(Excerpts of an article written by Sam Miller, prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman - NOT Catholic) Submitted by Dee Lynd
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 students everyday at the cost to your Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. Your graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%, all at a cost to you. To the rest of the Americans it's free.
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 - n ot 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 you as 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 clergywomen 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 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.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Thanks!
What an excellent post. Yes, we Catholics have to be more proud of ourselves, especially when others want to tear us down. :D
I wish there was more publicity on the good done in the name of religion. Our press always puts the focus on the negative and looks for controvercy in every subject. Wouldn't it be refreshing to see the good in mankind? Even the Boy Scouts are under attack, by those who want to damage anything that has faith as a part of their foundation.
The beauty in faith, is hope.
"Faith, hope and love, the greatest of these is love".
(John)
"God is love, he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him".
Who wouldn't want to believe in that?
Cheryl Huber
HopesnHats.com
The battle is ongoing- a battle between Darkness and Light - since the beginning of time and will conclude only at the end of time. The battle was also fought in His forty days in the desert and during His public life. Some of His beloved people - and even His own townspeople - had plotted to destroy Him. Some close associates had deserted Him. Darkness seemed to have won when He was betrayed and crucified, but Light triumphed when He resurrected. Now, there are spots of Darkness - betrayors of His love - within His own Body and the prince of Darkness is poised to deal yet another blow. Are we going to hide away, or join the frenzied mob, or are we going to take this as an opportunity to up the ante by firmly placing ourselves within the Light and to share the eventual triumph?
We Catholic are not perfect, but we need to practice our faith more often. The Bible classes are very important to make us understand our faith better. If we are universal all races should worship God together in the same american temple.
I visited other churches and I know in fact that we have a deeper understanding of the love of God and His kingdom.
Many of us (Catholics) are very ignorant of our faith and many left because never had Bible studies to see that we are Christians and children of God in Jesus, by Jesus, through Jesus and for Jesus.
The ignorance of the people is honey for those foolish antichrists leaders that are marketing the Word of God. We have to stop being cafeteria Christians. We have a great legacy and a great job to accomplish.
We should stop judging each other and only appoint what is wrong when is necessary to do it. Also to help each other to grow closser to God by giving support, not license to sin.
Charity is the visual and physical action of love in this mortal dimension. The practice of it is our confirmation to please God. HE only wanted to have all back to Him and be ever after happy.
Post a Comment