The Media’s Favorite Catholic Culture Warrior

by John Gehring 10-23-2009

Just in time for Halloween, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is once again spooked about all those “radical secularists” lurking ominously behind ever corner. In case you didn’t notice, these godless heathens are “waging war” against American culture and plotting to “smash the last vestiges of Christianity in America.” So argues the irrepressible cultural warrior in a recent On Faith commentary and in his new book, Secular Sabotage: How Liberals Are Destroying Religion and Culture in America.

You have to hand it to the guy. Donohue makes righteous indignation and throwing rhetorical bombs into an art form. He is about as subtle as a fist in your face. His latest depiction of cultural doom probably elicits a yawn from most religious Americans who are not obsessed with the bogeymen of multiculturalism, secularism, homosexuality, and Hollywood hedonism that Donohue rails against.

Keeping track of Donohue’s latest offensive comment keeps the watchdogs at Media Matters for America busy. Here’s a few of his signature gems:

“Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular … Hollywood likes anal sex.” MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 12/8/04
“A lot of these people are gold diggers looking to get money from the Catholic Church.” – Speaking about the clergy sex abuse scandal. The Last Word with Matt Cooper 5/29/2009

At least when he gets to feeling down about things, Donohue raises his chin and cheers himself up with this comforting thought:

The culture war is up for grabs. The good news is that religious conservatives continue to breed like rabbits, while secular saboteurs have shut down: they’re too busy walking their dogs, going to bathhouses and aborting their kids. Time, it seems, is on the side of the angels. On Faith, Washington Post, 10/19/09

It’s sad, if unsurprising, that the media regularly turn to Donohue for a “Catholic view” on issues. While Donohue’s bluster makes for sensational television, he rarely raises his voice to speak about issues at the heart of Catholic social teaching. While the U.S. Catholic bishops’ 2008 election-year statement on political responsibility emphasized a consistent ethic of life tradition that recognizes torture, unjust war, the death penalty, genocide, racism, and poverty as “direct assaults on innocent human life,” Donohue is uncharacteristically mute on these points. Abortion is not the only “life issue” for Catholics. As Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala of Los Angeles told the Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. last year: “We are not a one-issue Church … but that’s not what always comes out.”

Every day in our churches, mosques, and synagogues, people of faith gather humbly to pray for wisdom, compassion, and justice. We give public expression to this faith by comforting the sick, welcoming the strangers among us and seeking peace in a world torn by violence. We lobby Congress to pass health-care reform, fix a broken immigration system, and address global climate change as profound moral issues. Even on difficult issues, we reject culture-war showdowns by encouraging pro-choice and pro-life elected officials to find common ground and reduce abortions by increasing support for pregnant women, expanding adoption opportunities and preventing unintended pregnancies.

But we live in an age where the shrillest voices often drown out sober debate and thoughtful insights. Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh watch their ratings soar with every outrageous remark. Bill Donohue gets invited on TV because he bellows and bloviates with the best of them. While some enjoy the antics, most of us are tired of the noise machine. Faith and reason are not enemies, but together help illuminate our path through the dark forests of fear, ignorance, and injustice. Sometimes we just need to turn down the volume and tune out the shouters to find our way.

John Gehring is the Media Director and Senior Writer for Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

Categories: Abortion, Faith and Politics

BlueDeacon

Actually, the nuclear family was never all that viable, at least on a cultural
level. One of the reasons the nuclear family has been falling apart --
despite all the hoopla -- is because the nuclear family often shunned support.
I'm now beginning to understand the necessity of having older folks (esp.
grandparents) around to serve as advisers.

And Biblically speaking, at least in the early church, the local assembly
essentially BECAME family. In large part that was because many of the
believers had been ostracized from the rest of society, what with the Jews of
that day rejecting the claims of Christ and Roman law being subverted. In
fact, they were first called Christians because no one else knew what to call
them -- they had come from literally every tribe, race and culture of that
day.

squeaky

I'm glad to hear you are doing so well!

I can't think of a justification for your friend's actions--even the one I offered was lame--and feel sorry for him as well. He willfully jettisoned a good friend in you. I can only hope he wakes up one day and understands this. He actually lost more than you did--he let go of a true friend. You lost someone who didn't turn out to be one.

scat

Thanks for your concern, In fact, I am doing splendidly. Had surgery, never had to use any pain pills and I was outside touching up paint on the house two days after surgery. I don't think my friend dumped me because of being unable to cope. I can surmise a number of reasons, but the bottom line is that I cannot think of any reason that would be consistent with God's will for us. I try very hard to live my life in as Christlike fashion as I can comprehend. And I could never justify myself for doing anything like that. It would not even cross my mind that it would be OK with God. And before it happened, I would have bet a million dollars that this person would be the one to be a true friend. Like I said, it's when the time comes to act that you find out what people really believe and worship. Talk is cheap. It's the "doing" that tells the tale. I wouldn't want to do it again, but going through the cancer experience really showed the strength, loyalty and reality of a lot of people. I actually feel sorry for my former friend.

squeaky

Sorry to hear about your friend. Seems an odd response, but I'm guessing he's likely a person not able to deal with what you have to deal with, for whatever reason. Some people just have to grow up (I'm speaking from my own experience learning to be more helpful to those suffering loss. I didn't know how to until I had experiences some loss myself (I"m still not that good at it, but certainly have learned a bit)--perhaps that is what is behind your friend's behavior, but of course, I don't know. And whatever the rationale, you are still the one hurt most by his inability to cope.

I too have been confounded by people in the "the world" who are more Christlike than those who supposedly know Him--makes me wonder who knows Him more--the ones who say they do, or the ones who act like they do regardless of whether they would claim that knowledge.

How are you doing?

kansasmennonite

The individualism is why we can't get anyting done with healthcare. We can't get together as a society to acomplish much for the good of all. How sad!

BlueDeacon

We actually were friendly in the early 1990s.

squeaky

Yeah? So?

nuclearferret

Where did any one suggest BlueDeacon was ever a friend of Donohue? Nothing in the posts offers that.

nuclearferret

Until the "War on Poverty" the nuclear family was also viable. Now, what's the point? You can get more free stuff from the government if you don't get together, or if you lie about being together.

The local church (or global, for that matter) is a sorry substitute for "family."

squeaky

I'm sorry you see it that way.

BlueDeacon

Power breeds bias, but I resent your implication that all conservatives are biased (more than liberals). Any ideology can be used to gain power by those who believe it.

It depends on where you get your information -- and the political right over the years built an institution that disseminates propaganda to dwarf anything that the "liberals," including the MSM, can come up with.

WaveTossed

"Including [homosexualty] with multiculturalism, secularism, and Hollywood hedonism is somewhat like comparing apples with rocks."

I couldn't agree with you more. This is a tactic used by those who are obsessed with anti-gay thought in order to attempt to discredit those who don't agree with them.

BlueDeacon

The problem conservatives have with Hillary's adage is that it seems to devalue the family unit. Of course community can help a child grow, but it takes a family to raise a child.

Until the 1950s extended family, not the nuclear family, was the cultural norm. Most Christians don't realize this because they're already part of an extended family -- a local church.

scat

Thank you for your very insightful comments. You would think it obvious that a Christian, or anyone else for that matter, is known by the way he lives, how he deals with people. I once made that statement to a very religious friend -- church at least twice a week, rather regular sefl-congratulations for not being as sinful as "those people", all the usual conservative views. I saw this person as one who would always follow unambiguous Godly behaviour, good-hearted, etc. I had known this person since sophomore year of high school -- many decades ago. When I was diagnosed with cancer, this lifetime Christian friend walked away from me, totally. Ironically, another old friend who is very spiritual but has no respect for organized religion was the one who provided the moral support, the friendship that I needed. The one who doubts Christ's divinity is the one who behaved the most like Christ.

You can sit around and argue theology ad naseum, but you really find out what people worship, what they truly believe when it comes time for action

BlueDeacon

Most, including many who have posted here, probably didn't even know about him until this blog started about five years ago.

scat

In fact, Sojourners DOES deal with the topics of abortion,homsexuality and pornography. But even if they didn't those topics would be ignored. You can always count on some people who are obssessed with those topics to bring them up.

scat

Yesm comparing Media Matters to the KGB is besides the point, and most everyone knows it. Trying to impune a person or organization by demonizing the practice of keeping accurate records is just plain silly.

ando

"You have to hand it to the guy. Donohue makes righteous indignation and throwing rhetorical bombs into an art form. He is about as subtle as a fist in your face. His latest depiction of cultural doom probably elicits a yawn from most religious Americans who are not obsessed with the bogeymen of multiculturalism, secularism, homosexuality, and Hollywood hedonism that Donohue rails against." Gehring

"I don't see the author slamming Donohue or Catholics or Christians concerned about cultural issues."

So, you disapprove of Donohue and approve of Gehring. You do the same thing you accuse others of doing. Are you actually saying that Gehring is being loving to his Catholic brother? I do not see it at all.

It's the same old, same old. Don't talk about homosexuality, or pornagraphy or abortion. The REAL issues are global warming -- or is it climate change -- health care reform and more government spending on social problems. So the Sojourner supporters do the same thing they accuse others of.

I see Sojourners as nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites (and I fully expect my comment to be deleted).

ando

And many of us in the Evangelical middle don't bow to Wallis.

Guest

"Well, to be fair, Media Matters does keep transcripts on file. "

So did the KGB , but that is besides the point.

Joe_Allen_Doty

Homosexuality is a sexual orientation category and it has to do with physiological sexual attraction directed at those of the same gender. Including it with multiculturalism, secularism, and Hollywood hedonism is somewhat like comparing apples with rocks.

Some ignorant folks try to lump homosexuality with those categories and they call it "homosexualism."