First of all: Oh no! Excommunicated! We're gonna have our pretend sky friend not like you anymore, but only because we could no longer successfully cover it up, so we look bad! How about proactively turned in to law enforcement with evidence? How about the institution that let it happen proactively paying restitution to the victims? How about not just transferring the pedo to another parish to fuck more children with the church's blessing, which is what usually happens.

Second of all: Let's see a source for all these "excommunications." The exceedingly rare times I've seen clergy punished by the church, it's just defrocking, not even excommunication. This indicates that the church believes there's a special place in heaven for pedos. And remember, you said "lots." I expect lots. I shouldn't easily be able to counter with even more instances of churches covering up for their pedo clergy.

Turns out pedos like to get jobs where they interact with kids.

Particularly when they are shielded form real world consequences by their complicit employers.

We should tax these pedo factories and use the money to fund abortions and gender affirmation surgeries.

[–] zephyrvs@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Or maybe rip the churches out of our tax systems (yeah, that's a thing in Europe) and derive them of the only thing they actually care about. Anyone who does 30 minutes of research into the history of the Catholic Church can't seriously believe that this system isn't working just as intended.

[–] geolaw@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 year ago

In Australia in 2007 the Catholic church successfully argued that it was not a legal entity and therefore could not be sued. The "Ellis defence" https://www.concordatwatch.eu/not-a-legal-entity--k38175

[–] notacat@lemmy.fmhy.ml 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Wait what? Please elaborate. Are you saying churches in Europe GET tax money? And not just don’t have to pay taxes like in the U.S.?

[–] Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They get tax money from members of the church. You can leave the church at any time. But they also get tax money for administrating things like kindergartens and old people's homes, which is an issue because while they get tax money for this they can make the rules however they like. There have been cases where people who worked in e.g. kindergartens lost their job because they got divorced

[–] zephyrvs@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, basically the two big churches don't have to lift a finger to get all of their members to pay up because the state is doing it for them. Opt-out costs a one time fee even, at least in Germany.

[–] Drewfro66@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Most (Many? It's a lot) European countries have official state religions. The Church of England, Church of Scotland, the Lutheran Churches of Scandinavia.

In Germany, if you are associated with a religion, tithes are taken directly out of your paycheck like taxes.

[–] Onionizer@geddit.social 3 points 1 year ago

Germany isn't secular :s