Critics of the Mel Gibson movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” are confounded. That’s because the pope has seen the film and has extended his blessings. “It is as it was,” Pope John Paul II said. Thus did he drive Mel’s adversaries into a tizzy. It was on December 17 that Peggy Noonan broke the story in “Opinion... [Read more...]
CENSORING CHRISTMAS
Every December the Catholic League goes into high gear confronting those who attempt to censor Christmas. This year was no exception. Unfortunately, the long-awaited ruling on the New York City schools did not come down. So another year went by without nativity scenes in the schools; Jewish menorahs and Islamic crescent and stars were allowed. We fought... [Read more...]
THE TRIUMPH OF MEL GIBSON
It all happened quite accidentally. On June 11, 2003, I was asked to debate Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center on the MSNBC show “Scarborough Country.” The subject—the hullabaloo over a movie that virtually no one had seen, “The Passion” (the name has since been changed to read, “The Passion of the Christ”). The... [Read more...]
HANDY GUIDE TO MEL’S CRITICS
By the time the March edition of Catalyst arrives in your home, “The Passion of the Christ” will have opened in theaters nationwide; it opens February 25. Be sure to keep this handy guide nearby so you can monitor what the critics will be saying. Here is a list of some of the most irresponsible remarks made by Mel’s critics, all... [Read more...]
DECEMBER DILEMMA REMEDIED: CENSOR CHRISTMASDECEMBER DILEMMA REMEDIED: CENSOR CHRISTMAS
When people say there is a December Dilemma, what they mean is that school officials are in a bind: how can they allow the celebration of Christmas without offending others? The answer? Censor Christmas. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is so worried about Christmas that it issues an annual document, “The December Dilemma,” on how to deal... [Read more...]
PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL RESTORES NATIVITY SCENE
On December 18, the Catholic League issued a news release regarding the decision of Simmons Elementary School Principal Karen Davis to remove a nativity scene from the school. After threatening a lawsuit, the crèche was put back the same day. Here’s what happened. Parents had put the nativity scene in the suburban Philadelphia school, but Davis... [Read more...]
CONNECTICUT LIBRARY CENSORS JESUS
Officials of Meriden Public Library in Meriden, Connecticut, banned five images of Jesus from display in the library. The paintings, all of which were reverential, were nonetheless deemed violative of a policy that disallows “inappropriate” and “offensive” fare. The Catholic League protested and won: the paintings were allowed... [Read more...]
DIVERSITY DESPOTS GUT CHRISTMAS IN THE OFFICE
It’s not just the schools that are censoring Christmas; the corporate world is doing its part as well. So-called diversity specialists are the ones seeking to gut Christmas from the workplace. We call them the Diversity Despots. Take, for example, Fraser Nelson, executive director of the Disability Law Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Nelson, who... [Read more...]
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY REPEALS CHRISTMAS WARNINGS CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY REPEALS CHRISTMAS WARNINGS
In December, we learned that Central Michigan University’s affirmative action office publishes a calendar, available online, that denotes various holidays. In December 2003, it listed Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Las Posadas. But there was an asterisk next to Christmas: it read, “Warning of Holiday Decorations.” By clicking on... [Read more...]
INDIANA LAW PROFESSOR CENSORS CHRISTMAS TREE
Indiana University Law Professor Florence Roisman complained about a Christmas tree on campus and succeeded in getting it removed. She said the 12-foot tree celebrated Christmas. Roisman, who is Jewish, opined, “To honor one religion and not honor others is exclusionary.” The tree had no religious ornaments on it. The Dean of Students, Tony... [Read more...]