In protest to what happened to Catholic Answers, the largest Catholic apologetic and evangeliza- tion organization in North America, the Catholic League has quit LifeLine, the Christian long distance telephone service that is managed by AmeriVision Communications. In effect, LifeLine told Catholic Answers that it was “too Catholic,” and that is why the Catholic League has decided to quit the program.
The purpose of LifeLine is to provide Christians with an alternative to secular carriers of long distance telephone services while simultaneously supporting pro-life work and charitable programs. In addition, subscribers to LifeLine can give 10% back to their favorite ministry. Over the past year, the Catholic League has advertised LifeLine to its members and as a result has reaped a small financial gain.
Here is what LifeLine told Catholic Answers: “The purpose of this letter is to regretfully inform you that because Catholic Answers exists to spread and defend the Roman Catholic Faith, Carl Thompson, LifeLines’ Vice President, has decided not to go forward with your account.”
William A. Donohue wrote the League’s response:
“It was your decision not to enlist Catholic Answers in your program because Catholic Answers defends the ‘Roman Catholic Faith’ (your curious emphasis, sir, not mine). Apparently, you know very little about the Catholic League, otherwise you would have denied us as well. Please be advised that we, too, defend the Roman Catholic Faith and, as such, are not worthy of inclusion in your ‘Christian’ program. Accordingly, I will urge our members to quit LifeLine immediately.
“Furthermore, it is my decision to inform every Catholic in the United States about this matter. Quite obviously, I will urge all those who belong to LifeLine to quit and all those who were thinking about becoming members not to. Indeed, I will go further: I will ask our Protestant friends to practice ecumenism by also quitting your organization.
“Perhaps you could be sued for false advertising, but my own tactic is to honestly advertise exactly what you have done.”
