'Atheists are out to get us!' says Catholic League president, compares Penn & Teller to Nazis

Examiner.com ^ | Aug 31st, 2009 | Hugh Kramer

[GL of Sector 2814]

"And not just atheists," said Bill Donohue during an August 31st Fox News interview. "I’m talking about people who are disaffected Catholics and Protestants who are mutineers within their own religion, trying to change things." It wasn't just "militant, dogmatic" atheists and "disaffected" Christians that the Catholic League president complained about either. Donohue also had a few choice words for magicians Penn & Teller whose Showtime series, Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!, just ran an episode on the history of the Catholic Church. "This was the most Nazi-like assault,” Donohue said. “The most unrelenting half an hour of bashing I’ve ever seen.”

Bill Donohue made his comments on the Fox Network show Fox & Friends. He appeared there in order to promote his new book, Secular Sabotage: How Liberals Are Destroying Religion and Culture in America.

[GL of Sector 2814]

...while Satanic practices such as Islam and Secular Humanism are openly embraced.

Secular Humanists are Satanic? They don't even believe in Satan...

[Atlas Sneezed]

most of us also don’t really care about references to God in national anthems and the like, either.

---

One nice way to an atheist to think about the “under God” phrase is that our nation is below certain higher principles (of liberty, as recognized in our Constitution).

The difference between atheists and believers is merely where those principles originated.

[discostu]

I’m still trying to figure out what episode he saw. They really haven’t hit on Christians directly since season 2, maybe season 3’s episode on seeing Jesus’ face in tortillas, but they’re wrapping up season 7, Bill’s way behind the curve on this one.

[Atlas Sneezed]

A pattern I’ve noticed is that there are many Catholics who link their identity more to their church than to Christ.

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Do you mean their parish community “church”, or to the Church?

[GI Joe Fan]

Excuse me.

Psuedo-intellectualism such as Secular Humanism is on the list of false religious identities spread by Satan.

While not intrensically evil as Islam, it is still a LIE designed to distract people from pursuing God.

[Sloth]

I didn’t say “neutral”, but fair enough. On the other hand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM

[krykel]

I’m assuming he is referencing the season finale. It was really about the Vatican. Not really about the history of the Catholic Church. I didn’t read the article yet though.

[rom]

The Roman church, not their local church.

[Atlas Sneezed]

How about Christ’s teachings? Read the bible and see what it actually says rather than letting a hierarchy of popes, cardinals, monsignors, priests tell you.

---

I’m no religious scholar, but didn’t Christ basically tell people to found a church, and teach his word, so that all future generations could be taught about it?

That gaggle of humans who comprise the Church today are simply doing their best to follow 2000-year old marching orders from Jesus. Moreover, Christ didn’t seem to intend Christianity to be a home-school experience. There are sacraments, and a community that are part of the plan.

The notion that religious officials are twisting the words in the bible to their own ends is an interesting one, but there is a mountain of scholarly work on the subjects dating back for ages. You can’t just throw that out there and expect anyone to be persuaded.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Then what you say makes no sense. It’s almost by definition impossible to be devoted to the Church and not to Christ.

But if they’re telling you you’re going to hell because you’re a Methodist, then they aren’t very good Catholics.

[discostu]

Ahh OK, couldn’t find any info on that ep on the Showtime site, Wiki to the rescue.

[EyeGuy]

“Read the bible and see what it actually says rather than letting a hierarchy of popes, cardinals, monsignors, priests tell you.”

####

Personally, I find a great deal of clarification, expansion and historical and sacramental context in what these devoted scholars have to say. They have helped me immensely on my journey.

[fr_freak]

Yep. How about Christ's teachings? Read the bible and see what it actually says rather than letting a hierarchy of popes, cardinals, monsignors, priests tell you.

A couple of points:

1) The Catholic Church has been guiding people in matters of Christ since before the ability to read was common, and before printing presses. The system was set up long before the "read your Bible" mantra would even have made sense. The Church has brought more people to the word of Christ than all the Protestant churches combined, and they've been doing it for 2000 years.

2) While each person should certainly take the time to read and understand his own Bible, the creative interpretations of the Bible that we're seeing now from many (now apostate) Protestant churches shows the down side of having an interpretive free-for-all. The advantage that the Catholic Church has is theology rooted in 2000 years of intense study, which is not so easily changed according to the latest political or cultural fad.

[GL of Sector 2814]

Excuse me.

Okay, you're excused. For what, I'm not sure...

Psuedo-intellectualism such as Secular Humanism is on the list of false religious identities spread by Satan.

Well, you're certainly free to believe that. It just seems a bit silly to describe someone as a devotee of something they don't even believe exists.

While not intrensically evil as Islam, it is still a LIE designed to distract people from pursuing God.

Can't people simply create philosophies such as Secular Humanism without a supernatural being whispering in their ear?

[muawiyah]

As I said “cloistered”.

[rom]

While I agree with Point #1 — to quote from Spiderman (don’t know what Chapter or Verse, lol): “With great power comes great responsibility”

Most of my friends and family who are Roman Catholics have been told by their Priests and Church hierarchy that the Bible is a collection of stories and things like, “The Plagues in Exodus was just myth(!)” Two people as disparate in space and time as my mother in law, my wife’s best friend both have been taught this.

This confuses me greatly, because I know that is not official Catholic teaching. So how does this happen?

So I’m sorry — that’s just as wrong headed as the apostate Protestant churches and so shows that no human organization is without error. And now we start seeing splinter Charismatic Catholic Churches as well.

So no denomination is free of error, but if we have our Bibles to search the truth — we ourselves can spot heresy.

[rom]

I am going to be as delicate as I can with as poor of a communication medium as the Internet allows :). So pardon me if it sounds strong, because it is not meant to be.

I know some Catholics who are ready to pounce on you if you dare to even question the Immaculate Conception of Mary as taught by the Church. If you mention the Pedophile “scandal” (which I do think is a big deal only because some were moving priests around) then the defense of the Church goes into full swing.

However, if in the same conversation a person dismisses the Bible as a bunch of stories, or that we do not even know if Christ walked the earth — this same group of Catholics will not even get involved in the discussion (and often, they will even tell you that they do not believe most of the Old Testament).

Now, most of the Catholics I know on FreeRepublic are NOT of that mold (though there are some that are) — but the ones I know in my life for the last 30 years DO fit that mold.

It’s sad because there’s so much that unites us as believers in Christ — but when I need them to jump to the defense of Christ or the Bible I rarely have them around.

However, they are usually staunch allies in the defense of life — both young, old, wanted, unwanted, sick or in great health. So, what are you going to do but love them? :-)

[dmz]

Satanic practices such as {snip] Secular Humanism are openly embraced.
__________

Shaking head.

You demonstrate that you have no idea what a Satanic practice is, nor what secular humanism is, when you make such a silly comparison as you have.

[GL of Sector 2814]

While I agree with Point #1 — to quote from Spiderman (don’t know what Chapter or Verse, lol): “With great power comes great responsibility”

Amazing Fantasy #15, August 1962.

Yes, I am a comic book geek.

[fr_freak]

This confuses me greatly, because I know that is not official Catholic teaching. So how does this happen?

So I’m sorry — that’s just as wrong headed as the apostate Protestant churches and so shows that no human organization is without error. And now we start seeing splinter Charismatic Catholic Churches as well.

You said the answer to this problem yourself - it is not official Catholic teaching. It is only because an actual official Church doctrine exists that one can determine whether a member of the clergy is incorrect or not. If a priest, as you say, were to teach something outside of the Church doctrine, then that priest is provably wrong and can be corrected or ignored, and should be. Certainly the Church contains flawed human beings. That is precisely why a firmer guide has its advantages.

As far as splinter Catholic Churches go - if they do not follow the Vatican, they are not Catholic. They can call themselves Catholic, but they aren't. You can't blame the Catholic Church for those who won't follow the Catholic Church. Besides, there is another name for offshoots of the Catholic Church: "Protestants".