Received this email today; some interesting observations from a non-Catholic:
Didn’t “Snopes” this, so not sure if numbers are accurate…numbers not withstanding, a lot of good points about the Catholic institution.)
The mainstream media does not get it.
I am not happy that the Catholic Clergy is at 1.7% but this does place an interesting slant on the age old problem.
I received this …it was written by a Jewish business man…us Catholics could take some PR lessons from him….Excerpts of an article written by Sam Miller, prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman – NOT Catholic.
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?
Do you know – the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million elementary and high school students everyday at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to university studies at the rate of 92%.
The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.
The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people – not just Catholics – in the United States today.
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. (please see Rev. Rob Pollock post) This is not just 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 weeded out by now.
Walk with your shoulders high and your head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental entity in the United States today. Then remember what Jeremiah said: ‘Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls’. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.
Be proud that you’re a Catholic.
Rev. Pollock,
Thank you for your comments and correcting the erroneous error in Mr. Miller’s article. My intention for posting was not to inflame or disrespect our Protestant brothers, but meant more to show this problem is more pervasive throughout society and not just a “Catholic” problem. I have forwarded your response and link to Sojourner Article.
God Bless
Jack Wrbanich
KofC 5382 webmaster
SAM MILLER’S NUMBERS
You should have checked your facts!
The statement “10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia” (so prominently highlighted in your post) has no basis in fact! It was refuted in 2003 when this claim was first made and it remains untrue today.
In his original 2003 speech Mr. Miller reads extensively from a July/August 2002 Sojourners article by Rose Marie Berger in which she misinterprets statements from Penn. State Prof. Philip Jenkins regarding sexual abuse by Protestant ministers.
In the original article Berger writes…
“Philip Jenkins concludes in his book “Pedophiles and Priests” that while 1.7 percent of Catholic clergy have been found guilty of pedophilia (specifically of boys), 10 percent of Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia.” (This quote is used in Miller’s speech)
To which Philip Jenkins responds (Sept/Oct 2002)…
“I regret to say that the statement is baloney. I never said it, and it’s not true!… Every time this ten percent statement appears attributed to me, I try to debunk it, but these things have a life of their own. I have no idea what the actual proportion of pedophile protestant clergy is, but I would be amazed if it was more than a fraction of one percent.”
Sojourner Article… http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0207&article=020741d
Sojourners apologized to its readers for passing on erroneous information and revised the article, removing the incorrect and defamatory information. But not before Sam Miller got a hold of it!
Regrettably, a much condensed version of Miller’s speech,such as the one you received and posted, has spread like wildfire within the Catholic community by way of the internet and e-mail. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites, blogs, forums, facebook pages, and news services that have posted this condensed version of Mr. Miller’s speech.
As a Protestant minister I am truly saddened that such false witness can be so uncritically accepted and further disseminated by so many within the Catholic community. It is particularly disturbing to see otherwise reputable groups like the Knights of Columbus buying into this lie! It seems that we still find it easier to believe the worst about our neighbour rather than dig a little deeper for the truth.
In the interest of honesty and ecumenical respect this post should be removed or edited to correct the record. Publishing such blatantly false and hurtful information is surely beneath the station of the Knights!
It is not necessary to defame you friends and neighbours to feel good about yourselves as Catholics. Any pride derived though this is ultimately a false pride.
Rev. Rob Pollock
Vancouver, BC
CANADA