The clerical sex scandal of six years ago counted over 13,000 victims strung over a few decades. Its financial cost is well into the billions of dollars.
It is not hard to imagine 13,000 people per day, or even per hour, buying a porn film through their cable television company or in their hotel room. In all, there could easily be tens of millions of people induced to sin through the financial assistance of many dioceses, archdioceses, and multiple Catholic religious groups. Tens of millions of sins would presumably qualify as "significant."
In the clerical sex scandal, what disgusted people the most was not the individual sinner but the fact that these sinners were returned, with the bishops' approval and after consulting with professionals, to unsuspecting parishes where they often sinned again and again. All of us are subject to our passions, but it is the cooperation with and enabling of sin that produces the most outrage. Owning porn-related companies is just another example of the bishops' complicity in this regard.
There are thousands of other companies that would make suitable investments. Only a small percentage of public corporations are involved in porn sales. If choice A is found wanting for any reason, simply go to choice B. For religious groups, one would think that some level of prudence would apply.
Pharmacies that sell morning after pills etc. Merck, Glaxco Kline etc. Christian Brothers Investment Services Abortions. Please check and see how this cooperation is a mortal sin.
Investing is not the only arena in which the bishops have bumped up against the porn demon and lost. In a story related to this writer by a senior staff member of the USCCB and confirmed by Msgr. Frank Maniscalso, also of the USCCB, the bishops tried to block porn filters for computers destined for Catholic school libraries and classrooms.
Legislative proposals in 1998 would have mandated porn filters on all computers bought with federal funds or with tax revenue.
The bishops joined the ultra-liberal American Library Association in attempting to defeat the mandatory filters. The bishops argued they would put in policies against porn access in schools, and wanted filters to be optional. The bishops also thought porn filters might cost too much. (Their actual cost is negligible.)
In practice, filters prevent abuse from occurring. A policy is easily broken and difficult to enforce -- e.g., consider the effectiveness of a "No Talking" policy in most school libraries.
Eventually, the legislation passed with mandatory filters, thus saving the bishops from their own poor judgment.
The bishops and other Catholic groups invest in porn-related companies when there is little question about porn's redeeming value.
Speaking of redemption, there is no attempt to avoid companies that may not be pornographic in the classic sense but make light of human sexuality or promote lifestyles inimical to traditional Christian belief.
For example, mainstream television networks bring us situation comedies laden with vulgarities and sexual innuendo. Shock-jock radio announcers, like Howard Stern and Don Imus, belittle people and, according to a recent study by The New York Times (May 6, 2007), specialize in "sexually explicit banter, particularly descriptions of anal and oral sex."
How these things promote the redemptive mission of the crucified Son of God would be most difficult to understand. Yet the companies that bring us these shows are clearly acceptable investments for the bishops.
The Christian Brothers' investments in this area include General Electric, which brought us the aforementioned Don Imus (until he was fired for uttering a racial slur on the air) and a host of questionable movies and television shows.
They also own Clear Channel and Emmis Communications, which collectively own over 1,000 radio stations. Some of the most offensive "humor" legally allowed is served up by these stations every day. So much for CBIS's "disciplined approach to socially responsible investing."
This picture is brought into bold relief when one considers the great art the Catholic Church inspired and helped fund over the centuries. But in America today, the bishops finance culture-destroying "entertainment" of the lowest order.
If there is a bright side for the bishops, it is this: Unlike the clerical sex scandal, no one will sue them because of their investments in porn-related companies.
Unfortunately, it is also the reason that they are likely to do nothing. The fact that millions of souls may be gravely compromised or lost for eternity is not legally actionable -- in this world.
**********************************************************************************************************
"No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at Him..
And He said to them, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God."
No comments:
Post a Comment