The Indignity of the Church
analytical Essay
999 words
The Indignity of the Church
In the article “The Priest Scandal”, by Carol Cannon expresses her views in the American Journalism Review regarding the scandals within the Catholic Church. She continues to explain how the Catholic Church has been trying to keep the whole issue hidden from society. Carol Cannon makes a point how the media has struggled with pursuing this issue for many years, while America wasn’t ready to hear the truth on such a controversial topic. Carol Cannon is writing to many different groups. Catholics are probably going to be the most interested, but since this issue is so huge it affects many different audiences and ages. Cannon’s article on sexual child abuse by priests, is written through the use of logic, credibility and emotions. She displays a clear topic and supports with using reason along with values and beliefs.
The claims that Cannon makes are logical because many priests have come forwards or been charged with child molestation. Cannon makes logical claims by issuing persuasive arguments on the issue that child molestation by priests has been covered up for years. She has been reporting on the issue of pedophilia by Church officials for more than 13 years. Cannon uses evidence to support her claim. She has a combination of evidence, some which of were interviews of children who were sexual molested by priests. Cannon, along with others has also been granted permission to explore archives where the priest’s cases have been taken to court. Cannon’s examples are convincing through her arguments. She also has credible sources of other journalists that wrote on the same topic as she did. Cannons argument appeal to everyday common sense because the issue has become such a big deal to Americans. The media has also played a large part in the growth of this topic. When reporters were told to pick another topic the news media didn’t listen and were heard. Since the issue of child molestation has been around for awhile, the public knows of the issue and has a stance on it. The structure of the article has much to do on the argument of the topic. The author starts out with her credibility and then a short narrative which is an attention getter.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how carol cannon's article "the priest scandal" explains how the catholic church has been trying to keep the whole issue hidden from society.
- Explains that cannon's claims are logical because many priests have come forward or been charged with child molestation. she uses evidence to support her claim.
- Opines that carol m. cannon is an expert in her field. she has been nominated for a pulitzer for her work on the cover up by the catholic church for molestation charges.
- Analyzes how cannon's article appeals to average american attitudes because no one wants to see little children, mostly boys, being sexually molested by priests.
- Analyzes carol m. cannon's credibility in her article "the priest scandal". she clearly states what she is talking about and backs her issue up with examples that relate directly to her topic.
Related
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- Concerns in the Catholic Churchanalytical essayConcerns in the Catholic Church Sexual abuse is a growing concern in society today. So many people are hurt by the actions of other people when they abuse them, especially in a sexual manner. The Catholic Church is also now being targeted for sexual offenders. Priests have been charged with sexually abusing young boys that are involved with the church.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that sexual abuse is a growing concern in society today. the catholic church is also being targeted for sexual offenders. priests have been charged with sexually abusing young boys that are involved with the church.
- Analyzes how suzanne keen's decision to participate in a religion entails much thought and consideration. catholics believe that jesus died for their sins, so that they could live.
- Explains that many priests have been accused of sexually abusing young boys within the churches congregation. the testimony of many children is enough evidence that the catholic church is and has been covering up their faults.
- Explains that the young boys, who were molested many years ago, are now coming forward to confess being abused by priests.
- Analyzes catholics' value judgments for what a sin is. sexual intercourse before marriage, taking the lord's name in vain, not keeping the sabbath holy, and impure thoughts about boys are considered ok actions.
- Explains that priests have sexual urges that they aren't allowed to indulge in as a human and are forced to keep them bottled up until they're out of control, molesting young boys.
- Opines that the catholic church should revoke the vow of celibacy and allow priests to be married to reduce the number of sexually abused boys.
- Explains briggs, david, et al. assessing men who sexually abuse.
- Explains mayer, adele, sexual abuse: causes, consequences and treatment of incestuous and pedophilic acts.
1481 wordsRead More - The Horror of Child Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church.analytical essayThis essay discusses the link between the Roman Catholic Church, child sexual abuse and the possibility of a cover-up. Are the Archdiocese and the Catholic Church guilty of covering up accusations of child sexual abuse? If so, could the church have stopped the abuse before it became an epidemic? And why have multiple victims come forth alleging sexual abuse after so many years? In order to answer these questions, we must first identify the circumstances surrounding the scandal.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that the church waited too long to address the problem, allowing it to exacerbate into an irreparable plague that only god could forgive.
- Opines that the money in the world cannot replace the innocence lost at childhood to the wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.
- Opines that abuse victims say it’s not about the money.
- Explains the five principles to follow in dealing with accusations of sexual abuse.
- Analyzes the link between the roman catholic church and child sexual abuse and the possibility of a cover-up.
- Explains that the vatican revised its sexual abuse policy in 1992, establishing an unprecedented law stating any priest found guilty of molesting children is prohibited from working in the catholic church.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that the church had held sway over medieval society for centuries, but it began to lose its grip in the fourteenth century.
- Explains that the babylonian captivity is part of the plot of the nameless day. boniface viii died in 1303. philip seized the opportunity to influence the subsequent papal election.
- Explains that gregory xi returned to rome in 1377, and a papal election was held in the hall of conclave attached to the vatican palace.
- Explains that corruption had bedevilled the church for centuries. few clerics took notice of their vows of celibacy, and many parish priests kept wives or mistresses.
- Explains that clerics lived like parasites on society, and few priests taught or preached instructive sermons. in the sixteenth century, no-one could name all the commandments and many people had no idea who jesus was.
- Explains how the church demanded massive taxes from ordinary people, such as a tithe, mortuary tax, and fees. non-romans resented the fact that wealth was siphoned off to rome rather than being kept in their country.
- Explains how heresies flared out of control after the black death in 1348, leading to the protestant reformation of the early sixteenth century.
- Explains that when people sought religious comfort to cope with the chaos of the physical world, they encountered a church that was, to all intents and purposes, in chaos.
- Explains that there were violent and violent social revolts in europe post the black death, and that the english lollard movement has such a bearing on the crucible.
749 wordsRead More - Critical review of “Christianity and child abuse – the survivors’ voice leading to change”analytical essayIn the article “Christianity and child abuse – the survivors’ voice leading to change”, Kennedy (2000) argued how children’s Christianity background can cause additional concerns in the issue of child sexual abuse. Kennedy justified her argument by presenting the fact how spiritual concepts like “the evil/sin of being abused” (126,127,129), “God’s will” (127,129), “sources of God’s grace” (128) have been wrongly used to warrant perpetrators’ inhumane acts. Moreover, she pointed out that both the subliminal messages children perceived of these concepts (128) and “silencing factors”, such as “the doctrine of forgiveness” (131) and no pre-marital sex (130) in Christian context, lead to further shame and guilt in children (131,132,133,134). Apart from the spiritual side, Kennedy also criticized Christian churches’ intention of protecting its own reputation rather than solving the issue (133). Christian communities practiced an unjust demand of forgiveness from the victim and a patriarchal culture (135). Also, Christian communities failed in offering objective policy guidance (136) and ensuring active implementation of the policy document (137). Kennedy ends the passage by prompting the idea that state and church should tackle the problem hand in hand (139), and the engagement of more practitioners with sound religious and psychology understanding (139).
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how kennedy argues that children's christianity background can cause additional concerns in the issue of child sexual abuse.
- Argues that the christian concept of forgiving is a double-edged sword, and that it could either offer spiritual support or worsen the victim's emotional status.
- Argues that the lack of sound church operations and skillful professions has exacerbated the child abused situation in christian community.
799 wordsRead More - Student Abuse and Rape in Collegeopinionated essayIn a recent scandal at Penn State University defensive line Coach Jerry Sandusky was accused of having sexual relations with ten young boys while working at Penn State. In trial it came out to be very clear that over the course of many years Mr. Sandusky had been sexually assaulting members from his foster home that was meant to help troubled boys. It is so hard for people to speak out and ask someone for help, because many don’t believe anyone will understand their situation. However, many of the boys knew each other from the group home and had been going through the same terrifying experience. It’s a shame that it can take decades for just one person to get caught instead of days in this case it took fifteen years.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the amount of rape and abuse cases according to statistics is at an unacceptable high. at least 1 in 4 women will experience sexual assault during their years in college.
- Opines that it can take decades for just one person to get caught instead of days in this case.
- Explains that four grown men including head coach joe paterno failed to notify any type of higher authority when they found out sandusky was in the college locker room shower with a younger male in 2001.
- Explains that the university of southern california is under investigation for not reporting sexual assault incidents to keep their crime numbers low.
- Opines that students aren't fully aware of what is considered sexual assault. they must stand together and influence each other positively so that no one becomes a victim.
- Explains that the buddy system is one of many ways colleges have begun to lower the statistics. it requires two or more students to accompany each other outside of class and sporting events while on campus.
- Suggests adding technology to stop campus assaults, such as an app that could notify authority, send security, write reports, and attach photos.
- Analyzes how the usc mislabels sexual assault to keep crime numbers low, according to a clerycomplaint.
- Analyzes kirk, chris, and ashley reich's "teacher-student relationship: woman wonders if she should reveal ex’ssordid past to his employer."
710 wordsRead More - Ethical Treatment of Clerical Phedophiliaexplanatory essayAddressing the issue of pedophilia in an ethical manner towards the patient which can often times prove to problematic, as no conclusive remedy can be offered. Acco...
In this essay, the author
- Explains the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: dsm-iv. washington, dc: american psychiatric association.
- Explains that the ethical practice of mental health must include the wellbeing of the patient, as well as the physical and mental safety of possible victims.
- Explains canada's law. crimincal code of canada. minister of justice, 2011. cohen, lisa j., and igor i. galynker.
- Cites fast, elizabeth d. and mills, sonia marie perry. psychosocial antecedents of sex offender criminality and violence.
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In this essay, the author
- Describes how mark e. jones, a public school teacher from california, was charged with twenty-eight counts of lewd (lustful) conduct with four boys under the age of fourteen.
- Explains that in the united states, there are many different cultural groups and traditions. one belief that is not accepted in all races is child molestation.
- Explains that child molestation is a problem in the united states that is not really talked about as much as others.
- Explains that most perpetrators of child molestation are men in the neighborhood or a man in white van, but in reality they are father figures. they hide it and leave their abuse untreated causing the effects that they have.
- Explains the signs and effects of child molestation, such as their fear of showers and restrooms, and their fears of interpersonal relationships.
- Explains that the effects of being molested can last for the victim's entire life, but there are effects that happen shortly after it has happened.
- Explains that child sexual abuse and child molestation is illegal in every state in the united states. louisiana, montana, south carolina, oklahoma, and texas are the only states that allow the death penalty.
- Explains that child molestation is common, but not as popular because of lack of reporting. victims are abused by someone who is close to them and they trust. if the victim does not seek medical attention, they will have long-term effects from that abuse.
- Cites the american psychological association's website, "understanding child sexual abuse: education, prevention and recovery."
- Analyzes the case of kennedy v. louisiana. google scholar. supreme court of the united states. 2008.
828 wordsRead More - Chapter 12: The Christian Churchanalytical essayLynn Malone, is currently the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Monroe, Louisiana. On June 13, 2008, Malone gave a homily that entailed a very key component of the Christian faith, the church. In this homily, the main concept of the homily is the church as being one whole entity. Throughout the homily, numerous examples are given that exemplify this concept. I will be discussing two themes more in depth throughout this paper, the Christian Church as one entity, and the universality of Christianity and Christ’s teachings.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how malone's homily exemplifies the universality of christianity and christ’s teachings in general.
- Explains reese, william j., emily dykman, michael lopez-kaley, and laura nettles. christian theology: scripture, tradition and practice. kearney, neb.
- Describes first united methodist church in monroe louisiana's pastors & staff.
- Analyzes how lynn malone's homily entailed a key component of the christian faith, the church, and the universality of christianity.
- Opines that pastor malone has correctly explained the theological point of this chapter, which is the christian church.
731 wordsRead More - The Church in the Middle Agesanalytical essayThe Church in the Middle Ages By The Middle Ages, one understands a relatively long historical period extending from the end of the Roman Empire to the 1500's. The conquest of The Roman Empire by Germanic tribes, and synthesis of Germanic and Roman ways of life formed the civilization which we call medieval (medieval-from Latin words; medium (middle) and aevum (age)). Medieval civilization was greatly influenced by the Muslims in Spain and The Middle East, and by Byzantine Empire and Christians in Southeast Europe. The power of The Church, in The Middle Ages, was enormous.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that medieval civilization was greatly influenced by muslims in spain and the middle east, and by byzantine empire and christians in southeast europe.
- Explains that the church touched almost everyone's life in many important ways. monopolization of culture, literature, science and philosophy gave the church almost unlimited power over the body and mind of medieval people.
- Explains that the church was creating universities and schools, encouraging theological debates and publishing of books. the search for god inspired by religious ideals gave birth to a colorful, diversified, and breathing culture of middle age.
- Explains that medieval philosophy developed as a methodological basis for theological work, rather than independent study in constant search for truth. st. thomas aquinas' summa theologiae proves god's existence in five different ways.
- Explains that aquinas, saint thomas, was arguably the most influential thinker of the medieval period. he combined aristotelian and neoplatonic elements within a christian context.
- Agrees with anthony kenny that a valid philosophical proof of god's existence would be sufficient, though not necessary, condition for rational acceptance of theism.
- Analyzes how st. thomas combined aristotle's teachings with christian doctrine. he argued that no conflict exists between reason and faith.
- Explains that it is important to understand the true meaning of the word motus. it can be translated as motion, but one can give it wider meaning, like change.
- Explains that aquinas argues that one body can move another only if it is in contact with it, so all these contiguous moving and moved bodies make one large body, which is not infinite.
- Argues that the more we know about the universe, the greater certainty we can say that everything in our world is affected (moved or changed) by something else.
- Explains that einstein brought his theory of relativity to the world.
- Explains the law of conservation of energy, which states "energy can not be created nor destroyed. it is only changed from one form to another."
- Explains that the second way is based on the notion of efficient causation. aristotle proposed four types of explanations (causes).
- Explains that aquinas uses third type of aristotelian explanation when he speaks of efficient cause in the second way.
- Explains that aquinas means that certain efficient causes cannot exercise their casual activity unless they are also caused by something else. nothing can be the efficient cause of itself.
- Explains that animal reproduction is great as a support to the second way. their knowledge of dna and genes would support that there are no accidents and that the father and the mother are the efficient cause of the child.
- Explains that a parent-child series of causes cannot be efficient cause of itself. if series goes on forever, then there will be no first and intermediate efficient causes.
- Analyzes how aquinas appeals to the fact that certain things are subject to generation and corruption to show that they are 'possible', i.e., capable of existing and not existing.
- Explains that avicenna operated with a concept of necessity similar to that of aquitas. only in god does essence entail existence and all creatures are contingent.
- Analyzes how st. thomas isolates 'necessary beings who have the cause of their necessity outside themselves', a description which could not apply to god.
- Explains that the third way is not simply an argument from contingent being to necessary being, but it works through the existence of caused and uncaused necessity, which alone can be called god.
- Analyzes how aquinas refers to his earlier regress argument in order to show that the uncaused necessary being is god.
- Explains that the fourth way is based on the varying degrees of perfection we discover among the being we experience.
- Explains that aquinas concluded that for any given quality, there must be a perfect standard by which all such qualities are measured.
- Analyzes how thomas observes that natural bodies act for the sake of an end. aquinas indicates that they reach their ends by 'intention' and not merely from chance.
- Narrates how agnostic asked the wise man, "is there god?" and when he came back the next day, there was only the beautiful poem written on the piece of papyrus.
- Argues that biology, rather than philosophy, is called in aid by the argument of design. some have argued that evaluation has a tendency to produce organisms of ever-greater complexity.
- Explains that darwin's theory of natural selection inserts an extra step between the phenomena to be explained and its ultimate explanation.
- Opines that aquinas' arguments would have to be modernized to withstand contemporary opposition of our days. st. thomas's purity was the most appealing to them.
- Agrees with anthony kenny that a valid philosophical proof of god's existence would be sufficient, though not necessary, for rational acceptance of theism.
- Explains that when they need rational justification, or philosophical proof of god's existence, they will offer the arguments of st. thomas aquinas.
2040 wordsRead More - The Church in the Postmodern Worldopinionated essayThe Pastor’s Role I must say that I learned a lot from this class both through the readings and through class discussion. I really, honestly do not have anything that I starkly disagreed with in either. I found it all to be very valuable information for me and this class was extremely helpful in assisting me to better understand the current paradigm shift the church is going through. There are three take-a-ways in particular that helped me to better understand the post modern shift in the church and my role as a minister in this changing paradigm. The first take-a-way is the understanding that there is a shift occurring towards focusing more on the congregational life of the church with more attention on the laity and its formation.
In this essay, the author
- Agrees with mead that the most important part of being a pastor is equipping the laity. most christians want to grow deeper in faith and apply the word of god to their lives.
- Opines that building a strong laity would help form relationships and increase "buy in" to the church and its vision.
- Opines that roxburgh's book helped them understand the shift that the church is going through. the c.m.e. church uses a strategic planning model to reach new people.
- Opines that the notion of absolute truth in postmodernism is now relative. they believe that we bring ourselves and our experiences of the world and allow others the freedom to do the same.
- Explains that they learned a lot from the class, both through the readings and through class discussion. they agree with kitchens, mead, and roxburgh that the future church must be more intentional in the spiritual formation of its laity.
- Opines that a concrete, strategic plan for an uncertain future seems illogical.
- Opines that in this post-modern world, everything seems to be shifting and changing. it is imperative that we stay in constant communication with god so we can assess and reassess our role as pastors and laity alike.
- Explains mead, loren b. and roxburgh, alan j. missional map-makingskills for leading in times of transisition.
1619 wordsRead More