San Diego — While the Catholic Church is waiting for the media's next horrific revelation of sexual abuse, many non-Catholics are also intrigued by the recent news. Locally, non-Catholics aren't especially surprised by recent revelations, as much of the news seems to reinforce what they already believed about the Catholic Church.

Jo Ann Sclaurent, 26, is visiting San Diego from Montreal. A self-described Jehovah's Witness, Sclaurent says she is indifferent about the Catholic Church. "I have friends who are Catholic. I'm not embarrassed to talk about these stories with them. It was very common before, but to be truly honest, I never talk about this. Sometimes we learn of priests who are like that, and it's, like, 'Oh, what a shame,' you know? They told me that the priests and nuns who taught them in school were very severe. The worst I have heard is about this sexual abuse, but I don't know anyone who had that happen to them. My father left the Catholic religion, so we always had respect for priests, but we wouldn't kiss their rings and all that. Now when I see a priest, I don't think anything. It should be illegal for adult men to have sex with teenage boys, and it should be reported to the police. If a priest owns child pornography, that's disgusting. They should be reported and have consequences for destroying lives. A Catholic priest is more likely to engage in illicit sex than a Protestant minister because they are not allowed to get married. I know that sex outside of marriage is a mortal sin for Catholics, but they always do it -- they don't care. I think that God instituted marriage and gave us laws of what to do with our body. I think that by honoring our own bodies and waiting until we are married to have sex, we honor Him, and that's very important. But priests don't know nothing about sex. How can they counsel people?"

Ruby, 27, works at Gelato Vero. A North Park resident, Ruby considers herself anti-Catholic, although many of her friends are Catholic. "I try to avoid that subject with them, because it's such a sensitive subject. I had a crazy uncle who told everyone that he was molested as an altar boy, and my whole family refused to even discuss it. That was years ago when I was a kid. I've listened to the statistics, and I know they have a higher rate of molestation in the Church, so it's obviously a problem, and the cover-ups are a problem. This has always been happening, and my opinion has always been the same: It's creepy. It's kind of like a running joke, like Michael Jackson with little boys. Everybody talks about it, and nobody really knows if it's true. They have control over the boys' minds, and these are people who are supposed to be close to God, and they're powerful authority figures, and it's not okay for them to take advantage of young men. It's obviously not consensus when someone else holds so much power over the other person. The bishops should absolutely report these guys to the police. And if they have child pornography, that's illegal too. Just because you're a priest doesn't make it less illegal. I think Catholic priests are more likely to engage in illicit sex than Protestant ministers because Protestant ministers can get married. Whenever you make something taboo, it becomes more desirable, and you create a fetish. I think that by making sex unattainable, it's become fetishized. I know premarital sex is a mortal sin for Catholics -- another one of the many reasons I'm not Catholic! Priests are obviously not qualified to counsel married couples about sex."

Matthew Byrd, 25, lives in Pacific Beach. Byrd describes himself as "pro-Catholic" and claims to have friends who are Catholic too. "I'm not at all uncomfortable talking with them about the recent scandals. I want to get their opinion on it. I've heard that priests would actually pull down their pants and spank their bare ass in class when they taught -- the nuns would do this also -- sometimes with their underwear on. These are friends who went to Catholic school in San Diego, actually. I've always looked at priests as kind, gentle souls who want to help, maybe someone you can trust or bring your problems to, maybe someone who is perfect, morally. Now, it's a little questionable, but ultimately, most Catholic priests are probably nice people who can be trusted. Not just Catholic people, but everyone in general is going to have some strange people in their line of work. It's a very high-attention job, I think. You're commanding the attention of the Church, and you're supposed to lead a certain life, and I don't think you should resort to violating people sexually and making advances at them. It should absolutely be illegal for adult men to have sex with teenage boys. The bishops should report them, even if it's just owning child pornography. Heck, yes. I haven't seen the statistics, but I don't think they are more likely to get into sexual trouble than a Protestant minister. There's not a religious reason why people do that but more personal reasons. Maybe it's their own upbringing." A new thought seizes Byrd. "Maybe it is religious. Perhaps they were brought up Catholic, and other Catholic priests have molested them so they become molesters as well. I was not aware that premarital sex was a mortal sin for Catholics. I think that's good guidelines. It's a little harsh, but if you believe in hell, that's good. Maybe you'll do more positive things with your life rather than becoming sexually active at a young age. Why not save it for marriage? Priests counseling about sex may be out of their league, but I think it's a good idea. They know that one side of it. But you might also want to talk to a psychologist or a counselor or someone else who knows more about that."

Kelly Welsh, 41, lives in Bay Park. "I'm a born-again Christian. Catholic people do not believe the same things that I do. I'm not anti-Catholic, but I'm not pro-Catholic either. I have Catholic friends, and I'm not uncomfortable at all talking about this with them. When I see a priest, I know they are Catholic, but I don't believe that they're saved, I don't believe that they're going to heaven, and I don't believe they can forgive people's sins. They're just regular men who are putting themselves in that place. The stuff in the news is not surprising, because God did not call us to be out of marriage. It should always be against the law for adult men to have sex with teenagers, and their bishops should turn them in, and that goes for child pornography too. I think Catholic priests are more likely to do these things because they are told to abstain from sexual activity according to their faith, where a Protestant minister can have a sexual relationship with his wife in a proper Christian marriage. Sex outside of marriage is a mortal sin, no matter what faith it is. But I think priests counseling married couples about sex is absolutely stupid."

Miguel, 39, lives in Pacific Beach. "I'm anti-Catholic, and I have no Catholic friends that I know of. I've heard homosexual stories about priests and nuns. Whenever I've looked at a Catholic priest, the first thing that comes to mind is that they pray to idols -- dead people. Nothing has changed since then. It should definitely be illegal for these guys to have sex with boys, and they should be prosecuted. I know for a fact that the bishops quieted it down and transferred them to other congregations -- like maybe from the East Coast to here and vice versa. But they always take them away and hide them somewhere else. Child pornography is the same thing. It's illegal all the way around. I don't think that being a Catholic priest makes them more likely to do illicit sex than a Protestant minister. What I think affects them is that they are isolated in monasteries and nunneries; it brings on the fact that the homosexual thing will be more pervasive. I didn't know premarital sex was a mortal sin for Catholics. It's fornication but it happens. Priests have no business counseling married couples about sex. You have to experience it before you can counsel it. I think this is one of the clearest signs of the end times."

Tiffany Hawkins, 30, lives in Bird Rock. Hawkins's philosophy about Catholic priests and abuse is more relativistic than Miguel's. "I'm pretty indifferent about the Catholic Church. I have Catholic friends, and we're comfortable discussing this, because I don't think it's necessarily just about Catholics or priests. I think it's about molestation, and I think everyone, Catholic or not, will agree that that's a bad thing. Religion isn't really a huge topic with my friends. I know people who are very happy Catholics, still go to church, and have had wonderful influences from priests and nuns in their lives. Whenever I've looked at Catholic priests, all I've thought is, 'There's a Catholic priest.' I'm not a very judgmental person. Now I think about it more, especially being a parent. It's a very scary thing to think that someone could have your child's trust -- your own trust -- and abuse it that way. I think adults having sex with teenage boys is a private issue. I mean, young boys, yeah, that's terribly wrong. But 18 and up, they can make their own decisions. The bishops should report the priests. If they have child pornography, their supervisors should know about it and so should the community. I don't think it's more of a Catholic or Protestant problem. I don't distinguish. I disagree about premarital sex being a mortal sin. I don't think sex is a sin. I'm sure these priests have a lot of training and...I'm not a Catholic, so I don't know what they tell their parishioners."

Bob Feier, 48, is a La Jolla resident whose feelings toward the Catholic Church appear indifferent. "I have friends who are Catholic. It's not embarrassing for us to discuss these problems, because...it's just not embarrassing. They haven't told me anything about priests and nuns, except the anecdotes that the nuns were harsh in school and hit their hands with rulers, but those are my older friends. When I look at a priest, I've always seen a man of the cloth, but now I'm a little jaundiced about it. But adult men and teenage boys? It should absolutely be illegal. The bishops should report them to the authorities and let the authorities take care of it. If they own child pornography, they should not be in the priesthood. I'm not sure about a greater likelihood of illicit sexual activity than Protestant ministers. I think that because of celibacy...naw! Not really. I know that the Catholic Church teaches sex before marriage is a mortal sin, but nowadays, that's kind of an old-fashioned way of thinking. I think it's all right for priests to counsel people about sex, from a strictly academic point of view. I think there's no problem with it."

Steve Elkins, 57, is a Pacific Beach resident who also seems to feel indifferent about Catholicism. "The only priests that I've really known were Franciscan friars. I have friends who are Catholic. It's not at all uncomfortable to talk about this with them. We rise to adversities, and discussion brings everything out in the open. It's necessary. They haven't told me too much about priests and nuns -- at least nothing local. Just the discipline stories, but that happens at rabbinical school and Hebrew school too. Whenever I've looked at a Catholic priest, I've always thought, 'What a waste of manhood.' Look at all that productive sperm going to waste! The Eastern Orthodox allow marriage, and I think that's more of what should be happening. If the Pope wants to just push this away and not confront the priests and keep it all overshadowed... Gay should also mean 'joyous, happy,' but now it's a social taboo to say 'gay' about anything. I don't think sex between men and boys is right. Instead of covering this up, the bishops should report it. But if they have child pornography, isn't that their right of privacy? How many heterosexual lay people have pornographic videotapes and things? What's wrong with that? I mean, I don't. I don't think it's just a Catholic-priest problem. I think the idea that premarital sex is a mortal sin is pretty archaic. Isn't it kind of hard for a priest to counsel about sex? How can you counsel someone when you have no knowledge?"

Beverly, 65, lives in Clairemont. Self-described as indifferent to Catholicism, Beverly says she has friends who are Catholic. "It's no problem talking about this with them, because it just doesn't matter if you're Catholic or not. There's always been stories about the priests fooling around and the nuns getting pregnant and things like that. The sexual abuse by priests is the worst thing I've ever heard about. A priest is just a person of the cloth, and I still see them that way. But it should absolutely be illegal for adult men to have sex with teenage boys. I think the bishops ought to be doing more than what they're doing now -- just slapping them on the hand. They should excommunicate them, report them to the proper authorities, and let the law take its course. If a priest has child pornography, they should be strung up by their thumbs. But it's hard to say whether a Catholic priest is more likely to have these problems than a Protestant minister. It all depends on how a person is predisposed. If they have those types of pedophile feelings to begin with, it doesn't matter what religion or race or anything that they are. I know they consider premarital sex as a mortal sin. That shouldn't just be the Catholic Church, that should be anywhere. Unless a priest has done a lot of studying, I don't see where a priest is any more qualified to do counseling about sex than someone who is married."

Another La Jolla resident, Terry Gulden, 62, has no feelings one way or another about the Catholic Church. "I have friends who are Catholic. I don't recall talking specifically to anyone about this stuff in the last week or so. I've heard various stories about priests and nuns that are not surprising -- about abuse and priests who don't act like priests all the time. Generally, I've had positive feelings about Catholic priests. I don't think I've seen a priest since it's been in the papers. I suppose I'm more suspicious of the institution but not of the individuals. But should it be illegal for adult men to have sex with teenage boys? I thought it was! The bishops should report these priests and..." (he laughs) "...string them up. If priests are doing this kind of thing, I don't think they should be priests. Priests probably aren't any more likely to have these problems than a Protestant minister. I know Catholics think premarital sex is a mortal sin, but 'mortal sin' is Catholic dogma, and I'm not a Catholic. It's up to the religion. It strikes me as a strange concept that priests can counsel married couples on sex. People have told me that it works, but I don't understand how it could."

Ken Vaughn, 76, is visiting his brother in San Diego from Tehachapi. He is not a Catholic and is indifferent about the Church until it comes to the topic of priests abusing youth -- a topic that puts a bit of venom in his voice. "I have friends who are Catholic, and we try not to talk about it because I don't like it at all. I think it stinks! My friends have told me that priests are nice people and do a good job, but now it comes out that they're not doing such a good job after all -- especially with the kids they're supposed to be taking care of. I think it embarrasses them, what's going on. I've always thought priests were very nice people. They had to be doing what they were supposed to be doing, but I don't think that so much anymore. I don't think they're all bad, but I think there are more than they're letting out. Heck, yes, adult sex with boys should be illegal, and the bishops should be turning in people who are doing illegal acts. And they should watch who they got workin' for them more carefully. They're just shuttin' their eyes and blinding their face to what's goin' on around them. If they find priests who have child porn, they should get rid of them. I don't know whether Catholic priests are more inclined toward this stuff, but lately, that's all you hear about. Premarital sex should be a mortal sin. If a couple needs counseling about sex, they got better sources to go to than a priest! They shouldn't be all that knowledgeable about what the sex acts are if they're going to be so pure in what they're doing. If they abstain from it, they shouldn't be a teacher of it."

Bill Robinson, 35, lives downtown. "I have friends who are Catholics, and it's not at all uncomfortable to talk about this. They haven't really told me anything about priests or nuns -- nothing specific. This kind of stuff has been in the news before. It's exploding now, but it's not any surprise to me. They obviously need to address it. If I saw a priest, I wouldn't think anything one way or the other. I wouldn't assume that they were one of these perpetrators, although obviously a lot of them are, it turns out. It's a problem. A lot of these people hide behind the cloth. Of course, it should be illegal for adult men to do these things to teenage boys. The bishops should excommunicate and defrock them. They should be done, and they should be turned over to the proper authorities. I don't know if this is just limited to Catholics or any other religion. I know they think sex out of marriage is always a mortal sin, but sex is not a sin to me. If priests are not supposed to be having sex, it's not really applicable, is it? I guess it's their job to counsel people in all areas, but if they are supposed to abstain from sex, what are they doing counseling about it?"