Child Molesting Priest Leads to 'Shattered' Faith - William Lobdell April 14, 2009

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/03/25/Losing_Religion_William_Lobdell

Former L.A. Times journalist William Lobdell recalls reporting on members of a Catholic church who rallied to support a child molesting priest. The incident "shattered" Lobdell's faith, causing him to reconsider his conversion to Catholicism.

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William Lobdell's journey of faith -- and doubt -- may be the most compelling spiritual memoir of our time. Lobdell became a born-again Christian in his late 20s when personal problems drove him to his knees in prayer.

As a newly minted evangelical, Lobdell -- a veteran journalist -- noticed that religion wasn't covered well in the mainstream media, and he prayed for the Lord to put him on the religion beat at a major newspaper. In 1998, his prayers were answered when the Los Angeles Times asked him to write about faith.

Yet what happened over the next eight years was a roller-coaster of inspiration, confusion, doubt, and soul-searching as his reporting and experiences slowly chipped away at his faith. He explored every doubt, every question -- until, finally, his faith collapsed. - Kepler's Books

William Lobdell has been a journalist for 25 years, winning scores of state and national awards. In 1998, he was assigned to the religion beat for the Los Angeles Times. During his eight years covering faith, he was a finalist for national religion writer of the year in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He left the religion beat when he lost his faith, in 2007.