On Thursday, March 6, 2008, prominent Cleveland businessman Sam Miller (a Jew) gave a speech defending Catholicism from media bias at the City Club of Cleveland (Ohio). The text of the speech was published in the May-June issue of the Buckeye Bulletin. Several Catholic blogs, including this one, posted the speech.
“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 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. 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 your 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.
Thank you Sam Miller, God love you!
Deeper Truth Blog
EWTN
EWTN Radio
Terry Fenwick
Vatican
Who said I wanted to be Silver?
I am an American of the Jewish Faith. I think anti-Catholicism is the last “acceptable” bigotry. And it is one that needs to be combated by your Jewish brethren. It is our obligation to do so.
One more thing — we do not all agree with the extreme ADL, and its meddling into the internal affairs of the Church. I for one lost half of my great aunts and uncles on my mother’s side, and my great grandmother in the holocaust. The Catholic Church and Pope Pius did much to save Jewish lives– and certainly much more than President Roosevelt did, but this is another matter.
I have very positive memories about interaction with Catholic clergy members in my lifetime. Perhaps growing up in ecumenical New York made a difference, but one of my first memories is being taken to see the movie “the Ten Commandments as a five year old, and meeting a group of Nuns in line behind my parents who were very nice to me. I remember telling them about the Exodus story and they were all smiles.. And in college, I became good friends with Father Richard on campus who became a close personal friend. I also remember the opening of our Synaogue on Long island in the 1970′s, and the local Priest coming to our opening service, being on stage with the Rabbi, and handing us a rather large donation from the Church to us to welcome us into the area.
So please, a defense of the Church from Jews needs to be seen as the norm and nothing remarkable.
Thanks for reading
Charles, God bless you! The God of Abraham Issac & Jacob always be near you & give you His peace. Thank you for your witness!
Bravo Charles, God Bless You and your family.
Genevieve Moore Durban South Africa.