When in doubt, blame the media and academia, particularly in Beantown

June 27, 2005

Rick Santorum has paid close attention to the sex scandals that have plagued the Roman Catholic Church and has come to a variety of conclusions about those responsible. Unfortunately, according to a column Santorum wrote for Catholic Online, it isn’t the sexually abusive priests or the church officials who covered up their crimes (via Capitol Buzz).

It is startling that those in the media and academia appear most disturbed by this aberrant behavior, since they have zealously promoted moral relativism by sanctioning “private” moral matters such as alternative lifestyles. Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm.

Even by Santorum’s already poor standards, this is painfully idiotic.

I really want to follow his twisted logic, but I’m having trouble here. Let’s see, journalists and professors don’t hate gay people enough, which has led to a “sick” culture, which led to decades of sexual abuse and a church that looked the other way as children suffered. And those dastardly people at Harvard and MIT are particularly culpable because … you see … they’re secular intellectuals … and … well, Santorum never really explains that one.

Remember, we’re talking about a man who is a two-term United States senator, a member of the Republican leadership, and someone who harbors presidential ambitions.

Be afraid.

Because God knows, no priests anywhere else ever molested a child. How can a guy as dumb as Santorum sustain basic life functions?

  • And seeing how the cases of malfeasance were not limited to Boston, and appear equally as often and despicable throughout the US including the South, Mid-west, Near-west and Far-west….

  • I suppose I should be happy that at least one politician thinks we college professors matter! Woo hoo!

    I’d love to hear him explain the war in Iraq as an encore!

  • Fear not. Hell will have a hockey team before Mr. Santorum ever becomes a serious presidential candidate.

  • As is so often the case with modern republicans, they can simply claim to be religious and get away with it. Nobody ever bothers to point out that their records make the claim total chirade. Even a vile scumbag like DeLay can claim to be a Christian. And Santorum can claim to be a catholic, even though 9 out of 10 things he does and says go againt church teachings.

    On the scandal: nealrly all of the abusing priests are products of the pre-Vatican 2 generation, trained in those sexually repressive 1950s seminaries. But this is not considered an orthodox position: the conservatives instead blamed the laxity that came with the 1960s and Vatican 2. Of course, just looking at the ages of those accused would show how dumb this theory is. But they got away with it. Why? Because the media and the opinion leaders never challenge conservatives when the talk about religion. Pathetic.

  • During high school in the 1950s I attended the seminary in Santa Barbara which experienced some of the earliest reported abuses in this country, occurring during the 1960s and ’70s. The place was shut down in 1987 and has since been sold to pay legal obligations. 11 of 44 priests on staff were charged, some of whom taught me. I don’t recall any Boston liberals when I was there; the only faculty who were politically outspoken were Republican (of all things), and the ones who worked tirelessly for the poor and downtrodden didn’t philosophize about it. Academics, while taken seriously (Latin, Greek, arts, math, science were required), were not held in the highest esteem, compared, say, with intramural sports or piece of pie we got at lunch on Fridays. Daily Mass was important (twice on Sunday); Gregorian Chant was. It’s not liberalism which is behind such scandals … it’s highly secretive-protective Authority (power corrupts). The Bush administration, e.g., the Gannon case, knows a lot about that.

  • Remember, we’re talking about a man who is a two-term United States senator, a member of the Republican leadership, and someone who harbors presidential ambitions.

    You say that as if you harbor some illusions about our Congressmen being wise or intellectually capable. There are so many examples to the contrary that I could hardly begin to list them all. And stgermh is right, I think it’s a good idea for all of us to keep the Man on Dog meme alive and kicking whenever we talk about this clown.

  • But they got away with it. Why? Because the media and the opinion leaders never challenge conservatives when the talk about religion. Pathetic.

    Comment by Tony A

    so true–santorum admitted he has not read the Bible of his “faith.” if onlt the media would ask…

  • Bubba,
    The media are probably irrelevant.

    You’ll find that the religious right is very forgiving if Republicans haven’t read the bible. They don’t even really need to believe in God. All they have to do is pander to the religious types and offer them worldly power, voice, and privilege, and then all sins are forgiven. It further helps if you offer to silence the critics of religion, like, say, academics.

    Since the Democrats don’t offer the goodies, they can love Jesus all they want but to the religious right they will always be poseurs.

    Faith has nothing to do with any of this. It’s all self-interest.

  • In my experience and upbringing, Catholics as a rule don’t read the bible or put the same importance in having read it as Protestants do. I’m not a Santorum fan in the least, but I certainly wouldn’t use that, one way or the other, as “evidence” of the validity of Santorum’s intellect or faith (or lack thereof).

  • Look, this guy is a horse’s asses hemoroid. He’s an idiot who cannot
    curb his mishapen (read forked) tongue. When he sees “2 + 2” he naturally thinks 3 or 5 because he is simply incapable of critical thought. I suspect his favorite rhetorical device is the non-sequitor as what he claims just never adds up.

    Boston is to the churches sex scandal as Santorum is to the Senate. Only a tertiary relationship when viewed in it’s entirety.

  • Waaah! Santorum puts the well-worn cloak of victimhood on again, this time railing against how a “morally relativistic culture” has harmed the Catholic Church. As a Catholic, I know we have our own culture to guide us, are raised to use our own conscience, acknowledge our wrongdoings and of course repent for our transgressions. That wonderful term “Catholic guilt” admits we are the only ones to blame for our sins. But no, Santorum has to blame the liberals for all that is evil. Looks like the confessional for you Rick after violating that old Commandment to “not bear false witness against your neighbor”.

    Speaking of neighbors, what kind of a bad influence has Rick on Pennsylania’s culture? It appears his state is not immune from pedophile priests. Can’t blame that on Beantown liberalism now can we?

    From the Catholic Register in 2003, “Boston-based Survivors First, an advocacy group for victims of clergy sexual abuse, has compiled news of allegations against 19 priests (14 of those cases the subject of lawsuits) and one deacon in Altoona-Johnstown, the highest number in Pennsylvania. By comparison, the group has tracked allegations against 14 clergy members in the Philadelphia archdiocese and six in Pittsburgh, both with substantially larger Catholic populations.”

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