Jewish Sam Miller On Catholics And Sex Scandal

[IcePrincessKRS]

This has been a rather hot topic as of late so when I came across this article I thought I'd share. There are a number of really good points throughout. A friend of mine posted some excerpts on facebook and I had to go google to find the whole article so I could read everything he had to say. (Someone recently asked about precentages, I took the liberty of highlighting a really good point on the percentage of Catholic vs. Protestant ministers who have been caught en sex abuse scandals.)

Here are the excerpts but I encourage you to go read the whole thing.

http://www.maltausa.org/files/newsletter_hospitallers_18_stand_up.pdf

[quote]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?... See More

Do you know - the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million 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 graduate 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.

[b]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.[/b]

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 you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States . 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."[/quote]

[Vincent Vega]

Thank you sincerely for you kind words, Mr. Miller.

[Marie-Therese]

That is awesome. Thank God for people with basic common sense!

[cmotherofpirl]

Is there an address to thank him?

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='01 April 2010 - 12:16 AM' timestamp='1270095397' post='2084588']
Is there an address to thank him?
[/quote]
Ditto.

[IcePrincessKRS]

I don't know, I can google around and look for one.

[Church Fathers Know Best]

Satan loves to use fear to drive humanity away from the Truth. We must all remember to "be not afraid!"

[cmotherofpirl]

Here is the original, this is actually not new, but is apt for this weeks newspaper garbage:
http://www.kofc5253.org/kangaroo_journalism.htm

[SNJM]

At least someone wrote something nice. We need it.

[Ziggamafu]

That speech is from 2001 and the numbers (as well as the scope of allegations) have changed since then. Still nice, though.

[BG45]

I find it interesting that Mr. Miller also quoted Phillip Jenkins, who isn't Catholic in his defense of Catholicism.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='BG45' date='02 April 2010 - 11:40 AM' timestamp='1270233623' post='2085610']
I find it interesting that Mr. Miller also quoted Phillip Jenkins, who isn't Catholic in his defense of Catholicism.
[/quote]
+JMJ+
Philip Jenkins' book is really amazing.

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='Ziggamafu' date='02 April 2010 - 06:14 AM' timestamp='1270210466' post='2085483']
That speech is from 2001 and the numbers (as well as the scope of allegations) have changed since then. Still nice, though.
[/quote]

yeah I was wondering what the most recent statistics were. I do believe it is at least as high, than it is among priests, but I'm surprised at 10%

[Guest Protestant Pastor]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' date='31 March 2010 - 06:31 PM' timestamp='1270081897' post='2084425']
This has been a rather hot topic as of late so when I came across this article I thought I'd share. There are a number of really good points throughout. A friend of mine posted some excerpts on facebook and I had to go google to find the whole article so I could read everything he had to say. (Someone recently asked about precentages, I took the liberty of highlighting a really good point on the percentage of Catholic vs. Protestant ministers who have been caught en sex abuse scandals.)

[/quote]



[b][i]"Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy hasbeen found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have beenfound guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem."[/i][/b]



This information regarding Protestant ministers has no basisin fact. Ironically this is the "really good point" you choose to highlight!



In the original speech Mr. Miller cites a July/August 2002Sojourners article by Rose Marie Berger in which she misinterprets statementsfrom Penn. State Prof. Philip Jenkins regarding sexual abuse by Protestantministers.



In the original article Berger writes...

[i]"Philip Jenkins concludes in his book "Pedophilesand Priests" that while 1.7 percent of Catholic clergy have been foundguilty of pedophilia (specifically of boys), 10 percent of Protestant ministershave been found guilty of pedophilia."[/i] (This quote is used inMiller's speech)



To which Philip Jenkins responds (Sept/Oct 2002)...



[i]"I regret to say that the statement is baloney.I never said it, and it's not true!... Every time this ten percent statementappears attributed to me, I try to debunk it, but these things have a life oftheir own. I have no idea what the actual proportion of pedophile protestantclergy is, but I would be amazed if it was more than a fraction of one percent."[/i]




[url="http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0207&article=020741d"]Sojourners Article[/url]




Sojourners apologized to its readers for passing onerroneous information and revised the article, removing the incorrect anddefamatory information. But not beforeSam Miller got a hold of it!



Regrettably, a much condensed version of Miller's speech,asposted in this forum, has recently gone viral within the Catholic community byway of the internet and e-mail. Even more regrettably, there has been very little attempt by this same Catholic community to correct this erroneous and defamatory misinformation regarding Protestant clergy.



There are many very good reasons to be a proud Catholic. It is not necessary to defame your neighbor to feel good about yourself.




Your Brother in Christ...(I hope!)

Protestant Pastor





[i]"Now you just have to accuse somebody else ofbeing worse than you are,
[/i]

[i]or of being a member of a race or group that is worsethan yours,
[/i]

[i]and that makes you feel like you're good, moral, orsuperior." Richard Rohr [/i]

[Winchester]

10 percent is a nice, easily remembered number. That's why it's also chosen for the percentage of homosexuals in the regular population.