PBS MUHAMMAD FILM RAISES QUESTIONS

In August, a three-part documentary, “The Life of Muhammad,” debuted on PBS to much critical acclaim.

No one likes to see his religion trashed, and with regard to “The Life of Muhammad,” Muslims have nothing to worry about. The New York Daily News said the film could be subtitled “Islam 101,” boasting that “If it helps with greater understanding, it has done its job.” A professor who appears in the series praised it for its “balance.”

However, a look back at PBS’ treatment of the Catholic Church yielded few films that could reasonably be dubbed “Catholicism 101,” or that could in any way be praised for promoting “greater understanding.” In fact, most of the films were flagrantly imbalanced.

Nowhere was Muhammad depicted in the series. This is said to be in keeping with Koranic prohibitions against showing images of the prophet. But the Koran only condemns idolatry; it does not forbid representations of human beings. Indeed, there are illustrated Korans that depict Muhammad. Also, if showing human figures is taboo, why did Muhammad allow his wife, Aisha, to play with dolls? (She was 6-years-old when he married her, and 9 when the marriage was consummated; he was in his fifties.) Moreover, Muhammad himself kept copies of Jesus and Mary from destruction.

Oxford professor Tariq Ramadan erroneously said in the film that “We never represent or have any images of any of the prophets.” Faris Kermani, the producer and director, does not deny that Ramadan is wrong. He simply says that he decided to respect “the current Muslim view, understanding that this has not always been the case.” So kind.

PBS has a long history of disparate treatment when it comes to portrayals of Islam and Catholicism. Its treatment of Islam has not always been fair, either.




MORE ON POPE PIUS XII’S HEROISM

The Catholic News Agency has reported that Pope Francis is considering moving ahead with the canonization of Pope Pius XII. Pope Paul VI had started the beatification and canonization process in 1967. At the time, he also formed a committee to study Pius XII’s life, which resulted in “Acts and Documents of the Holy See related to the Second World War,” a publication about Pius XII’s papacy. Next year, when the remaining documents from his papacy will be released, researchers will have access to some 16 million papers. Historians will be able to give a full account of this pope’s courage in saving Jews from the Holocaust. The ongoing work of historians provides mounting evidence to support the Catholic claim that Pius XII was a hero. Two books published last June are valuable additions to the historical record.

Pius XII, the Bridgettine nuns, and the rescue of Jews by Mother Riccarda Hambrough and Mother Katherine Flanagan by Joanna Bogle tells the moving story of how these two nuns protected Jews in their convents during the Nazi occupation of Rome. The pope ordered religious buildings to shelter Jews as part of a massive operation to save them. In Rome, 155 monasteries and convents gave refuge to some 5,000 Jews. The Pope personally took responsibility for the welfare of children of Jews taken out of Italy. About 80 percent of Jews survived in Italy; throughout Europe 80 percent of Jews perished.

Père Marie-Benoît and Jewish Rescue: How a French Priest Together with Jewish Friends Saved Thousands during the Holocaust by Susan Zuccotti focuses on a French Capuchin priest who was honored as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations” by Israel for saving Jews during the Holocaust. His work started in the South of France. The priest was soon overwhelmed by requests for help: “there were not enough false documents, not enough hiding places, and not enough money.” He was a man of action who took matters into his own hands, working with Jewish rescue groups and holding secret meetings in his monastery. In a private audience with Pope Pius XII in 1943, the priest asked the pope to aid Jews trapped in France, Italy and Spain.

Not only do these must-read books vividly portray the courage of individual Catholics in dark and perilous times, they also give an indication of just how profound and vital Pius XII’s role was in standing up to Nazi tyranny. Indeed, they offer a preview of what’s to come when all of the documents relating to Pope Pius XII’s papacy are released next year.




KUDOS TO GOVERNOR JINDAL

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is a practicing Catholic who is fighting for the rights of the Catholic Church, as well as minority students. On August 23, 2013, Governor Jindal discovered that Attorney General Eric Holder would be suing his state claiming that Jindal’s voucher program violates civil rights laws. The purpose of the voucher program is to provide children who attend failing schools a chance to go to a better public school or enroll in a private school. According to the Department of Justice, the program could potentially hinder the federal desegregation rules that are present throughout several Louisiana parishes that date back to the Civil Rights era. In the name of racial justice, Holder is promoting the very thing civil rights was supposed to combat.

Louisiana’s successful voucher program contains two requirements for prospective recipients. Students who receive a voucher must come from a family with an income that is below the 250 percent poverty line and be enrolled in a failing school. A student who meets these two requirements is then considered to be eligible for a voucher. Rather than put the money toward their local school, the money is used for the tuition at a private school or a reputable public school. The governor’s office reveals that 90 percent of voucher recipients in Louisiana are minorities.

A petition created by the DOJ claims that federal desegregation orders are being violated by the voucher program. The 1975 equal protection case that was decided by the Fifth Circuit concluded that Louisiana could not grant money to private schools in certain school districts because doing so would encourage various types of segregation or discrimination. Two examples have been used by the DOJ to defend their argument that vouchers have promoted segregation or discrimination in public schools. Independent Elementary in Tangipahoa Parish is a predominantly black school that lost five white students to other schools. A school in St. Martin Parish called Cecilia Primary School is predominantly white and lost six black students. According to the DOJ, both of these instances reversed the progress that has been made toward integration.

Evidence from across the U.S. illustrates that vouchers actually enhance racial integration. Students are offered an opportunity to enroll in schools that they otherwise would not be able to attend. Private schools that accept students who receive vouchers have a more diverse student body than public schools. It is ironic that the DOJ is attempting to use civil rights laws to force minority students to remain in failing schools. Doing so challenges the protections that were implemented in the first place. Jindal believes that education is a civil rights issue and he is more than willing to fight for it.




GOV. BROWN VETOES SEX ABUSE BILL

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Bill Donohue comments on the decision by California Governor Jerry Brown to veto a sexual abuse bill that lifted the statute of limitations for cases of alleged molestation if the incident occurred in private institutions:

Governor Brown saw right through the machinations of those who selectively sought to allow alleged victims of sexual abuse another chance to file suit. He properly noted that legislation passed a decade ago already covered the Catholic Church, so there was no need to do so again. But most important, he denounced the politics involved. “This extraordinary extension of the statute of limitations, which legislators chose not to apply to public institutions, is simply too open-ended and unfair,” he said.

I personally wrote to Governor Brown citing the sexual abuse of students at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles. To think that they would be excluded from the bill sponsored by Sen. James Beall Jr., simply because they were abused at a public school, is mindboggling. But that’s what would have happened. I am delighted that Governor Brown saw fit to mention Miramonte in his statement. He said those students who were assaulted “are no less worthy because of the institution they attended.”

The Catholic League contacted over 1,000 parishes in California, all the lawmakers, and every one of our members in the state asking them to demand justice. But the real heroes are the bishops of California, led by Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez.

The final proof that this bill was driven more by anti-Catholicism than any alleged interest in child welfare came when Republicans tried to amend the Beall legislation to include public institutions. It was defeated. To engage in bigotry is always wrong, but it is particularly despicable when it is done under the guise of protecting children.

Kudos to Governor Brown.




TATTOOED JESUS A HIT

abc_kamc_jesus_tattoos_ll_131009_16x9_608Bill Donohue comments on a billboard in West Lubbock, Texas that features a tattooed Jesus, and an accompanying video on the website of Jesustattoo.org:

It is understandable that Christians who only see the billboard might be disconcerted. At first blush, the sight of a Jesus-figure, standing with his arms outstretched, covered with tattoos, is jarring; on his body are such words as “Outcast” and “Addicted.” But the video offers a much more complete, and satisfying, picture of the intended message.

The video shows how Jesus forgives and transforms the life of sinners. It also shows how Jesus loves those who have been rejected by society, offering them hope. Indeed, the six-minute video shows how the promise of salvation awaits those who follow Jesus. As such, it is a positive and quite moving statement. We applaud this novel effort to showcase the power and glory of Jesus Christ.

To see the video, click here.




BISHOPS BLAMED FOR SHUTDOWN

logoBill Donohue comments on who is to blame for the government shutdown:

It is important for the bishops to know that the National Catholic Reporter is giving high profile to the pernicious notion that they are to blame for the partial government shutdown. To be specific, on the homepage of the newspaper’s website today, prominently displayed on the top left, is an article by Adele Stan blaming the bishops for the shutdown. It was chosen by the editor of the weekly, Dennis Coday, for publication.

Stan’s attack is so vicious that I wrote a news release about it two days ago, “Radical Leftists Trash Bishops.” I listed five articles blaming the bishops, pointing out that “Adele Stan is leading the pack.” I chose her over the other authors for two reasons: she was the first to start this assault on the bishops; it was also the most inflammatory. It is hardly news that the National Catholic Reporter rejects the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexuality, but it is the height of irresponsibility for its senior editor to feature an article that savages the bishops. That Stan’s screed was first published on a pro-abortion and anti-Catholic website, rhrealitycheck.org, is even more alarming.

As I pointed out on Tuesday, Stan accuses the bishops of wanting to “block access” to “health care for the masses, food for the hungry, and shelter for the homeless.” She charges that “they wouldn’t mind seeing the global economy brought to its knees.” She adds that not only do the bishops discriminate against women, “no bishop ever endured the pain, blood, and terror of a life-threatening labor.”

Stan’s piece is titled, “At Any Cost: How Catholic Bishops Pushed for a Shutdown—and Even a Default—Over Birth Control.” Coday introduced it, saying, “Are bishops to blame for gov’t shutdown?” He should have been more manly: Of course he and the Reporter believe the bishops are to blame. Why else would they float it?




RADICAL LEFTISTS TRASH BISHOPS

1292b3d6fe4ce050663e4cb0bc2ff719Bill Donohue comments as follows:

In the past few days, there has been a rash of attacks on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) from left-wing circles. Led by an extremist pro-abortion website, rhrealitycheck.org, these activists are trying to silence the bishops: the USCCB is fighting for the conscience rights of Catholics against the health care policies of the Obama administration. Noting that the Congress is considering a Continuing Resolution and debt ceiling bill, the bishops, led by Sean Cardinal O’Malley and Archbishop William E. Lori, are seeking to incorporate this right into such “must-pass” legislation.

Adele Stan is leading the pack; she titled her screed, “At Any Cost: How Catholic Bishops Pushed for a Shutdown—and Even a Default—Over Birth Control.” She was supported by colleague Jessica Mason Pieklo, who said, “Catholic Bishops Meddle With Health-Care Benefits.” Elsewhere, Khier Casino chimed in with “USCCB Demands Special Rights On Birth Control.” Ian Millhiser called his thinkprogress.org article, “Catholic Bishops To House: Shut Down the Government Unless We Get Our Way On Birth Control.” Today at dailykos.com, there is a story, “Catholic Bishops Demand Congress Abort U.S. Economy.”

Not only do the bishops have a First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, they are morally obligated to fight any attempt by the state to force Catholics to violate their conscience by funding abortion-inducing drugs.

Stan is unrestrained in her anti-Catholicism. The bishops, she says, want to “block access” to “health care for the masses, food for the hungry, and shelter for the homeless.” Also, “they wouldn’t mind seeing the global economy brought to its knees,” and they continue to discriminate against women. Indeed, “no bishop ever endured the pain, blood, and terror of a life-threatening labor.” Come to think of it, neither did millions of women who chose to abort their kids. Should their voice also be disqualified? What about homosexuals? Would they make the cut?




SENATE MUST ACT ON MILITARY PRIESTS

b8bf1469b2907cb511cb631dcdb5bd19Bill Donohue comments on the absence of priests on military installations:

There are not enough priests in the military to service all Catholics, which is why the government contracts with members of the clergy to celebrate Mass, baptize children, and the like. But last weekend, many Catholic men and women in the armed forces were denied their constitutional right to practice their religion: non-active duty priests who are hired as government contractors were furloughed due to the partial government shutdown.

The inter-party battles between Republicans and Democrats are of no particular interest to the Catholic League, but the denial of First Amendment rights are. There is absolutely no excuse to deny Catholic members of the armed forces access to their clergy. Worse, the very idea that a non-active duty priest who volunteers to say Mass may be arrested is shocking: this is the kind of thing we would expect from totalitarian regimes.

While both parties are to blame for the shutdown, it is the Obama administration that has decided to war on the civil liberties of Catholics; it has had plenty of practice. It is one thing to deny services that carry no constitutional weight, quite another to censor the First Amendment.

A resolution was passed in the House on Saturday calling on Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to allow these priests to resume their duties. The Senate has thus far done nothing.

Catholics are urged to ask their senators, and Secretary Hagel, to end this disgraceful assault on the constitutional rights of Catholics immediately.

Contact Department of Defense Press Office: OSD.PA.DutyOfficer@mail.mil




GAY GROUP LIKES “CATHOLIC” BURGER

Screen shot 2013-10-04 at 1.59.25 PMBill Donohue comments on the reaction of a gay group, the New Civil Rights Movement, to a Chicago eatery that is featuring a hamburger topped with a Communion wafer:

Five years ago we protested the desecration of a Communion Host by P.Z. Myers, an anti-Catholic atheist professor. Yesterday, I decided not to protest the antics of Kuma’s Corner, a Chicago restaurant, for serving a burger with a Communion wafer. The difference: Myers secured a consecrated Host and drove a nail through it; the sandwich shop played games with an unconsecrated wafer. While Kuma’s showed disrespect, what Myers did was despicable.

Now I have learned that the New Civil Rights Movement, a homosexual outfit that is ever so sensitive about gay issues, is taking utter delight in the burger spoof. The guys who work there predicted that I would be “stroking out.” Sorry to disappoint, boys. In fact, the only angst I feel is toward people like them. They say that what Kuma’s Corner did risks the wrath of “every Christian born without a tolerance gene or a sense of humor.” I’ll remember that the next time they complain about one of my gay quips.

By the way, I thought tolerance was a function of nurture, not nature. So what is it? A preference or an orientation? Please advise as this is very confusing to a straight guy.




QUINNIPIAC POLL IS FLAWED

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Bill Donohue comments on a Quinnipiac poll released today:

There are more than 78 million Catholics in the U.S. and Quinnipiac interviewed 392 of them. The actual number of Catholics who go to Mass on a weekly basis that they interviewed was 153. Most polls ask self-identified Catholics if they “attend church weekly”; “attend church nearly every week or monthly”; or “seldom or never attend church.” Not this one—there were just two choices: “attend weekly” or “less.” In other words, the poll does not distinguish between those who attend monthly and those who have stopped going—they’re lumped together.

They are lumped together for a reason, and it is a dishonest one: Every poll ever taken shows that the more practicing the Catholic is, the more in line he is with the Church’s teachings. In this poll, 60 percent of the Catholics questioned said they do not attend church weekly. Keep in mind that many of these never attend! To what extent can a person be considered a Catholic if he never practices his religion? About as much as a teetotaler can be considered a boozer.

Last March, Quinnipiac interviewed 497 Catholics; this poll is even worse. The margin of error in the poll released today is plus or minus 5 percent; this is worse than the 4 percent figure in the March poll.

The data on abortion are particularly interesting. It is being reported that 36 percent of Catholics think abortion should be legal in most cases. But the figure drops to 20 percent for Catholics who attend church weekly; it is 45 percent for those who do not. Fully 61 percent of practicing Catholics think abortion should be illegal in most cases, while only 29 percent of non-practicing Catholics think this way. These differences are huge, but don’t look for the media, or Quinnipiac, to trumpet them.

Maurice Carroll, the director of the poll, delights in saying how Catholics differ with the “pulpit thundering” perspective they are offered. Spoken like a man who hasn’t seen a pulpit in decades.