In today’s edition of the Washington Times, a group of mostly lefty Christians has charged that Bill O’Reilly, John Gibson and Bill Donohue should stop fighting the secular war on Christmas and instead join their efforts to combat poverty and war. They are particularly incensed by Donohue’s use of the term “cultural fascists.” Donohue replied as follows:

“As someone who taught in the ghetto helping the urban poor to lift themselves out of poverty, I need no lectures from those whose idea of helping the poor is opening a can of soup for them. And as a veteran, I have done more to promote the cause of peace than all the surrender types have ever done. Indeed, they owe their very existence to people like me.

As for the term “cultural fascists,” I suggest my critics get up to speed: See my news release of 11-27-07—I use the term “multicultural monsters.”

The Catholic League has long noted that incidents of anti-Catholicism receive scant attention in the press. One recent example can be found in today’s issue of Newsday. The paper, dealing with Don Imus’s return to radio, includes a list of other prominent people who have paid a price for making offensive remarks. Mentioned are those who have insulted blacks, Jews, and the Chinese. Not listed are men such as Penn Jillette and Bill Maher, both of whom have made outrageously bigoted and disrespectful comments towards Catholics.

On his Showtime program, Jillette called Mother Teresa “Mother F–king Teresa” and referred to her fellow religious sisters as “F–king c–ts.” On his CBS radio talk show, he also discussed a rumor that Paris Hilton would portray the saintly nun in a film, saying “Paris Hilton is so far above Mother Teresa on the moral scale, she should not lower herself” by accepting the role.

Bill Maher, who has a long history of bigotry against Catholics, has said things such as:It’s easy to start a religion! Watch, I do it for you: I had a vision last night! A vision! The Blessed Virgin Mary came to me–I don’t know how she got past the guards–and she told me it’s high time to take the high ground from the Seventh Day Adventists and give it to the 24-hour party people. And what happens in the confessional stays in the confessional. Gay men, don’t say you’re life partners, say you’re a nunnery of two. ‘We weren’t having sex, officer; I was performing a very private Mass, here in my car. I was letting my rod and staff comfort him. Take this and eat of it, [our emphasis] for this is my roommate Barry. And for all those who believe there is a special place for you in Kevin.’

But Maher and Jillette, for all their hate, don’t merit mention in Newsday’s list. And that is because no one ever suffers a penalty for attacking the Catholic Church. While folks lose their jobs over slurs against other groups, anti-Catholic bigots barely merit a raised eyebrow. The double standard is amazing.

Poor Kathy Griffin. At the pinnacle of her career, she’s consumed by hate. When she received her Emmy award in September for her reality show, she shrieked “Suck it, Jesus, this award is my God now.” And last night on her Bravo special “Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell,” she lashed out again.

Griffin warmed up by attacking the Catholic League for its criticism of her September stunt, saying “Don’t pull your Catholic kid f**ker bulls**t with me, mother f**kers.” What is most disturbing is that she went on to abuse all Catholics and paint all priests as molesters by saying, “The Catholics, they should f**king talk. They got bigger fish to fry than my little jokes. I remember Father Porter.”

So that’s how it is. This ex-Catholic and self-proclaimed “complete militant atheist” gets her jollies by smearing the reputations of the innocent, trashing the Church and knocking Jesus. It’s sad that she feels she must resort to puerile attacks to get laughs. And sadder still that her audience eats it up. Pity Miss Griffin. Being driven by rage can’t be all that much fun.

According to USA Today, the latest FBI data shows that in 2006, there was an increase in the number of hate crimes motivated by bias against religion. While hate crime against people of faith in general shot up 19% from 2005, the increase in hate crimes against Catholics increased by approximately 33%. (The increase for crimes against Muslims and Jews was 22% and 14%, respectively.)

Anyone wishing to read the full report may do so by visiting the FBI’s website athttp://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov07/hatecrime111907.html

Never before in American history have more people known about, and used, condoms than today. And now comes a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that “A new U.S. record” has been set: chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are rapidly increasing.

Two months ago, it was reported that New York City health officials had found a startling increase in syphilis, and that “the increase appears to be concentrated mostly among men who have sex with men.” According to the Associated Press, “The increase in syphilis cases came in the same year that the city distributed more than 17 million free condoms in an effort to step up its condom giveaway efforts to help reduce sexually-transmitted diseases.”

But is anyone listening? The condom hoax is in high gear. The blame goes to city officials, the health community and those who engage in reckless sex. Not until promiscuity is curbed will the rates decrease. And that’s something no condom can fix.

Many fans of crosswords look forward to tackling the New York Times’ Sunday issue. Several enthusiasts contacted the Catholic League, however, to report that they were troubled by a question in yesterday’s puzzle. The work, titled “Putting on Some Weight,” featured several answers that contained the word “ton.” For instance, the clue “I’m not interested in having tea!” led to the answer, “DON’T GIVE ME ANY LIPTON.”

Puns are standard fare for crossword puzzles, but one example from yesterday’s game is a little too cute. The clue for Number 98 across asked “Crucifix?” The corresponding answer was “SEXTON SYMBOL.” Surely the authors of the puzzle, and the editors of the New York Times, would do well to avoid such cheekiness when it comes to the figure of Christ crucified.

Believe it or not, President Bush did not pick a pro-abortion scholar to be the new Vatican ambassador. He picked Harvard professor, and Catholic League board advisor, Mary Ann Glendon. This is obviously a big surprise to the Associated Press (AP).

In one of the AP’s stories on Bush’s nomination, the headline read, “Bush Picks Anti-Abortion Harvard Professor To Be Vatican Ambassador.” Now imagine how it would sound in reverse: “Bush Picks Pro-Abortion Harvard Professor To Be Vatican Ambassador.”

To top things off, in the body of the article Glendon is called “an anti-abortion scholar and opponent of gay marriage.” Has anyone ever heard of “a pro-abortion scholar”? And what exactly is so remarkable about being in favor of traditional marriage? There isn’t a single poll that indicates Americans want gay marriage, and indeed every time voters get a chance to express their view on this issue, they vote against it.

The media elites just don’t get it. They live in a world of their own. To call them parochial would be a colossal understatement.

Yesterday on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation,” Northwestern University professor Garry Wills argued that because the Bible doesn’t specifically mention abortion, it’s not a religious issue. He further added, “Is the fetus a person, and when? It’s not by definition a person and the Catholic Church and others didn’t consider it to be that down through the ages.”  Wills claimed that St. Thomas Aquinas did not consider an early-stage fetus to be infused with a soul.

News flash for Wills: Thomas Aquinas never approved of abortion, and in fact outright condemned it.  Aquinas’ ideas on the soul were based on 13th century science’s understanding of early human life, which was lacking in today’s prenatal technology that leans heavily in favor of the belief that life begins at conception.

Wills also failed to mention that many of the Church’s earliest thinkers, treatises, and councils – the Didache, the Letter of Barnabas, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, the Council of Ancyra, and others – all specifically condemned abortion.

It’s true that “abortion is wrong” never appears in the Bible.  Neither does “embittered ex-seminarians shouldn’t distort Church teaching to serve their own agendas.” But both are implied.

Jerry Springer, who makes his living interviewing sad-sacks, bigots and the sexually depraved and then selling the vile vignettes to viewers, featured a guest today named Jerry Pope who calls himself “the Pope.” Claiming to be the Vicar of Christ, Pope drapes himself in red vestments and a miter. He also claims to be a pimp, and trotted some of his prostitutes onstage along with him. (He boasted of having “sampled the merchandise his call girls have to offer.) When Pope’s daughter came from backstage and begged her father to change his life, he ordered one unfortunate woman to attack her.

Amidst all of this degeneracy, Springer and a guest by the name of Reverend Shnorr (who appeared to be a drunk in a wrinkled suit waving a Bible) chastised Jerry Pope for mocking the Catholic Church.

Save it, Springer. Rather than criticizing guests for impersonating the Holy Father, perhaps you could cease setting the stage for such antics. Decent people do not exploit gigolos and prostitutes (or anyone pretending to be either) to make money. But those responsible for “The Jerry Springer Show” certainly do.

Michael Gerson, former chief speech writer for President Bush, notes in today’sWashington Post that not only do secular Americans prefer the Democrats over Republicans by a margin of 3-1, they bear a strong animus against Christians.

According to Gerson, “One study found that strongly Democratic voters are 5 percent less favorably disposed toward Roman Catholics than are strongly Republican voters, 10 percent less favorable toward Protestants and 23 percent less favorable toward Christian fundamentalists.” Gerson further observes that two election scholars who looked at the data concluded that “One has to reach back to pre-New Deal America…to find a period when voting behavior was influenced by this degree of antipathy toward a religious group.”

We might add that it was Jeanne Kirkpatrick who first noticed the secular penetration of the Democratic party. It began with the presidential election of 1972 and is more evident today than ever before. This does not bode well for either the Democrats or Christians.