# Meanwhile back in the world of faith-based child molestation **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 20, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313 "2012-03-20T14:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/1 "2012-03-20T14:14:38Z")
[Dutch Roman Catholic Church 'castrated at least 10 boys](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/9153676/Dutch-Roman-Catholic-Church-castrated-at-least-10-boys.html) > [@](#): > > Two clergymen were convicted of abuse but Mr Heithuis, a victim, was nonetheless transferred by police to a Catholic psychiatric hospital before being admitted to the St. Joseph Hospital in Veghel later that year. > > There, court papers confirm, he was castrated “at his own request”, despite no submission of his written consent. Sources told Mr Dohmen that the surgical removal of testicles was regarded as a treatment for homosexuality and also as a punishment for those who accused clergy of sexual abuse. > > Cornelius Rogge, 79, a well-known Dutch sculptor whose family knew Mr Heithuis in the 1950s, reported the castration to an official inquiry into abuse within the Catholic Church. But his evidence was ignored. > [@](#): > > Evidence emerged on Monday that government inspectors were aware that minors were being castrated while in Catholic-run psychiatric institutions. > > Minutes of meetings held in the 1950s show that inspectors were present when castrations were discussed. The documents also reveal that the Catholic staff did not think parents needed to be involved. Suffer the little children to come unto me, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/2 "2012-03-20T14:48:18Z")
Sonofa_bitch_! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/3 "2012-03-20T14:53:45Z")
Izzat really true? For reals? If so … I … words fail me. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/4 "2012-03-20T15:11:21Z")
So…he is molested by pedophiles in the church…then castrated by the church to cure his homosexuality? And to shut him up? And the government knew about it and was even there when it was being discussed?? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:😕😕:mad: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/5 "2012-03-20T15:21:22Z")
The only shocking thing is that people are shocked. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/6 "2012-03-20T15:24:40Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > So…he is molested by pedophiles in the church…then castrated by the church to cure his homosexuality? And to shut him up? And the government knew about it and was even there when it was being discussed?? > > :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:😕😕:mad: It was almost 60 years ago. The church now has a much more [progressive attitude](http://www.theonion.com/articles/pope-forgives-molested-children,101/) towards abuse victims. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/7 "2012-03-20T16:48:45Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > It was almost 60 years ago. The church now has a much more [progressive attitude](http://www.theonion.com/articles/pope-forgives-molested-children,101/) towards abuse victims. Sometimes the Onion comes too close to the truth to be comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/8 "2012-03-21T01:30:44Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > So…he is molested by pedophiles in the church…then castrated by the church to cure his homosexuality? And to shut him up? And the government knew about it and was even there when it was being discussed?? > > :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:😕😕:mad: [Oh, don’t fucking get me started.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/cardinal-bernard-law-resigns_n_1106098.html) :mad: Then again, why not. Years ago I wrote a post here on the Dope at the height of the scandal involving that deeply sick criminal pedophile, Cardinal Bernard Law of the Boston Diocese of the RCC. I wanted him stripped of his office and defrocked. Oh, how people went after me. Oh, the outrage. Oh, the indignation that I’d dare attack a Cardinal. Check it out folks. That piece of shit is over and done. They went and squirreled him away in Rome, which is in of itself pretty appalling. Expected, but wow. Appalling. Now, he’s done. Took long enough. Dude needs to fly to Boston and turn himself in. Ooops, wait, that’d be the Christian thing to do, wouldn’t it? I won’t wait up nights. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/9 "2012-03-21T03:08:13Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > So…he is molested by pedophiles in the church…then castrated by the church to cure his homosexuality? And then he has to confess to them that it happened. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/10 "2012-03-21T03:42:34Z")
Wait a minute. Isn’t that particular church against any form of birth control other than abstinences and rhythm method? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/11 "2012-03-21T03:43:56Z")
And here I thought the Catholic Church stopped cutting off [prepubescent balls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castrato) in the 1800s. ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/12 "2012-03-21T04:17:28Z")
Uh, so is this supposed to be surprising or something? Of course kids who were queer (or who were perceived as being queer) got tortured. That’s not really news. ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/13 "2012-03-21T07:32:08Z")
Cutting off people’s balls for reporting on you molesting them is so absurdly evil that it does make one wonder why on earth the Catholic Church is still allowed to exist. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/14 "2012-03-21T08:41:22Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Cutting off people’s balls for reporting on you molesting them is so absurdly evil that it does make one wonder why on earth the Catholic Church is still allowed to exist. Because they are a powerful religion. If they were some minor religion or a non-religious organization\* they would long since have been driven to bankruptcy, legally dismantled, or outright destroyed by military force. Just imagine would would happen if it was discovered that, say, Microsoft was shielding pedophiles and engaging in the rest of what the CC has done. Even corporations are held to higher moral standards than religions are. - Besides a powerful foreign government that is - and a powerful government would still be condemned for something like this even if it was too dangerous to outright attack. A _weak_ government on the other hand could expect a visit from some cruise missiles at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/15 "2012-03-21T08:49:12Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Cutting off people’s balls for reporting on you molesting them is so absurdly evil that it does make one wonder why on earth the Catholic Church is still allowed to exist. Not all Catholic priests castrate little boys. Seriously though, you’re right. This was appallingly evil. But large entities, religions and governments, sometimes do amazingly evil things. The US government gave people syphilis without their knowledge or consent as an experiment. Should the entire government have resigned? I don’t intend on debating the issue over this shockingly shocking shocker, but I’d say the organizations are still around because they are A) powerful, B)long-lasting, and C) Do a service that is viewed as more good than harm. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/16 "2012-03-21T11:12:07Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Seriously though, you’re right. This was appallingly evil. But large entities, religions and governments, sometimes do amazingly evil things. The US government gave people syphilis without their knowledge or consent as an experiment. Should the entire government have resigned? To be picky about it, unless there’s another violation of research patients’ rights that I missed, the [Tuskegee syphilis experiment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_syphilis_experiment) failed to **treat** the participants once a known cure for syphilis was discovered. These men already had syphilis before participating, and the study was originally thought up as a long-term observational study to collect data on how syphilis progresses in people. This would be useful since this hadn’t been studied in a detailed fashion before, and anyway there wasn’t a cure when the study started. Once a cure was found (by people outside the study), the researchers had a duty to inform their subjects and offer treatment, but failed to do so due to their interest in continuing to collect data on what syphilis does during its disease cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/17 "2012-03-21T13:49:33Z")
What is it about the 1950s that made people such fucking assholes? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/18 "2012-03-21T14:45:37Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > unless there’s another violation of research patients’ rights that I missed… You missed the Cutler “experiments” in Guatemala, done under the auspices of the U.S. Public Health Service. Look it up if you have a strong stomach. Incidentally, both Cutler and Thomas Parran, the U.S. Surgeon General at the time, were faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, my alma mater. Pitt is trying to deal now with these revelations, and it has been somewhat trying for them. They have been forthcoming about their findings, which is more than I can say about some other universities. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/19 "2012-03-21T16:05:55Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > You missed the Cutler “experiments” in Guatemala, done under the auspices of the U.S. Public Health Service. > > Look it up if you have a strong stomach. > > Incidentally, both Cutler and Thomas Parran, the U.S. Surgeon General at the time, were faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, my alma mater. Pitt is trying to deal now with these revelations, and it has been somewhat trying for them. They have been forthcoming about their findings, which is more than I can say about some other universities. Well, hell. I retract my statement above, and it turns out Cutler was (not surprisingly) involved in both the Tuskegee and the Guatemala experiments; the latter were in the 1940s. As a member of my medical institution’s Institutional Review Board (which helps oversee safety and ethics of human subjects experiments conducted here), I thought I had a pretty decent background in the history of the failure of researchers to adequately, humanely protect their human subjects. Either I forgot about this shameful episode or never learned about it, and in any case, it is a failing on my part to not have recalled that this happened. (And I’m sorry for the prolonged hijack. I’d just listened to Radiolab’s podcast episode about Alan Turing being sentenced to estrogen treatments in the UK to try to suppress his homosexuality, and I hate that I’m not surprised that this horrible reprisal against homosexual or molested youth happened around the same time period. May someday people learn of such things and be honestly shocked that it could ever have happened.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313/20 "2012-03-21T17:02:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What is it about the 1950s that made people such fucking assholes? The haircuts, I think. > [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Years ago I wrote a post here on the Dope at the height of the scandal involving that deeply sick criminal pedophile, Cardinal Bernard Law of the Boston Diocese of the RCC. I wanted him stripped of his office and defrocked. Oh, how people went after me. Oh, the outrage. Oh, the indignation that I’d dare attack a Cardinal. This statement struck me as highly unlikely, and I believe my instincts were correct. If [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=120643) is the thread you’re referring to, it doesn’t contain anything remotely resembling “attacks” on you. It does, however, contain a good deal of uncontrolled frothing by you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanwhile-back-in-the-world-of-faith-based-child-molestation/616313.md?page=2)