Earlier, I wrote a response to Pax's latest post about a friend of mine, PZ Meyers.  Over the last three weeks, I've watched Pax make comments about PZ's character that were not truthful.  I understand the knee jerk.  But, when you see consistent pounding on a friend (especially when the facts are incorrect), you are condoning the pounding and I can't do that any more.

Most of what I've written here is in response to Pax's last post.  So, forgive me for copying it here.  I want to discuss this with the assurance that no one's comments will be deleted. 

A young, male, Catholic college student attended a Catholic mass on STATE UNIVERSITY property (which is ironic given the current, alleged persecution cries).  He had a friend who wondered what the host actually looked like.  So, this young man goes up for communion and receives the host.  He tries not to befoul it by putting it in his mouth only to withdrawal it.  But, no...the Eucharist police made him put it in his mouth.  He did so.  When he took it back out to put it in a plastic bag, he was jumped and PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED.  He was  assaulted in a Catholic Church.  What's more disrespectful: Taking a wafer and showing an interested friend or forcibly trying to remove a cracker from someones mouth during a mass? 

Pax took a claim straight out of the Catholic League press release.  In and of itself, that's fine.  But, it's inaccurate.   Pax claims that PZ desecrated the host and the Koran -Not only did he tear a few pages from the Koran and toss it...he also threw in some pages from The God Delusion by renowned atheist Richard Dawkins.  Gee...I wonder why you left that out?  By doing so, PZ was trying to illustrate a point.  The  point being: it's just a cracker and the books are just books.  There are no sacred cows.  Meyers was very clear:  "Question EVERYTHING.".  Even atheism!  But, both Pax and the Catholic League failed to publish this. Why?

 PZ received hundreds of death threats and even claims that his children would be "dealt with".   Most of his blog entries topped out in the 10,000 comment range.  His normal comment numbers vary between 30-100.  None of the death threats came from Muslims (despite the claims of Catholic commenters and the Catholic League).  They all came from Catholics. One man went to the trouble of creating twenty different e-mail addresses and user names so he could skew the number and nature of reactions.  One Catholic woman was fired from HER job for writing horrible death threats against Myers family.  Stranger still, she blamed the whole thing on her husband, saying that he'd got into her work account.  My question to all Catholics is: how do you reconcile these behaviors?  Is it okay to kick a young man out of the church and school because he didn't eat the cracker?  Is it okay to demand someones job for a bit of flour, water, and vegetable oil?  If the cracker is only the body of Christ when it is present in the mass or being given by an authorized lay minister, then what's the problem?  Furthermore, you can buy them in bulk.  But, Meyers didn't even have to do that...he was sent at least thirty crackers by self-identified catholics (though I'm sure there were a few ex-Catholics or holiday Catholics in the mix).  There is a procedure you follow when taking communion and most atheists have no clue what that procedure is.  Nor did any feel as if going to mass was fair.  There were many, many discussions in the atheist blogosphere (and PZ's blog) where the idea of crashing mass was discouraged and labeled poor behavior. Catholics who went up for mass, took the wafer, and sent it to Meyers.  Are you going to demand their jobs next?  Ex-communicate them?  What if one of them was from a priest with whom Meyers did a radio show with?  Should he be banished from the priesthood?

Furthermore, Meyers tested the claim that the host became the literal body of Christ by following a ritual done by Catholic monks hundreds of years ago.  He could have done any number of more desecrating and disrespectful things to it.  And, this is an important point...for there were many, many suggestions on what he should do.  Interestingly enough, one vocal Baptist wanted him to defecate in a toilet and flush it down the drain with the feces.  I say it's interesting because there were a number of religious folk outside the church who seem to have a bigger problem with this ceremony than any atheist I've ran across.

I try to have sympathy for Catholics.  I was one.  My family still is.   But, you guys shot yourself in the foot with this one.  Rather than taking reasonable action against Mr. Cook (like, oh, I dunno'...having him come in for confession face-to-face or something), the Catholic Church decided they were going to make a huge deal out of it in the media.  They ASSUMED Mr. Cook was an atheist or secularist angry at the university's policy to allow religious worship on state property.  When they realized they'd made a mistake, it was too late.  The media had dispersed the story of a Catholic parishioner being assaulted in his own church.  PZ wrote a post about it and...I don't need to repeat what I've already said, but the results don't flatter Catholics.   People who drew this out made the Catholic Church look ridiculous.  They forgot their purpose by Catholic standards.  They forgot that the host is the communion of a present Christ in the celebrant...if you're not Catholic, it does not trans-substantiate.  They got so caught up in this perceived disrespect by one of their own (and the people who suggested beating him up in church was wrong), that you forgot that the Eucharist is only a part of your faith and not the entire basis for your faith.  And, then...rather than handle it with dignity, the Catholic League incited violence, death threats, and harm to Meyer's family.  So...exactly who is it that people should fear:  Muslims who have not made one comment despite the fact that he tore a few pages from their holy book or the thousands of Catholics who took it too far?  One confirmed Catholic individual wrote that PZ should be careful taking his minor son to see a movie because they'd be waiting for the boy. 

Pax claims that PZ's employer "whitewashed their policies".  The University of Minnesota at Morris did not whitewash their policies.  Their policies are irrelevant as his website is not hosted by the University.  He broke no laws.  He didn't use the university as a pulpit.  Their policies cover only those things which are said during his hours of employment and in his classroom or a university sponsored website.  And, even if he'd used a university sponsored site, he has academic freedom and a first amendment right to say whatever he wants.  Is the Californian responsible for every erroneous comment Pax makes?  Are they responsible for the things said in private or public phone conversations one makes on their own cell phone?  Can they fire you for something you sent in a letter...even if the letter was sent to a large audience?  Of course not. 

There was an interview between Myers and a Catholic priest on Catholic radio.  It's a well-done interview and both parties spoke with passion...but never resorted to inciting harm.  Should you like to listen to the interview, you may find it here : http://www.catholicradioint...

If you'd like to download it directly, then you may do so here: http://www.catholicradioint...

In closing, it's pretty hard to take the Catholic League seriously.  For one, they are not backed by the Catholic Church in any official capacity.  Given the tendencies of the Catholic League to exaggerate claims, this is a good move on the Church's part.  The Catholic League is also a "league" only in the vaguest sense.  But, more importantly, it's a completely reactive (over-reactive) organization.  Bill Donohue seems to live by the credo of reacting first and getting the facts later (as is proven by his initial comments that Webster Cook was an atheist!).  Donohue lives for the sound-byte on Larry King or Fox News and he promotes vindictive and violent solutions.  Is this really the new face of American Catholicism?  For the sake of every peaceful and reflective Catholic I know, I sincerely hope not.

Bottom line: not immediately eating a wafer in church does not justify violence.  And, defending the person who was assaulted does not justify death threats, taking someones job, or intimidating a minor.