I saw this recently, needed comment.

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 theUnited States , namely the Catholic Church? 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 lay women 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.

Interesting that so many Protestant clergy have been found guilty of child molesting, but all you hear about is the Catholic priests.

The KKK had three targets: Blacks, Jews and then Catholics. I guess nowadays all kinds of immigrants might be thrown into the mix.

According to Wiki.answers Catholics are the top denomination in the US by far...

Rank Religious Body Year Membership

1. Catholic Church 2002 66,407,105 (out of 159,000 Christians)

2. Southern Baptist Convention 2003 16,400,000

3. United Methodist Church 2002 8,251,042 4

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_top_10_religions_in_the_US#ixzz1d1qU1UIb

Thanks, Zpete. I am a Catholic, proud to be one, and have said so a number of times on this forum. But isn't it nice to be told that we are less bad than we thought we were?

Vice is always more newsworthy than virtue, though.

one has faith/believes in a religion or one doesn't. everybody knows that opinions about religions exist galore as do àssholes. it's best not to make them public.

:jap:

I've found the non-reaction to this thread interesting. Abuse the Catholics, and people fall over themselves to join in the mud-slinging; point out (from a non-Catholic source) that we're not really so bad after all, and there's a pregnant silence.

Good Catholics are like good Muslims - very much in the majority but not newsworthy.

Let me check.

The inquisition.

Burning at the stake.

Demonizing gay people.

Birth control restrictions.

Aids prevention restrictions.

Promotion of root antisemitic dogmas throughout history.

Collusion with Nazis.

On the pedo issue, it's not that all large groups include some criminals. It is the totally disgusting protection those high in the Catholic church gave to their own criminals, in various countries, so the blame can indeed go straight to the Vatican.

On the plus side -- fetching frocks if you're into that kind of thing.

I have increased the font size of the OP to make it readable. On a smaller screen, it's nearly impossible to read.

Unless there is a specific reason to do so, please use the default font and color.

The software makes the default font really tiny sometimes. I can not figure out why. That is why there are a number of posts using tiny letters all over the forum.

The software also doesn't accept Firefox spell check.

Thanks for the responses on the software issues. You might want to report them in the forum support forum. I'll try to bring them up as well, but sometimes posters request will be looked at more seriously than a moderating whinging again!

The software also doesn't accept Firefox spell check.

The pain that engenders is Firfox ache.

SC

Interesting that so many Protestant clergy have been found guilty of child molesting, but all you hear about is the Catholic priests.

WASP dominions have the truer influence.