Quote:
Originally Posted by eweissenbach
Two of my kids graduated from Catholic high school which I paid for in its entirety since I was not Catholic, in addition to gladly paying my fair share for public education through my income and property taxes. The diocese which included their school (Kansas City / St. Joseph - look it up)has paid millions of dollars to settle lawsuits as the result of priests molesting children. The Bishop has been indicted for covering up a number of these molestations that he had knowledge of, and is currently under investigation by the Vatican while refusing to resign. So please know that your righteous indignation concerning the obvious good done by The Church is somewhat tainted by some very reprehensible acts.
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Does the small percentage of priests who engaged in that behavior eliminate all the good works you want to ignore? Your post lacks any perspective.
Excerpts of an article written by non-Catholic Sam Miller- - a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman:
"Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?
But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.
Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember. For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church, 41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.
Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic problem.
A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.
The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.
Walk with your shoulders high and your head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States .