Atheist Wilson Gives $22.5 Million for Catholic Fund

[DemBones DemBones]

By Patrick Cole

May 23 (Bloomberg) -- Philanthropist and retired hedge-fund manager Robert W. Wilson said he is giving $22.5 million to the Archdiocese of New York to fund a scholarship program for needy inner-city students attending Roman Catholic schools.

Wilson, 80, said in a phone interview today that although he is an atheist, he has no problem donating money to a fund linked to Catholic schools.

"Let's face it, without the Roman Catholic Church, there would be no Western civilization,'' Wilson said. "Shunning religious organizations would be abhorrent. Keep in mind, I'm helping to pay tuition. The money isn't going directly to the schools.''

Wilson's donation is the largest the archdiocese has ever received. The money will be used to fund the Cardinal's Scholarship Program, which was started in 2005 to give disadvantaged students attending the archdiocese's inner-city schools partial or full tuition grants, Jacqueline LoFaro, the archdiocese's associate superintendent of schools, said in a phone interview today.

more. . .

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aIoCqO3AaMm0&refer=home


A very generous thing for Mr. Wilson to do. It will be good news for a lot of needy inner-city children in NYC. Of course, the children do not have to be Catholic to get scholarships through the Cardinal's Scholarship Program.

Just to add to the good news for NYC kids, an anonymous donor donated 4.5 million on the same day Mr. Wilson's donation was announced.

[shrike]

1. It's also nice to hear kind words about the Church

And coming from an atheist yet -- though I'm really not surprised. The atheists I deal with in my everyday life are like anybody else -- some are great people, some are jerks. The sort of ranting we hear on DU is confined to cyberspace, at least in my experience. Or to people in the media looking to make a buck, like Hitchens.
One atheist I know was raised Catholic, and considers himself culturally Catholic in many ways: he counts many local priests as his friends, including those who have spent time in jail for anti-war protests and civil disobedience. Most of the priests he's met "are really good guys," he says.

[JNelson6563]

2. Glad to read of this guy

I share pretty much the same views of the guy you describe. My experience with the Church were all positive and I attended Catholic school. I like the term "cultural Catholic", though it hadn't occured to me before when I read it in your post it was a Eureka! moment.

Julie

[shrike]

3. A Unitarian I know also considers herself 'culturally Catholic'

although she left the church for her own reasons, something I can certainly understand, even though I still practice.
She still believes in a deity, but finds Unitarianism much more compatible with her spiritual life. Like you and she I find Catholicism to be much more than 'belief': I think it was author Mary Gordon which described it as a "multi-layered poem which dominates your life, even when you no longer continue to believe."
Anne Rice, also raised Catholic, has also said basically the same thing.

[DemBones DemBones]

4. Have you heard that Anne Rice has returned to the Church?

Her latest book is about part of Christ's childhood and she says she will write only about Christ in the future. (Perhaps she said Christian topics, not just Christ, it's been some time since I read the article.) In any case, her days of writing about vampires are over and she's very happy about being back in the Church.

[shrike]

5. No, I didn't know that

I remember a news story about her and the Diocese of New Orleans a few years back. She had purchased some "gorgeous" historic properties from the Diocese and the TV reporter, sensing a chance for some mud-slinging, asked the Bishop what he REALLY thought of Anne Rice.
The Bishop rolled his eyes and said, "I think she is a wonderful woman." So her relationship with church officials was obviously decent at that point.