Times: Demonising the Catholic Church

This letter is a reaction to the article "The Story behind the Story". Excerpts of the article are pasted beneath the letter.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080619/letters/demonising-the-catholic-church

Thursday, 19th June 2008 Jacqueline Calleja, Balzan

In the interview with Professor Marguerit Moritz (The Story Behind The Story, June 10), the latter said that "anti-gay, anti-semitic and anti-black language can be used without it being illegal". She has, of course, perhaps without realising, committed a sin of omission. I am here referring to the fact that in the media, both local and foreign, it has become increasingly common-place, acceptable and normal to treat Christianity and all it stands for in the most derogatory and offensive manner possible. This is apart from the plays, films and art exhibitions regularly presented which sometimes border on the blasphemous in their anti-Christian rhetoric.

News items, articles and letters seem to be written with the sole intent, sometimes covertly but more often than not overtly, of presenting Christians, and especially the Catholic Church and its precepts, in the worst light possible. There is an enormous difference between legitimate, constructive dissent and destructive criticism which knows no limits. Thus, the Catholic Church's teachings about divorce, abortion, gay marriages and euthanasia, repeatedly referred to by the present Pope as non-negotiable issues, are often used to attach labels and deride those Christians who refuse to conform to "the spirit of the age".

There is a real attempt going on world-wide to stifle the only moral voice left in the western world, that of the Catholic Church, raised in the defence of the unborn, the weak and terminally ill and the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman. Shall we come to a point where, in future, references to Scripture or to the Catechism of the Catholic Church be deemed illegal and liable to legal penalties, even to imprisonment perhaps? How should Christians, especially Catholics, react to all this? The real temptation is to be intimidated and consequently refrain from talking about sensitive issues lest the wrath of those bent on the secularisation of society and the resulting eradication of Christian values, is incurred. There could also be the illusion that by behaving in this manner matters will somehow sort themselves out without the need to confront whatever offends God by calling it loudly and clearly by its name.

We cannot be selective in our condemnation of what offends the dignity of men and women and choose only those issues, like child abuse, drug trafficking and usury, the denunciation of which enjoys widespread consensus. Had Christ behaved in a similar manner His end would certainly not have been as ignominious as it was and His popularity, at least as long as He lived, would have been secure. But then, He would not have carried out His Father's will thus forfeiting the main reason for His coming on earth. Are Christians, the heirs of those who died in the arenas of the Roman Empire in order to hold fast to their faith, willing to behave similarly?

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Excerpts from The Story Behind the Story

Prof. Moritz spent over a year writing about the traumas left in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre. She produced a documentary film on the ethical issues journalists had to tackle when covering that story and the response of the community faced with the coverage it was getting....

From the marginalised black population of New Orleans, the Mississippi Coast and Alabama, we move on to another facet of Prof. Moritz's research: Hate speech against gays.

While New York and California tend to be more liberal towards people of a different inclination, rural small towns and the American south tend to be more conservative. "You won't, in such places, see that kind of openness and there are many cases of violent discrimination against gays."

In her paper Hate Speech Made Easy: The Virtual Demonisation Of Gays, Prof. Moritz looks at a series of court rulings that basically said the internet is like the newspapers, not like TV.

Laws in America are more restrictive of TV than they are of newspapers because TV comes into your home on airwaves that belong to the public, she said. There are ways to shut down a TV channel if it is using sexually explicit words while newspapers enjoy total freedom of expression.

The court ruled that the net is to be treated like newspapers. There are restrictions in the press relating to child pornography but anti gay, anti semitic and anti black language can be used without it being illegal.

It's hard to argue whether such campaigns on the net constitute incitement, she said. "Maybe, if you were in a gay parade, you may be moved to hit out, but words themselves are not considered criminal.

Prof. Marguerite Moritz holds the Unesco chair in International Journalism Education and is assistant dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado (Boulder). She is working for the vice president of research at Colorado to internationalise the work of graduate students and faculty through enhanced and expanded research programmes.