Let's set the record straight: A defense of Pope Benedict Pt. III

In my previous two installments I spoke about Crimen Sollicitationis, which was the official policy of the CDF, (Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith) on handling sexual abuse cases and about the 2004 John Jay study which highlighted the specific social and ecclesiastical abuse trends from 1950 to 2002.

In this installment I will be focusing on how sex abuse affects all areas of society.  I will be specifically focusing on how abuse affects families, Rabbi's, Protestant ministers, and teaching communities.  Lastly I will be highlighting the recent allegations of sex abuse in the Los Angeles school district.

I will be summarizing the findings of this article, Abuse in social context

• In 2001 over 900,000 of sex abuse cases were reported within the family.  Contrast this with the John Jay Study study which concluded in the same year that 50 sex abuse cases were reported by priests
• 86%  abuse cases were caused by family members or acquaintances, specifically through other male figures besides the biological father
• According to the New York Times 1.8% of priests were accused of sexual abuse
• According to the Washington Post 1.5% of priests were accused of sexual abuse
• the number one abused group were not prepubescent boys, but were adolescents
• About 80 to 90% of these reported cases were committed by homosexual priests. This was attributed to the fact that the majority of sexual acts occurred with adolescent boys, not prepubescent boys
• In a study in 2000, over 40% of ministers admitted to "sexually inappropriate acts." 
• The Christian Science Monitor in Spring of 2002 concluded the following in their research, “Despite headlines focusing on the priest pedophile problem in the Roman Catholic Church, most American churches being hit with child sexual-abuse allegations are Protestant, and most of the alleged abusers are not clergy or staff, but church volunteers.”
• In 2000 Rabbi Joel Meyers, vice president of Conservative Rabbinical Assembly, reported that over 30% of Rabbi's changed their positions.  The majority of these changes were due to sexual misconduct
• In New York City alone it is estimated that 1 child per day is abused at the hands of a teacher or employee. Over 60% of these reported abusers are moved around to different locations in the city
• According to Hofstra Professor,Charol Shakeshaft over 15% of students nationwide between kindergarten to 12th grade reported being abused.

However, despite these stunning statistics the union dominated, national board of education is not addressing these abuse allegations. For further context  read this article , and this one which depict how the L.A. board of education is doing nothing to protect the children from a convicted sex offender.

Like I mentioned in my previous two installments I am not defending the actions of sleazeball priests and incompetent Bishops. These vermin should be penalized to the furthest extent of the law. I am just trying to point out that sexual abuse is a tragic phenomena that affects all areas of society.  To blame the Catholic Church for the lion's share of the problem is frankly not fair and at worst dangerous.  Think about it, while the press conveniently demonizes the Catholic Church thousands of other children are being abused at the hands of teachers, family members, ministers, and Rabbi's.  This demonic diversion instituted by the leftist media in effect silences the voices of abuse, scapegoats the church while doing nothing to report, to hold accountable all authority figures in society.  Somewhere, someplace a child is being abused, silenced possibly forever by a society and a phony media that does little to protect its children in the first place.

In my next installment I will focus on the two separate cases of Fr. Hullerman and Fr. Murphy which are at the heart of the recent allegations made against Pope Benedict.