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Subscribe to RSSThe Anti-Defamation League wants an apology from Peoria's bishop following a recent homily comparing President Barack Obama's policies to those of despots Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
During the message at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria, Roman Catholic Bishop Daniel Jenky contended social services for Catholics could be eliminated if Obama's directive to include contraceptives in health insurance continues. Jenky went on to compare the actions to past cultural wars against the Catholic Church.
“Remember that in past history other governments have tried to force Christians to huddle and hide only within the confines of their churches like the first disciples locked up in the Upper Room,” Jenky said.
Read the original story, hear audio at NBChicago.com
In comparison, he pointed to Otto von Bismarck's "culture war against the Roman Catholic Church, closing down every Catholic school and hospital, convent and monastery in Imperial Germany."
“Clemenceau, nicknamed ‘the priest eater,’ tried the same thing in France in the first decade of the 20th Century," Jenky said. "Hitler and Stalin, at their better moments, would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open, but would not tolerate any competition with the state in education, social services and health care."
"In clear violation of our First Amendment rights, Barack Obama, with his radical, pro-abortion and extreme secularist agenda, now seems intent on following a similar path,” he said.
Chicago’s Anti-Defamation League calls the comments "outrageous." League Regional Director Lonnie Nasatir told the Chicago Tribune Jenky "needs a history lesson."
Nasatir said the bishop's homily trivialized the deaths of six million Jews and others during the Holocaust. He said there are few if any historic parallels to "the religious intolerance and anti-Semitism fostered in society by Stalin, and especially Hitler."
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If he really wants to find a "nazi", he only needs to ask his boss. Hitler youth, if I am not mistaken.
Grow up people. After our RIGHT to religious freedom is gone what's next? Has anyone considered which freedom will come under attack next - guess you won't care until it's just down to yours personal freeedom and there won't be anyone to stand with you. If you want to complain about a church - any church - learn about it first so you have an informed complaint.
Gerry, the Catholic Church has historically not been all that big on religious freedom.
What freedom do you give up? None. You, the individual, do not lose the ability to refuse to use contraceptives.
It it any wonder people are leaving the Catholic Church in droves . . . . . . . .
Well this certainly clears things up for me. The child rape crowd always has a significant impact on my thinking.
f, you dirt bag. Go, play with your boyfreind.
This Bishop hit the nail on the head. Hussein Obama is trying to remove morality from our country. Our country was founded on Christian values and it should stay that way. Hussein is acting like Stalin and Hitler, the only difference is, he is Muslim and an extreme one at that. His Christian values run about as deep as a river in the salt flats. He should have never been elected, most of the white people that voted for him did it out of guilt.
If you like freedom, arm yourself now. They are coming for our guns next.
He is a Muslim raised Communist, Get it?
If the bishop didn't spend all of his time fondling boys, he might know something about politics.
Yanks...you are a true Patriot and what makes this country great! I wish we had more than 42 of your kind in this great land!!!
The Pope shoud remove this idiot immediately. He obviously is demented and should not be in his present position. The church,any church,has no business getting involved in politics.
how about celebrities ? do they have business getting involved in politics ? they do this all of the time. but its ok when they agree with your side, just not ok when they dont agree with the leftist liberals or Obama. God forbid you disagree with him.
Celebrities pay taxes (even if only a little).
Nope -- the American people need to remove the Socialist would-be dictator Obama next November at the polls!!!! "One and done!"
If these religions decide to engage in a secular business, such as a hospital, then they need to suck it up and follow the law. I really hate religion though, it's evil.
Not as evil as the Socialist alter you obviously pray at!!!!!
I think Peoria's bishop is showing definite signs of deep seated dementia. I know a lot of people don't like President Obama (and it IS President), but how anyone can even begin to compare him to Hitler or Stalin indicates to me that that person does not have a finger-hold, much less a grip, on reality.
This Bishop needs to pay penalty to Israel period! His comments hurted Jews and so should the appologetic money be paid to the Jews for using Holocaust's name in vain.
What do you expect from an idiot, the above statements. I am of the same faith, but, he does not speak for me on million of others. He is just an IDIOT
He's right-on!!! He speaks for the MILLIONS of freedom-loving Americans who can't stand the Socialistic, would be dictator actions of OBAMA!!!! After November elections, it's gonna be "Obama -- One and Done"!!!
And I bet he gives praises to the pedophile priests
While not a big fan of our current president, these kinds of comments and comparisons are such an insult to the, literally, millions of people who DIED at the hands of those this bozo compares him to. No president, even Mr. Obama, deserves that kind of comparison.
Steve, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but lest we forget, for 8 years the hard left in his country despised George Bush and called him a Hitler (or said he was "Worse than Hitler")... So "what goes around, comes around." If the Left had been civil to President Bush, maybe more people would chose to be civil to Obama.
The catholic church should declare war on pedophiles.
Right @!$%#ing On!!!
It is time the Catholic Church modernizes itself and stop using rules established when times were totally different. The rules they abide by today are archaic and do not fit todays world. The Catholic church is a money making organization and is also the largest private landowner other than our government. It has been proven many times that buildings they own are being rented by porn shops, whore houses and more. So how is that not being a money grubber over their supposed beliefs? The church has let child molestation of boys and girls remain a big secret for centuries. Many sisters( nuns) have been forced out of the church because they are impregnated by a priest but is the priest forced to leave the church - NOPE!!!!! So why this Bishop says that Obama is like Stalin or Hitler he better look at the churches past and present history before he does any more little boy name calling. I have two family members who left their convents because of the churches rules and regulation. They both took vows of poverty and were to help the poor. But as they were fantastic teachers they were assigned to very wealthy private catholic schools. So in other words the rich got the best and the poor schools got what was left over. So they finally got tired of asking to be sent to the poor schools and left thier calling and went to work in inner city schools and had a grand time doing so. The catholic church is all about money and the trappings that come along with it.
I'm not Catholic, but any faith that changes it's principles based on what is popular in the culture is not a faith worth pursuing as it lacks backbone. Imagine if Sodom and Gamora were around today(some argue they do) and they set the moral and cultural basis...would you argue the church should conform to them? Societies that conform to the desires of the masses end up like Nazi Germany or Iran... The church that sticks to the Bible, will outlive us all...
They still think the Crusades (where anyone who was not Catholic was killed) are still going on. The catholic relegion did nothing during Hitler's war.
To jack -- as a historian, I've studied the crusades, and can tell you that the Muslims were every bit as murderous and plundering as any Christians. Why do you people give Islamo-Fascists every break in the world, and every presumption, yet you can never cut the Catholic Church any slack whatsoever???? What's the matter with you Leftists??? And since when did you Leftists EVER complain about Communists, the most murderous group in the history of the world???? (Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Lenin, etc)
Social Conservatives are America's Taliban, when they insist on imposing the curtailment of women's rights on the whole of our secular nation.
Not sure what you mean by this ? how are they curtailing women's rights ?
most women's rights are curtailed by women themselves who are the hardest on each other and part of the reason more women are not at the table.
Leftists and those who coddle Islamo-Fascist terrorists are the American Taliban!!!! Social Conservatives are the patriots and heros of our Nation!!!! They are following the Founders' will and the US Constitution!!! Leftists like Obama want a Global Socialist Super-State which will of necessity be a dictatorship. Wise up, man!!!
Leave it to some incompetent bishop to open its foul mouth and begin throwing crap around. That pretend bishop should be tarred and feathered and its mouth filled with molten lead so it will not disseminate crap any more...ass wipe!!!
He reminds me of the Westburo Church
Leave it to Socialist would-be dictators to come to Obama's defense. Sorry, but after November elections, it's gonna be "Obama -- One and Done"!!!
Hey Bishop:
"If you're the one doing the pointing, then nobody is probably looking at you." -Todd Snyder
This and many other reasons is why I and many friends and family members, are no longer Catholic. We do not believe in the do as I say and not as I do kind of example. The Catholic church is deaf to the needs of millions around the world, amassing power and wealth, pride and discrimination towards others (sound like other groups around here?) that there is no christianity in any of it (same for the the other groups too).
It's time for religions to open their eyes and realize people need a realistic approach, hallucinations, lies and hypocrisy no longer work. We won't get into the ways religions where created, this alone would keep a sane person agnostic, yet today's world is much different from biblical times and you either evolve or die.... time for religion to die.
"Realistic approach"??? You mean like the dictatorial Socialism of Obama and his supporters? NO WAY! After November elections, it's gonna be "Obama -- One and Done"!!!
Isn't it amazing how much the truth hurts the liberals of the world...
It's not about the priest hating obama or telling truth or lie..... it's about hurting Jews' feelings because the Bishop does not know crap about Holocaust.
Jews are not the discussion point of his speech.
So what????? I don't agree with this Priest's observations, I think he's overreacting, but why is that as soon as a conservative says something about a liberal, everyone wants to hang them? Free speech is free speech even from the pulpit. Get over it. His parishioners can think for themselves.
I'm so tired of people thinking they should never be offended by others. It happens. Get over it.
So if Oprah preached everyday from 2000 - 2008 about what kind of mix between Hitler and Stalin George W was, no one from the right would care? You people got your panties in a bunch because a democrat said that Mrs. Magic undies billionaire never worked a day in her life...and it was true!!
People might "care" - we care about a lot of things we all hear and see every day. Doesn't mean you have the right to shut someone up just because you don't like what they are saying. BTW, I don't agree with this Priest/Bishop, but he has the right to say and think what he wants.
Let me be clear Steveo-2875317 - I really don't care what anyone says about anyone in the public eye, whether I agree with them or not. I think for myself and I am not influenced by that stuff, good or bad. I have never had my "panties in a bunch" over this kind of stuff. I can't speak for others.
He does. But so do liberals to say he is a F'in moron who needs to stick to fairy tales! I have the right to talk as well and until his company starts paying taxes and stop molesting children, he should keep his mouth shut!
Steveo-2875317 - if paying taxes is a pre-requisite to freedom of speech, I guess about half the Democratic Party will have to shut up until they are off of welfare. BTW, the first part of your comment makes no sense.
A.L.S. you got it right on! Especially the part about Democrats who don't pay their taxes. We can start with our current Secretary of the Treasury -- "Tax Cheat" Tim Geithner!!!! I wish he'd shut up and stop lying to the American people.
The truth hurts and that's exactly what this Bishop is stating. Government can't touch churches and they have a right to preach what they want. If you don't like it, go to a different church. You go, Bishop! Way to tell it like it is!
Jerimiah Wright preaches what ? Hatred, race war fare...
Remember, don't say anything negative about President Obama. It will cost you.
So Ted Nugent and the Bishop think obama sucks - there just might be something to it??
That the ignorant of America say stupid stuff?
So they are ignorant because you don't agree with them Steveo-2875317? Disagree if you want, but don't expect that your opinion is the standard by which all others are judged.
This is outrageous. The churches should apologize and pay a penalty for hurting so many Jews' feelings. Holocaust belongs to the Chosen ones and CANNOT be compared to ANYTHING ever in the whole history.
It is about time that churches get their facts straight and get a Rabbi consultant.
You're nuts!
"It is about time that churches get their facts straight..."
Perhaps they could start with letting go of the archaic belief that the earth is somehow only 6000 years old?
Obama, is the "Anti Christ", brought to you by George Soros.
He may be "a" anti-Christ based on many of his political statements and positions (anti-biblical positions) but he is NOT "The" Anti-Christ. If he was, you and I would both be in trouble because we would have missed the rapture. Read your bible. The Anti-Christ won't be revealed until AFTER the rapture.
Well, both you, Arizonatime, and ALS have good points. Okay, Obama might not be the anti-Christ, but he's certainly a Socialist would-be dictator. And that's bad enough!
Remember -- come November Elections -- "Obama, One and Done"!!!
How interesting, now the Church which was in bed with Hitler and has been very busy protecting their child molesting priests, wants to be critical of the President of the US because he wants church owned businesses to comly with the law ?