Wednesday, April 07, 2010

My Thoughts on the Media Attacks on the Catholic Church

I have some numbers in my head that I can drag out on a whim and something tells me that this big dust-up in the media is simply more of the same to insult religion and Catholicism in particular.

First the ridiculous disclaimer so idiots do not attempt to tell me that I am supporting child molestation. UNDERSTAND, child molestation is WRONG. An adult even TALKING to a person under the age of majority about sex is wrong, IF THAT IS NOT THEIR CHILD. That is why I state plainly and for the record teaching children "safe sex" in schools is WRONG. Again, an adult, other than a child's parents, talking to a child about sex is WRONG.

We went through another bout of the national media beating up on the Catholic Church about molestation a few years ago. I crunched the numbers and they were shocking. READ THAT LINK!

Now, from my old post, I TRUST ME....YOU SHOULD TOO. (from 2005)
There are currently 46,254 ordained priests that are active in the US today. That translates to a percentage of 0.000047563 of priests have been charged with molestation or other sexual crimes. The funny thing about this is that rate is 1/750th of the rate of molestation in non-priests. To go even further, the homosexual male is 17 TIMES more likely to molest a child than a heterosexual male. Go figger.

And the evidence that I found stated that some of these allegations against priests do not even involve PHYSICAL CONTACT. What does that even mean and how is it molestation?

Now, not to point out the overwhelming, neon obvious, but if reducing child molestation was your goal, don't you think that maybe there would be more focus AWAY from the Catholic Church since the rate is so much LOWER with priests?

Now, to chastise people that are jumping on priests and making it a G-d thing. Priests, clergy, nuns, pastors, meditation gurus, and witch doctors are all HUMANS, they are nothing but HUMANS. Personally, I do not expect my religious advisor to be MORE righteous than I am because I am striving to be more Christ-like. Any guesses as to why people that are spiritual advisers are less likely to commit crimes? Any clue why people that follow their religion are less likely to commit crimes? (This excludes Muslims.)

Here's a hint: It ain't because they practice moral relativism.

Now, if the media is GENUINELY concerned about child molestation, they should stake out some public schools, because that is where MOST of it happens.

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Here's an important site update. We just hit a FIVE on the PageRank thingy on The Google. We had been stuck at FOUR since 2007. We are now ten percent more important in the webworld.

15 comments:

Joubert said...

I was a Catholic from the age of 7 till 17 and was never molested. I was a Boy Scout too and was never molested.

Skunkfeathers said...

I wasn't a Catholic, and was never molested. I was a Boy Scout too and was never molested. Granted, I never ran into a libtard-supported NAMBLA member.

Paul Mitchell said...

Pat, I was in the Scouts forever, too, but there was this one troop leader that was creepy as all get out. We all just stayed away from him.

Skunkfeathers, NAMBLA never even crossed my mind when posting this. Great point.

Andy said...

Paul, I have about a zillion thoughts on this. As you know, I am a Protestant, and disagree with most of Roman Catholic doctrine.

But, I am not a Catholic basher. Protestant churches have pedophile ministers by the thousands, and those things come to light as they should.

The reason that Catholicism gets the lion's share of the bad pub is because of its structure. In the traditional Protestant churches, there is a good bit more congregational authority. Most (not all) Protestant churches establish their own spiritual leadership. To use our Southernness...they hire a preacher! Whereas, Roman Catholics are assigned their preacher.

I dealt with this when I lived in Colorado. There was an incident in Durango, where Father Mike (or something) molested a young boy. It was discovered that Father Mike had been moved from parish to parish because of his "problem."

This rarely happens in Protestant churches because the congregation normally does a darn good job of vetting the guy they plan to entrust with their leadership in spiritual growth. Sure, some guys are better at fooling the crowd...but it is much less likely.

That being said, Catholics have a RIGHT to be ticked at the hierarchy that allowed these creeps to continue on in their "ministry." Non-Catholics, atheists, the media, have ZERO skin in this game, and should shut up.

As you note, the percentages are "tiny." And, people with a Christian viewpoint/faith are MUCH less likely to harm another...especially a child.

So, what does it mean that I ran the Gooble Page Rank, and have a 7/10? I mean, that's two places behind you. Looks like I've got some catching up to do...

Oh, is "kidding" the same as "lying?" I might need to confess, and be forgiven...

Paul Mitchell said...

Andy, I simply do not think that this media attack is about child molestation, I think it is part of a larger thing against all religions, except Islam. They came for the Catholics, but I was not Catholic.....they'll come for the Baptists next. Squat and watch.

Just so you know, Glenn Reynolds is a seven. Dang. Wonder how long it'll take to move up to a six? One hundred years? One thousand?

Andy said...

Oh no...I get you! I'm saying that ONLY those with skin in the game should be ticked off, and making sure that they get this problem fixed.

"They came for the Catholics, but I was not Catholic.....they'll come for the Baptists next. Squat and watch."

I know what you mean...I'm saying the same thing...anybody outside the sphere should shut up. And, they certainly are out to get EVERYBODY that names the Name of Christ. They've been at that for a loooooooooong time.

I wonder what molestation is. This is a personal story that might sound gross. When I was about 13, I was in a room alone with our church youth director. He was a great guy that had built a huge "youth group." It was "cool" to be in the Waller Baptist Church Youth Group. He and his family were very close to my family.

I do not even remember the bulk of the conversation...but, Eddie said something like, "you know, one of these days some girl is gonna put her hand on your leg like this at the movie..." At that point, he put his hand on my leg near my junk, and for about 3 seconds rubbed around.

Then he said something like, "that's when you're going to find out what kind of Christian morals you really have." That was it. It made me uncomfortable for a second, but I hadn't even thought about it for over 30 years until recently.

The guy went on and had a long career in youth and music ministry. In fact, about 50 of us from the old days loaded up and went to his "retirement" deal a couple of years ago up in ElDorado, stinkin' Arkansas.

I wonder if things like that are considered "molestation." Heck, I don't even know why I wrote all that. Guess I could have probably run to Momma & Daddy...told them, "Brother Eddie felt me up," and probably destroyed a very fine man's life.

Just typing out loud...

Paul Mitchell said...

Andy, I think that Eddie was just trying to give you guidance, those were different times. Today, that would not happen with any youth group director because he would be terrified to do it. Because what we are talking about.

But, some of the allegations that I found back in 2005 said that there was NO touching involved. Strange that, huh?

Andy said...

Certainly Eddie was just trying to alert a young Andy of what lay ahead.

And, you made an excellent point about "abuse" not involving "touching." I haven't figured that one out just yet. What I was getting at is that perhaps many hundreds of these priests were just doing the kind of thing that Eddie did.

Then on down the line when the REAL sex abuse stories came out, and Rome started doling out bazillions of bucks to victims...these "memories" suddenly came back to adults looking to cash in.

I don't want to paint with a broad brush. But, I'm sure it's possible. I know that I had not thought about that incident in decades until just recently. If the church I was then a part of was structured like the Roman Catholic church is, I could get me a lawyer...tell my story...and maybe cash in.

It is definitely a "touchy" subject.

Andy said...

Oh...and to Glenn Reynolds' little blog being a 7 in page ranking...

I don't know how long it might take. I mean, I've been blogging for 2 years and 4 months.

So, I'd guess "two years and 4 months." ;)

Paul Mitchell said...

Andy, I have thought many times that it was the "get paid" stategery. But, that is also what Michael Jackson did too, so I have to stay consistent on my thoughts. If the Catholic Church paid someone, it is because there was a dirty priest in there.

Your last line: Nicely played.

Skunkfeathers said...

True story: literally the night before my family moved to Colorado, I went to a "going away party" with my church youth group (Presbyterian) in Iowa. After the party, I was invited to join the minister's son, and a mix of boys & gals of my age (14) in the basement of the minister's house.

There, I was introduced to the game "Spin the Bottle". Each girl spun the bottle, and had to kiss the guy it landed nearest to; then each guy spun it and had to kiss the girl it landed nearest to.

I learned quickly how to maneuver the 'spin' to one particular girl; and she, likewise to me.

That night, I didn't break a cherry, but did I ever learn to kiss.

That one I shoulda married ;) But dang, we moved 850 miles west the next friggin' day.

Anyway, that was as sexual as it got in my church. Was I abused?

If so, MORE!!!!!!!!

Paul Mitchell said...

Skunks, I have never played Spin the Bottle. But, I was present when my sister's friends played one time and I was the only dude there, so I got kissed a bunch.

My sister's friends were all child molesters, but I could not have cared less. Older chicks and tongue? I'm in.

Andy said...

Skunks, I first played spin the bottle at the birthday party of a 12 year old that I was just cuhhhraaazze for. I guess her folks got drunk early that night and left us kids to ourselves.

I kept missing her spot at the coffee table. But, SHE was better at it than I was...if ya' know what I mean.

Interestingly, she was a Roman Catholic (there weren't a lot of them in my universe, so I knew she went to the "snake-handling" church). Dang! Those gals are sharp...

Andy said...

Oh no...I get you! I'm saying that ONLY those with skin in the game should be ticked off, and making sure that they get this problem fixed.

"They came for the Catholics, but I was not Catholic.....they'll come for the Baptists next. Squat and watch."

I know what you mean...I'm saying the same thing...anybody outside the sphere should shut up. And, they certainly are out to get EVERYBODY that names the Name of Christ. They've been at that for a loooooooooong time.

I wonder what molestation is. This is a personal story that might sound gross. When I was about 13, I was in a room alone with our church youth director. He was a great guy that had built a huge "youth group." It was "cool" to be in the Waller Baptist Church Youth Group. He and his family were very close to my family.

I do not even remember the bulk of the conversation...but, Eddie said something like, "you know, one of these days some girl is gonna put her hand on your leg like this at the movie..." At that point, he put his hand on my leg near my junk, and for about 3 seconds rubbed around.

Then he said something like, "that's when you're going to find out what kind of Christian morals you really have." That was it. It made me uncomfortable for a second, but I hadn't even thought about it for over 30 years until recently.

The guy went on and had a long career in youth and music ministry. In fact, about 50 of us from the old days loaded up and went to his "retirement" deal a couple of years ago up in ElDorado, stinkin' Arkansas.

I wonder if things like that are considered "molestation." Heck, I don't even know why I wrote all that. Guess I could have probably run to Momma & Daddy...told them, "Brother Eddie felt me up," and probably destroyed a very fine man's life.

Just typing out loud...

Andy said...

Certainly Eddie was just trying to alert a young Andy of what lay ahead.

And, you made an excellent point about "abuse" not involving "touching." I haven't figured that one out just yet. What I was getting at is that perhaps many hundreds of these priests were just doing the kind of thing that Eddie did.

Then on down the line when the REAL sex abuse stories came out, and Rome started doling out bazillions of bucks to victims...these "memories" suddenly came back to adults looking to cash in.

I don't want to paint with a broad brush. But, I'm sure it's possible. I know that I had not thought about that incident in decades until just recently. If the church I was then a part of was structured like the Roman Catholic church is, I could get me a lawyer...tell my story...and maybe cash in.

It is definitely a "touchy" subject.