Sunday, November 22, 2009

Vatican Scapegoats Gays and LEAVES CRIMINALS UNACCOUNTABLE - Human Rights Campaign – September 15, 2002

9/15/2005

‘The real debate around this witch hunt isn’t between us and the Vatican, it’s between the Vatican and the truth,’ said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign derided a new instruction to Catholic seminaries to look for “evidence of homosexuality” in seminarians and priests. According to a New York Times article, the instruction is tied to church officials’ insistence that gay clergy are responsible for the sexual abuse scandal even in the face of scientific evidence to the contrary.

“The real debate around this witch hunt isn’t between us and the Vatican, it’s between the Vatican and the truth,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “When the church makes gay men a scapegoat for pedophiles, it ignores one problem and creates another. It does nothing to keep children safe or punish criminals.”

“The church is not following its own teachings. Jesus told the truth in love,” said Harry Knox, M. Div., director of the HRC Religion and Faith Program. “This is contrary to Christ’s admonition to love our neighbors with the same care we give ourselves.”

Several scientific studies show no tie between gays and pedophilia.

“The belief that homosexuals are particularly attracted to children is completely unsupported by our data.” (Groth and Birnbaum, “Adult Sexual Orientation and Attraction to Underage Persons.”)

“A gay man is no more likely than a straight man to perpetrate sexual activity with children.” (Stevenson, “Public Policy, Homosexuality and the Sexual Coercion of Children.”)

“A child’s risk of being molested by his or her relative’s heterosexual partner is over 100 times greater than by someone who might be identifiable as being homosexual, lesbian or bisexual.” (Jenny and Roesler, “Are Children at Risk for Sexual Abuse by Homosexuals?”)

Read and learn more - Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.



Related links:

Directive Banning Gay Priests Is Released by Vatican - By IAN FISHER Published: November 30, 2005 – The New York Times – International

Shifting the blame: the Vatican's campaign to purge gay men from Catholic seminaries is an attempt to shift the blame for the sexual abuse scandal away from the bishops.

Vatican Defends Policy on Gay Priests. Associated Press; ABC News; Boston Herald, Miami Herald; etc… by Task Force in the News Nov 14 - Dec 5, 2005

Vatican 'to ban new gay priests' - The Vatican is to ban all gay men from joining the clergy even if they accept a vow of celibacy, reports say. BBC NEWS – September 23, 2005

SILENCING TRUTH">Impending rules on gay priests create Catholic divide – by Charles Honey – The Grand Rapids Press – October 8, 2005 * Benedict XVI -> SILENCING TRUTH

New Catholic Sex Abuse Findings: Gay Priests Are Not the Problem – by DAVID GIBSON – Politics Daily - November 18, 2009

AUSCHWITZ - CHRISTMAS 2008 - A flashback far more severe than in - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Praise for report on gay priests and sex abuse - By Daniel Burke - National Catholic Reporter - 2009

Report: Homosexuality No Factor in Abusive Priests - By RACHEL ZOLL - ABC News - 2009

US Catholic Bishops threaten the moral 'fabric of society' and the sanctity Gay unions - 2009

Crisis in the Church – Dignity USA

What is Propaganda?

Scholars, journalists, and politicians have long argued about how to properly define propaganda and distinguish it from other forms of mass communication. Propaganda is biased information designed to shape public opinion and behavior.

How Does Propaganda Work?

Modern propaganda draws upon techniques and strategies used in advertising, public relations, communications, and mass psychology. It simplifies complicated issues or ideology for popular consumption, is always biased, and is geared to achieving a particular end.Propaganda generally employs symbols, whether in written, musical, or visual forms, and plays upon and channels complex human emotions towards a desired goal. It is often employed by governmental and private organizations to promote their causes and institutions and denigrate their opponents. Propaganda functions as just one weapon in the arsenal of mass persuasion.

In contrast to the ideal of an educator, who aims to foster independent judgment and thinking, the practitioner of propaganda does not aim to encourage deliberation by presenting a variety of viewpointsand leaving it up to the audience to determine which perspective is correct. The propagandist transmits only information geared to strengthen his or her case, and consciously omits detrimental information.

Not all propaganda is bad. Propaganda is used to shape opinion and behavior. Public health campaigns, for example, can utilize propaganda. Elections, even in democratic states, often display elements of propaganda, as candidates and political parties vie for office. The real danger of propaganda lies when competing voices are silenced –and unchecked, propaganda can have negative consequences. Read complete article-What is Propaganda? - UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM


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