Wayne Besen sure doesn't think so, and makes a pretty good case to support his opinion. In order to have people respect any moral authority you might claim as an individual or organization, your actions need to be above reproach and, even more importantly (especially for a religious group), follow the example Jesus set during His time on earth. The examples Besen point out hardly qualify. This failure only hurts the efforts of those sincerely trying to live lives in Christ's image and help others do the same, in part by fostering and reinforcing the cynicism that is evident in Besen's essay:
Next time a Roman Catholic cleric tries to degrade loving same-sex relationships, stop him mid-sentence and say:
"The Roman Catholic Church has no moral authority to oppose loving gay relationships."
Keep repeating this until the hypocrite walks away, head bowed in shame.
As far as I know, there has never been a huge, multi-decade scandal of gay activists molesting children. No GLBT community centers raided and shuttered. No billion dollar lawsuits against gay bars for abusing children.
Sure, one can always find a rotten apple, but the GLBT barrel -- for the most-part -- is stocked with the organic, red, shiny, healthy variety.
The same cannot be said of the Roman Catholic Church.
According to a new report released today that was ordered by Ireland's government, Catholic leaders in Dublin, in collusion with the police, spent decades protecting and covering up the illegal, sinful behavior of pedophile priests.
What went on -- for decades -- was so incredibly sick and downright evil, that it borders on satanic. Dublin's current Archbishop, Diarmuid Martin, said he felt deep shame and sorrow for how previous archbishops handled the child abuse.
Click here to read the rest of the essay.
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