In another blow to Catholic PR today the result of a police enquiry in Northern Ireland has found that the Government, the Catholic church and the Royal Ulster Constabulary colluded to allow a Catholic priest (Fr. James Chesney) known to be a high ranking member of the IRA to re-locate to the Irish republic and continue "priest'ing" whilst it was suspected that he participated in the brutal murder of 9 innocent people in the Claudy bombing in 1972. The dead included men, women and children of both religious flavours (Catholic & Protestant) slaughtered by three car bombs planted without warning in a small village in County Londonderry at the height of the troubles.
I must admit this outcome doesn't surprise me that much, however it does surprise me that it has taken so long and so much hand wringing to expose the simple truth. Let's face it, priests are people and like all people the world over good people do good things and bad people do bad things, this fact is universal. My only request is now can we stop pretending that religion and religious people hold any kind of "special" position compared to the rest of us, they are not superior, more moral or more insightful in any way. In addition to religious people being exactly the same as the rest of us it's clear that their (religious) training doesn't prepare them for the realities of life any more than those who have not had it, any rational analysis of this case, among many, would have to conclude that it appears worthless, in fact some probably go further and conclude worse than worthless.
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