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Thursday, May 9th, 2019

3 of U.S.’s biggest religious denominations in turmoil over sex abuse, LGBT policy

Author:     David Crary
Source:     PBS/Associated Press
Publication Date:     Mar 3, 2019 3:04 PM EDT
 Link: 3 of U.S.’s biggest religious denominations in turmoil over sex abuse, LGBT policy
Stephan:   I have published and commented upon stories about the correlation of religiosity and sexual dysfunction involving Roman Catholics, Fundamentalist Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and Mormons, noting the fact that the greater the religious orthodoxy the greater the dysfunction. The interesting nuance to this is that explicit atheists, just a different kind of fundamentalist, also have this issue. The universal seems to be self-righteousness hypocrisy.  The correlation is so strong one has to ask, why isn't this discussed more? The answer, I think, is that it gets covered, but as a sectarian issue, not as the meta-denominational issue it actually is and the correlation gets lost.

Retired Cardinal Theodore McCarrick stands before the Mass of Installation for Archbishop Donald Wuerl at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington June 22, 2006. Reuters/Joshua Roberts

It has been a wrenching season for three of America’s largest religious denominations, as sex-abuse scandals and a schism over LGBT inclusion fuel anguish and anger within the Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist and United Methodist churches. There’s rising concern that the crises will boost the ranks of young people disillusioned by organized religion.

“Every denomination is tremendously worried about retaining or attracting young people,” said Stephen Schneck, a political science professor at Catholic University. “The sex-abuse scandals will have a spillover effect on attitudes toward religion in general. I don’t think any denomination is going to not take a hit.”

“You have very top-down, patriarchal institutions representing a kind of power that civil society has left behind.” – Natalia Imperatori-Lee, religious studies professor at Manhattan College

For the U.S. Catholic church, the clergy sex-abuse scandal that has unfolded over two […]

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1 Comment

  1. Michael Quinn on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at 4:49 am

    Although I haven’t practiced Catholicism for years, my roots still spoke to me. These roots said “The Church is Jesus, not the clergy. ”

    But then I just finished reading Frederic Martel’s In the Closet of the Vacican and my roots whithered. Martel spent 4 years researching the book,, visited over 30 countries, interviewed thousands, including 80 cardinals and scores of bishops. And for two of his four years, he actually lived for a week each month in the Vatican apartments.

    The degree of corruption and downright evil and hypocrocy is beyond words, and the College of Cardinals is front and center. I advised practicing family members NOT to read the book. It would crush them. I’m thankful my devoted parents are deceased and didn’t have to navigate this sewer. I can’t imagine Martel not receiving a Pullitizer for his incredible and unbiased writing.