The Catholic Church's problems are largely self-inflicted.

[bulloney]

First, by not allowing priests to marry, they will draw more people who will engage in antisocial behavior like molesting children because by being a priest, these types of people will have a degree of insulation from the church to the outside world if they commit the act.

This rule of the Catholic Church to not allow priests to marry has contributed greatly to the current shortage of priests. As we have seen, dioceses across the world are opting to cover up the child molesting problem because kicking the offenders out of the priesthood would accelerate the priest shortage.

Many in the priesthood will turn to antisocial behavior because of their celibate behavior, including sexual offenses, alcoholism and others.

This rule of not allowing priests to marry is not some law written by God. Priests were allowed to marry several hundred years ago. It's a man-made law written and enforced by a bunch of men in the Vatican who like to think they're in closer contact to God than the rest of us.

[Raven]

1. An unmarried man a pedophile does not make.

A pedophile looks for an environment in which he can thrive. The Church provided that...secrecy, access to children, demand for blind trust.

[bulloney]

2. And that's what I was trying to say.

Some people just can't interact with other people, especially women. The environment of the Catholic Church will draw pedophiles and people who lack social skills because it provides them a kind of insulation from the real world.

[Ineeda]

3. Largely???? n/t