On May 13, John McCain supporter John Hagee issued an apology to the Catholic League for controversial anti-Catholic comments he's made in the past. "Catholic League President William Donoghue [sic] accepted the apology," noted Washington Post's Michael D. Shear in the midst of his 8-paragraph story published the following day.
Shear closed by noting that "[n]ot all Catholics were mollified" by Hagee's letter of apology, citing "Alexia Kelley, executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good." Shear failed to label Kelley nor the Alliance as liberal, although a visit to their Web site makes it pretty clear their political agenda skews in favor of liberal Democratic social welfare initiatives.
But more telling is this: Kelley used to work for the DNC during the Kerry campaign as Director of Religious Outreach. Catholic or no, it's not all that surprising that the former liberal Democratic Party staffer would refuse to let the Hagee matter drop in a tense election year when presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has his own share of problems, to say the least, with loopy clergymen in his corner.
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Apples and Oranges
May 14, 2008 - 11:01 ET by mattmThe problem Libs constantly run into when they try to use this trick is that the equivalence or comparison they are trying to make is usually not there.
Going after Hagee is an obvious response to the Wright mess. But Hagee is not McCain's pastor and he doesn't advocate the damning of America, but rather its salvation - he's boisterous, loud and intimidating, but he is not calling for God to damn America.
It's not surprising that a Kerry-ite is doing this, since Kerry's "reporting for duty" schtik was an attempt to compare Bush's lack of combat experience to Kerry's "war hero" image he was trying to portray, while neutralizing criticism that Democrats are inept when it comes to national security.
I'm not a Catholic, but I
May 14, 2008 - 11:14 ET by Jack BauerI'm not a Catholic, but I was wondering what practising Catholics find MORE offensive...
I'd be interested to hear from our Catholic NBuddies.
That's a tough one Jack
May 14, 2008 - 11:24 ET by taterThat's a tough one Jack because both are examples of hypocrites (all Protestant denominations came from the Catholic faith)...although I'd go with #2 because these people sold their souls for an idiotic ideology when they could have made really good changes in society.
"They need to have a course in college called common sense and everyone should take it. Problem is there isn't too many people that could pass or teach it." -my grandfather
»→ Think so, tater?
May 14, 2008 - 11:24 ET by Cool ArrowI'll bet I could heat the place up with Catholic bashing a whole lot faster than if I commented about Ted Kennedy taking Communion.
But I won't. Y'all are welcome. And we won't have to worry about futbolisgreat1 having a coronary.
♣ a seal
You're probably right...
May 14, 2008 - 11:32 ET by taterYou're probably right... but mention Pelosi, Kerry trying to take communion and you get some heated Catholics. In reality a Protestant saying insulting things about the church's faith and a Catholic taking communion yet supporting issues against the Catholic faith are equally offensive in my eyes.
"They need to have a course in college called common sense and everyone should take it. Problem is there isn't too many people that could pass or teach it." -my grandfather
Okay, I too will try to
May 14, 2008 - 12:39 ET by RESTLESS 1Okay, I too will try to resist the temptation of Catholic bashing, even though I find their bashing of my religion offensive.
I'll just ask, didn't Lutherans break away from the Catholic church because of it's hipocrisy? Ya know, the buying your way into Heaven thing and all?
I'm a fundie Lutheran - and
May 14, 2008 - 12:55 ET by TruthMongerI'm a fundie Lutheran - and yes you are essentially correct - but Luther was of the opinion that the ROMAN Catholic Church had broken away from the HOLY Catholic Church - and Luther simply established a return...
And I respectfully request we avoid bashing all religions here:)...
TM
May 14, 2008 - 14:57 ET by RESTLESS 1I know, I went with the quickie, watered down version above. I find it funny how Luther asked why the Pope, with all of his riches, couldn't build the Basilica instead of poor, peasant Christians. I often wonder the same of liberals today. :)
»→ That's easy Jack
May 14, 2008 - 11:21 ET by Cool ArrowHands down, it's people of other religions bashing them.
♣ a seal
Speaking strictly for myself
May 14, 2008 - 11:47 ET by KC MulvilleThe Protestant comments don't bother me at all. Obviously, the Democrat Catholic liberal politicians are much more troublesome. They claim that as politicians, they can't impose their morality on others. This is absurd for any religion, not just Catholics. Here's what I'd love to say to those politicians:
I'd have a little more respect for that argument if the politicians were willing to lead or even challenge their liberal base on any of those issues. As it is, they're terrified of saying anything that might offend feminists, minorities, Islam, or radical academics. Democrat politicians obsequiously grovel in front of every interest group. The only people they're willing to ignore are their own interest group.
Jack, you know what really bothers me? When these Democrat Catholics use these arguments, they they reveal themselves to be unscrupulously stupid. It's embarrassing.
KC -- thanks. I tend to
May 14, 2008 - 12:08 ET by Jack BauerKC -- thanks. I tend to agree with your take.
Hagee used words to hurt feelings. Big deal That's an ephemeral thing.
Pelosi, Kennedy et al, claim to be Catholic, yet they use words to support abortion which kills human beings. That's real.
What's more offensive?
interesting topic
May 14, 2008 - 13:09 ET by TruthMongerthis is the same issue I constantly protest here regarding harsh commentary about Muslims - and also Mormons to a some extent...
from my view Jesus found "piety for show" absolutely infuriating, while honest rebuke of one another as not only OK, but very important - and I believe Hagee was being honest about his feelings - but the language was too harsh...
It's important to be honest about true feelings - but it does little good if the language used is harsh, insulting, disrespectful, bigoted - whatever you want to call it - it distracts from the issue...
It's all about honesty - and piety for display purposes is not honest, but proper rebuke is honest
Another good catch, Ken
May 14, 2008 - 11:16 ET by KC MulvilleSo I wonder ... is Alexia Kelley on Shear's rolodex, ready to be called for a quote or backgrounder? Nothing wrong there, of course, but I also wonder if Shear has any Republicans or conservatives on the same rolodex, and how many of them called to comment on this story? Shear's story doesn't mention any.
Sounds to me like Shear ripped the story from the AP, called Kelley for some rebuttal, and went home early for the day.
To be fair
May 14, 2008 - 11:45 ET by sarcasmoIf the objecting Catholic group should be labeled, then so should the non-objecting Catholic group. William Donoghue is an effective advocate for sure, but the idea that he and the Catholic League are any-less political than Alexia Kelley and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is laughable, IMO. Neither political advocacy group has any political label in the story, but if one should, then they both should. Since neither have a political label even though both could use one, this is IMO more lazy-journalism than bias.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Funny Stuff.
May 14, 2008 - 11:50 ET by ScrapironIsn't it funny that every rock they (democrats) turn over has a criminal/slimey democrat under it. Kind of makes one think there are no honest democrats left.
Old, Retired and glad of it.
John Hagee
May 14, 2008 - 12:25 ET by ricklailI know for a fact that if McCain had sat under John Hagee's ministry for 20 years he would be a conservative. I don't agree with Hagee on many things such as the prosperity stuff. I know that he is getting his escatology from Clarence Larkin's Dispensational Truth. If you watch his program, then look at the charts. Larkin and his forerunner John Darby taught that the church at Rome was going to be the end of time church. This is based on readings from Daniel and The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
I had a lot of problems with the Catholic Church over their doctrines and practices. I ascribe to dispensationalism. I think he is wrong to call the pope the anti-christ. More and more each day I am lead to believe that Islam is going to be the one world religion spoken of in the Bible. It is going to happen by force. This is my belief. It is based on what I see happening in the world. I believe that as the end of the age comes, God opens more of His word to us.
Here's an example. My grandfather would read in the Bible about the whole world seeing the 2 prophets killed and their resurection. He had to accept that on faith. Today I see how it is possible due to 24/7 world wide news.
A bitter, clingy gun owner who drinks a 4-WD truck with a gun rack and goes to church and studies the Bible.
wow...
May 14, 2008 - 12:27 ET by sarcasmoThat 4-WD truck sounds like quite a drink! :)
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Thanks, I fixed it. A
May 14, 2008 - 12:57 ET by ricklailThanks, I fixed it.
A bitter, clingy gun owner who drives a 4-WD truck with a gun rack and goes to church and studies the Bible.
»→ rick
May 14, 2008 - 12:28 ET by Cool ArrowAfter the Rapture, which we Protestants are free to believe in, who cares where the Antichrist comes from?
♣ a seal
Anti-Christ
May 14, 2008 - 14:16 ET by GothampcWell the idea is to circulate the information so that when the Antichrist comes, people will recognize that this person is evil and means to do harm. My understanding of the anti-Christ is that people will at first trust him, not understanding that he is evil.
For 3 and 1/2 years things
May 14, 2008 - 14:31 ET by ricklailFor 3 and 1/2 years things are going to go great. After that then it will be hell on earth. This person starts out good but becomes evil. If I understand the Bible correctly he will be Satan in the flesh.
A bitter, clingy gun owner who drives a 4-WD truck with a gun rack and goes to church and studies the Bible.
Well based on that theory I
May 14, 2008 - 14:48 ET by taterWell based on that theory I would say Mr. Anti-Christ would be a dhimmicrat or a liberal but we already know most are evil. But I think the Islam thing is where this whole mess is going to come out of...since they are growing at a rapid pace by force. I'm hoping if this sort of thing happens in my lifetime that whatever goofball comes proclaiming himself will eventually show the fruits of his/her heart and make it abundently clear he is evil. I say if you believe in Jesus and what he had to say and study it...live faithfully then you won't be duped by this person.
"They need to have a course in college called common sense and everyone should take it. Problem is there isn't too many people that could pass or teach it." -my grandfather
The problem is not that Hagee endorsed MacCain...
May 14, 2008 - 13:22 ET by szampLiberals are not capable of realizing that the problem is not who endorses MacCain or Obama. The problem is that Obama endorsed Wright as long as it was convenient. If the problem is who endorses the candidates, they should be very concerned that Hamas is endorsing them.