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Truth or Anti-Catholic Bigotry?


If you're looking for some insight into how Catholic leaders think about LGBT issues and their grasp of basic scientific facts regarding HIV/AIDS, take a gander at a brief article titled "Instances of Harry Knox's Anti-Catholic Bigotry" published by Catholic Online in May.

Knox runs the Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program and is also one of two openly gay men President Barack Obama appointed to a 25-person advisory council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In a letter to the president , Catholic leaders urged Obama to dismiss Knox for his "numerous vile and dishonest attacks against the Church and the Holy Father ... As Catholics, we call on you to remove Mr. Knox from his position and to formally disassociate yourself from his militant anti-Catholicism."

Catholic groups were apparently infuriated by Knox's response to Pope Benedict XVI's erroneous remarks that condom use exacerbates the spread of AIDS.

Here's part of what Catholic Online found objectionable:

• "On March 17, two weeks before his appointment to the advisory council, Knox published a statement on the Human Rights Campaign Web site in reaction to Pope Benedict XVI's remarks concerning condoms and AIDS in Africa. The statement partly reads: 'The Pope's statement that condoms don't help control the spread of HIV, but rather condoms increase infection rates, is hurting people in the name of Jesus. On a continent where millions of people are infected with HIV, it is morally reprehensible to spread such blatant falsehoods. The pope's rejection of scientifically proven prevention methods is forcing Catholics in Africa to choose between their faith and the health of their entire community. Jesus was about helping the marginalized and downtrodden, not harming them further.'"

And another instance the outlet cites as Knox's anti-Catholic bigotry:

• "In reaction to the Vatican's refusal to sign a U.N. agreement that called for decriminalizing homosexuality and equating all sexual orientations, Knox and the HRC signed a statement with other pro-homosexual groups that read, in part: 'As faith leaders we were shocked by Vatican opposition to this proposed initiative .By refusing to sign a basic statement opposing inhumane treatment of LGBT people, the Vatican is sending a message that violence and human rights abuses against LGBT people are acceptable. Many are speaking out against this immoral stance in the name of religion.'"

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Kendall Granberry
    Date posted: 7/9/2009 8:48:00 AM
    Hometown: Evanston, IL

    Comment:

    Sorry, PJR, you won't be indoctrinating THIS gay youth. Brad makes valid points when he mentions that you aren't a member of the gay community. It's this fact, and this fact alone that completely discredits your arguments regarding gay policies. You are simply unable to empathize with people you CLEARLY do not understand.

  • Name: Brad Bailey
    Date posted: 7/9/2009 4:01:00 AM
    Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas

    Comment:

    You have shown us that you are a Christianist fascist first and a human being second, PJR.

  • Name: Brad Bailey
    Date posted: 7/9/2009 3:23:00 AM
    Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas

    Comment:

    Human? Maybe. One of us? Hardly. Unless you have lived your life in second-class citizenship like the rest of us, a hated minority thanks to the efforts of people exactly like yourself, don't even go there. Sorry, PJR, I feel absolutely no sympathy for you whatsoever.

  • Name: PJR
    Date posted: 7/8/2009 8:51:00 PM
    Hometown: Michigan

    Comment:

    Kendall Granberry: You simply could not be more wrong with this line: "I won't even mention abstinence as it is generally inapplicable to the general public at large. It is simply not practical." Abstinance is defacto a MUST for any relationship that involves sex! For instance, a married man's wife gets pregnant. That man will NOT be getting the sex he wants and MUST abstain. IF he LOVES his wife he will! LOVE conquers all, even the desire for sex. Abstinence is a true and pure form of Love. Once that blue spark hits the brain, the idea that sex must by nature happen is found ludicrous and detrimental! Thinking humans no better than to lower themselves to the least common animal behaviour denominator, if they want better for themselves and those they LOVE!! Abstinence works, and works well defacto on the vast majority of populations! It's just fact that MOST abstain from their sexual desires on a daily basis!

  • Name: PJR
    Date posted: 7/8/2009 8:44:00 PM
    Hometown: Michigan

    Comment:

    Brock: That was a whole lotta dumb posted! Hopefully those in research find a cure for that kinda debilitating dumb first, yes even before AIDS, because that kinda extreme dumb is far more dangerous to the world. Brad Bailey: "not one of us"??? My friend, you are simply wrong, as PJR is just as human as any and all of you!

  • Name: Brock
    Date posted: 7/8/2009 3:50:00 PM
    Hometown: North Bend, Oregon

    Comment:

    1: BIRTH CONTROL IS BIRTH CONTROL whether the "approved" "Rhythm" method or otherwise. Condoms as a method probably PRE-DATE the more scienfic Rhythm method. The Pope's issue isn't condoms, it's extramarital sex. WHY? Because it does nothing to INCREASE the population of the Catholic Church. Period, end of debate. The Pope's "job" isn't to be a resonsible World Leader; it's to effectively grow the Roman Catholic Church, PERIOD. 2: Any Roman Catholic cleric who yammers on about gay sex is an automatic LAUGHING STOCK amongst Catholics and everybody else who is aware that the vast majority of Catholic clerics are OBVIOUSLY GAY and most of us KNOW FOR SURE they're NOT CELIBATE. 3: Very few people, including Catholics, give a darn about what clerics say. They go and do what they please instead. GAME OVER.... WAKE UP.

  • Name: Brad Bailey
    Date posted: 7/8/2009 2:49:00 PM
    Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas

    Comment:

    Kendall: I respect your compassion, but PJR is NOT one of us. Read any number of his previous posts. He is an enemy of the gay community.

  • Name: Carol
    Date posted: 7/8/2009 11:15:00 AM
    Hometown: MO

    Comment:

    After reading the article and all the comments there is only one conclusion to make; The leaders of RC that wrote the letter aganist Knox, and called him Anti-Catholic did it to start arguments between RC, and between RC members and everyone else. Just start fusses and it uproots everyones peace. Ignore them, just like PJR.

  • Name: Ezekiel Weaver
    Date posted: 7/8/2009 10:04:00 AM
    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    Comment:

    I have met many Catholic clergy whose commitment to social justice was profoundly impressive. If only the same could be said for the institution. In historical terms, I think of the institutional Church as a yo-yo banging around between between manifest intolerance and intellectualized compassion. Ratzi has a remarkable talent for saying and doing the wrong thing. His list of public blunders is getting to be as long as the Old Testament. The destructive effect of his comments seems to be cumulative; almost each utterance receives a more dramatic negative reaction than the last. This leads me to hope he will learn to keep his mouth shut. Otherwise, God only knows how far he is likely to slide down his current slippery pope.

  • Name: Yogibehr
    Date posted: 7/8/2009 9:35:00 AM
    Hometown: Fall River, MA

    Comment:

    PJR claims that the Advocate is vile journalism. But yet, he/she/it reads every article and uses the comment feature to unabashedly and repeatedly display ignorant bigotry.

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