Religious Misuse

I consider myself to be a person of faith. With this in mind, I am becoming increasingly more bothered when I see religion used to cover up illegal activities. Just because an organization is religious, I do not believe that gives them the right to violate their followers or disregard the laws of the country in which they are based.

Recently I read an article in a local, independent newspaper, "The Stranger," about the relocation of pedophile priests to remote outcroppings in Alaska. The article can be viewed at http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-pedophiles-paradise/content?oid=1065017. I am not Catholic, I was in a Catholic church once for a wedding. Maybe I am not the best judge, but as the article says regarding the prolific "dumping" of priests with questionable pasts to these remote areas begins to "look less like an accident and more like a plan." The number of suicides and social/emotional problems faced by the citizens of these areas seems to have increased as well in the presence of said priests.

I am mostly just tired of the pay outs and the covers ups and the amount of energy that the Catholic church puts into trying to sweep this obvious problem under the rug. When are they ever going to hold any of these priests accountable? Will any of these cases ever see a courtroom? I'd like to remain hopeful, but as it stands this remains just another example of religious misuse.