BishopAccountability.org
	Bishop-Elect's Views on Various Issues Fox 16 June 5, 2008 http://www.fox16.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=ed8c72aa-061e-4de9-be80-781736ba3681&rss=316 LITTLE ROCK - The Associated Press interviewed Father Anthony B. Taylor, the bishop-elect for the Little Rock diocese, which oversees all Catholic churches in the state. Among issues discussed Wednesday: - PROTESTANT HISPANICS: Taylor said some of the recent Hispanic immigrants to the United States have joined Protestant churches. He said many of these immigrants likely came from poor areas without a strong Catholic presence and may have been "pretty marginal in the practice of their Catholic faith" in their home countries. "They come here sometimes with a lot of piety, but not much catechesis," Taylor said. - PRIEST ABUSE: Arkansas has largely been spared from scandals surrounding the Catholic church and abuse by priests. In 2004, a report by then-Bishop J. Peter Sartain showed sexual-abuse complaints were made against only 11 Catholic priests between 1950 and the 1980s. That represents only about 2 percent of the priests assigned to the diocese over those decades. Taylor said the church continues to vigorously vet all complaints and credited the work of past administrators of the Little Rock diocese in avoiding the "trauma" that abuse can bring. - LOTTERY: Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, himself a practicing Catholic, has proposed a measure for the November ballot seeking to create a state lottery to fund college scholarships. Taylor said lotteries were a "pretty low" risk, though gambling in general can allure the poor. "Gambling, in moderation, when it's done for recreation and is not compromising the family and the future of their children is an acceptable form of entertainment," Taylor said. - LIBERATION THEOLOGY: Taylor said he didn't believe in liberation theology, followed by some Catholic priests during upheaval and civil wars in Latin America. Liberation theology holds that faith should help free the oppressed, though Taylor said it followed "Marxist analysis" and encouraged violence. "Jesus called for us to look after our brothers and sisters and inherit human dignity," Taylor said. "That comes out of a Christian perspective, not a Marxist perspective."
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