The Pain of History

November 29, 2002 10:23 AM

Welcome to Magdalene Asylums. Now a film, the Asylums were generally staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, and were found throughout Ireland and Scotland.
posted by The Jesse Helms (7 comments total)

Jeez... stories like that just make me want to hop in a time machine and go kick some nun ass.
posted by slater at 11:10 AM on November 29, 2002

Wonderful link.

My first introduction to the asylums was through the haunting voice of Joni Mitchell singing about them in The Magdalene Laundries.
posted by silusGROK at 11:17 AM on November 29, 2002

More on the asylums from the Joni Mitchell Disussion List.
posted by silusGROK at 11:21 AM on November 29, 2002

But remember, Christianity is a religon of peace, and the pope speaks for the big guy.
Yeah, whatever.
posted by 2sheets at 2:17 PM on November 29, 2002

Just don't tear up his picture, 2sheets!
posted by rushmc at 5:43 PM on November 29, 2002

Through the protests which led to the establishment of the independent Laffoy commission into various child abuse and neglect scandals, many people in Ireland are also waking up to the abuse suffered in the industrial scools by boys at the hands of the 'Christian' Brothers, who operated with the permission - and the blind eye - of the Irish Government.

"A brother might go through the sexual act, which could involve anything from pet sex right up to rape and then blame you the child for tempting him into the situation, taking it out on you, punching or using his leather strap. It was horrendous." Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has made an unprecedented apology for the country's "collective failure to intervene, to detect their pain, to come to their rescue.

Though the advocates of secrecy and denial are not yet defeated...
That's what repression gets ya.
posted by dash_slot- at 5:58 PM on November 29, 2002

Here we are bashing Islam for doing what the Catholic church has been doing for centuries. I wonder how many other untold activities are out there waiting to be uncovered. Rape, molestation, slavery-type conditions, hatred, belittlement, puritanical forced morality, abuse. The ability for people to hate and hurt in the name of religion is a constant suprise to me. I hope to see this movie, I hope it comes out in the US. (But I guarantee it will be protested here too!)

The Catholic church needs to admit all these things that have been done in its name and with its blessing. People who protest these types of movies aren't doing their church any favors. Only when a religion admits wrongdoings and changes its dogma and practices and policies will it grow and become even stronger. Centuries of covering this kind of thing up are hurting the church now. But maybe this will help change the church and make it the more loving and accepting Christ-like religion that it states itself to be.
posted by aacheson at 1:13 PM on December 2, 2002