(And it breaks my heart)
So, as I often do, I surfed around some news sites to remain aware of the world around me and I saw there had been an arrest of 44 officials in a corruption scandal in New Jersey. I was saddened to hear of more corruption in my beloved state, but not surprised. Not at all. Those things are true about New Jersey...corruption...corruption from the North that comes to vacation on the Shore (where I live)... not to say we are totally innocent down here...but that's usually the way it goes (this case was no different, choosing the Shore town of Deal as the vacation home). There was one kick to this story that I just wasn't expecting... and it wasn't that the corruption had to do with money laundering and spare parts (kidneys to be exact), but that out of the 44 people arrested, many of which were unsurprisingly mayors, 5 of the 44 were Jewish Rabbis. Really?! And not just any Jewish Rabbis, Hassidic (Ultra Orthodox) Jewish Rabbis. But there were the pictures of Rabbis with dark locks and full beards, dressed in black suits with widebrim hats in handcuffs. 3 from Brooklyn (you are not so innocent NY) and 2 from Jersey.
Why do I bring it up besides my kind of uncalled for shock (there have always been corrupt "men of god" scattered throughout the centuries).. I guess it just continues the growing nature of religion in this country (or at least in some of it): individualism. The clergy and organized religion are corrupt, many will say. We are spiritual and not religious...religious institutions are bad. Priests touch little boys and rabbis launder money and kidneys to Israel! Right now I am reading Anne Rice's Servant of the Bones, which was written in 1998, and she issues the same cry (this was prior to her return to the Catholic Church, of course): be careful of men with too much power high in religion. They are dangerous. She sites Jonestown and also the issue of Japanese subway poisoning to create her notorious character of Gregory Belkin, the messiah of the Temple of the Mind.
As it all continues to go down, as more and more priests, rabbis, preachers, imams, gurus (Satya Sai Baba sex accusations anyone?) are caught in acts of corruption and sexual mishaps, can we, as Americans trust these leaders with our souls and spiritual journeys? One has to wonder how much longer the trust can last as things like this continue to happen, or will soon it be every spiritual journey for itself? Or is that just my East coast perception?
44 Charged by U.S. in New Jersey Corruption Sweep
Officials lambast NJ corruption after 44 arrested
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