Bill Donohue compares media reaction to the Planned Parenthood shooting to the 2012 shooting at the Family Research Council:

On August 15, 2012, a self-identified left-wing political activist entered the lobby of the Family Research Council armed with 100 rounds of ammunition. He told prosecutors that he intended to kill as many staff members as possible. He wound up shooting the security guard before being subdued. His rampage was inspired by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s decision to list the Family Research Center as a “hate group.”

On November 27, 2015, an armed crazed loner with no known political ties entered the offices of a Planned Parenthood center in Colorado Springs, Colorado and killed three people before being captured.

In the first three days following the Family Research Council shooting, the New York Times ran 2 stories totaling 935 words. In the first three days following the Planned Parenthood shooting, the New York Times ran 10 stories totaling 10,206 words, plus a blog post of 341 words. Which means it ran 935 words on the shooting at the conservative group and 10,547 words on the liberal group.

In the first three days following the Family Research Council shooting, the Washington Post ran 3 stories totaling 2,655 words. In the first three days following the Planned Parenthood shooting, the Washington Post ran 7 stories totaling 8,134 words, plus 11 blog posts totaling 11,873 words. Which means it ran 2,655 words on the shooting at the conservative group and 20,007 words on the liberal group.

Figures from the New York Times and the Washington Post combined:
Family Research Council: 5 stories = 3,590 words
Planned Parenthood: 17 stories and 12 blog posts = 30,554 words

Both newspapers are in the pro-abortion camp. If this doesn’t explain their bias, nothing does.

Bill Donohue comments on the way Thanksgiving is received:

A Pew Research Center survey released yesterday found that Thanksgiving has more meaning for Christians than any other segment of the population. For example, 78 percent of the public reports feeling a strong sense of gratitude at least once a week. The figure for Christians is 82 percent; of those who belong to non-Christian faiths, the figure is 73 percent; only 62 percent of atheists feel this way.

Similarly, 90 percent of those who attend religious services at least weekly feel a strong sense of gratitude at least once a week; 89 percent of those who pray daily feel the same way. Yet for those who seldom or never pray, and for those who don’t believe in God, the figure in both cases is 58 percent.

Does this matter? Yes. For one thing, a sense of gratitude is tied to happiness: the social science literature on this subject, which is extensive, clearly shows that believers are much happier than non-believers.

The results of other surveys consistently reveal that gratitude is strongly tied to altruism. For instance, those who report habitually experiencing gratitude engage in more prosocial, or self-giving, behaviors than those who experience gratitude less often. Other studies have found that gratitude stimulates helping others even when it is costly to the helper. In short, those who possess this virtue make for better citizens.

So while Thanksgiving may be celebrated by everyone, some are more equal than others in experiencing its joys. We can surely be grateful about that.

Bill Donohue comments on a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2014”:

After decades of the most progressive sex education programs in our nation’s history, and the most massive distribution of free condoms ever undertaken, never has the rate of sexually transmitted diseases been worse. The rates among blacks and homosexuals are astonishing.

There was an overall increase of 2.8% in chlamydia rates between 2013 and 2014; the rate among blacks is 6 times the rate of whites. After reaching a historic low in gonorrhea rates in 2009, the figures for 2014 grew quickly; the rate among blacks is 10.6 times that of whites. Syphilis rates jumped so much that they are now at their highest rate since 1994; the rate among blacks is 5.4 times the rate among whites.

Blacks comprise roughly 13% of the U.S. population, yet they account for 55.4% of all gonorrhea cases and 50.6% of all syphilis cases. Even more disturbing are the rates for chlamydia and gonorrhea among blacks in the 0-4 age group: no racial or ethnic group comes close to them

Primary and secondary syphilis is now a mostly gay disease. Although gays make up a mere 1.6% of the population, they account for 83% of all male syphilis cases. Throat and rectal infections are particularly high.

How did we get to this point? We have no problem waging war on promiscuity when it comes to food, alcohol, or cigarettes, but we refuse to treat sexual promiscuity the same way. We speak endlessly about the horrors of obesity, cirrhosis of the liver, and lung cancer, but when it comes to STDs, we get clinical.

It’s time we put political correctness aside and started having an honest conversation with everyone about the dangers of sexual promiscuity. Condoms are not the answer—restraint is. And no groups need to hear this message more than blacks and gays.

Bill Donohue comments on the midseason finale of “Scandal”:

Last week’s episode of the Shonda Rhimes show, “Scandal,” featured Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, having an abortion. While her child is being aborted, “Silent Night” plays in the background; the show ends with a self-satisfied Pope listening to “Ave Maria.”

What makes Rhimes tick? After doing a little digging, it appears that libertinism and narcissism are her most defining qualities. Throw in a heady dose of juvenile rebelliousness, and the composite picture that emerges is as revealing as it is sickening.

The abortion episode was a natural for Rhimes: she previously showed her fondness for abortion by featuring it in her hit show, “Grey’s Anatomy.” In real life, she sits on the board of Planned Parenthood’s Los Angeles affiliate; this is a curious decision for a black woman—the organization was founded on racist principles.

Rhimes also likes to depict gay sex, giving it graphic representation in her show, “How to Get Away With Murder.” As one blogger puts it, she “has never been afraid of pushing the envelope when it comes to gay sex.” She disagrees with this characterization: in a fit of delusion, she argues that two men having sex are not engaged in gay sex; rather, they are “scenes with people in them.” Yes, gay people.

Rhimes has three daughters and no husband. “I have never wanted to get married. I love having boyfriends. I love dating. I do not want a husband in my house.” What about her kids? Might they want a father in the house? They don’t count. What counts is what Shonda wants, namely, sex without responsibilities. This explains her scripts as well as her life.

Why the need to play “Silent Night” while the kid is killed? Rhimes is angry—it’s payback time. She went to a Catholic high school where she was disciplined for wearing “too-short skirts.” She never got over it. Hence, her juvenile rebelliousness. The composite picture isn’t pretty—it’s a mess.

Bill Donohue addresses recent attacks on Cardinal Donald Wuerl:

The crazies on the Catholic right have set their sights on Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington. Why? Because he is close to Pope Francis, and they hate the pope. The attacks are coming from The Church Militant, a loose gang of angry right-wingers who specialize in character assassination, and American Spectator hater George Neumayr.

Three recent hit pieces by Church Militant author Christine Niles set the agenda. She says “today’s archbishop of Washington owns a penthouse in a complex valued at $43 million.” That is a lie. He owns not a centimeter of his third-floor “penthouse,” an apartment that sits atop Our Lady Queen of the Americas parish. Like bishops all over the world, he resides in a spot that was specifically designed for the local Ordinary. There is nothing scandalous about this Church patrimony.

Church Militant head Michael Voris says his unidentified sources claim that when Wuerl was the Bishop of Pittsburgh his gay-friendly approach earned him the nickname “Donna the Girl.” I taught at a Pittsburgh Catholic college during Wuerl’s years and never once did I hear anyone tag him as such. Voris also says that Wuerl stole a “Catechism work composed by Fr. John Hardon by simply putting his name to it.” That’s another lie. I guess Wuerl was channeling Hardon when he gave his TV series of lectures on the subject.

Neumayr is so far gone that he accuses Wuerl of being a Communist because someone spotted a copy of Mao’s Little Red Book in his office in the 1970s. That would make me Chairman of the Politburo: I have a copy of Das Kapital in my office right now.

These crazies are mad at Wuerl because he doesn’t believe in using the Eucharist as a weapon to smack liberal Catholic politicians. Wuerl has said that the refusal of Holy Communion “should be made only after clear efforts to persuade and convince the person that their actions are wrong and bear moral consequences.” Exactly. Wuerl is a great gift to the Catholic Church. These critics are as ignorant as they are malicious.

Bill Donohue comments on the proceedings of the general assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):

Those who have been clamoring for the bishops to abandon socio-cultural issues in favor of socio-economic and environmental concerns lost big time in Baltimore. As reported by AP today, “the bishops said they consider opposition to gay marriage and abortion rights paramount in this presidential season and beyond.”

In a landslide vote, 210-21, the bishops voted to approve the revisions to “Faithful Citizenship,” the guide to Catholic voters. “Some issues involve principles that can never be abandoned such as the fundamental right to life and marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” the bishops said. The document also endorsed the need to fight for religious liberty.

Religious liberty and conscience rights were given a push on Monday when Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the Vatican’s U.S. ambassador, spoke to the bishops. It was he who arranged the meeting between Kim Davis, the courageous defender of marriage, and the pope. Vigano implored the bishops to “preserve a moral order in society.” He also chastised Catholic colleges and universities for allowing their Catholic identity to slip, especially Jesuit-run schools (e.g., Georgetown has two pro-abortion groups on campus). He received two standing ovations.

The much ballyhooed “Francis effect” was not noticeable in either the vote on “Faithful Citizenship” or on the vote for elected positions. Regarding the latter, of the four recently appointed bishops who were up for election, three failed to capture a committee chairmanship. Moreover, Hartford Archbishop Leonard Blair expressed disdain for all the talk about a “revolution” in the Church. “There is a kind of rhetoric of regime change that is going on in the Church,” he said. He cautioned everyone to be “very, very wary of that.”

The bishops’ resolve to hang tough on social issues evidenced itself in a new document condemning pornography. They specifically attacked the “myth of harmlessness.”

Bill Donohue comments on the fallout of the Paris attacks:

Everyone seems to be careful not to blame radical Islam for the carnage in Paris, but there is no shortage of pundits taking the opportunity to indict Christianity. The most common tactic is to compare radical Islamic terrorists to crazy Christians.

That there are crazy Christians cannot be denied, but their ranks are virtually empty of genocidal maniacs who kill in the name of their religion. Not so with radical Islamists, and there are plenty of them. The Muslim terrorists who went on their Paris killing spree were screaming “Allahu Akbar” or “God Is Great.” They didn’t mean Jesus.

Here’s a sample of the articles that were recently posted online:

• “Paris Attacks: Why Islam and Christianity are Twin Religions.” [The Conversation AU]
• “How Religion Can Unleash Humanity’s Violent Impulses.” [Raw Story]
• “Can Atheism Replace Religion?” [Huffington Post]
• “Freedom from Religion: Maybe a Good Idea.” [Patheos]
• “In Light of the Paris Attacks, is it Time to Eradicate Religion?” [Washington Post] The author, Miroslav Volf, teaches at Yale University. Guess what he teaches? Theology.

Note that the last four titles use the term “religion,” as opposed to “Islam.” This allows the writers to slam Christianity. These titles are not altogether different from the first one: it says the two religions are twins. Yet whenever Catholics do something immoral, e.g., the abuse scandal, we never hear it said that Catholicism is no different from Islam.

A Charlie Hebdo cartoonist also took the opportunity to slam Christians. Atheist Joann Sfar announced, “we don’t need your prayers.” Had he said we don’t need more “Allahu Akbar” prayers, he would have been right.

Bill Donohue comments on Cosmopolitan’s current edition:

The cover story of the December edition of Cosmopolitan is titled, “Sex Wish List.” The article contains 24 sexual suggestions, all of which exploit the Christian and Jewish holidays. Most conspicuously, it includes a “Sex-Vent Calendar,” a rip-off of the Advent calendar prized by Christians. Here’s a sample.

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Xxx-mas Too” recommends that the reader “Lie back and make your Christmas carnal with The Womanizer—an external vibe with gentle suction power that simulates oral sex.” Another Christmas gift is called, “Go A-Caroling!” Instead of “Away in a Manger,” readers are told to buy Dap Kings’ new album: it features “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Parenthetically, it says, “No, It’s not just a clever name.”

“Light His Menorah!” is for Jews. “Heat up Hanukkah and burn a massage candle until it melts, then carefully (!) brush oil on his chest and back, massaging as you go. Just like the Maccabees’ flame, he’ll last even longer than expected.” Another gift to Jews is titled, “Play a Game of ‘Sex Dreidel.'” The game “makes each Hebrew letter on the toy’s sides represent something a little less kosher than you’re used to….”

Cosmopolitan was once a women’s magazine, but in the 1970s it decided to become a soft-porn publication. Helen Gurley Brown bet that the fastest way for women to achieve equality with men was for the gals to mimic the most debased male traits. She succeeded. What women won remains a mystery. No matter, up until now the magazine at least stayed away from trashing Christian and Jewish holidays. That it can’t resist doing so these days tells us just how low it has become.

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo ruckus, we suppose that Cosmopolitan readers won’t be treated to a Ramadan issue. Too bad.

Contact Cosmopolitan editor Amy Odell: aodell@hearst.com

Bill Donohue sent the following letter today to the Wadena, Minnesota City Council:

Dear City Council Members:

Your decision to remove the nativity scene from Burlington Northern Park was unfortunately based on faulty information. That is why I am asking you to reconsider this issue.

As I understand it, the Freedom From Religion Foundation threatened to sue if the crèche was not removed, even though it had been displayed there for 23 years. Subsequently, one person complained, arguing that Christian symbols should not be placed on public property. Your attorney, Patrick Eliot, then maintained that the crèche had to be removed because it suggests that the government was “endorsing” religion.

Eliot is mistaken. There is nothing unconstitutional about putting a nativity scene on public property as long as it is considered a public forum. Burlington Northern Park is a public forum because it hosts all kinds of community activities. If the nativity scene had been displayed outside city hall, or on the grounds of a courthouse, that would be different: the proximity to a seat of government might suggest that the government was endorsing religion.

For the past two decades, the Catholic League has erected a life-size nativity scene in Central Park. We have never had a problem. Why? Because the New York City Parks Department knows that this public land is a public forum. Similarly, Jews display a menorah there.

Please do not allow these anti-Christian bullies from the Freedom From Religion Foundation to succeed. If money is an issue, I can put you in touch with pro-bono attorneys.

Thank you for your consideration.

Bill Donohue debunks ACLU myths about Catholic hospitals:

There is an article posted today on the Medscape website, “ACLU Says Catholic Hospitals Can Not Refuse to Perform Life-Saving Abortions,” that repeats ACLU myths on this subject. It is written by Arthur L. Caplan, a professor who works in the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Caplan agrees with an ACLU lawsuit that seeks to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions; the hospitals follow the directives of the bishops.

Caplan writes that “The bishops’ teaching on this [abortion] says you still cannot do an abortion, even if the mother’s life depends on it.” He also says that these hospitals should be required to “tell you where else you could go or refer you to places where you might be able to get the service you want, if not there.” Catholic teaching is more complicated than this.

Yes, it is always wrong to intentionally take the life of an innocent person, beginning with unborn children. But the Catholic doctrine of “double effect” allows for an operation to save the life of the mother even if “the effect” is the death of the child.

Regarding the question of consent, #27 of the “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” established by the bishops, says that “informed consent” is key and that the person or the person’s surrogate should be appraised of “any reasonable and morally legitimate alternatives, including no treatment at all.” It should be noted that just this year, in one of the ACLU’s lawsuits attempting to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions (it lost in federal court), it never mentioned this directive in its lawsuit. Why complicate things?

The U.S. has the most liberal abortion laws in the world, but that is not enough to satisfy the ACLU, or people like Caplan. They want to jam their secular values down the throats of Catholics. And this has to be said: There is no such thing as a “life-saving abortion.” Indeed, that’s a classic oxymoron.