Israeli philosopher Avishai Margalit says that a decent institution is one that doesn’t humiliate people. Besides the obvious point about US indencency in Abu Ghraib, there is also the case of the United Methodist Church (my former home). Can a denomination littered with conferences which hold the open secret of “punishment parishes” not be said to humiliate, not only the clergy it appoints to these churches but more importantly the members of those parishes?