The Huffington Post would like to present itself as an oasis of religious tolerance. When they started their Religion section, Arianna Huffington decried that "all too often, when talking about it, we end up talking at each other instead of with each other." Weeks ago, they published Nida Khan lamenting conservative Islamophobia, as "a vocal minority of extremists to capitalize and advance on their bigotry and xenophobia." The writer cited Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, Rick Lazio and Peter King. That was one of many Huff-Po pieces feeling the pain of American Muslims, victims of vicious midterm politics.
But that same Huffington Post doesn't mind promoting "Rome-o-phobia," vile anti-Catholic screeds from bigoted leftists that just happened to enjoy ripping up a picture of Pope John Paul on national TV. Arianna Huffington published Sinead O'Connor's "An Open Letter to the Pope," carrying flagrantly false statements, such as "not one member of The Vatican has publicly displayed an iota of humility over this issue. Instead each person who has spoken has done so most arrogantly and dismissively."
Here's the latest line from O'Connor in the U.K. Guardian, where the headline says "The Vatican is a nest of devils." Or, to be more precise:
"The Vatican is a nest of devils and a haven for criminals. It's evil, the very top of the toppermost is evil."O'Connor is clear what has to happen – those responsible have to go. "And when all the those guys stand down we should take back the church for us." Would she like to see a democratically elected pope? "Do we need a fucking pope? Why do we need a pope? Christ doesn't need a representative. Ten years from now the church will be nothing resembling what it has been."
This is the kind of "religion" spokesman The Huffington Post wants to promote -- a washed-up one-hit wonder who asserts that a global church with a billion adherents is about to fall apart in the next ten years -- or if not fall apart, become a haven for fashionable, libertine-left, potty-mouthed "philosophers" like Sinead O'Connor.
Her article was not a dialogue -- a talking-to, instead of a talking-at -- it was a vicious monologue. It was just another left-wing Huff-Po celebrity slur.