A comment at this thread, I think, deserves a wider airing.   (I’m closing off comments here, because I think this speaks for itself.)

A reader writes:

Just reading this comment thread makes me feel ill to my stomach. I was not raised Catholic but my whole life I felt a deep attraction and pull towards the Catholic Church and faith. I would go to mass and feel at home.

But what is going on here is exactly the reason that I hesitate to convert. These hate-filled and judgemental behaviors from those who claim to be believers is very disturbing to me. And then add to that the whole sexual abuse of children scandal, it is all to much for me to handle. Sex abuse happens, and it is horrible. But the way the church tried to cover it up and moved the priests around only to allow them to abuse more children is sickening. And these comments being posted here are so cruel, and mean sprited. How can you claim to be a Christian while saying these things?

I just can’t take such hypocrisy when it is coming from what is supposed to be the one true and apostolic church and its believers. It all makes me so sad. And I think that God would be very ashamed of this whole mess. I don’t know if anyone else feels the same way that I do, but it makes me feel sort of lost. Sad and lost because I feel that there is nobody to talk to about all this, who can I trust to guide me?