The Real Issue Behind the [Church] Scandals in the US

Zenit News Service interview of Gladys Sweeney ^ | June 6, 2002

[topher]

Hmm… after a brief Google search I found this stating that the pedophilia rate of the Catholic Church is 4% compared to 1% in the general population. Here's a quote from what's probably a more balanced analysis putting the levels all over the place for priest and the population.:

The person interviewed gave the stats and it seems very ties to John Hopkins would give the numbers she quotes as being something to investigate.

Here are her credentials that make her quotes believable:

(1) Dr. Gladys Sweeney, president and dean of the Institute for the Psychological Sciences.
(2) Dr. Sweeney formerly held a faculty appointment at the Division of Child Psychiatry and Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Medical School.

I am not saying she is necessarily right, but you are using "google search" as your authority. The top two Medical Centers in the country, in my mind, are the Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins, though in specific fields, there may be places where medicine has gone further than at those places.

[maica]

Michael Rose, author of "Goodbye, Good Men" is going to be the guest of Ron Smith, WBAL, next Monday. That should be a good interview. Cardinal Keeler seems to be getting generally good press here in Baltimore.

[elfman2]

"you are using "google search" as your authority. "

Google was the mechanism I used to find source material. One of the sources, Nightline, is potentially suspect of having a bias. But there's no reason that I'm aware of to believe other source, the Salt Lake Tribune, leans to the left.

On the other hand, I now see that the publisher of your material, Zenit, is a Catholic web site. And the 7% American pedophile rate is apparently quoted from a Catholic Priest. And this article is based around an interview with the director of The Institute for the Psychological Sciences, a Catholic organization.

"(IPS) is an educational institution dedicated to the development and promotion of approaches to psychology founded in the Catholic vision of the human person.

I don't mean to be contrary to you or disparaging toward Catholics, but despite her having once held a faculty position at an outstanding medical university, all you've referenced so far is not even close to reliable for this controversial issue.

[Travis McGee]

Isn't Cardinal Keeler an old time hardliner?

[maica]

I don't know about "oldtime" - not having been here for many years, but he seems to be a no nonsense kind of leader. He was very instrumental in organizing the Youth Summit (don't remember the actual name) that was so successfully held in Denver a few years ago.

[topher]

On the other hand, I now see that the publisher of your material, Zenit, is a Catholic web site. And the 7% American pedophile rate is apparently quoted from a Catholic Priest. And this article is based around an interview with the director of The Institute for the Psychological Sciences, a Catholic organization. You make an excellent point (about Zenit and the person being inteviewed being so Pro-Catholic).

I have found that Zenit has always been honest in reporting, and they pretty much don't hide the truth, and will even report about other Christian events (not necessarily Catholic) -- like missionaries getting killed for the faith in other countries.

It is my belief because she is was once with John Hopkins she would be able to get information on statistics. I consider her creditials to be very credible.

[elfman2]

"It is my belief because she is was once with John Hopkins she would be able to get information on statistics. I consider her creditials to be very credible."

AlGore taught at Harvard, Clinton was a Rhodes scholar at Cambridge. Credentials don’t override strong bias.