The anti-war crowd may be a varied group, but it is also true that the hard-core activists are an angry and vicious lot. Take for example what has been happening at Cornell University.

It is not enough for the anti-war students at Cornell to protest U.S. action against Iraq. What’s really bugging them is the United States itself and some of its premier institutions, e.g., the Catholic Church. Here is what one of their most prominent banners reads:

“We Live In a Country Founded By Cheats, Murderers, Rapists, Thiefs…Terrorists. Whom Captured, Killed, Enslaved Millions of Africans. Whom Killed More Natives Than Nazis Did Jews. While the Catholic Church is Behind the Altar Justifying Molestation—God Bless Amerikkka.”

We intentionally reprinted the banner just the way it appeared on the campus. We wanted you to know that paying big bucks for an Ivy education is no guarantee that illiteracy will not reign.

Back to the bigotry. What this banner suggests is that many in the anti-war ranks are full of hate. They hate anything that smacks of patriotism and goodness. Catholicism holds there are truths that are universal and non-negotiable; this is what drives the nihilists mad. They have no blueprint for reform, just a recipe for destruction.

Greek director Constantin Costa-Gavras’ latest movie, “Amen,” opened in select theaters on January 24. On January 7, the film was previewed by Catholic League director of communications Louis Giovino; he prepared a report on the movie for Catholic League president William Donohue. The following news release, written by Donohue, is based on Giovino’s observations and Donohue’s critique of the Catholic Church’s response to the Holocaust:

“The need to find a scapegoat for the Holocaust continues with Costa-Gavras’ malicious contribution. The movie posits that there was this Jesuit priest who endlessly lobbied Pope Pius XII to do something about the Holocaust. But this is pure fiction: Costa-Gavras readily admits that he literally made up this character to fit the plot. And the plot is that had Pius XII used his bully pulpit to condemn Hitler, the German people would have risen up against him. That there is not a shred of historical evidence to support this fantastic claim does not seem to matter. What matters is that the Catholic Church be indicted for passivity.

“Those who know this period know that leading American Jews and Jewish organizations were opposed to mass demonstrations against Hitler in American cities because they might agitate the Nazis. It is also true that American Jews worked against immigration reforms that would alleviate the plight of German Jews. But this chapter in history is absent from ‘Amen.’ To include it might obstruct the film’s purpose.

“The film also suggests that only Jewish converts to Catholicism were saved by the Vatican when the Nazis invaded Rome. This is a lie. Indeed, nowhere in Europe were more Jews saved—85 percent—than in Italy. False baptismal certificates were issued; the Vatican was opened to Jews; priests and nuns hid Jews in monasteries and convents; and so on.

“The most disturbing aspect of this movie is the unreflective assumption of many movie-goers that what is being depicted is true. That they have been taken to the cleaners intellectually is something that will forever escape them.”

Just when we thought we had heard the last story about the “holiday wars” of 2002, a bank issued a statement that really caught our eye.

At the end of January, HSBC USA apologized for altering the religious imagery of a fifth-grader’s holiday card submission. Gregory Paladino, a student at Our Mother of Sorrows outside of Rochester, New York, had won $1,000 for his school when his card was declared the winner in the HSBC holiday card contest. But the card the student submitted—showing a dove hovering over a village—was declared objectionable by the bank judges because it also showed a church with a steeple and a cross.

Instead of rejecting the card because it violated the HSBC policy of prohibiting religious imagery, HSBC decided to print the winning card after they had removed the steeple and cross; by excising the church, it was intentionally made to look like other houses in the scene.

An apology for altering the card was granted by Youssef A. Nasr, chief executive of HSBC. He hastened to add that the card should never have been chosen as the winner since it violated the bank’s policy regarding religious imagery.

Here is the text of our news release on this subject:

“HSBC doesn’t get it. It made two egregious errors: a) the decision to bar religious imagery and b) the decision to delete it. Responsibility has only been taken for the latter.

“Holiday cards in December do not celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday any more than they celebrate President’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day or Thanksgiving. They celebrate Christmas. Everyone knows this but many elites in our society prefer to live in complete denial. They are more interested in protecting the sensibilities of non-Christians than they are in giving due recognition to Christians. In doing so, they unwittingly suggest that all non-Christians are offended by the Christmas holiday. This is itself a bigoted statement aimed at Jews, Muslims and non-believers, most of whom are no more bigoted than are Christians.

“Because we have some traitors in the U.S., look for HSBC to bar patriotic imagery from cards that celebrate the Fourth of July.”

Just over a week before the Super Bowl, Penn & Teller, the famed magicians, performed an obscene anti-Christian act in Las Vegas. Because they were scheduled to do a short skit on ABC prior to the Super Bowl, William Donohue appealed to ABC Sports director Howard Katz requesting that he cancel the spot. Here is the text of Donohue’s letter:

Mr. Howard Katz
Executive Director
ABC Sports
ABC Television Network
47 W. 66th Street
New York, NY 10023

Dear Mr. Katz:

I am requesting that you cancel the scheduled performance of Penn & Teller during the pre-game segment of the Super Bowl. The reason I am making this request has to do with the incredibly anti-Christian statement made by these two men on January 16. In front of 400 persons at the World Magic Seminar held at the Las Vegas Riviera, a nearly-naked Teller appeared on stage dressed as Christ on a full-sized cross. Then a midget dressed as an angel performed a simulated sex act on him. Penn unveiled the scene by pulling away a “Shroud of Turin” that covered the cross.
It would be much appreciated if ABC Sports were to now say that such conduct will not be rewarded by ABC and that therefore the scheduled appearance of Penn & Teller at the Super Bowl has been cancelled.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
William A. Donohue, Ph.D.
President

Unfortunately, ABC allowed Penn & Teller to perform. While the skit they did was without offense, it is our belief that had the magicians used Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., instead of Christ, in their filthy Las Vegas act, there would have been a different outcome. The media, especially the Associated Press, pressed ABC on this issue. At least ABC was forced to respond, however irresponsible their decision was.

The February 5 edition of the NBC show, “Law & Order,” misrepresented Catholic teachings in a way that made the Church look sinister. The show centered on Father Hogan who murdered a drug dealer. Here are three examples where the Church’s teachings were twisted:

• When questioned by police about the initial suspect in the murder, Father Hogan said, “Until the Vatican tells me otherwise, any conversation I have with a congregant remains between him, me and God.”

• After confessing to the crime, Father Hogan says, “Killing is not a crime when it is God’s will.”

• Father Hogan justifies killing the drug dealer by citing Exodus, saying this book of the Bible exculpates him.

Our news release on the show is printed below:

“If Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of ‘Law & Order,’ has a need to bash the Catholic Church, he should at least make an attempt to know something about the religion. By twisting the teachings of the Church to make his case, Wolf runs the risk of being regarded as a theological illiterate. Not that he would suffer any penalty for doing so in Hollywood, it’s just that he runs the risk of not fooling everyone.

“The scene where the attorney was planning to put a bishop on the stand was great. ‘He [the bishop] can’t have murder added to the long list of priestly iniquities,’ said the lawyer. This showed tremendous sensitivity; how empathic. But my favorite line was the one where the priest says all three major faiths are now in crisis: a) Muslim terrorism and the war b) anti-Semitism on the rise and c) the sex scandal in the Church.
“Now imagine for one moment a show where Judaism is misrepresented, a rabbi is guilty of murder, dirty laundry in the Jewish community is flagged and anti-Catholicism is said to be on the rise.”

In a letter to Dick Wolf, William Donohue simply said, “Try to be a little more creative next time”; he also enclosed a copy of the news release.

You can write to Mr. Wolf at Studios USA/Wolf Films, 100 Universal City Plaza Building #69, North Hollywood, CA 91601-9999.

Every now and then some organizations that feign neutrality manage to show their cards. It’s always gratifying when we learn our worst suspicions have been confirmed. It’s even gratifying when we learn that those whom we are certain are the enemy unwittingly show their cards. The sex abuse scandal in the Church has provided several examples of this phenomenon.

Poynter is the name of a website that journalists tap into for information. Essentially, it puts in one spot news accounts on select subjects that have been collected from around the country. For the past year it has featured a section called “Clergy Abuse Tracker”; information on the clergy—from any religion—implicated in sexual abuse is to be found in this spot. That, at least, is what this section is ostensibly all about.

But objectivity is not what this journalistic site sports. For example, it has failed to report some highly notable cases of clergy abuse committed by non-Catholic clergymen; it never fails to catch a priest who’s in the news. In January, Matthew Hale made a front-page section of the Chicago Tribune for his appearance in a federal courthouse on charges of soliciting the murder of a federal judge. Hale is not only one of the nation’s most notorious white supremacists, he is the head of the World Church of the Creator. Poynter, however, failed to list this story.

Two days before Poynter excluded the story on Hale, it included a story on Galileo. That’s right, Galileo. Someone simply decided to take another cheap shot at the Catholic Church in the pages of the Boston Globe by writing a piece on the early 17th century scientist; Poynter was so obliging it listed the article in the “Clergy Abuse Tracker” section. When we first spotted this story we thought old Galileo had risen from the dead and returned as a molesting priest. But we were wrong. What actually happened was that Poynter got sloppy and showed its cards.

The Feminist Majority is a well-greased foundation headed by Eleanor Smeal, formerly of the National Organization for Women. Like most radical feminist groups, the Feminist Majority is anti-Catholic. What drives the anti-Catholic animus is, of course, abortion. Quite simply, the passion that the pro-abortion activists have for their cause is so intense and consuming that it often spills over into bigotry when challenged.

On its home webpage, the Feminist Majority lists under “Feminist News” news articles of interest to its members. For instance, at the end of January it drew attention to articles on “Women Sue AT&T for Contraceptive Coverage,” “Title IX Commission To Meet on Final Recommendations: Women’s Groups to Hold Rally,” etc. But it also drew attention to a piece that had absolutely nothing to do with its mission: “Alleged Victims Call for Resignation of New Hampshire Bishop.”

This was not an error, per se, but it was an example of how the Feminist Majority showed its cards. Some official in the organization thought it necessary to inform her supporters that another bishop was in trouble with his flock. Why? Because bad news about the Catholic Church is good news to its enemies.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation did something similar. Consider that its mission is allegedly to keep America free by defending separation of church and state. On its home webpage it lists various thematic issues of interest to its allies, most of which make sense given its goal. “The Case Against School Prayer,” “Abortion is a Blessing,” and “What’s Wrong With the Ten Commandments” are the kinds of themes we would expect from an organization titled Freedom from Religion Foundation (though by actually declaring abortion to be a “blessing,” it proves beyond doubt that “pro-choice” is a misnomer—“pro-abortion” is more accurate).

There was one listing, however, that didn’t make sense from a First Amendment perspective and that was “The Scandal of Pedophilia in the Church.” But it does make sense once we understand that, with the Feminist Majority, the Freedom from Religion Foundation is marked by an unabiding hostility to the Catholic Church. To say they like the scandal is an understatement—they love it.
We look at it this way: by tipping their hand, we can read their cards. This is not without consequence. As a matter of fact, to the extent that knowledge is power it can rightly be said that the Church’s adversaries have empowered the Catholic League.

When Bill Donohue debated Phil Donahue on abortion recently, Bill read the following item: “An abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun. It is dangerous to your life and health.” In an angry tone, Phil asked Bill who wrote that. Bill replied, Planned Parenthood in 1963.

Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood, looked on in amazement.

The Susan B. Anthony List is the nation’s number one organization dedicated to putting pro-life candidates in office. And it has been enormously successful in recent years.

A not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization with almost 80,000 members, the Susan B. Anthony List was founded in 1992 in response to an overwhelming pro-abortion presence in Congress. Started by a group of concerned women of various political affiliations, it was and continues to be their belief that the strong pro-abortion contingent in Washington does not accurately reflect the convictions of most American women. Named after the famous 19th century feminist (who opposed abortion as degrading to women), the Susan B. Anthony List’s main goal is to help elect more pro-life women to Congress.

They have accomplished this mainly through education of women voters, pro-life legislation lobbying and successful campaign training of staff of political candidates. The Susan B. Anthony List also financially contributes to candidates through the help of its members and supporters. Just this past year each endorsed candidate received an average of $15,000.

The Susan B. Anthony List’s feats are many. In 1998, their efforts guaranteed eight pro-life incumbents’ return to Congress. In 2000, there were nine new pro-life members of Congress. And in 2002, the SBA List won 22 out of 32 races. The number of pro-life women in Congress leaped from 7 to 12—a 71% increase.

A large part of their recent success is due to the 2002 Pilot program. This mail and telephone campaign targeted “casual” women voters who voted in the 2000 Presidential election but not in the non-presidential elections of 1998. The 2002 Pilot “Get Out The Vote” program was created in response to the Emily’s List campaign of 2000. Emily’s List, the largest pro-abortion group involved in the 2000 elections, managed to turn out eight million pro-abortion votes and defeat three pro-life Senators.

The 2002 Pilot program energized “casual” women voters by getting them to identify “their” issue. One issue they targeted was parental consent. “Casual” women voters were sent an eye-catching postcard featuring a young woman with tattoos up her arms. It stated: “A child can’t get a real tattoo without your consent…But she can have an abortion!” Another stunning mailer concentrated on the unborn victims issue. It said “Not just a horrible crime…Two Horrible Crimes.” The cover featured a chalk outline of the victim as used in crime scenes, and then following, a second chalk outline in the form of a baby inside the larger outline of the victim. The 2002 Pilot program focused their campaign on three key election states and as a result, all three SBA List candidates won.

The SBA List also educates countless Americans through their nationwide radio campaign. Their “One-Minute Commentary” Public Service Announcements are aired on 826 Christian and secular radio stations throughout the United States.

During a visit to the SBA List website one can email their Member of Congress and instantly become involved in the pro-life battle.

The Susan B. Anthony List
1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 285
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone (703) 683-5558
www.sba-list.org

Catholic League president William Donohue has nothing but good things to say about the organization: “The fight against the culture of death must be fought on several fronts. One of the most important fronts is the Congress. The Susan B. Anthony List has done more than any organization in the nation to help secure the victory of pro-life candidates. It is a group that deserves the support of all Catholics.”

The Catholic League is pressuring public officials in Hightstown, New Jersey, to censure Councilman Eugene Sarafin. On two occasions, Sarafin has used obscene terms to describe his Catholic critics. He labels them “Catholic s—.” The councilman is known for his atheism and inflammatory remarks about religion.

It is important that our New Jersey members write to Council President Nancy Walker-Laudenberger at Hightstown Municipal Building, 148 North Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520 and express their desire for a censure of Councilman Eugene Sarafin.