Influence

If I was a Catholic, (I am not), I would be furious with my church for being co-dependent in the abuse that has been made public in recent years.

Did I hear the figure right.........over a BILLION dollars to defend priests and settle the claims of those abused families?

Seems to me, parishoners had two choices here:

1. Vote with my feet and leave the church,

2. Continue to attend services, but withhold my tithe.

And apparently both are happening........several Catholic churches in the large town near us are being closed due to lack of support, and donations being received by Catholic churches are way, way down:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1923484.stm

It's obvious that members of the church have the attention of their leadership.


Today, we have a similar situation with the United Nations...............

U.N. representatives have been caught sexually abusing children in areas where they were sent to provide aid and comfort.

The Iraqi "Oil For Food" program was a farce.........moneys intended to buy food and drugs for struggling Iraqi people ended up in the pockets of Russian, French, and German U.N. employees.

I have to believe the corruption brought about by mismanagement of this program is at the core of much of the tension surrounding our efforts in Iraq today........
Is it just a coincidence those countries most heavily involved in the scandal were the same countries that refused to support the U.S. with a unanimous vote for regime change in Iraq?

The House of Representatives yesterday voted to withhold half of the funds we normally allocate for support of the U.N..

I know next to nothing about our relationship with the U.N., such as it is today........it seems strained and ready to burst.

But I do know that I don't want my tax dollars going into the pocket of some U.N. pervert who, in his free time, is sexually molesting some 9 year old in Darfur!

This bill has little chance of making it to the Presidents' desk as it is presently written.
But the vote itself may attract enough attention at the U.N. to force leadership and other changes in that diseased and decomposing body.