I am apalled. Again.

I'm about thisclose to taking back every single good thing I've ever said about Catholicism.

I disagree with their doctrine and their positions on a number of things, but I've appreciated the beauty of their rituals, their dedication to education, and their charity work. Yet all of that seems tainted now in light of recent responses to public outcry about priests abusing children.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. That means not going against the consensus of psychological studies regarding any alleged link between homosexuality and child molestation. That means not accusing the people who have been outraged at the Church's coverup of child molesting priests of being part of some Zionist plot, conveniently ignoring the number of Christians (including Catholics!) who have expressed outrage. That means not accusing Jews of being the secret overlords of the world, deliberately giving fuel to the minds of conspirators you know would love an excuse to lash out at Jews. And it also means telling the truth about the crimes you know were committed... because covering up a crime is also false witness.

The fact that these things are being said by priests, by people who have sworn a lifelong commitment to God and His works, is completely disgusting. Deliberately breaking a commandment is not a way to show one's dedication to God's word. It is inexcusable.

Easter

If Jesus were alive today and preaching the message he preaches in the Gospels, he would be crucified.

It wouldn't be literal. We don't do that anymore, at least in our society. But the word has become metaphorical for harsh, often angry criticism. And in the U.S., people who ask for charity and love for one's fellow man generally find opponents in plenty who will attempt to verbally crucify them.

But no matter how harshly such messages are criticized, people continue to try. In the face of such metaphorical crucifixion, knowing that criticism and anger and even violence may come their way, people still spread this message: to love their neighbors, no matter how different, and to help those in need. Like Jesus, who knew that sooner or later his words would lead to his death, these people do not let the knowledge of their opponents' likely reactions stop them. The message is too important to them.

These people are not all Christians. Some are, but others are Jews or atheists or Muslims or agnostic or pagans or Buddhists. And some of their most strident opponents do claim to be Christian. Many who do not believe in Christ have much more in common with him than those who do. And I believe it is not which beliefs they hold but what they do from those beliefs that matters most.

This Easter, I celebrate not only Jesus's resurrection, but also the continuing efforts of those who act in a way he would surely approve of, no matter what the reasons are that those things are done.