A lot is being made of the difference between the reactions to men accusing the Catholic Church of sexual abuse, and women accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual abuse. Our society believes the latter but not the former. It may very well be the anti-feminist nature of our society. However, part of the reaction to the Church sex abuse case may be deeply rooted in our long standing anti-Catholoism. This country is hate on steroids and Roman Catholics have been targets of that hate. Many years ago it was the story of Maria Monk, a Catholic num who wrote of sex crimes in a monastery and children being murdered. A hoax yes, but Americans believed it. Then there was a story of 800 Irish children being thrown down a sewer pit. Another hoax, widely believed. In 1924 the KKK kept a Catholic governor-Al Smith-off the democratic ticket for president, and we all know that John Kennedy had to explain why his religion shouldn't bar him from the presidency.
So for the case today of sex abuse by Catholic priests, I don't know how much is true. I do know how easy it has been for this country to believe the worst about Catholics. This might account for some of the difference between how we perceive the Christine Blaise Ford case and male children being abused.
