[SALYBOW]

Originally Posted by nkrifats

TH I am sorry for your loss and thoughts and prayers are with you. I find this thread disturbing as to the behavior of the church. Makes one stop and think about their beliefs.

I was concerned when I read you were made to stop about your beliefs. At times like this we tend to hand OUR CHURCH over to the priests as if it was theirs. It is not, it belongs to all God's people. The clergy is made up of mere mortal men. As with any group of humans there are good ones as well as bad ones. This one was at least having a very bad day. This behavior should never effect our beliefs in God because he/she was not involved in this, a person was.

As a hospital chaplain I have seen many clergypersons in action. Some were horrible IMHO, but most were good to absolutely beautiful. I have witnessed Annointing of the Sick rites which brought me and the family/patient to tears due to their beauty.

I am so sorry that this happened. It was inconscienciable. Yes, it is true that in times of great happiness or stress people turn to the churches even when they have not been terribly active before that. Perhaps the priest was over worked as most of them are but this story as we are hearing it here, is truly sad.

We need to lift the people involved up to the Lord for healing of pain, grief, and anger. We need to lift our clergy persons up as well. I know I will do so. This story really increases my desire to be the very best chaplain I can be to people in hard times.