— “You only have a vendetta against the Catholic church and its hierarchy.”

Sadly, this is a response and excuse being used to deny and to justifiably ignore the truth about the hierarchy of the Catholic church and sex abuse of children.

Because many find comfort, strength and purpose in the practices and traditions of organized religion, they are shocked, dismayed and become defensive when flaws are exposed, as in the case of the sexism, silence and secrecy behind the sex abuse scandal of the Catholic church hierarchy.

The documentary, “Mia Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God,” traces Joseph Ratzinger’s (Pope Benedict XVI) involvement in the cover-up.

Throughout the ages, all religions and their unique and/or exclusive traditions have evolved. One adding on or deleting from another.

For some, the purpose has become a claim of entitlement and/or superiority by divine association. For insight into the politics behind the claim to infallibility by the pope, read page 380 of the book “Rome” by Robert Hughes.

The secrecy and silence that victims painfully and shamefully bore have been broken by lawsuits exposing the truth.

Sexism will become a thing of the past when nurturing attributes define Christianity, and not human-made, exclusive, divisive and conditional religious traditions that result in damaging harm and that taint the very word “Christianity.”

All must protect, nourish and educate children in healthy environments, whether in homes, schools or at play.

Children are dependent on trustworthy adults. To betray such trust is indeed a grave crime.

Etta Albright

Cresson



To Obama, presidential oath was meaningless

On Jan. 20, Barack Obama placed his hand on Bibles of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, two Republicans no less, and took an oath to faithfully execute the laws of the United States. As president, he has an ultimate duty to protect Americans from enemies both foreign and domestic.

Instead, he has attacked the First Amendment protections to a “free press” with threats against reporters who ask penetrating questions.

He has ignored our “free exercise of religion” with the birth-control mandate in Obamacare.

He is attacking our Second Amendment “right to keep and bear arms” while ignoring existing gun laws.

He plans to force our 4-year-old children into pre-school, thereby violating the Fourth Amendment privacy of parents.

He has ignored the Fifth and Sixth amendments by imprisoning his Benghazi scapegoat without cause. His order to kill two innocent Americans by a drone violated their civil rights to life.

This pattern of constitutional abuse goes much deeper with his secret “kill list.”

In December, The New York Times reported Obama’s secret arming of rebels in his undeclared war against Moammar Gadhafi’s Lybia. Obama’s covert order has placed thousands of shoulder-fired missiles into the hands of Islamic terrorists.

Benghazi, a covert operation to recover these weapons, backfired. Obama’s re-sponse?

It was a flash mob reaction to a YouTube video.

American idol’s president has committed high crimes that call for his impeachment.

His hubris is a snub to the hopes of millions of decent, honorable, hardworking American minorities.

Dr. Bill Choby

Latrobe



Gov’t leaders playing games with our lives

Our federal government leaders remind me of a bunch of young children who have no idea about life or how the government works.

I am ashamed and sick of our government. Elected officials are playing games with our lives, and that’s not right.

If they can’t do the job, then get out.

Fred Bigam

Johnstown

 

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