Matt C. Abbott
Posted on 07/31/2006 3:44:06 PM PDT by Diago
Priest criticizes ADL for statement regarding Mel Gibson
Readers might remember that the ADL was quite vocal in its criticism of Gibson for his 2004 blockbuster The Passion of the Christ.
Here's what ADL national director Abraham Foxman had to say regarding Gibson's arrest:
Mel Gibson's apology is unremorseful and insufficient. It's not a proper apology because it does not go to the essence of his bigotry and his anti-Semitism.
His tirade finally reveals his true self and shows that his protestations during the debate over his film 'The Passion of the Christ,' that he is such a tolerant, loving person, were a sham. It may well be that the bigotry has been passed from the father to the son. It is unfortunate that it took an excess of booze and an encounter with a police officer to reveal what was really in his heart and mind.
"We would hope that Hollywood now would realize the bigot in their midst and that they will distance themselves from this anti-Semite.
The ADL, in my view, has no moral right to cast stones at Gibson, considering the organization has no problem with abortion-on-demand. In 2000, the ADL issued a press release in which "they cheered the Supreme Court decision barring a partial-birth abortion ban in Nebraska and admitted that the ADL had 'filed an amicus curiae or 'friend of the court' brief which said the Nebraska law unconstitutionally interfered in matters of individual choice,'" according to a story from Catholic World News.
Also from the CWN story:
While the [ADL] claims it is only seeking to identify 'anti-abortion groups that advocate violence,' the group's pro-abortion advocacy and attempts to associate the shooting of abortionists with peaceful pro-life groups such as Human Life International contradicts their reassurances. An ADL press release from October 30, 1998 identified Human Life International among 'anti-abortion extremists' and derided any pro-life group comparing the slaughter of the unborn to the Nazi Holocaust.
I asked Father Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, to respond to Foxman's statement on the Gibson arrest. Father Euteneuer's response is as follows:
Mr. Foxman claims that Mel Gibson did not give a 'proper apology.' Can this man ever be satisfied? Gibson said that he disgraced himself and his family by his behavior and apologized for his anti-Semitic remarks which, by his admission, he spoke in an altered state and does not believe to be true. And that's not enough? According to Catholic principles Mel exhibited all the elements of a proper reconciliation: contrition with a firm purpose of amendment, confession and (he is in the process of doing) penance. The greatest penance is that this all came out in the public forum: Foxman and the ADF should get off his back.
The Catholic League's response to the Gibson arrest is here.
Related link:
http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=725
A new blog
Check out the following blog by pro-life and Catholic activist Darla Meyers:
http://www.neveragainescr.blogspot.com/
Hillary referred to Dick Morris as an "effing jew bas+ard" and Foxman hasn't required her shunning. I guess his ire is reserved for conservatives or catholics.
Dear ArrogantBustard,
Intoxicants affect me differently. I just smile, laugh, and tell pretty girls how pretty they are.
;-)
sitetest
Dear Scotswife,
"I noticed in his apology he didn't actually disavow his anti-semitic remarks."
Not specifically, but he did by way of the categorical.
sitetest
Dear bornacatholic,
"*Anyone? Hey, Spielberg, you specifically slandered Christians, all Christians. I am a Christian and you owe me an apology."
It'd be enough for me, because of this phrase:
"I am deeply ashamed of everything I said..."
I'd figure that the fellow was so ashamed of some parts of what he said that he could scarcely bring himself to name them by name.
That's not to say it wouldn't be better for him to name them, but that wasn't really the question.
sitetest
Your penchant for accepting apolgies and rushing to forgive others really is taking Christianity too far :)
Exactly...and I think what this highlights also is that when you take a good look at these radtrad folks who claim to undertstand Church teaching better than anyone - even the pope - what you see is alot of anger, arrogance, bigotry, and hatred. What you don't see is humility and most of all...love.
"Not specifically, but he did by way of the categorical. "
How convenient for him.
Dear Scotswife,
Well, our dialogue is a bit moot now, in that Mr. Gibson has issued a rather more wide-ranging and specific apology.
However, I'll note that the categorical is often used because "to include is to exclude."
If you try to get specific, and you forget something about which to be specific, then folks will think you excluded it on purpose.
This is especially true when thanking folks publicly.
;-)
sitetest
Dear Bainbridge,
Mr. Gibson isn't a pastor or a priest or a minister or even some sort of lay evangelist.
He isn't a leader, or a role model, or anything else like that. I don't know that he's ever held himself out as anything like that.
He's a movie actor. An entertainer. I've enjoyed some of his movies, and just not paid any attention to many others. He's done some credible work, and been well-rewarded for it, remuneratively.
What else is there?
I'm not sure which "benefit of the doubt" you think he's forfeited.
sitetest
"No it doesn't reveal your true feelings. The person REALLY doesn't want their boss to drop dead. They just said it because they were drunk.
At most this outburst proves how annoying Abe Foxman can be.A"
come on now...if the person liked their boss they wouldn't make a comment like that.
I never said the person REALLY wanted their boss dead...but such a comment shows the person certainly doesn't like their boss very much.
I agree Abe Foxman is annoying...I mean....Kofi Annan is hurting the jews much more than Mel Gibson ever could.
Funny.
Yeah, it kind of reminds me of when Simon Peter stabbed Jesus in the back by putting Him on the pay-no-mind-list on Holy Thursday. If Peter hadn't said those terrible things about Jesus, he might have actually become an important saint or something.
Perhaps this made sense to you. However, I think you better keep your day job.
I don't think so. I come from a long line of alcoholics on both sides. Drunkeness and truth really don't go hand in hand.
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