Catholic Fire

On April 6, Sen. Barack Obama made the following remarks about the white working-class: “It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” Catholic League president Bill Donohue wasn’t amused: “Commentators are already saying that Obama’s remarks are an attack on small town America. But they are more than that. “Just as words can be taken out of context, it is equally wrong to dismiss the context in which words are spoken. The forum Obama chose to make his remarks was a crowd of wealthy, left-leaning secularists in the most left-leaning, secular city in America—San Francisco. In other words, it was a safe venue for him to speak condescendingly about those so-called small-minded Christians. “This is hardly the first time working-class Christians have been labeled parochial by elites who fancy themselves open minded. But for a...

With the world premiere of Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass is scheduled in London tonight, Pullman had some nasty comments to make about those Catholics who plan to boycott the film due to its deceptive "atheist agenda" targeting children, calling them "nitwits". In response to Catholic League's Bill Donohue's recommendation to boycott the "atheistic" film Pullman was quoted by Newsweek as saying, "To regard it as this Donohue man has said - that I'm a militant atheist, and my intention is to convert people - how the hell does he know that?" "Why don't we trust readers? Why don't we trust filmgoers? Oh, it causes me to shake my head with sorrow that such nitwits could be loose in the world." So far no boycott has been called for in Britain, but some Catholic leaders in Canada and the United States are planning to boycott the film, when it opens on December 7. Bill Donohue points out that the secular media, whom...

Two national Catholic organizations, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the Society of Catholic Social Scientists, are working in a joint effort to petition Pope Benedict XVI to expedite the cause for the beatification of Pope Pius XII. It is our strongly held conviction that Pope Pius XII has been unfairly portrayed as someone who stood silent during the Holocaust. Indeed, we know of no world leader who did more to resist the Nazis and rescue Jews than this great man. To depict him otherwise is to slander him, and this is not something Catholics will ever accept. Petition to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the Beatification of Pope Pius XII With profound respect and sincere devotion, We, the undersigned, humbly request that the cause for the beatification of Pope Pius XII proceed without delay. Pius XII’s virtuous life speaks for itself and is supported by an abundance of incontestable documentary evidence. The truth regarding his service to the Church and the W...

On this morning’s “Today” show, English atheist Philip Pullman was questioned by Al Roker about his trilogy, His Dark Materials, and the movie which opens December 7 that is based on his first book, The Golden Compass. Roker mentioned that the Catholic League is charging that Pullman’s work is selling “atheism for kids.” Here is Pullman’s response: “Well, you know I always mistrust people who tell us how we should understand something. They know better than we do what the book means or what this means and how we should read it and whether we should read it or not. I don’t think that’s democratic. I prefer to trust the reader. I prefer to trust what I call the democracy of reading. When everybody has the right to form their own opinion and read what they like and come to their own conclusion about it. So I trust the reader.” MORE

Miller Brewing Company has issued a formal apology for the offense caused by the use of Miller brand logos on a poster promoting the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco. The company said it has taken action to ensure that such an incident will not happen again. However, Catholic League President Bill Donohue finds the apology "insulting". Here is his reaction: The Miller Brewing Company and the Board of Directors of the Folsom Street Fair have both issued press statements this week apologizing for the offensive Last Supper poster that was used to promote the event. As such, they have insulted Catholics one more time. Let me be specific. “The poster was the least offensive part of this Catholic-bashing forum. What was even more offensive was the sight of Christian symbols being sold at this Miller-sponsored fair as sex toys. The obscene and blasphemous names of these vulgar sex toys are so disgusting that no mainstream newspaper would print them. Then there was the incredible...

MILLER BREWING PROTEST CONTINUES: MILWAUKEE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS CONTACTED Catholic League president Bill Donohue explained the latest strategy for dealing with Miller’s sponsorship of anti-Catholicism: “We’re not going away. After having sent the most unbelievable photos of decadent anti-Catholicism to all the priests, ministers, rabbis and imams in Milwaukee, we are now hitting the civic associations. Because there are so many, we are choosing a select group each week..." MORE Hooray for the Catholic League! Keep up the excellent work, Bill!

Atheist author Philip Pullman's bestselling novels for children were written specifically to indoctrinate children with atheistic values. Now New Line Cinema is using Pullman's novels to create a controversial new fantasy film, The Golden Compass. Bill Donohue discussed this topic on The World Over with Raymond Arroyo this past Friday and has also recently posted about it on his website. Watch a video of the Catholic League's Bill Donohue discussing this issue here . Here are Donohue's comments: A film called The Golden Compass opens December 7. It is based on the first book of a trilogy titled His Dark Materials . The author of this children's fantasy is Philip Pullman, a noted English atheist. It is his objective to bash Christianity and promote atheism. To kids. The Golden Compass is a film version of the book by that name, and it is being toned down so that Catholics, as well as Protestants, are not enraged. The second book of the trilogy, The Subtle Knife ,...

Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on last night’s episode of the ABC show, “Boston Legal”: “The show featured a 15 year-old girl who is enrolled in an abstinence-only sex education program, contracts HIV and then sues her school, blaming it for her condition. At the trial, the school’s principal, the girl’s attorneys and the judge all tout the virtues of condoms, fingering Christian activists—who else?—for her irresponsibility. MORE

Catholic League president Bill Donohue announced a national boycott of Miller Beer on this morning’s “Fox and Friends.” He explains why today: “Never have we experienced greater corporate arrogance than in this dispute with the Miller Brewing Company. Miller is sponsoring an incredibly outrageous and palpably anti-Christian event in San Francisco: the Folsom Street Fair (see its website at folsomstreetfair.com and be prepared to see the shocking photos of what goes on). Be sure to access our website at catholicleague.org to see the pictures not only of the fair, but of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic group that is holding a mock Last Supper dinner tonight in San Francisco. The Sisters is one of the organizations that is receiving funding from this Miller-sponsored event. “This all started when we learned that Miller was sponsoring an event that featured an obscene ad thrashing the Last Supper. After being pressured, Miller offered a lame statement of regret and ...

New York, Feb 13, 2007 / 11:25 am ( CNA ).- Following the first day of a “public relations blitz” on the part of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, one of the chief campaign bloggers for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards quit Monday evening. The resignation of Amanda Marcotte came on the same day that the Catholic League publicized a new post she made regarding the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Marcotte posted on her personal blog that the criticism "was creating a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign." It's interesting that whenever she coughs it sounds exactly like blasphemy and bigotry. Poor thing! She had better take care of that cough and get to Confession immediately. Marcotte said she resigned from her position Monday, and that her resignation was accepted by the campaign. Immediately after Edwards announced that he would hire Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan, two well-known liberal bloggers...