Comparing grotesque crimes against humanity, while trying to work out which are the worst, is a wretched task. Acts of profound evil have implications well beyond their direct victims, so judging their long-term consequences is extremely difficult. What is certain to many in France right now, however, is that efforts to punish one major monotheistic religion for its indirect links with terrorism are extremely rigorous, while there is deafening silence around how to deal with another faith for direct child abuse carried out by priests. These double standards came starkly into focus this month when the Roman*Catholic*Church*confessed that it was an institution that has systemically defiled infants for decades. Clergymen working in schools, orphanages, and a host of other places […]
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