Bill O'Reilly: "The traditions of Catholicism are important to me

The Deacon's Bench ^ | December 3, 2008 | Deacon Greg Kandra

[NYer]

I'll admit up front: I'm not a fan of this guy. But I know many who are, and what Bill O'Reilly has to say here about his Catholic upbringing is pretty interesting.

Take a look. This comes from Long Island's newspaper, Newsday:

You know him as the eponymous commentator on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor." ("I'd appreciate it if you don't put any words in front of my name, like 'conservative,'" he says sternly.) Brooklyn-born, Levittown-raised Bill O'Reilly, 59, has written a new book, "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" (Broadway Books, $26), titled after a description of him by Sister Mary Lurana, one of the School Sisters of Notre Dame who taught him at St. Brigid's School in Westbury.

In the book, you are forever earning the "hairy eyeball" from a battery of nuns. How has their influence shaped you?

In my neighborhood in Levittown, there was a split: the kids who went to Catholic school and kids who went to public school. There was always a difference in behavior. The Catholic school kids were wild, too - unrestrained is the best word. But as we got older there were fewer boundaries for the public school kids, in the language and the attitude. The Catholic school kids had a built-in restraint mechanism.

It's just inconceivable to young parents today when I tell them I had 60 kids in my class. Every kid by the third grade could read and write. None of them didn't make the cut. Back then the advantage was, even though we didn't have any money, everybody got the basics down, and everyone had a reasonable chance to succeed.

What about the emphasis on shame and fear that often accompanied that?

There was a lot of shaming, but it didn't work for me. I think that was more of a Levittown thing than a Catholic school thing. I can remember at 4 and 5 years old being tossed out into the neighborhood. It was a hardscrabble upbringing. I had that edge at age 6.

You still go to Mass every week. Why?

I've always done it, even when I was in college and I was sitting with the chaplain, just the two of us, because no one else showed up. It's an hour for me for not dealing with the madness. And when I travel around the world, I seek out the cathedrals. I find in any one of them there is a kind of peaceful feeling. The traditions of Catholicism are very important to me, because I believe I am here for a reason. I believe there is a reason why I do what I do, why I've been given these talents.

But you're not a proselytizer?

I'm not a roller. I'm not going out and saying, "I'm a church guy.' I'm the biggest sinner on the block. It would be ridiculous for me to tell anybody what I do. Everybody seeks solace in their own way. Religion, used properly, is a positive. It gives you peace of mind.

Should it be a part of the political discourse?

I'm a secular guy. It's the separation of church and state. We don't make laws based on religion, and I don't accept arguments based on that. I tell people, "Unless you can produce God ... and I can book Him on the show next week."

Culturally, isn't being Catholic only a piece of it?

The Kennedys grew up Catholic. I grew up working-class Catholic. Being in a situation where you were competing all the time for attention and limited resources. I kept my old friends. I consciously fostered my working-class background. I always knew this was going to give me the edge. I'm not impressed by money.

What are you impressed by?

By intellect, by accomplishment, by fairness, by charity. By people who sacrifice for others. I'm more interested in helping the country - I know it sounds ridiculous. But we have a purpose, and that's mine.

[South40]

Bill O'Reilly: "The Swift Boat Vets have no right to be heard".

Bill O'Reilly sucks.

[NYer]

It's just inconceivable to young parents today when I tell them I had 60 kids in my class. Every kid by the third grade could read and write. None of them didn't make the cut. Back then the advantage was, even though we didn't have any money, everybody got the basics down, and everyone had a reasonable chance to succeed.

This IS how it was back then! No special ed programs, limited sports and the basics - math, english, science, geography, spelling, etc. To this day, I find my Catholic elementary school education exceeds what is taught in either Catholic or public school. We need to get back to basics!

[NYer]

It's just inconceivable to young parents today when I tell them I had 60 kids in my class. Every kid by the third grade could read and write. None of them didn't make the cut. Back then the advantage was, even though we didn't have any money, everybody got the basics down, and everyone had a reasonable chance to succeed.

This IS how it was back then! No special ed programs, limited sports and the basics - math, english, science, geography, spelling, etc. To this day, I find my Catholic elementary school education exceeds what is taught in either Catholic or public school. We need to get back to basics!

[SoConPubbie]

This IS how it was back then! No special ed programs, limited sports and the basics - math, english, science, geography, spelling, etc. To this day, I find my Catholic elementary school education exceeds what is taught in either Catholic or public school. We need to get back to basics!

This will never happen until they rid the education system of the children of Illegal Aliens.

All your tax-payer money and all the time of the teachers is being used to bring these children, who are 1, 2, 3 or more grade-years on average behind the children of citizens, up to speed.

[LiberConservative]

I like Bill even more now.

[Ozone34]

If BOR is 59, that means he made it through grade school before the Catechism was tossed out and replaced with felt banners and songs like ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’. Lucky guy.

[Phil Lers]

Whenever I see O’Reilly’s “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity” mentioned, I am instantly drawn to recall the late, great Richard Jeni’s title, “A Big Steaming Pile of Me.” How does that work?

[Prole]

Bill O'Reilly: "The traditions of Catholicism are important to me."

So is that why Gasbag referred to Obama as "a patriot," and he referred to great Americans like Mark Levin and Sean Hannity as "pinheads?"

What an absurd imbecile O'Reilly is.

Absolutely absurd.

[ConorMacNessa]

I remember it well - 60 kids, no "aides" and one steel-nerved nun! And the product they turned out was stellar compared to today's kids.

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[DogwoodSouth]

“great Americans like ... Sean Hannity”. Sean Hannity being labeled a “great American” is a fine personal opinion, but I don't see him as being any better Catholic than BOR. Like O’Reilly, Hannity never thinks twice of publicly criticizing/haranguing Catholic teachings which with he disagrees. Using one’s bully pulpit to publicly dissent from the teachings of the Church is unnecessary at best and, at worst, just plain scandalous.

[Prole]

To compare O'Reilly to Hannity is a demonstration of poor judgment.

Hannity was sounding the alarm about Obama the ENTIRE year this year. He broke the Jeremiah Wright story first, and he broke many other damning stories about Obama. He is a modern day Paul Revere.

O'Reilly? That guy has kneepads on whenever Obama's name is mentioned.

I cannot believe you are comparing these two men to each other.

[DogwoodSouth]

I’m simply talking Catholicism, not politics. I just mean that both of these guys have a tendency to refer sarcastically and/or flat-out refute Catholic teachings with which they disagree.

I actually like Hannity pretty well (O’Reilly not as much), but, as a Catholic, its irritating to see them criticize Church teachings at times. That’s all I’m saying.

[maryz]

This will never happen until they rid the education system of the children of Illegal Aliens.

It'll never happen until we get rid of the Schools of Education and the stranglehold of the teachers' unions.

Immigrant children of earlier generations did fine -- it was probably hard for them, and they weren't coddled, but they made it.

[Charles Bronson Forever]

I’d rather watch Uncle Floyd than BOR-and Uncle Floyd’s off the air (sadly).

[Neverforget01]

I grew up working-class Catholic. Being in a situation where you were competing all the time for attention and limited resources. I kept my old friends. I consciously fostered my working-class background. I always knew this was going to give me the edge. I'm not impressed by money.

This guy is a piece of work. He talks about Levittown like it was a mining town where folks came home with soot on their faces. I also grew up on the south shore of Long Island. His Dad had a white collar job like many who commuted into NYC did. While we weren't as rich as the Kennedy's, Long Island was considered a huge leap from city apartment living. After WW II Levitt built homes that were for average middle class buyers. O'Reilly should get off Long Island and really try to see what hard scrabble working class really is.

[y6162]

“So is that why Gasbag referred to Obama as “a patriot,”

The only thing Bill is concerned about is his ratings. Much like McCain, his maverick posturing is a joke. He’ll get no brownie points from the left if he makes a pc mistake.

[Salvation]

So, Bill, did you vote for Obama? If you did, you owe yourself the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Go to Confession!

[Malesherbes]

It sends a tingle up my leg whenever a writer finds a use for the word “eponymous.” It is one of the most useless words in the English language but it always gives the writer psychic income even if it does nothing for the reader.

[NYer]

I also grew up on the south shore of Long Island.

Ditto! Oceanside, on the border with East Rockaway.