U of Minn sticks it to Catholics

[Spooky7272]

UNIV. OF MINNESOTA STICKS IT TO             CATHOLICS 

               

           On March 1, the University of Minnesota’s Department of             Theatre, Arts and Dance will host the Dario Fo play, “The Pope and the             Witch”; it will be performed through March 9. Catholic League             president Bill Donohue comments on the latest round of controversy             surrounding the play:

               

            

               

           “Imagine an anti-Semitic play, written by a Hitlerian,             being performed at the University of Minnesota. Imagine, too, that             Jews complain and the president of the university justifies the play             on free speech grounds. Imagine, as well, that the play is defended by             non-Jewish professors in charge of the production. Now really let your             imagination run: bowing to pressure from Jews, a panel discussion on             the play is scheduled, but no one from the Jewish community is invited             to participate. Well, exactly this has happened, except that it’s not             Jews who are being assaulted by the University of Minnesota—it’s             Catholics.

               

            

               

           “When I challenged President Robert Bruininks on the             propriety of having this bigoted play performed on his campus last             fall, he offered a lame explanation why the show must go on. Following             his collapse of leadership is Robert Rosen, the university’s theater             director, and Steven Rosenstone, dean of the school’s College of             Liberal Arts. According to a report in The Catholic Spirit, the             local archdiocesan newspaper, ‘Rosen, who is not Catholic, said he is             not surprised by the strong reaction; however, he does not see the             play as an attack on the Catholic faith.’ Perhaps he thinks it’s an             attack on Islam, save for the fact that Muslims don’t have a pope.             Rosenstone confirmed that no Catholics have been invited to join the             forum and that’s because ‘nobody was selected for the panel on the             basis of faith or religion.’ That’s interesting—the play was purposely             selected to bash Catholicism and now Catholics are purposely being             denied the right to be on the very panel they pushed for.  

               

           “This is             what the University of Minnesota stands for: free speech for Catholic             bashers and no speech for Catholics. Accordingly, I will notify all             members of the Minnesota legislature about this development: this is             state-sponsored hate speech, partially funded by the target of hate,             namely Catholics.” Contact Steven Rosenstone;             rosen060@umn.edu

 

[mojomama]

Spooky, who is the quote at the bottom from?

[Spooky7272]

Catholic League             president Bill Donohue comments on the latest round of controversy             surrounding the play:

 
  Here's the link
 
 

[mojomama]

Thanks.  Don't bother.  I have no respect for Donohue, and find him to be an embarassment.  He does not speak for the Church.

[Sophia]

Thanks.  Don't bother.  I have no respect for Donohue, and find him to be an embarassment.  He does not speak for the Church.

Obviously, he isn't "the Church," but in what way does he not properly represent Catholics?  Is the above an example?

[winoblue1]

I would like to read an example of why Mojomamma thinks that Donahue isn't a good representative of Catholics or why he doesn't represent the Catholic point of view. I find his positions completely inline with Catholic opinion and also his writing style, witty and punchy, entertaining in themselves.

 

Please give an example of why you don't think he is a good spokesperson for Catholics....

[mojomama]

I'll give you several

This same guy came up with this idea of the gay gene. I remember when that conversation was going on. Gays were all of a sudden worrying if people would start aborting kids when they found out the DNA suggested the kid might be gay or God forbid, we'd run out of little gay kids, so all of a sudden, they became pro-life. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 12/14/04]

Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It's not a secret, okay? And I'm not afraid to say it. ... Hollywood likes anal sex. They like to see the public square without nativity scenes. I like families. I like children. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 12/8/04]

I don't know what about -- the queer-bashing is all about. I'm pretty good about picking out who queers are and I didn't see any in the movie. I'm usually pretty good at that. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 3/12/04]

And the all time winner, as quoted in Variety

"If someone tells me that there's a statue of Martin Luther King with an erection receiving oral sex, I don't need to see it."

Now there's a gentleman.  There's the guy I want for my spokesman - not!

Is this how Jesus would speak? I don't think so.  Even when, in the Gospels, He is angry, he is never foul and never hateful.  That is the example we should follow.

And as to the play, without having seen it or read the script myself, I wouldn't presume to pass judgment on it.  And what the U said about the panel was that panelists weren't picked on the basis of religion.  There's nothing inherently wrong with that, nor is there any indicator that Catholics were denied permission to attend or ask questions of the panelists.  So, while the play may (or may not be) offensive, there's nothing in this article upon which I could responsibly reach that conclusion.

[Quo_Vadis_Petre]

“We know that this most perverse people [adherents of the Jewish religion] have always been the cause and seed-bag of almost all the heresies.” (35)

Footnote
35. Ludovic Pastor, Historia de los Papas, vol. 17, p. 306.

Do you know who said that? St. Pius V in a Brief expelling the Jews from the Papal States!

I don't see anything wrong with Donahue stating that Hollywood consists of secular Jews hating Christianity and Catholicism in particular. His statement after that may be much more problematic, but not the first one.

[BaltimoreCatholic]

Actually, if Jesus was fired up enough, I think he might.  Donohue's not saying for the sake of saying it, he's trying to make a point.

You have to remember, everyone and everything against Catholic teaching these days is always in your face.  Good on Bill to fight fire with fire.  Sure, it may be crude in some context, but I don't see anything that's over the line (at least in my opinion).

[mojomama]

I respect your opinion, and hope you respect mine.  As I see it the man drips hatred.  Not my idea of Catholic values, thanks.

Edited to add:  and, other than the fact that he doesn't like it, the only thing about the play I know from his article is its title.

Edited to add:  at a minimum, you didn't think the last one was offensive?  Try this:  would you let your children hear Donohue talk, having read these?  I wouldn't.