Ste,

I generally discount anything that I see on television. Like you said, the truth often takes a back seat to ratings.

I'll check the panorama story though.

Okay, fair enough. But if you do hear of anything that guys here should know about please do let me know.

Post deleted by Tom Perry

Tom,

Since the bulk of that thread was written there has of course been the ground-breaking admission by the church in the USA (Los Angeles) that abuse occurred and that compensation would be paid.

But of course it isn't just the Catholic Church. I was raised a Presbyterian and was abused by a Scout leader who helped out with the troop sponsored by our church. When I wrote to the local church last year to urge vigilance, do you think I got a reply? Nope. I heard from sources back home that the church session circled the wagons and prepared for a lawsuit, which was never my intention and would never have succeeded in any case, since the statute of limitations had long since expired and the perp himself has been dead for more than a decade.

Much love,
Larry

Post deleted by Tom Perry

Not precisely relevant I suppose - I was wryly amused to read a letter in the Irish Times last year by a bunch of Dublin priests basically saying that priests have rights too! I.e. they were complaining that their bishop (archbishop?) was pursuing too stongly the possibility of there being child-abusing priests in their midst. Not before time, say I. Anyone who denies the culpability of churches, notably but not exclusively the Catholic, in the (quite recent) past has their head in the sand. Yes of course churches have done a lot of good too, but .... e.g. Roadrunner (among others)has done a lot of good on this forum, but that wouldn't prevent me from thinking him a scumbag if I discovered that he secretly went out at night to beat up old ladies and steal their handbags.