|
 |
|
| Last updated at 8:40 AM on 10/11/09 |
Column was dishonest, anti-Catholic 
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Telegram
Bill Westcott's letter "Clouding the waters" (Oct. 31, 2009) seeks to defend Peter Jackson's column of Oct. 20 against a critique by Father Kevin Molloy (Oct. 24). Jackson's quite adept at discrediting himself - he needs no assistance. It is no exaggeration to call prejudice against the Catholic Church an everyday occupation for some journalists.
Most of Jackson's column is a replay of depraved character Garry Wills, who has spent his life attacking the Catholic Church. The self-excommunicated Wills becomes the oracle for Jackson to slander the Catholic priesthood. Jackson crosses the line when he attacks the heart of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches by repeating the sacrilegious slander of Garry Wills - namely, "his fingers (referring to a Catholic priest) magically transform bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ."
Jackson infers that the celibacy of priests could be one of the contributing factors in clergy sex abuse. Phillip Jenkins, well-known Anglican writer, in his latest book "Pedophiles and Priests," reveals that the overwhelming majority of those convicted of child molestation are married. Rev. William Persell, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, says that, "it would be naïve and dishonest were we to say that this is a Roman Catholic problem. Sin and abusive behaviour know no ecclesiastical or other boundaries."
Peter Jackson, it is dishonest of you to be scapegoating the Catholic Church for all the child abuse in this province or any other part of the world. Pedophiles have been found in every religion and in every profession. The evidence can be provided to prove that less than two per cent of Catholic clergy have abused children or other adults. Recently, the New York Times exposed the sad extent of child sexual abuse in Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish community. According to the article, there were 40 cases of such abuse in this tiny community last year. One state (Victoria) in Australia had reported 400 doctors for sexual misconduct in the last five years.
Bill Westcott, why would you wish to defend "Blind to their own sins" (Oct. 20), a dishonest article written by an anti-Catholic, Peter Jackson?
George McIsaac
St. John's
|
10/11/09
|
Comments: |
|
This Conversation is Moderated. What is moderation?
|
| What does moderation mean? |
 |
The Telegram is committed to encouraging intelligent discourse among our readers and to creating a forum where diverse views and opinions on a wide range of topics can be aired. The forum you are in now is a result of our continuing efforts to facilitate a dynamic online conversation among our readers.
This is a moderated conversation. Once a reader follows the steps to register and submit his or her comment it goes to a moderator for the website. Once it has been approved, your comment will be displayed on the website. A comment may be edited or deleted for reasons of content or language.
All readers wishing to join a conversation must first sign in and agree to the Terms of Usage, which explain the rules of acceptable content.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ed from NL writes: religion - the last refuge of the weak-minded......
|
| Posted 10/11/2009 at 12:26 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
Frank Blackwood from Richmond Hill, Ontario writes: I have never liked the writings of Bill Wescott that much. I think, Bill talks to himself, for himself ,and must laugh to himself. He seems to relate to the mean streaks in others, and he is the most realistic and others are just robots on earth. I enjoyed his article on old fashioned remedies, and I can see where Bill comes from in his writings. I'm sure he would not sleep at night if there was a good Catholic challenging his ancient thoughts.
Frank M. Blackwood
|
| Posted 10/11/2009 at 2:32 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
Joel from NL writes: It's a step backward in journalism when you mislead people based on your own prejudices as it appears that Jackson is doing. Mr. McIsaac, you have actually done some homework on who has committed child abuse. Ed, yes, the weak-minded.. one of these weak minded people could save your life at hospital one day, or take care of your divorce papers for you. Good comment Frank. Some people have such a prejudice that they do not realize it makes them irrational and weak.
|
| Posted 10/11/2009 at 3:07 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
dianne from nl writes: Thank you for this letter and providing some statistics on how things really are.
|
| Posted 11/11/2009 at 7:32 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
Joe from NL writes: Is there something wrong with being anti-Catholic? Or anti-religion in general?
|
| Posted 12/11/2009 at 6:31 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
CHris from NL writes: To Joe from NL: Yes there is something wrong about being Anti-Catholic, just as there is something wrong about being anti Jewish. It's called Bigotry. You have every right to disagree with religion but to be against a catholic because his catholic is bigotry. No better than racism.
This is typical yellow journalism as people write about something they no nothing about except for ther own prejudices.
Being antiCatholic is one of the last accepted prejudices. Still very active in NL.
|
| Posted 13/11/2009 at 9:22 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
Frank Blackwood from Richmond Hill, Ontario writes: Very interesting comment Chris..I am a devoted protestant who have attender the Catholic Church in Quebec for 34 years. My children were christened through the catholic faith..This does not make me or my chindren different. As a matter of fact we can walk into any church and feel comfortable. I don't think anyone has ever been asked to leave.
Bigots are a dime a dozen.
Frank M. Blackwood
|
| Posted 13/11/2009 at 1:48 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
Joe from NL writes: Chris: Really? Anti-religion is as bad as racism? Classic. Religion of any stripe is an ideological choice, not a biological one. It's a set of ideas, not genes. There is no inherent value in the colour of one's skin, unless you buy the foolish racialist arguments racists make. Religion, however, is merely a way of viewing the world. An archaic, narrow view that is not based on logic or common sense. Why would I want that type of ideology to be supported? There's nothing at all shameful in being anti-religion, nor in fact anti-atheist. It's a choice of ideas, and ideas are rarely 100% right or wrong.
|
| Posted 13/11/2009 at 3:47 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
|
Frank Blackwood from Richmond Hill, Ontario writes: I have to agree with Joe.
However,I find it is more interesting to talk about our fish and vegetables being processed in other countries and placed back on our store shelves as packaged in China, Portugal, USA, Vietnam, as a product of Canada.
The church and religion will always be there for us but our livelihood is slowly fading away with no Jobs to feed our souls.
To have pride and dignity in our lives is as important as our beleifs in life, and sometimes more important when people don't know where the next dollar and meal is coming from.
|
| Posted 16/11/2009 at 2:25 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
| ALERT US ABOUT THIS COMMENT |
|
Please let us know if this reader's comment breaks the rules explained in the Terms of Usage and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.
Do not use this to complain about comments that don't break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.
|
|
|
NOTE
The management of this site emphasizes that it is in no way liable for persons, physical or legal, who are hosted here. Moreover, the managers of this site may not be held liable for errors and omissions that may slip into the information displayed in these reader comments. Everyone who submits a comment should read, understand and agree to the Terms of Usage for this section.
Recent letters to the editor:
|
|
|
|
2
