Headlines..'1Bn from state to victims of sex abuse'

Wook

FrontPage of the newspaper.
I can not understand why the State (representing me as tax payer) Has to cough up the money for something that has been caused by 'employees' of the church. Why does the Vatican not pay this towards the victims and hereby express their regrets ?
Why do I as an Atheist have to be responsible for the mistakes of an order ?
1Bn Euro could well be used in Ireland for several different projects that are as urgent as clarity within the Sect and 'official' religions.

Furthermore the church considers themselves a company and can go bust if too many people claim..why don't they then ? They are going to pay 41.14M Euro, one can compare that with some loose change.

( I know the total package of the 'could be' 1Bn Euro also covers state controlled institutes that got into the same trouble as the church ones)

any opinions ? Should State and religion not be separated ?
Do you feel that any form of religion should be free to participate in but also do not have any connection with the people who choose not to be involved ? Do you find it justified that a religion can count on government to help them out ? (financially, Logistically..ETC)

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Talliesin

The State was also culpible and therefore should pay some compensation, but it is unjust in the extreme that the Church is getting out of a lot of the compensation it owes.

What's the worse that could happen if the Church went bankrupt?

Would it stop people from practicing their faith? Of course not. The hypocricy, deceit, conspiracy, and wanton criminality and immorality has caused many to leave the church, but the lack of funds won't (indeed it's been remarked that faith is often stronger when the Church is in a position of less mundane power).

However it might prevent the Church from interfering with our tax-funded schools and tax-funded hospitals, which can only be a good thing.

Wook

sorry no link , i have this from the actual newspaper.

DapperGent

The state was guilty by negligence and therefore should shoulder some of the cost of reparation, though I personally would like to see the Church in Ireland bankrupted before the State took up the slack.

As for a seperation of church and state, I do hope it occurs in my lifetime.

sceptre

Originally posted by Talliesin
The State was also culpible and therefore should pay some compensation, but it is unjust in the extreme that the Church is getting out of a lot of the compensation it owes.

Agreed.

The State shouldn't have allowed a position where all State-schools at primary level and most at secondary level were run by a body accountable only to itself. Equally the Church should have taken responsibility for monitoring of the clergy a long time ago (and indeed should do it now)

On a personal level, I've long had a problem with the religious ethos of Irish schools but that's neither here nor there: the State through its own will put the nation's children in the hands of some people who caused them harm. The State has to be held responsible for this. So does the Church. So do the evil people who caused this hurt. I want to see prosecutions.

Meh

Originally posted by Talliesin
What's the worse that could happen if the Church went bankrupt?

Since most schools and hospitals in this country are built on Church-owned land, the "worst that could happen" would be the complete collapse of our health and education systems.

Talliesin

The church being forced to sell the schools and hospitals to the State, putting our education and health into the hands of the Irish people, can only be a good thing.

This country would begin to be a bit like a Republic.

In fact we should just confiscated them now.

Wook

and so the story continues, 'let's see how deep the rabidhole goes' The church has taken the liberty to get themselves covered. Still I am paying for the Paedophiles and apparently more then the church. that's it I had enough , I am going to convert to 'Jedi'