Video: Hannity argues with priest over birth control
posted at 10:59 am on March 15, 2007 by Allahpundit
Thanks for this to Robert Stacy McCain, who tells me the clip’s picking up steam in the Catholic blogosphere. For its entertainment value, presumably: it’s as pointless debating this issue as it is abortion or evolution, but the thought of Fox’s resident hammer going after a man in a white collar is irresistible. McCain is compiling reactions at the WashTimes website.
Blowback
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Well, as they say, if you ever see a Neo-Wiccan, ask them this question: “If you really want to be a pagan, why not just convert to Catholicism?”
That being said, I’ve no beef in general with Catholics, except for the blockheaded sort who use canon as writ in the manner of a club against their Protestant brethren. A most despicable thing; If you truly believed what the canon said you would be interested not so much in either it or a dusty city in Italy, but in Christ himself.
This particular priest feels the need to get in a slapfest with Hannity– over what? Hannity recognizes the necessary relativity of the Catholic faith; the Priest denies it. The Priest may be able to deny him communion and Hannity may very well be a dunderhead most of the time, but the priest is acting a dyed-in-the-wool exoterist and dogmatic dolt.
Well, they say a river needs banks to flow.
RiverCocytus on March 15, 2007 at 3:46 PM
The clergy, via authority from the Pope and ecumenical councils.
As far as I understand, though, this is an issue of belief more than action. Persisting in a “state of sin” indicates a departure from orthodox belief, or an unrepentence. On the one hand you would technically be a heretic, and on the other hand you wouldn’t want to go before God in a state of rebellion. Either way, taking communion would be inappropriate.
Lehosh on March 15, 2007 at 3:47 PM
Also, I just want to say, that the Church Fathers were wrong on some stuff. Just for the record. Just because they were wrong over 1500 years ago doesn’t mean they weren’t wrong. If you forcibly narrow the One Church to whomever you (as an imperfect vessel) find to be worthy of ‘the faith’ you will certainly find that the One Church is no longer contained within your walls.
RiverCocytus on March 15, 2007 at 3:50 PM
Oh my, bringing up indulgences….that is a low blow!!! ;^)
honora on March 15, 2007 at 3:51 PM
Sean may still his panties in a twist over the Terry Schiavo circus. The Church permits feeding tubes to be cut when there is no hope of recovery; so poor Sean was left with only her rapacious family and various charlatans to back his crusade.
Who can forget his breathless reporting over that grim “balloon” video. Oy.
honora on March 15, 2007 at 3:57 PM
Cipher, I actually agree that the priest was using his collar to smack around and hurt Hannity’s credibility. I don’t necessarily agree that its because he’s a lib, I don’t know, he could just be a zealous guy. Its hard to say without the research that I’m far too lazy to do. But your suspicion of the guy is warranted. I kinda agree with the concern. But as I’ve said, I can’t stand Hannity, so I just argue what I thinks right, ultimately between my kicking around Hannity I agreed with the him. Which was painful.
Bad Candy on March 15, 2007 at 4:06 PM
Yes, you do see people calling for exactly that.
Ali-Bubba on March 15, 2007 at 4:09 PM
The thread just took a very frightening turn for me, since I actually agree with honora about the Schiavo circus.
How we deal with pedophilia (both inside and outside the church) deserves to be debated in a public forum. How else can we defend against an enemy that we have so much difficulty identifying in the first place? (I won’t get into the whole repeat-offender fiasco — I’ll leave that to Bill O’Reilly.)
The death of a brain-dead loved one (and BTW, I SAW the brain scan images of Terry Schiavo — and IMHO, the scientific evidence PROVED that she was already dead) should NOT be debated in the public square. It is a private matter.
CyberCipher on March 15, 2007 at 4:13 PM
JayHaw,
Memes are discredited because they are non-scientific. A researcher can take any aspect of a society and just assert that this aspect exists because it is a meme or a byproduct of some other meme. Then they just have to make up some mechanism to explain their theory. The problem with it is that there is no research, no control group, no way to conduct experiments, no way to replicate data, no way to observe data, and no way to empirically measure memes. Memes, rather than being scientific, are only biased definitions. It’s like the Cheshire Cat saying that words mean precisely what it intends them to mean.
There is no proof of their existence or, for that matter, their non-existence. You have to rely on faith in the person who defines them. They are so elastic and pliable that they are worthless.
cmay on March 15, 2007 at 4:17 PM
“archon2001,”
So do I.
William
William2006 on March 15, 2007 at 4:19 PM
CyberCipher, you are wrong again. I hope this episode teaches you some humility. Father Tom Euteneuer, the priest who criticized Hannity, is president of Human Life International, a pro-life organization. He also famously criticized dissident liberal Catholic Fr. Greeley. Fr. Eureneuer has his own blog called Spirit & Life, and his recent blog posts are:
Hannity the Liberal
Sean Hannity’s Gospel
Conversion Through Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving
Lessons from Portugal
Fr. Euteneuer’s video message on Portugal
Super Embarrassment
The Dictatorship of Choice
Pro-Choice Violence and American Culture
Pro Choice Violence and Big Pharmaceutical
Pro-Choice Violence, Big Media and Big Abortion
This guy is no left wing moral relativist or liberal. He’s a strong, orthodox Catholic, and for you go go about smearing him on the basis of nothing but your own paranoid delusions is ridiculous. Fr. Euteneuer contacted Hannity privately in 2004 over his mistakes of doctrine, and attempted to deal with it then. Hannity continued in his manifest error and Ft. Euteneur only corrected him in an online posting. It was Hannity who invited him onto the program, Hannity who exploded in anger, Hannity who was wrong on Church teaching, Hannity who looked like a jackass, and Hannity who made a fool of himself.
As for your paranoid delusions, CyberCipher, STOP CASTING ASPERSIONS about people you know nothing about. Please, you’re embarassing yourself.
Sydney Carton on March 15, 2007 at 4:26 PM
Further information on Ft. Euteneur:
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer ( EYE-ten-our) became president of Human Life International in December of 2000. Human Life International is the world’s largest pro-life organization with affiliate offices and associates in seventy-five countries around the world. In six years of service to this unique mission Fr. Euteneuer has traveled more than 650,000 miles as a pro-life missionary and visited more than fifty countries.
Fr. Euteneuer was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1962, the fourth of seven children born to Joseph and Mariann Euteneuer. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana as well as a Licentiate degree in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He is fluent in Spanish.
While in college, Fr. Euteneuer participated in the Marine Corps Officer Candidate Program, attended boot camp at Quantico, Virginia and graduated at the top of his Company. After discerning that the Lord was calling him to the priesthood rather than the military, he entered the seminary. After his ordination in 1988, Fr. Euteneuer served as a parish priest in five parishes of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, secretary to the diocesan bishop, director of vocations, and spiritual moderator for the diocesan Respect Life Office.
His pro-life activity began in the early years of his priesthood with prayer vigils, pilgrimages, pickets at abortion mills, sidewalk counseling and the establishment of a crisis pregnancy center across the street from an abortion mill
in 1999.
Since taking office at HLI, Fr. Euteneuer has spoken to thousands of people all over the world spreading the Gospel of Life as well as making many appearances on EWTN and other local, national and international media. He has been featured in Human Events and National Catholic Register and has recently been awarded the John Cardinal O’Connor Award for Life from Legatus.
Sydney Carton on March 15, 2007 at 4:33 PM
The Church permits feeding tubes to be cut when there is no hope of recovery; so poor Sean was left with only her rapacious family and various charlatans to back his crusade.
Who can forget his breathless reporting over that grim “balloon” video. Oy.
honora on March 15, 2007 at 3:57 PM
That is not true. The Church believes in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. Starving a woman to death is not a natural death. There was just a story in Drudge about a “brain-dead” woman who was in a coma for years who came out of it suddenly.
But morality is all subjective and relative for liberals. Whatever Honora believes is the absolute truth.
januarius on March 15, 2007 at 4:37 PM
I was raised a southern baptist but now worship in a non-denomenational (sp?) Church of Christ. My wife was raised Catholic and my in-laws were very upset at my refusal to sign papers promising to raise my children as Catholics. That (non)act precluded us from being married in the Catholic church. I am a Christian but I am leary of all organized religions because they are operated by mortal men and therefore are subject to all of the same coruption and weakness of character that all men are prone to.
Please correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t it Catholic doctrine that sex is for procreation only? So, unless you intend to have children as a result, you should abstain from sex entirely making the aurgument of birth control moot?
conservativecaveman on March 15, 2007 at 5:36 PM
Its more nuanced than that. The church believes the act should be unitive and creative. Contraception stops that, so thats part of why they oppose it, others have elaborated more on the reasons, but I’m too lazy to repeat it. Natural family planning is the certified method because it technically doesn’t stop pregnancy by artificial means, so it follows the unitive and creative deal, even though it makes pregnancy much less likely. I’m assuming this doesn’t apply to people with medical issues that can’t procreate, I’m assuming the horizontal tango is still fair game.
Thats a simple answer, someone else can write you a Ted Kaczynski manifesto on it if they want. And don’t feel bad about the church not marrying you. My parents were still hashing it out when they got hitched, my parents found a priest that would marry them, but some are more old school, truth be told the only reason I was baptized(when I was in 2nd grade) was because of the discount Catholic kids get at Catholic school. it was purely a money thing.
Bad Candy on March 15, 2007 at 5:53 PM
I stand corrected.
Thank you (for correcting me). Truth be known, I feel a heck of a lot better about this, now that I know that I was wrong. Please forgive me for my indiscretions. Making a fool of myself happens to be one of my core compentencies. BTW, how else will I learn anything, if I don’t provoke people like you into giving me the answers?
So. I am willing enough to admit that I was wrong, and grovel for forgiveness. Are you the type that holds a grudge?
CyberCipher on March 15, 2007 at 5:58 PM
Oh yes, and BTW, I do not think that I “smeared the priest.”
I only voiced my suspicions out loud. You did the same about me. I am happy to know that I was wrong about the priest. Perhaps you should be happy to know that you are wrong about me.
CyberCipher on March 15, 2007 at 6:02 PM
Of course. No hard feelings.
Sydney Carton on March 15, 2007 at 6:51 PM
and went right back in. She’s been doing for years, correct?
SouthernDem on March 15, 2007 at 6:57 PM
God’s position on the use of “birth control” seems visible chiefly in the circumstance that those who have used it least are overrunning those who have used it most. Blessed are the lusty and absentminded, for they shall inherit the earth.
Kralizec on March 15, 2007 at 7:34 PM
Wow, well I’m glad the Catholics have defended our Church vigorously, that people learned some important things, that Bad Candy had lunch, and that Allah probably enjoyed himself immensely.
Good thread!
PaisleyCow on March 15, 2007 at 8:08 PM
Wow, so much hostility here in Ye Old Protestant vs. Catholic debate. Talk about flogging a dead horse…
Perhaps I’m in the minority on this, but I believe in a single worldwide Church that was saved by the blood of the Lamb and is the Bride of Christ. And that Church is made up of true believers which can found in nearly every denomination, organization, tradition, house group, and so forth. I’ll shake hands with a Catholic, a Methodist, a Pentecostal, or what have you. And if they aren’t actively living an anti-God/anti-Biblical lifestyle and worship the Lord Jesus, I’ll be happy to participate in communion with them.
All this division along essentially party lines has been extremely unfruitful and damaging to the Church. I don’t follow the Pope, Martin Luther, Rick Warren, President Bush, or anyone else. I follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A wise man once said that Jesus is perfect theology. If we simply live life like He did, we’ll be well on our way to the Truth and the Life.
Jared
Jared White on March 15, 2007 at 8:21 PM
I hereby nominate Jared for best comment of the thread.
(Too bad that I’ve already been discredited, and no one cares about what I think. In the future, I’ll let my collie do more of the talking. Stupid dog.)
CyberCipher on March 15, 2007 at 8:34 PM
Not to say that I am a big Hannity fan (although ‘ll take him 1000 times over before that dolt Colmes, but I digress) but you folks have a lot of nerve calling him dumber than a box of rocks, etc. An ex-construction worker, now making several millions a year doesn’t sound too dumb to me. Your delusional statements are what’s really dumber than a box of rocks.
gunter on March 15, 2007 at 10:05 PM
It is a good point- that is, Christ.
Or rather, isn’t that THE point?
There is a certain centrality to his Person that given his life and words is undeniable.
As far as the Schiavo thing goes, She was (from my reckoning) long brain dead. If they wanted to keep her alive because she might survive they should’ve brought someone in to cast a spirit out of her, or something (Call the Pentacostals.. they might be willing to help?) Geez. I mean, we’re supposed to accept her random responses as proof of her cognitive ability. Human life is far, far more than just breath; it is the breath of God and the awakened soul. By that standard, there are some counted as ‘alive’ today who are more or less dead.
Gunter- Hannity isn’t dumb, he’s ham-fisted. Sometimes this comes off looking like stupidity; but Hannity’s problem is lack of intellect (not that of reasoning.) At best his arguments seem unimaginative and flat. Not to say he doesn’t get the job done; just that it is like using a jackhammer on a thumbtack.
RiverCocytus on March 15, 2007 at 10:58 PM
Personally, I have trouble getting under that damn pole.
ReubenJCogburn on March 15, 2007 at 11:34 PM
Yea, amazes me that even Christians misquote this verse. I can quote words in Scripture that says there is no God, but that doesn’t mean it is right or in context…
Tim Burton on March 15, 2007 at 11:45 PM
I am sorry, but you are wrong on this. The Church does not require extraordinary measures–respirators, feeding tubes– when hope of recovery is gone–e.g. braindead. And I would hardly call a feeding tube under these circumstances “natural”.
honora on March 16, 2007 at 10:14 AM
Ok, it’s either subjective and relative or it’s absolute. It really can’t be both!! Good grief.
honora on March 16, 2007 at 10:16 AM
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