I Think I'd Pay 10 Bucks to See This...

Priests Do It... Even Buddhists Do It too!

Don't worry, Catholics, you're not the only one! Seems that even though their beliefs are completely different, abusing children is universal -- and same with the incredibly dense support staff to enable it and hide the wrong doers from any light of justice!

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A Tribune review of sexual abuse cases involving several Theravada Buddhist temples found minimal accountability and lax oversight of monks accused of preying on vulnerable targets.

Because they answer to no outside ecclesiastical authority, the temples respond to allegations as they see fit. And because the monks are viewed as free agents, temples claim to have no way of controlling what they do next. Those found guilty of wrongdoing can pack a bag and move to another temple -- much to the dismay of victims, law enforcement and other monks.

"You'd think they'd want to make sure these guys are not out there trying to get into other temples," said Rishi Agrawal, the attorney for a victim of a west suburban monk convicted of battery for sexual contact last fall. "What is the institutional approach here? It seems to be ignorance and inaction."

Paul Numrich, an expert on Theravada temples in the United States, said that like clergy abuse in other religious organizations, sex offenses areespecially egregious because monks are supposed to live up to a higher spiritual calling. The monks take a vow of celibacy."

One serial offender, Boa-Ubol, has been definitively caught with a DNA test — he fathered a child on a 14-year-old girl. His temple chastised him, and claimed that he had left the US to go to Thailand. Where is he now? California. In a temple. Working with children.

Bucket of Blood

Blood taken from Pope John Paul II before he died is to go on display at his beatification on Sunday.

One of four small vials of blood removed from John Paul during his final days will be used, the Vatican said in a statement…

More than 50 heads of state and several hundred thousand pilgrims are expected to travel to Rome for the beatification, a step before full sainthood…

The vial will be placed in a “precious reliquary” prepared specially for the occasion by the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations.

After being extracted, the blood was mixed with an anti-coagulant in the container to ensure it remained liquid.

Catholics are kind of scary.

You know what's even more creepy? They're going to make the man who presided over the largest secret pedophilia ring into a Saint.

Failure to Screen the Screener

Airport passenger screener charged in distributing child pornography

A passenger screener at Philadelphia International Airport is facing charges that he distributed more than 100 images of child pornography via Facebook, records show.

Federal agents also allege that Transportation Safety Administration Officer Thomas Gordon Jr. of Philadelphia, who routinely searched airline passengers, uploaded explicit pictures of young girls to an Internet site on which he also posted a photograph of himself in his TSA uniform.

Homeland Security agents arrested the TSA officer March 24, and he is being held without bail.

Now, it doesn't seem that he took pictures from the Radiation King and posted that -- but his job was to feel people up and violate their 4th Amendment rights.

May I make a suggestion that the TSA screen their screeners before they screen me?

Dante's Search Engine

Organizers of a conference in Rome say the rise of Satanism has been dangerously underestimated in recent years

The web has made it easier than ever before to access information on Devil-worshiping and the occult, experts said.

Exorcism is the subject of a six-day conference being held this week at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University in Rome, which is under the Vatican's authority.

"The internet makes it much easier than in the past to find information about Satanism," said Carlo Climati, a member of the university who specializes in the dangers posed to young people by Satanism.

"In just a few minutes you can contact Satanist groups and research occultism. The conference is not about how to become an exorcist. It's to share information about exorcism, Satanism and sects. It's to give help to families and priests. There is a particular risk for young people who are in difficulties or who are emotionally fragile," said Mr Climati.

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Yeah, it's Satan that's the biggest threat to the church and the dangers posed to young people. No, wait, I isn't it pedophile priests who were abusing their power?

The Face of Evil

The alternate headline: The Ongoing Case FOR the Death Penalty.

Why? Toddler raped at SeaWorld. Suspect saved photos of assault on cell phone, sent pictures to e-mail account

I have been thinking about this story all day. It's been really, really disturbing me.

If a 'person' has to do this sort of thing to get his kicks, then he needs to be taken off this planet.

Granted, there's a due process that hasn't been given to this accused man. He is only accused. However, if after that process, the court and a jury of his peers renders him guilty - and the photos didn't just 'magic' themselves onto his cell phone and email account - I want this thing off our planet. Whether on a rocket, a barrage of bullets, or in a prison where the fellow inmates 'circle the wagons' on him... whatever it takes, I want this thing off our world.

I told you kids...

GET BACK ON MY LAWN!

Black Letter

An official letter written in 1997 by the Vatican and issued to the bishops of Ireland, who at the time had proposed a new policy of reporting abusive priests to law enforcement, has surfaced. The basic translation: the Vatican is insisting that the current policy stay in place -- that the bishops keep cases of sexual abuses to themselves and within the church.

Now, the church is saying that the letter is not being interpreted correctly, and is out of context.

Hmmm. I wonder if the victims see it the same way?

Samaritan

Been saving this one for a while. Not nearly as topical... but still relevant. Unfortunately.

Pope Panda

Two billboards in Marsa advertising the Pope's visit to Malta got the unlikely addition of two stencilled images of what looks like a panda. It is not clear why the "artist" in question juxtaposed the bears with the Pope. The organizing committee was alerted yesterday morning and it plans to erase the images.

Guess what, that's no panda!

The cartoon character "Pedobear" is a renamed version of the 2chan ASCII art character "kuma". In his American incarnation, he is an anthropomorphic bear child predator that is often used within the community to mock contributors showing a sexual interest in under-age girls. Pedobear is one of the most popular memes on non-English imageboards, and is gaining recognition across Europe. Although the meme is apparently unknown in Poland, it has been used as a symbol of pedophilia by Maltese graffiti vandals.

Pope's Commandments

Quote of the Week

"If you have a few hundred followers, and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader. If you have a billion, they call you Pope." – Bill Maher

Quote of the Week

"Some of the get-out-of-jail-free crowd thinks that the reason Polanski should go free is because he's a gifted artist. Maybe you're right. Instead of an Oscar we should let the Best Director f*ck your kids."

-- Screenwriter Michael Seitzman, in his column at the Huffington Post

Yeah, I've been thinking about that too. The free pass for not only admitting guilt in the rape, but also fleeing justice for 40 years. I have a very talented plumber. Maybe he should get away with drugging and raping [repeatedly] a 13 year old girl.