process of completing level 2 on Dr Warners study program (currently reading Factual Persuasion) I also just picked up book no 13 (for me) from Mr Spencer The Myth of Islamic Tolerance which I was excited to see contains chapters from Bat Ye’or, a favorite of mine. I have also personally spoken with OBs who have travelled to Africa and am aware of the horrifying/necessary surgeries being done.
Any time you want to politely share information or help clarify a cloudy issue you are welcome to assist, but rude snark & friendly fire are not welcome. Good day.
Keys says
Elizabeth, I think mortimer is referring to Kristina Keneally as the “virtue-signaler”. Not you – he is agreeing with your post and supporting it.
Elizabeth Baklaich says
If this is true, I would have appreciated hearing it straight from him. In all my activities as of late I have come to dislike people trying to interpret what someone else communicated.
But your point is taken, thank you.
gravenimage says
Elizabeth, I don;’t think Mortimer was aiming this at you.
Charles says
Mortimer, as you know Christianity ushered in Capitalism (which in its time played a beneficial role)the condition sine-qua-non for the Industrial Revolution and the explosion of technological, scientific and medical progress in subsequent times including ours.
Whereas a feudal, superstitious and violently aggressive cult such as Demoniac Islam has brought nothing but fear, squalor, ignorance and decadence.
gravenimage says
I don’t believe that Capitalism–free trade–time has passed. The most prosperous (and most charitable) societies are those that largely practice free trade.
No Muzzies Here says
They cannot refrain from showing their glee over the forthcoming Islamization of Western countries.
keith Oades says
Yes the Catholic church has a hell of a lot to answer for here in Australia. But also the other protestant churches as well. The “body count” as Keneally is not just limited to sexual assaults.
It is an unfortunate part of our history that the churches have been responsible for some horrific acts here.
Like the wholesale destruction of the culture of the aboriginals, the treatment/ abuse of children in orphanages.
I am not denying that Islam is a evil threat to the entire world.
It’s just that the Catholic church has had more time to murder and rape more people here than Islam. About 200 years more!
John Magee says
I hope you have the courage to speak up and condemn the cult of Islam when a future majority Muslim Australia witnesses Gays thrown from skyscrapers in Sydney and women who committed adultery are stoned to death in the parks of Melbourne. The Church has it’s share of hypocrisy, but let’s not forget that the Catholic Church is also the backbone of Western Christian and that it helped to inspire a civilization which evolved into the modern world in the West which Muslims and the rest of the 3rd world are rushing to live in. The Italian Renaissance was supported by corrupt popes but the Italian Renaissance also gave us great art and a rediscovery and understanding of ancient Greek and Roman civilization. That led to the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, the Industrial Revolution, and finally our modern world. I would prefer to live in Catholic Italy where people enjoy life, live in beautiful cities full of magnificent churches and cathedrals, drink wine than the home of Islam… Saudi Arabia … where Gays and women are murdered every Friday in the name of the Koran and Allah.
Rufolino says
You have obviously never lived in “Catholic Italy”, whose attitudes you try to contrast to Saudi Arabia’s lethal punishments.
Italy, particularly the South, is the most homophobic place in Europe, with prejudices almost medieval, where for some people death is preferable to complete social ostracism.
You may have noticed that the leaders of the Catholic Church are warming up to blame all “homosexuals” for its horrendous crimes of abuse.
gravenimage says
Good post, John.
kuriakose says
The crimes of the muhameddans in their countries are largely unreported. It is very difficult it is to prove abuse or rape under syariah, not forgetting the shame for the victims and honour killings.
Only now, as mass immigration to the West intensifies, we see some of these muhameddan crimes being reported. Jihad Watch and the Religion of Peace websites do a sterling job of recording abuses perpetrated by muhameddans and showing us clearly the justifications/loopholes for such abuses under islamic laws eg child marriage, rape of infidel women and girls etc
gravenimage says
Very true, kuriakose.
kouldb says
“the wholesale destruction of the culture of the Aboriginals, the treatment/ abuse of children in orphanages”? The wholesale destruction of Aboriginal culture is now just propaganda. They’re not perpetual victims. And they do more to destroy themselves than anyone else. But in any case, if you’re going to blame anyone, then blame the British government & the Anglican’s also. For they were the ones who started the whole thing in the first place. The Catholics weren’t the major players until much later. However, just like the ABC, you too ignore the difference between those behave contrary their religious teachings & those who follow them: Islam teaches & advocates for acts of terror, rape, paedophilia & ritualistic animal torture. Catholicism does not. Learn the difference.
Harry Sweeney says
If Catholicism created many, many crimes, especially against children, that is inexcusable. Have no fear, Islam will catch up shortly–though I hope not; I just hope your law enforcement is much better than London’s has been. The unfortunate crimes committed by Catholic clergy were committed by wicked people, against their religion. Crimes against Western Nations by Islamists are normally systemic.
David M says
I agree, this is the fault of the individual Catholic priests, not the teachings of Catholicism. One change I think they should make though is to allow priests to marry. I can see no reason to continue to demand forced celibacy, and I think it would help in the sexual crimes department too.
tim gallagher says
I agree, David M, that the Catholic Church should end obligatory celibacy for its clergy. It should do what the Anglican Church did long ago. If some clergy choose a celibate life then that’s fine, but the obligatory celibacy is a problem. It’s the obligatory aspect that is the problem. I think a celibate life suits only a small number of people. Of course, it wouldn’t solve the problems of sexual abuse, but it would surely reduce the problem to some degree. I’ve often wondered why the Catholic Church hasn’t ended the obligatory celibacy rule and I think maybe it is that, in the current set-up, they have a very cheap work force (ie clergy who don’t need to be paid to support wives and children) and also to change to married clergy would be a very big change, an upheaval, in the whole organisation of the church and it is all just too difficult for them to take on. Inertia and all that. Very poor reasons, of course, because the Protestant churches showed it can be done ages ago.I think it is time the Catholic Church did the same.
Kerry Wade says
Personally I think its time to shut down the Catholic church permanently. Their assets confiscated and every single leader imprisoned for life. The Catholic church is the biggest paedophile ring on the planet, their history, like their Muslim bed fellows, is full of innocent blood, vile teachings, corrupt political meddling and debased morals.
mortimer says
Kerry, you have no idea how much pedophilia there is in the madrassahs. They enforce absolute silence through death threats.
gravenimage says
Exactly, Mortimer. Islam, with its allowance of pedophilia and promise of “pearly boys”–and bans against reporting anything to the Infidels–is likely far worse than what is happening in any other institutions.
Necrophage says
“Islam will catch up”? Sex crimes have been a sacrament in Islam since Muhammad raped his way across 7th Century Arabia.
Didn’t you read the article?
Ecosse1314 says
Kerry Wade ..your post was just a screed of hatred towards the RC church. You obviously have no idea of what you are commenting on. Equally you have no idea or knowledge of history. In short you are a moron.
gravenimage says
Yes, Necrophage.
JMB says
The history of Catholicism in Australia is a very vexed issue in a nation that historically was white,Anglo, monarchist and protestant. Rightly or wrongly Catholics were associated with both republicanism and the anti-monarchist movements and for many years Roman Catholics were banned from many aspects of public life here. In popular culture Catholics were too often associated with crime. The rumours of sexual misconduct within the ranks of the clergy are legendary and to a certain extent Catholics were regarded as 2nd class citizens. Fortunately all this is a thing of the past in modern Australia. The sexual misconduct is being dealt with (Albeit reluctantly). But whatever the truth was regarding the Catholic Church in this nation it can not even start to be compared with the actual and potential damage that Islam will inflict on us. I regard much of the present venom against the Catholic church here as little better than a vicious witch-hunt. These same social justice warriors have not turned their wrath against all the other institutions where child abuse did occur and they have certainly not shown any concern about what happens in the Islamic community here. (Child brides, forced marriages, FGM and beatings all in accordance with Sharia.)
Infomaniac says
https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2019/02/catholics-sex-and-cardinal-pell/
The Royal Commission observed there had been
* 2504 incidents of alleged child sexual abuse in the Uniting Church between its inauguration in 1977 and 2017. This compares with
* 4445 claims of abuse in the Catholic Church between 1950 and 2015.
Some parts of the media pounced on this figure as again proving the disproportionate amount of abuse that occurred within the Catholic Church. But two other factors need to be considered:
(i) the Commission did not consider any abuse claims made against the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches during the 27-year [pre-amalgamation] period from 1950 to 1977, and
(ii) media reports generally failed to note that the Catholic Church has five times as many members as the Uniting Church.
On the Commission’s own figures, a child attending the Uniting Church was more than TWICE as likely to have been molested than a child attending the Catholic Church.
………………………
But the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ record beats them all! While they had about half the recorded number of abuse cases as the Catholic Church, they have a congregational base of around 65,000, compared to the 5.2 million or so encompassing the Catholic Church.
Aussie media hypocrisy to the extreme.
Cardinal Pell, whose report into the Vatican Bank’s finances was due to be released shortly, must be getting too close to the sources for comfort, methinks.
CogitoErgoSum says
Keep importing more Muslims into your country and you will get your answer.
Richard says
Islam and Catholicism cannot be compared on this basis – one had individual sinners (acting AGAINST the teachings of their church) while the other are acting directly in accordance with the teachings of the Islamic texts as revealed by its warlord “prophet” and made-up ALLAH!
Frank Riley says
I agree. It’s ridiculous to blame the Catholic Church for those nominal Catholics who act directly against its clear moral teachings. The Church teaches that we become saints, and assists us in achieving this, particularly through the sacramental graces.
fred says
I call BS!!! Tens of thousands of clerics is not a ‘nominal’ figure by any stretch. Also, to go through seminary training and with all the years before and after that training reading and deeply examining every passage in the Bible cover to cover countless times, praying fervently and faithfully and incessantly to Jesus and His Heavenly Father every day, doing Christian ‘good works’ and service, and everything else regarding full immersion in its Theology….. and what do we have? A 2000 year legacy of genocide, slavery, egregious misogyny, pedophilia and child abuse, oppression, barbaric Theocracies, murderous inquisitions and crusades, exploitation/rape/murder of millions of indigenous societies around the world, and the list goes on and on…. to say the least this religion is anything but transformative and enlightening. Same goes double for Islam.
gravenimage says
Definitely the Catholic Church should be cracking down on pedophilia in its ranks more than it is.
gravenimage says
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “Has Catholicism done more harm to Australia than Islam?”
……………
Let me answer that with a simple “no”.
Richard says
+1 God bless you!!
Elizabeth Baklaich says
+2
mortimer says
The DEVIATION from catholic moral teachings is what does harm, rather than the practice of the church’s actual teachings, exemplified by the Golden Rule.
Pedophilia is an extreme contravention of the Golden Rule.
gravenimage says
+1
CRUSADER says
If you watch the first part of the movie
“American Gospel: Christ Alone”
….you may think that many so-called Christian organizations (including the Vatican) have gone awry….
https://vimeo.com/153172697
Nabeel Qureshi introduces the trailer to the movie
Elizabeth Baklaich says
Crusader, this movie looks amazing. I found a place to rent it, do you know if it is available somewhere on DVD for purchase?
tim gallagher says
What idiots. Where are the innocent people being slaughtered in terrorist attacks by Catholic terrorists in Australia or any other country? There are none. The idiocy of people like these is beyond belief. Where’s the female genital mutilation that Catholics have been carrying out? Oh, right, that’s Muslims too. The Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts, various government run orphanages out here in Australia, along with many other completely non-religious people ( you know, people’s uncles, family friends,etc) have committed some paedophilic crimes, as the recent Royal Commission showed, but again Islam is worse, with its institutionalised child brides, etc. I mean the founder of Islam, their perfect man, was paedophile. No branch of the Christian religion actually approves of paedophilia. Islam actually approves of such behaviour. That’s a huge difference. These fools, like Keneally, who cosy up to Islam are playing with fire. Islam hates Keneally and all other non-believers. She’s in their firing line if they attain power. All of us non-Muslims are. People like Keneally should wake up and stop working for the enemy, Islam, which hates them. Catholicism, any other branch of Christianity, Buddhism, et al, are less harmful than Islam has been and still is.
gravenimage says
Good post.
tim gallagher says
Thanks, gravenimage. I feel that all these clowns on the left, with Keneally being a typical example, are fools who are playing with fire when they spend their time supporting and promoting Islam. They’ll be wiped out or treated as slaves or dhimmis if Islam ever attains power. Then again, they seem to have the type of self-loathing, such hatred for the nasty western world, that they’d probably still be saying that Islam is merely giving them the punishment they deserve ( for being part of the western world) or some such crap. How these types of people can’t seem to see how evil Islam is amazes me.
gravenimage says
Very much agree about these useful idiots, Tim.
Max says
Socialist Keneally is a Muslim apologist. Abusing children is despicable and criminal, no two ways about it. Would anybody believe, however, that the Muslims are innocent of this crime? Please don’t make me laugh. We haven’t got the statistics, as the “authorities” in the West wouldn’t investigate and prosecute Muslims for this crime. God forbid, that would be chronic Islamophobia. One example of it was in the UK (Rotherham), where Pakistani Muslims gang sexually abused countless of young girls and the “authorities” did nothing about it. The other question is, is sexual abuse as bad as being decapitated? Don’t ask Keneally, however, as her answer would no doubt be the one that pleases the Muslims.
Lydia Church says
‘The article below, however, is correct: “What Keneally fails to understand is the difference between an injustice carried out consistent with an ideology and an injustice carried out contrary to an ideology.” This Q&A from ABC is yet another example of the West’s suicidal impulse, its intense self-hatred that leads it to embrace an ideology that would destroy it, and to reject and revile its founding principles and institutions.’
Exactly.
No doubt there has been abuse by other religions (but not true Christianity, since by default committing abuse puts a religion outside of that circle), but islam still takes the prize on that one.
Yes the point here is that those who commit crimes and claim to be Christian operate contrary to their belief system. Those who commit crimes and claim to be muslim do so in accordance to their belief system and in the name of islam. Huge difference.
Think about it. Under islam, it’s okay to murder non muslims for their beliefs. It’s okay to rape women who are not muslim. It’s okay to steal from non muslims and impose taxes on them. It’s okay to force them away from their properties and lands. It’s okay to take slaves, including sex slaves from among non muslims. It’s okay to have sex with kids. It’s okay to commit a whole host of other sins. And at times, it’s even okay to do the same things to muslims too. What peace! What tolerance! What non supremacy! Nice!
tim gallagher says
Well said, Lydia. Christianity has high ideals for its adherents to strive for. Islam is just evil and barbaric. full of encouragement for the worst of human behaviour. It has the lowest of ideals. The difference between Islam and Christianity, including Catholicism, could not be greater. Of course, people will always fall short of the high ideals of Christianity, but, unlike Islam, evil behaviour certainly isn’t condoned and praised. The list of evils that you give and which Islam condones shows how evil Islam is.
sidney penny says
“What Keneally fails to understand is the difference between an injustice carried out consistent with an ideology and an injustice carried out contrary to an ideology.” ”
I keep saying it,you keep hitting the nail on the head.
FYI says
Just to make it clear..
Regarding the abuse of children..
“If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me,it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea.How terrible for the world that there are things that make people LOSE their faith!Such things will always happen-but how terrible for the ONE WHO CAUSES THEM”
Matthew 18 v 6-7
The Catholic church authorities:They are responsible for this.They have betrayed Jesus and catholics.The Gospel’s condemnation of child abuse is absolutely ferocious.
In fairness,it is not the fault of catholicism or catholics themselves:the buck stops with the vatican and the Church Administrators.They have obstructed justice and protected pedophiles{as other organisations have done..like the BBC…}
Authentic and sincere Christianity,if truly lived in accordance with the actual Gospel, is a morally good religion.Catholics and protestants should go back to the Original Gospel and forget about these church authorities who are busy undermining Christianity.{I’m not a member of any church myself.It would be a mistake if anyone who comes from a christian background converts to islam out of disgust at the disgraceful behavior of so-called Christian churches.allah’s greatest enemy is ..Jesus Christ[sahih muslim vol 5 hadith # 5611]…}
It was always my belief that immoral clergy would be defrocked,not protected,on this basis:-
“But should you not judge the members of your own fellowship?As the scripture says
“REMOVE THE EVIL MAN FROM YOUR GROUP”
1 Corinthians 5 v 12-13
So causing harm to children is ferociously condemned and the penalty of expulsion is quite clear.
No doubt Mr Bergoglio of “Who am I to Judge?” fame,won’t be of much help…. a few well-publicized sackings to fool the sheeple{mccarrick,Pell} won’t cut -it
gravenimage says
Good post.
Elizabeth Baklaich says
+1
Anjuli Pandavar says
“The reason why people take issue with Islam, as opposed to Christendom, is because Islam’s religious text can be used, and often has been used, to justify acts of terror. Anyone who suggests otherwise simply hasn’t read the book.”
—
I have three comments to make on this. The simplest one is in response to: “Anyone who suggests otherwise simply hasn’t read the book.” Many who suggest otherwise *have* read the book.
The less simple point is that, generally, people take issue with Islam, rightly or wrongly, because of the behaviour of Muslims, and not because Islam’s religious texts can be used to justify terror. Not enough people are yet sufficiently familiar with the Islamic texts to make such a connection (“But the Bible also says terrible things” is an oft-heard and incredibly frustrating refrain).
The complex point is in response to: “Islam’s religious text can be used… to justify acts of terror.” This formulation troubles me in that it implies that there is no real connection between the religious texts and the acts of terror, or put differently, the acts of terror are independent and if the perpetrator should need a justification, Islam’s religious texts are worth taking a look at. They can often find some good stuff there. The relation is the other way round: specific exhortations leading to specific actions. ISIS publications, e.g., are pedantically explicit about these connections. Anarchist terrorists, by contrast, are extremely unlikely to justify their acts on the basis of Islamic religious texts.
I’m not suggesting that Robert doesn’t know this — of course not. I also admire his cautious choice of words. I think in this case that caution obscures accuracy.
Indiana Tom says
What Keneally fails to understand is the difference between an injustice carried out consistent with an ideology and an injustice carried out contrary to an ideology.
Catholicism abhors child abuse while Islam promotes child abuse of both sexes.
The Muslim molester proceeds according to Islam.
The Catholic molester proceeds violating Catholicism.
Jason says
It needs to be pointed out that Catholicism is a much larger and more influentual organisation with a longer history in Australia. To simply compare body counts is misleading. Islam is disproportionately harmful.
They make the same mistake in the US where they compare killings by the ‘right wing’ (about half the population) vs Muslims (less than 10%), and claim that the right wing is a bigger threat because the body count is slightly higher.
Elizabeth Baklaich says
I understand your point but just to be clear: they are lying. The US has jihaded people whose murders are being added in the wrong column, take Oklahoma city or Las Vegas for starters…
na says
Islam is the modern form of medieval catholic church. Islamic human sacrifice to please Alla , an example. MBS and Arab nations earn wealth from human sacrifice. alla is happy with human sacrifice, crucifixion, murder, smuggling, stealing, invasion, illegal currency , gold smuggling, weapons and lot more
Jean (old) says
na.
FYI, the medieval Catholic Church is the institution that STOPPED islam spreading into Europe. You should thank pope Urban II for making the call to the first crusade, after centuries of an unhindered Islamic conquest and plunder in the then Christian Middle East. The misery suffered in Syria, Egypt, etc. to this very day from the Islamic conquest is what Europe, too, would have suffered had it not been for the efforts of the Church. Many generations of Catholic men sacrificed their lives that the West might live and flourish as it has.
gravenimage says
Yes–none of us would be free today were it not for the Catholic Church having opposed the spread of Islam for centuries.
K says
Has an attempt be made to draw Keneally’s attention to this important fact?
Salome says
From my observation of her, it would be a wasted effort.
James says
The Catholic Church has been established in Western countries much longer and more extensively than Islam. A proper comparison might be the record of Islam in countries dominated by Islam for longer periods of time, such as India or Turkey. And as the author points out, child abuse is not condoned by Jesus. There is no text in the New Testament where Jesus has a child bride or kills anyone or advocates rape or violence against non-Christians. Muslim rapists who abuse children and girls often quote Islamic texts while committing their crimes or justify them with scriptures afterward. Rape in Islam is blamed on the woman victim and not on the rapist. That is not the case in Jesus’ teachings or generally in Christian Churches. Jesus does not recommend murder or violence to family members such as honor killings. If Islam is a feminist religion, why are women and girls sometimes murdered by fathers or husbands for not wearing Muslim costumes or for adopting Western values and assimilating? What is feminist about that? Or the treatment of female victims of crimes in courts of law? or the FGM practiced by this religion contrary to the laws of their countries of immigration? These feminists must be reading very selectively. A friend of mine said she had a copy of the Koran and she did not see any awful things in it. Well, she had a short version that left out all the shocking details found in the unabridged version. Or a friend from Germany told me the local Islamic center was more enlightened than the Christians. Maybe, if it was mainly staffed by people who were westernized and never read Islamic scriptures, never practiced the many requirements in sharia. Insidious intrusions of this ideology into the lives of unsuspecting people. Probably they praise Islam to show their independence and freedom from prejudice. But an open mind cannot stop the relentless forward movement of evil hidden in Islamic communities to ambush the unwary.
Stewart Davies says
the ignorant, arrogant and thoroughly nauseating loudmouthed hypocrite Kristina Keneally is American by birth. Might I respectully request that you repatriate her?
gravenimage says
Here she is, sneering at the idea that Muslims flooding into Australia from a Jihad zone might be dangerous:
“Cory Bernardi’s stance on Syrian refugees is flippant fearmongering. And it’s not working”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/24/cory-bernardis-stance-on-syrian-refugees-is-flippant-fear-mongering-and-its-not-working
In it, she scoffs at the idea that Jihad terror is an issue, comparing it to the existence of stairs–never mentioning that stairs are more beneficial than they are hazardous. Can she make the same claim for Jihad terrorists?
Jean (old) says
Dear Robert,
You write “massive numbers of sexual abusers”, but is that actually the case, statistically speaking? There has been a massive publicizing of Catholic offenders, which is in itself good – all pedophiles should be completely exposed, and dealt with by the law. But I worry that the statistics of pedophile abuse among schoolteachers (non-Catholic), sports instructors, etc. are in fact the same. If so, giving the public the impression that pedophilia is something exclusive to Catholics (occurring among priests more often than elsewhere), amounts to fake news.
When the Catholic pedophilia scandal began rolling in the media years back, I took an interest in the statistical question because I noted that it was never included in any articles on the subject. I did some research of my own, and back then, the result was that the percentage of Catholic priests committing pedophile acts was nearly identical to – but marginally lower than – that of schoolteachers and sports instructors (!).
I have not renewed that research, but I would dearly love to see an overview of such updated statistics. If it turns out that the result is the same as then, this exposes an agenda on the part of the media to associate the Catholic Church exclusively with a problem which IRL is just as bad (or worse) in other areas of society.
One might even suspect the media campaign to have been set in motion at a point when details of the organized trafficking of non-Muslim children by Muslims in Britain, in spite of its dedicated cover-up by police and social workers for decades, were becoming impossible to contain.
If the goal was to deflect public outrage about these staggering horrors (I speak here of the organized mass rape of children by hundreds or thousands of perpetrators), hitherto unknown in Western societies, what could be better than creating the false impression of a moral equivalence between Christians and Muslims on the question of child abuse?
Considering
– the anti-Christian bias of the Left
– the BBC’s cover-up of its own pedophiles (Jimmy Savile etc)
– the media’s treatment of Tommy Robinson, primarily for his exposure of Muslim pedophilia
such a strategy would fit in only too well with the larger picture.
All the more so because there is in fact a statistically significant higher percentage of Muslim men among sexual offenders (in Britain as well as other Western countries), including pedophiles.
Please let us have the real truth on the table, in numbers. A proper comparative survey.
gravenimage says
Yes–I don’t know that these figures are actually worse in the Catholic Church–but they are pretty bad.
Richard Courtemanche says
Wait! Islam isn’t finished yet
Blake Jay II says
I have never seen someone dragged through the courts for insulting Catholicism.
however several figures have been punished for blaspheming Islam
Robert Spencer please come to Australia !!!
gravenimage says
Blake, I know that Robert Spencer has spoken in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane–and probably elsewhere in Australia.
Salome says
I think we should shut down all Catholic hospitals and schools (and soup kitchens and other charitable agenies) in Australia right now to find out the answer.
gravenimage says
Good point.
sheliak says
Is the ethnomasochist impulse this far advanced in Australia? Is Australia tearing itself apart like the rest of the West?
Marigold says
Thankyou Robert for putting the issue in persective. Kieth! It was Darwin’s theory of evolution which caused the harm done to aborigines in Australia NOT the Catholic Church or Christianity in general. There were plenty of supporters for Darwin’s theory in Australia and it gave them the excuse they needed to treat them badly because according to Darwin it was the ”survival of the fittest”. The Christian Churches both Catholic and Protestant acted as a buffer between them and society. Some might argue that they were too patriarchial but none would have survived if it were not for Christianity.Early in the 20th century the government had aborigines listed under the department of ”flora and fauna”. I hasten to add that Darwin’s intentions were honorable .That is why he put off publishing his theory for so long..
As for Kristina Keneally she has always adhered to typical left wing views and should be disregarded.
STJOHNOFGRAFTON says
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “Has Catholicism done more harm to Australia than Islam?”
Critical Thinking: Has the Australian Broadcasting Commission done more harm to Australia than Catholicism and Islam?
Joe says
Austria was has been Catholic for centuries so of course Catholicism would presumably do more harm (and good) for Austria than a religion that has not played much of a role. I mean did Catholicism do more harm in Austria than Hinduism? The fact that we are asking the same question about Islam and actually thinking it did more harm despite having little connection with the country shows how scary Islam is.
Did Catholicism do more harm in Iran than Islam?
Certainly if events in Vienna 1589 and 1683 turned out differently then it might at least be a fair question. Lets consider the possibility that Islam won one of those battles and conquered Austria. Does anyone think it would be better off that way than it ended up with Catholicism as the religion?
gravenimage says
Joe, this article is actually about Australia, not Austria. A common error.
R. Spanier (Catholic Canadian) says
“Why isn’t this same outrage applied to Australian Catholics?” Seriously?? Every faithful Catholic (Christian) would condemn the acts of sexual abuse carried out by, almost exclusively, homosexual Catholic clergy. Would you, Kristina, do likewise? If not, you’re a hypocrite.
Tad Pringle says
Ms. Kennealy is your run-of-the-mill intersectional cherry picker who ticks her form as Feminist, Catholic, Socialist etc, but is basically a woke-scold who sees all evil emanating from the caucasian/western tradition.
samb says
Liberal Newspaper are hypocritical. They advocate contrarian lifestyle, such abortion and LGBT preferences yet the Catholic priest are guilty of a heinous crime that surpasses Qur’anic inspired violence. Obviously the Liberal minded are masquerading behind a larger agenda. Let it be known that we are embarrassed of the Catholic Church’ continued transgression but this is an individual transgression rather than doctrinal issue such as the Jihad. The Jihad is often referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam. It is said with the same breath as Allahu al-Akbar. Thus, the Australian tabloids are simply pandering to Islamist and a dangerous sect within their society. The Qur’an mentors its adherents to annihilate, hurt or force subjugate the recalcitrant. This, is misunderstood by the press and hence equation of the two aberrant behaviour
fred says
What Keith Oates stated below in a post is 100% spot-on….. “Yes the Catholic church has a hell of a lot to answer for here in Australia. But also the other protestant churches as well. The “body count” as Keneally is not just limited to sexual assaults.
It is an unfortunate part of our history that the churches have been responsible for some horrific acts here.
Like the wholesale destruction of the culture of the aboriginals, the treatment/ abuse of children in orphanages.
I am not denying that Islam is a evil threat to the entire world.
It’s just that the Catholic church has had more time to murder and rape more people here than Islam. About 200 years more!”
The group-think Christians that read and post on this site for the most part are egregiously BLIND to their own religion because of an uncritical emotional allegiance to it. If they examined Christianity (its entire history and scripture) with the same critical tool they excoriate Islam (or any other religion) well then the only intellectually honest conclusion would be faith in dogma is a toxic poison to the human psyche.
gravenimage says
What false moral equivalence.
And there have certainly been non-religious ideologies that have done a great deal of harm–unless you are a fan of Fascism and Communism.
fred says
As bad as fascism and communism is the murders and crimes they committed were NOT because they were non-religious or atheist…. it was exactly because they were attached to their own insane dogmas. As an example – even though North Korea is supposedly ‘secular’ it is run exactly like a Theocracy because the leaders and citizens have been brain-washed into a faith-based ideology of the Divinity of the Holy Family of Kim Jun Un and his forefathers. But the most important point that you’re missing, and what causes the most cognitive dissonance for Theists especially, is that their cherished religions are held up to be TRANSFORMATIVE and redemptive for one’s life ethically, morally, and spiritually, if they ONLY believe and follow the tenets and dictates. Well…. sorry to break it to you… looking at the evil histories of the monotheisms no one can ever come to that conclusion.