I saw this story reported on the evening news last Friday and thought how very sad that President Obama would choose to have a gentleman that held such bigoted views against Catholicism and the Pope as a key member of his Faith-based Advisory Council.
My understanding is that this council is supposed to be a ecumenical council used to facilitate understanding and cooperation between the various faiths of our nation so that they can better serve the national community at large.
Somehow having Harry Knox in his current position does not strike me as the best way to achieve that goal, as his repeated anti-Catholic comments, including the latest one further described in the story below, would seem to alienate one of the largest Christian segments of the American population.
With that being the case, I agree with Congressman John Boehner that President Obama should call for Mr. Knox to resign. I strongly suspect he won't do that though, unless there develops sufficient uproar from Catholics and other people of faith to make keeping Harry Knox in this position a political liability for Obama. That seems to be one thing that our President does understand.
Boehner Says We Can't Have 'Anti-Catholic Bigot' in White House, Calls for Obama Adviser to Resign
Thursday, February 04, 2010
By Karen Schuberg
(CNSNews.com) - House Minority Leader John Boehner (R.-Ohio) said today that Harry Knox, who serves on President Barack Obama’s faith-based advisory council, appears to be an “anti-Catholic bigot” and should resign as a White House adviser.
Earlier this week, Knox said he stood by a statement he made last year that Pope Benedict XVI is “hurting people in the name of Jesus” because the pope does not support promoting the use of condoms as a means to stem the spread of HIV.
Knox, who is director of the Human Rights Campaign's religion and faith program, has made other controversial comments about the Catholic Church in the past. For example, in 2007 he was quoted in a statement from the Human Rights Campaign saying that the Catholic Church had committed an act that was “immoral and insulting to Jesus” when it denied communion to a lesbian couple in Wyoming who had promoted same-sex marriage. “In this holy Lenten season, it is immoral and insulting to Jesus to use the body and blood of Christ the reconciler as a weapon to silence free speech and demean the love of a committed, legally married couple,” said Knox.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) describes itself as the nation's "largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization." President Obama was the keynote speaker at the HRC's annual national dinner in October.
St. Michael Society, a Catholic organization, started an online petition calling for Knox to resign from his position on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
CNSNews.com asked Boehner at his press briefing Thursday whether he believed that Knox should resign.
“He should resign. And I have agreed to sign a letter,” said Boehner. “We can’t have in the White House an anti-Catholic bigot, and that’s what this gentleman appears to be.”
Boehner is a Roman Catholic.
At the National Press Club on Tuesday, CNSNews.com had asked Knox: “You put out a statement saying Pope Benedict XVI was—quote—‘hurting people in the name of Jesus’ because he did not support promoting the use of condoms as a means to control the spread of HIV. And I was wondering, do you still believe the pope’s position on condoms is ‘hurting people in the name of Jesus’?”
Knox answered, “I—I do.”
Knox had originally said the Pope was “hurting people in the name of Jesus” in March 2009, shortly before he became a member of President Obama’s advisory council.
On March 17, 2009, Pope Benedict had flown to Africa to visit Cameroon and Angola. During the flight, the Pope answered several questions from reporters, including one concerning AIDS in Africa: Given that the Catholic Church’s position in fighting AIDS “is often considered unrealistic and ineffective,” would the pope “address this theme during the journey?”
The Pope responded by detailing many of the Church’s humanitarian efforts to help people with AIDS in Africa. “I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome merely with money, necessary though it is,” he said. “If there is no human dimension, if Africans do not help [by responsible behavior], the problem cannot be overcome by the distribution of prophylactics: on the contrary, they increase it.”
On the same day as the pope's remarks, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued the statement that quoted Harry Knox as follows: “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,” said Knox in the statement. “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.”
Harry Knox spoke with CNSNews.com at a press conference about the “American Prayer Hour,” a new, multi-city event designed to "affirm inclusive values and call on all nations, including Uganda, to decriminalize the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."
By Karen Schuberg
(CNSNews.com) - House Minority Leader John Boehner (R.-Ohio) said today that Harry Knox, who serves on President Barack Obama’s faith-based advisory council, appears to be an “anti-Catholic bigot” and should resign as a White House adviser.
Earlier this week, Knox said he stood by a statement he made last year that Pope Benedict XVI is “hurting people in the name of Jesus” because the pope does not support promoting the use of condoms as a means to stem the spread of HIV.
Knox, who is director of the Human Rights Campaign's religion and faith program, has made other controversial comments about the Catholic Church in the past. For example, in 2007 he was quoted in a statement from the Human Rights Campaign saying that the Catholic Church had committed an act that was “immoral and insulting to Jesus” when it denied communion to a lesbian couple in Wyoming who had promoted same-sex marriage. “In this holy Lenten season, it is immoral and insulting to Jesus to use the body and blood of Christ the reconciler as a weapon to silence free speech and demean the love of a committed, legally married couple,” said Knox.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) describes itself as the nation's "largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization." President Obama was the keynote speaker at the HRC's annual national dinner in October.
St. Michael Society, a Catholic organization, started an online petition calling for Knox to resign from his position on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
CNSNews.com asked Boehner at his press briefing Thursday whether he believed that Knox should resign.
“He should resign. And I have agreed to sign a letter,” said Boehner. “We can’t have in the White House an anti-Catholic bigot, and that’s what this gentleman appears to be.”
Boehner is a Roman Catholic.
At the National Press Club on Tuesday, CNSNews.com had asked Knox: “You put out a statement saying Pope Benedict XVI was—quote—‘hurting people in the name of Jesus’ because he did not support promoting the use of condoms as a means to control the spread of HIV. And I was wondering, do you still believe the pope’s position on condoms is ‘hurting people in the name of Jesus’?”
Knox answered, “I—I do.”
Knox had originally said the Pope was “hurting people in the name of Jesus” in March 2009, shortly before he became a member of President Obama’s advisory council.
On March 17, 2009, Pope Benedict had flown to Africa to visit Cameroon and Angola. During the flight, the Pope answered several questions from reporters, including one concerning AIDS in Africa: Given that the Catholic Church’s position in fighting AIDS “is often considered unrealistic and ineffective,” would the pope “address this theme during the journey?”
The Pope responded by detailing many of the Church’s humanitarian efforts to help people with AIDS in Africa. “I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome merely with money, necessary though it is,” he said. “If there is no human dimension, if Africans do not help [by responsible behavior], the problem cannot be overcome by the distribution of prophylactics: on the contrary, they increase it.”
On the same day as the pope's remarks, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued the statement that quoted Harry Knox as follows: “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,” said Knox in the statement. “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.”
Harry Knox spoke with CNSNews.com at a press conference about the “American Prayer Hour,” a new, multi-city event designed to "affirm inclusive values and call on all nations, including Uganda, to decriminalize the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."
6 comments:
Hmmmm...so someone can only be a "person of faith" if they subscribe to the right wing version of "faith" and adhere to the most fundamentalist version of any given religion?
Calling an obviously stupid argument that condoms do not stop AIDS (the asinine "point" made by the Pope) "stupid" makes one an anti-Catholic bigot now? I thought this was America. You guys on the right have become so uber-sensitive. It's like your little ears catch on fire if you're subjected to hearing anything that doesn't mirror your extremely narrow understanding of...well, anything, frankly.
Dave, one can have legitimate differences of opinion and debate the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of condoms without ascribing emotion and motives to the debate by saying foolish and inflammatory things like "The Pope is hurting people in the name of Jesus."
That certainly is not the intention, or even the facts of the matter, in the case of what the Pope and the Catholic church is attempting to do here.
Further the efficacy of condom use in the prevention of AIDs/HIV is not a certainty; however, it gives the condom user the peace of mind that it is protecting him regardless. THAT is dangerous in and of itself.
"Further the efficacy of condom use in the prevention of AIDs/HIV is not a certainty; however, it gives the condom user the peace of mind that it is protecting him regardless"
And spreading false and/or misleading information does more damage than just being honest about the facts.
So, you and the Church are arguing that sex without a condom protects someone from HIV better than a condom? Sorry, but to quote your hero Rush Limbaugh, "That's retarded."
No, Dave, that is NOT what I said at all. I said that often times, using a condom makes the user thereof feel like he is now protected and impervious to disease. That is not necessarily the case, and can often lead to that very person becoming infected.
As the Catholic church would recommend, far better to remain abstinent unless you are in a committed monongomous marriage. THAT works every time it is tried, as my hero, Rush Limbaugh says.
I know that concept is so antiquated and passe nowadays, but it certainly would prevent the spread of AIDs and STD's, and isn't that what this was all about from the beginning?
It is interesting that many times we don't actually listen to what is being said. Dave, the Pope never said "condoms do not stop AIDS" or "sex without a condom protects someone from HIV better than a condom." What the Pope said is that the "distribution" of condoms is not the solution to the AIDS crisis in Africa. He is correct about this. We have over 25 years of condom distribution in Africa, and there has been no decrease in the HIV rate (and in actuality, in many areas the HIV rate has increased). So, the Pope is correct in what he said.
There has been some success, however. The main place in Africa where HIV rate has (only recently) decreased is in Uganda, where there has been a concerted effort by the government and local groups to change people's views, attitudes, and understanding of sex and relationships (moving toward monogamy and faithfulness in relationships). And, I think, this is what the Pope was calling the "human dimension."
I am not writing this to support the Catholic Church's position on birth control or condom use, but I do think that there has been an inappropriate uproar by some about the Pope's response to a question on a plane. What the Pope said is true, but unfortunately, I think, people are misinterpreting his response and are saying some inappropriate things (I don't think it is appropriate to say that the Pope "is hurting people in the name of Jesus," when he was commenting on the factual lack of success of condom distribution in decreasing HIV rates in Africa.).
Mike, I appreciate your comments and insights. They seem quite cogent to me. I had forgotten about the success story of Uganda due to their change in attitudes, the "human dimension", in fighting the spread of AIDs. Thanks for the reminder, sir.
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