March 30, 1999
On March 28, at the 10th annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Awards, the best Off Off Broadway honor went to the anti-Christian play by Paul Rudnick, “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.” William Donohue, Catholic League president, took note of this award: “If the Catholic League had given an award to an anti-gay... [Read more...]
CLINTON NOMINEE UNDER FIRE FOR BIGOTRYMarch 30, 1999
Since January 1998, Senate Republicans have been blocking the Clinton administration’s nominee for the position of Ambassador to Luxembourg, James Hormel. A homosexual activist, Hormel has come under fire from many conservative groups. The Catholic League has said from the beginning that it is not opposed to Hormel because of his sexual orientation... [Read more...]
“60 MINUTES” SKEWS STORY ON IRISH CATHOLICSMarch 27, 1999
The Catholic League did not call it bigotry, but it did say that it was tendentious. This was our take on a segment of “60 Minutes” that ran on January 3. Entitled “Magdalen Laundries,” this piece focused on the plight of dysfunctional young women who sought care in Catholic convents in Ireland. Most of the women had lived on... [Read more...]
1998 ANNUAL REPORT—HOT OFF THE PRESS!March 27, 1999
The Catholic League’s 1998 Annual Report on Anti-Catholicism is now available. The biggest annual report ever published, the report offers a comprehensive look at anti-Catholicism in 1998. It records Catholic- bashing incidents that emanated from the activist organizations, the artistic community, business, education, government and the media; a sample... [Read more...]
BALANCING BIGOTRYMarch 27, 1999
On February 8, the Richmond Times-Dispatch raised the following question: “What explains the Catholic church [sic] being so desperate for priests that it is trying to recruit them through billboard ads?” What caught our eye is that this wise-crack was placed as a box insert in a favorable editorial on Israel. The curious juxtaposition... [Read more...]
BIASED AD DRAWS FIREMarch 27, 1999
Over the past few years, the Catholic League has complained to several newspapers regarding their willingness to publish full-page ads, paid for by the Eternal Gospel Independent Church Seventh-Day Adventists, that attack Catholicism. Fortunately, our complaints have typically resulted in a pledge by the editor not to run the ads again. Unfortunately,... [Read more...]
BUFFALO (JUNK) NEWSMarch 27, 1999
When we’re upset with some newspaper column or editorial, we usually just write a letter to the editor. But in the case of a recent remark by a columnist for the Buffalo News, we also took our complaint to the editor and senior vice president, Murray Light. On February 4, Mary Kunz wrote a short comment on the significance of the feast of St. Blase.... [Read more...]
CATHOLICISM AND “THE GREATEST GENERATION”March 27, 1999
William A. Donohue In a new book, NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw argues that those Americans who came of age during the Depression and the Second World War constitute our “greatest generation.” Though I was not of that generation (I am one of those “baby boomers”), I would agree: there was something very special about that generation,... [Read more...]
CHEAP SHOTSMarch 27, 1999
We don’t complain about criticism of the Catholic Church, but we do complain about cheap shots. Here are a few recent examples. Newsday columnist Cheryl McCarthy doesn’t like the way Republicans have conducted the impeachment proceedings against the president. Fine. But why was it necessary for her to repeat what her friend told her about this?... [Read more...]
CLINTON’S VIEW OF HITLER IS FLAWEDMarch 27, 1999
On February 4, at the 47th annual National Prayer Breakfast, President Clinton said that “throughout history people have prayed to God to aid them in war.” He also said that “No faith is blameless in saying that they have taken up arms against others of other faiths, other races—because it was God’s will that they do so.” These... [Read more...]