This Sunday, January 30, the Kansas City Star will release its sex survey of Roman Catholic priests. Catholic League president William Donohue has read the Knight Ridder story on the subject (the Star is a Knight Ridder paper) and commented as follows:
“The sex survey is essentially bad news for the tabloid. The two most important findings show that a) 65 percent say the Church is ‘caring and compassionate’ in its treatment of priests with HIV or AIDS, while only 4 percent are critical and b) only 14 percent think that changing Church teachings on homosexuality would be extremely effective.
“It is clear that the tabloid did not like these findings. We know this because while only 4 percent were critical of the Church in its handling of priests with HIV or AIDS, the one and only remark selected for publication on this subject came from the 4 percent pool. There were other examples like this, suggesting that when the raw data prove to be disappointing, those who offer the desired critical response merit a high profile.
“The story says that 800 of 3000 priests responded to the survey. Yet later it says that ‘some refused to participate and questioned the The Star’s motives.’ Well, now, isn’t this cute. By saying 800 responded, it suggests all from this group completed the survey, yet if this is true, how would they know that some ‘refused to participate and questioned’ their motives? Were these among the 2200 who didn’t respond or the 800 who did?
“One final point. The Torah forbids an Orthodox Jewish man from having sex with his wife while she is menstruating, and for a time afterward. During Ramadan, which lasts for a month, Muslims are forbidden from having sex during the daylight hours of their fasting period. Question: Will the Kansas City Star now do a survey of Jews and Muslims to see how many are cheating? And while they’re at it, they may want to explore why a reported 37 percent of Protestant pastors have confessed to having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church.”
