MYERS DESECRATES THE EUCHARIST (and the Qu'ran) - here is how he claims he did it

Catholic League ^ | July 24, 2008 | Bill Donohue

[NYer]

University of Minnesota professor Paul Z. Myers made good on his pledge to desecrate the Eucharist today. According to his statement on the subject, “I pierced it [the Host] with a rusty nail (I hope Jesus’s tetanus shots are up to date). And then I simply threw it in the trash.”

Saying he did not want to “single out just the cracker,” Myers also tore pages from the Koran along with a few pages from Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion and nailed them to the Host. He then said, “They are just paper. Nothing must be held sacred. (His emphasis.) Question everything. God is not great, Jesus is not your lord, you are not disciples of any charismatic prophet.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:

“A formal complaint against Myers has already been made. What he did—in both word and deed—constitutes a bias incident, as defined by the University of Minnesota. The policy says that ‘Expressions of disrespectful bias, hate, harassment or hostility against an individual, group or their property because of the individual or group’s actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion…can be forms of discrimination. Expressions vary, and can be in the form of language, words, signs, symbols, threats, or actions that could potentially cause alarm, anger, fear, or resentment in others…even when presented as a joke.’

“The University must now take action and apply the appropriate sanction. We are contacting the president, Board of Regents and the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office at the school, as well as Minnesota’s governor and both houses of the state legislature; the Catholic community in Minnesota is also being contacted. Moreover, we are also contacting Muslim groups nationwide.

“It is important for Catholics to know that the University of Minnesota will not tolerate the deliberate destruction of the Eucharist by one of its faculty. Just as African Americans would not tolerate the burning of a cross, and Jews would not tolerate the display of swastikas, Catholics will not tolerate the desecration of the Eucharist.”

Contact Myers at myersp@morris.umn.edu
Contact President Robert Bruininks at bruin001@umn.edu

[AnAmericanMother]

Actually, that probably isn't going to bother the Islamofascist Rage Boys.

The Koran only "counts" in the original Arabic. We've had witnesses refuse to take the oath on a translation.

And that's an Oxford University Press translation, so they would assert it's invalid since done by an 'infidel'.

Of course, they may just use it anyway as an excuse to riot.

[American_Centurion]

His daughter’s name is Skatje, spelled similarly to the capital of Macedonia (FYRM), Skopje which is pronounced Scope-ya. So truly her name should be pronounced most likely Scot-ya.

[FormerLib]

What a hate-filled little man. May God have mercy on his soul.

[3AngelaD]

Oh, yeah, we are talking major idiot, but with an agenda. Why would someone chose Alaric as the name of their firstborn? From Wiki: “Alaric...was likely born about 370 on an island...at the mouth of the Danube. He was king of the Visigoths from 395–410 and the first Germanic leader to take the city of Rome. Having originally desired to settle his people in the Roman Empire, he finally sacked the city, marking the decline of imperial power in the west.” Apparently Myers thinks this was a positive development. And all I could think of when I read it was the hapless Baldric on Blackadder.

[NYer]

Sadly ... I now stand corrected. Thank you for the updated information and picture.

[Petronski]

Sadly for p-zed, it still does not establish that the host is consecrated.

[harmodius]

My point was not to defend Myers, or to argue that his actions fall under the concept of "academic freedom." They don't. (Indeed, my use of the term "academic freedom" was sarcastic.) My point was that the university's own code, as quoted in the article, is so broad and so obviously constructed on the grounds of political correctness, as to make any statement, publication or offhand remark that could be even remotely construed as being in anyway critical of a group or individual into an example of "bias" or a potential threat.

Certainly, the regents have the right to police the integrity and reputation of the school - but read the policy they created. It does not establish any objective criteria defining what is legitimately unacceptable behavior aside from the fact that someone, somewhere might be offended by, well, virtually anything. Sorry, but that is not a "reasonable policy." It does not serve to protect the integrity of the university. It was designed to silence people who run afoul of what is deemed acceptable thought. Such broadly worded policies have been used quite effectively against conservatives on many US college campuses. And in Europe, Canada and Australia such nonsense has been coded into public law - as Bridget Bardot and Mark Steyn.

[chimera]

Whether they are reasonable or not, if they are going to have these speech codes, they should apply them fairly and uniformly. If nothing else, this is a chance to hoist one of their own on their own petard. Too often they are selectively applied, to harass conservatives while giving leftists a pass. We should use this as an opportunity to challenge the university authorities to put up or shut up. Here is a clear case of someone violating their stated policy. Let’s see if they have the moral fortitude to stand by it. Turn the tables on the libs and see how they like it.

[harmodius]

You are absolutely correct that these policies are selectively enforced. However, by turning the tables on the lefties and using their own PC rules against them we inadvertently grant legitimacy to those rules. Myers should be fired, but bringing charges under the school's ridiculous "bias" policy only validates the policy. Hoisting one of them on their own petard won't cause the lefties to wake up and see the foolishness of it - nor will it cause them to back off and stop enforcing the policy. Trust me, just like Obama, they'll hurl one of their own straight under the bus if it advances their agenda. And since the ideological balance on university campuses doesn't seem likely to swing in conservatives' favor any time soon, that's just shooting ourselves in the foot.

Catholics and conservatives should call for Myers to be fired - and should organize whatever donor and alumni action is required to accomplish that. But we mustn't fall into the trap of using the left's own tools, since that just means those tools will be strengthened by our use and will thus continue to be used, which doesn't benefit us at all. Citing a PC policy as a means of ousting him tacitly endorses that policy - a policy, incidentally, that could just as easily be used against practicing Catholics on campus. And almost certainly will be in the future.

By accepting the left's rules, we automatically lose the game.

[chimera]

As a practical matter, I don't think they're going to ditch those rules, whether anyone thinks they're legitimate or not. So if we're going to have them, why not use the occasional chance to throw their own policies back in the 'Rats' ugly faces? Sure, they can try to twist it by saying something like, see, we're objective, we can make these things work. Then we can say, sure, but at what cost, you just destroyed one of your own. If they refuse to enforce their own rules against one of their own, we can call them on it as the hypocrites they are. So let's put it to them: here is one of your own violating your own rules, what are you gonna do about it? See if they've got the guts to pull the trigger.

I'm not saying accept them, but if they're going to be put in place at all, try to use them to our benefit when the rare chance comes to do so. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, you know...

[harmodius]

The only flaw with this argument is that the left will quite readily destroy one of its own - particularly a low profile lefty like Myers in order to validate truly dangerous politically correct policies. And then having made use of the policy themselves, conservatives will be less able to oppose it later on.

As a practical matter, you are right, they have no plans to ditch their PC rules, but conservatives should be fighting them anyway, not conforming to them. If we don't fight these policies and stand on principle - what's the point of being a conservative?

Better not to play the left's game in the first place.

[chimera]

I will fight them, but as long as they are in place I will use whatever opportunity is available to throw it back in their faces and rub their noses in it. I know it’s asking a lot of the libs, but maybe then they’ll think for a change and realize their policies aren’t all that great. Just trying a little philosophical jujitsu here.

[Ebenezer]

I wonder if there is a Catholic ministry at the University of Minnesota campus Myers teaches, and if it has reacted to his hateful statements against the Blessed Sacrament.

In any event,

O Sacrament Most Holy
O Sacrament Divine
All praise and all thanksgiving
Are every moment Thine

Take that, Professor!!!

[Ebenezer]

Sorry, friends. The last line of that beautiful hymn goes “Be every moment Thine.”

[cacoethes_resipisco]

Update:

UNIV. OF MINN. REFUSES TO PENALIZE MYERS

July 25, 2008

The Chancellor of the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMN) released a statement today regarding the intentional desecration of the Eucharist by Professor Paul Z. Myers. “I believe that behaviors that discriminate against or harass individuals or groups on the basis of their religious beliefs are reprehensible,” said Jacqueline Johnson. Importantly, she added that the school’s Code of Conduct prohibits such behavior. However, she also stressed that academic freedom allows faculty members “to speak or write as a public citizen without institutional discipline or restraint….” Nowhere did she say Myers would be disciplined...
http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1467

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you, Manfred my man, for being disgusted at what was truly disgusting.

I take this opportunity to share something that was on Mark Shea's blog:

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(long quote)

Jimmy Akin Sez: P.Z. Myers Must Be Fired

I agree. The man was free to say whatever demented stuff he liked on his blog. Solicitation for readers to steal and desecrate the Eucharist has crossed the line.

Jimmy writes:

Although he carried out his action. in his words, to support the idea that "Nothing must be held sacred" (also trashing a few pages of The God Delusion, a book with which he is in sympathy), he did not merely tell people that nothing must be held sacred. Nor did he argue for it. Claiming that nothing must be held sacred or proposing arguments for this proposition are a subject that can be discussed in a civil, respectful manner.

Instead, P. Z. Myers surreptitiously obtained and then desecrated something that is held most sacred by numerous individuals. He went out of his way to offend, to provoke the most deeply held sentiments of others, and he did so in full knowledge of what he was doing, as witnessed by the fact that he complains repeatedly on his blog about all of the outraged complaints he has been receiving from Catholics via e-mail.

In desecrating what Catholics hold most sacred--and what Muslims hold sacred as well--P. Z. Myers has fundamentally compromised himself as an educator.

He has made himself unsuitable for employment as an educator.

In particular, he has made himself unsuitable for employment as an educator at a state-run school, such as the University of Minnesota Morris.

It would be one thing if an employee of a private school--say, Bob Jones University--had desecrated the Eucharist. But state schools have a special responsibility to the citizens of the state to employ educators who will be respectful in their conduct towards the students, parents, alumni, and citizens of the state--including the Catholic and Muslim ones.

P. Z. Myers has demonstrated that he will go out of his way to offend the sensibilities of anybody who holds anything sacred, to treat whatever they hold sacred with public contempt. The problem thus is not limited to Catholics and Muslims. Since, in Myers own words, "Nothing must be held sacred," and since he is willing to desecrate anything that others do hold sacred, the university must conclude that Myers is willing not only to outrage Catholic and Muslim students, parents, alumni, and citizens but members of any other group as well.

Myers is thus incapable of effectively carrying out his mission as an educator and his position must be terminated.

He also is in violation of the University of Minnesota Code of Conduct, which holds that faculty members "must be committed to the highest ethical standards of conduct" (II:2) and that "Ethical conduct is a fundamental expectation for every community member. In practicing and modeling ethical conduct, community members are expected to: act according to the highest ethical and professional standards of conduct [and] be personally accountable for individual actions" (III:1).

It also stresses that faculty members must "Be Fair and Respectful to Others. The University is committed to tolerance, diversity, and respect for differences. When dealing with others, community members are expected to: be respectful, fair, and civil . . . avoid all forms of harassment . . . [and] threats . . . [and] promote conflict resolution."

P. Z. Myers has done none of these things. He is in fundamental breach of the University of Minnesota's Code of Conduct and must be discharged.

To voice your opinion on this subject, contact the offices of the president and the chancellor:

President Robert H. Bruininks
202 Morrill Hall
100 Church Street S.E.
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Via phone: 612-626-1616
Via fax: 612-625-3875
Via e-mail: upres@umn.edu

Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson
309 Behmler Hall
600 East 4th Street
Morris, MN 56267

320-589-6020
E-mail: grussing@morris.umn.edu

This will undoubtedly be portrayed as a free speech matter. That's a lie. Myers has been speaking blasphemously about the Eucharist forever and if he'd kept his views verbal all he'd get back is an argument. When he starts sending minion to invade our sanctuaries and stealing the Holy Eucharist, he crosses the line.
I have no idea if the UMM will respond. But Catholics have free speech rights too and we have every right to demand action. Write *respectfully* and ask that the University no longer provide sanction and sanctuary for this man.

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The above is all quoted from Mark Shea's blog.