Keywords by David Yonke

This is rare but I am on vacation for the third time in five weeks - just the way things worked out this year.
This time, we are at the beach in the Outer Banks, where I used to go when I was in college at Duke, with my entire family -- wife, daughters, son-in-law and the newly designated fiancee-in-law if there is such a designation. We figured that as the girls get older and have their careers and family responsibilities, we wanted to set aside at least one week a year for everyone get together for a vacation.
So far all I've done is play guitar, play games, listen to music, lie on the beach, boogie board, and body surf, and tomorrow play some golf. The weather has been absolutely perfect.
Oh, and I've been reading quite a bit. I just finished "The Shack," which is a pretty amazing story, and now I'm reading Vladimir Nabokov's short stories. I've still got a stack of books to dig into if I have time.
This is definitely a great time to recharge my batteries.
I only wish my dog were here with us. I miss my buddy!
Meanwhile... my story on the woman who channels Padre Pio has been pushed back to July 12. You won't want to miss that one, I promise!
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Nags Head, N.C.
July 1, 2008

Sister Christine Schenk

I wrote an article last week about Sister Christine Schenk, founder of FutureChurch. Her group, based in Cleveland but with national membership, has done a great deal of research about the state of the Catholic Church and its leaders are convinced that the only way to assure Catholics have full access to the sacraments in the long term is by eventually allowing making celibacy optional for priests and by ordaining women.
These ideas trigger a lot of emotion and stir up debate among Catholics (although they're not an issue in most churches today), but one thing that is not debatable about Sister Christine is that her arguments are reasonable, well thought out, and non-confrontational. She is genuinely concerned for the future of the American Catholic Church and truly loves the church. She and her group are seeking ways to keep it healthy and able to minister to the faithful, and are willing to take the heat by promoting what they believe to be viable solutions. Obviously, there are strong feelings on either side of these issues.
My article generated a surprising amount of letters and calls from readers. Sister Christine will be speaking at 7 tonight (July 9) at the United Methodist Church in Kansas, Ohio, on the topic of what Catholics can do to prevent their parishes from being closed.
You can read my article here and find out more about her organization, FutureChurch, here.
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Sylvania, Ohio
July 9, 2008

I attended a brief seminar yesterday demonstrating some new services being offered by the Associated Press to its members.
The program was for journalists, but I believe it is a sign of what is to come for newspapers in general and how they will be providing information to readers.
The basic idea is that AP is offering full access to all of its articles to reporters and editors, who can then choose to filter the "firehose" of information to receive stories and photos on specific topics.
These advanced, personalized menus could search for anything from Cleveland Indians baseball scores to articles about Pope Benedict XVI or Fidel Castro. You build a database of daily articles that are of interest and helpful to you and your job.
These articles can be accessed on any computer or smart phone, although the only phone now linked to the service is Apple's iPhone (but the rest will follow).
Turning this around to the consumer angle, I believe that's how newspapers will provide information to readers in the not-too-distant future.
You may want to know about celebrity gossip and chicken recipes; the guy next door might want stock tickers and crime news. Your sister wants the editorials, letters to the editor, and news on the Middle East. Each person can have his or her "personalized" newspaper delivered electronically to whatever device is most convenient.
Yes, Virginia, yesterday's AP demonstration looked to me like it might herald the future of the newspaper industry. I give AP a lot of credit for its vision, forward thinking and proactive approach to the imminent changes coming in this fast-moving information age.
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Sylvania, Ohio
July 9, 2008

How this for a weapon of choice? -- David

Woman kills husband with folding couch
She allegedly was mad because he was drunk and wouldn't get up

Reuters
ST PETERSBURG - A Russian woman in St. Petersburg killed her drunk husband with a folding couch, Russian media reported on Wednesday.

St. Petersburg's Channel Five said the man's wife, upset with her husband for being drunk and refusing to get up, kicked a handle after an argument, activating a mechanism that folds the couch up against a wall.

The couch, which doubles as a bed, folds up automatically in order to save space. The man fell between the mattress and the back of the couch, Channel Five quoted emergency workers as saying.

The woman then walked out of the room and returned three hours later to check on what she thought was an unusually quiet sleeping husband.

Police refused to comment.

The St. Petersburg Emergency Services Ministry said a private rescue service removed the man's body.

Video on the television channel's Web site showed emergency workers sawing away the side panels of a couch to remove a man in his underwear lying headfirst between the cushions.

Emergency workers said the man died instantly.

I'm way behind on the latest movies -- a trend that has only gotten worse since my friend and colleague Chris Borrelli left for Chicago. He used to alert me to movies of interest.
I finally got around to watching Freedom Writers the other night and it was really inspiring. Hillary Swank plays an English teacher at a rough L.A. school who goes far beyond the minimum to make a difference in her students' lives. What makes it more powerful is that the movie is based on a real story, although I'm not sure how much liberty they took with it.

There were a few moments where I got teary-eyed watching this movie. I can't imagine growing up or living in a place where kids are getting killed by gunfire and gang wars. It reminded me, once again, to count my blessings.
I was tremendously impressed by Swank in Million-Dollar Baby, and Freedom Writers shows her excellent performance was no fluke.
* * *
At the other extreme, I watched a horrendous film recently, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Unlike Iron Man, which had a real plot and character development, this comic-book-based movie was a trite throwaway that relied almost entirely on its special effects. Avoid at all costs.
Toledo, Ohio
July 10, 2008

After months, and in some way years, of anticipation, the Ohio 6th District Court of Appeals today issued its decision in the Gerald Robinson murder case.
In a shockingly long and meticulous 95-page ruling, the three-judge panel upheld the guilty verdict from the Toledo priest's 2006 trial in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
Attorneys on both sides said it was the longes decision they had ever seen from the appeals court. Judges Handwork, Pietrykowski and Skow reviewed the appeal line by line, virtually, referring repeatedly to the 4,000 page trial transcript and evidence from 2006.

The appellant's arguments were rejected point by point, from claims of ineffective council to an unfair delay from the time of the crime until his arrest.
I wrote about it for tomorrow's paper; you can read the entire 95 page decision online here.
I must say that Robinson's defense attorney John Donahue of Perrysburg is convinced that the priest did not murder Sister Margaret Ann Pahl.
Dean Mandros, assistant Lucas County prosecutor, said he realizes there are some segments of society who can never accept that a priest could commit such a heinous act.
But the detailed, lengthy and thorough appeals court ruling made it abundantlly clear that the judges feel the legal process was fair and impartial and that there were no errors in the trial.
Donahue plans to pursue this to the Ohio Supreme Court.
* * *
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my article on the woman who channels a dead saint is running tomorrow and one of my editors suggested I should have had her call up Sister Margaret Ann. I'm not sure what to make of that but now I wish I had thought of it when I was doing the interview.
That article is also running tomorrow with an online audio sample of the woman channeling Padre Pio.
* * *
Tomorrow I'll be going to the Jame Farr LPGA golf tournament in Toledo on a highly unusual assignment: covering it for the society column. Our society writer, Barbara Hendel, is ill and will be out for a while so everyone is being asked to pitch in and cover something. I am delighted that my assignment is the golf tournament.
I might grumble about my job from time to time but if I do, please stop me and remind me about the time I got paid to watch women play golf.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 11, 2008

Now that the appeals court has ruled so decisively against Father Gerald Robinson, upholding the 2006 guilty verdict, his next step is to take his appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Here is a copy of the article that ran yesterday at the top of page 1.
That court accepts only 8 to 9 percent of the cases submitted to it, according to John Donahue, Robinson's attorney.
In order for the Supreme Court to choose this case, it will have to involve something of broader legal interest than the highly unusual -- dare I say unique -- case of a priest who killed a nun, as Rick Kerger, another Robinson attorney, told me.
The issue his attorneys are hoping will catch the court's eye is whether the lapse of time between the crime and the arrest prevented a fair trial. With the plethora of cold-case arrests and trials, this does seem to be of potential interest, especially if, as I was told by Mr. Donahue and assume it is accurate, the court has not written about this since 1984 when cold-case arrests were less common.
Meanwhile, even if the supreme court does decide to accept the case, which is not a sure thing, it will be a minumum of six months and as much as two years before the 70-year-old priest will get another day in court.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, and when the criminal is in his 70s every month and year seems to be even more precious.
* * *
I had a number of Robinson supporters tell me that I would have to apologize to the priest for what I've written, once he wins his appeal. Haven't heard from them since the ruling.
Of course, I would never apologize anyway because all I did was report what happened. I didn't convict him of murder, the legal system did.
But even though he lost his appeal, I'm sure there are people who are convinced the priest is still innocent. There's nothing that would possibly convince them otherwise. All they want to do is think of the good things he has done, the marriages and baptisms and sermons... They don't want to look at the other side, the one that was proven in a court of law, the side that they didn't see firsthand, that of a twisted killer.
There are times when I almost feel sorry for Robinson wasting away in prison but then I catch myself when I think of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl and how this devoted nun died such a horrific death.
I'm glad our judicial system is working.
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Toledo, Ohio
July 13, 2008

Here is a link to the article I wrote about Dottie Zimmerman, the Toledo woman who teaches religion at a Catholic school and also "channels" dead Italian saint Padre Pio.
It is, without a doubt, one of the strangest articles I've ever written but one that is quite fascinating. I've gotten a lot of responses, both pro and con but mostly claiming the woman must be a lunatic or demonic.
Unfortunately my second story on the topic, one that offers expert views on channeling, did not appear on the web at first, which made the main story look unbalanced. I'm glad to say they're both online now and linked.
You can also listen to excerpts of Dottie as Padre Pio.
Somewhat surprisingly, that article was No. 1on The Blade website yesterday while the Robinson appeals court verdict was No. 5. I had been curious how they would do in comparison.
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Toledo, Ohio
July 13, 2008

from the New Yorker ... the cartoonist is amazing in the ability to capture the tailor's enthusiasm for a sale mixed with a slyly snide attitude.

World Youth Day starts today in Sydney, Australia. I hope the Toledo-area youth who attend have a life-changing experience. I went to World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002 and although it was an assignment, not a pilgrimage, it was quite an honor to get to see Pope John Paul II in person. He was one of my heroes in life.
I was in Sydney in 2005 and it is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. The harbor there is phenomenal, kind of bow-tie shaped with the bridge and the opera house right at the narrowest point.
* * *
So far most of the comments and emails I've gotten have been positive about coverage of the Ohio 6th District Court of Appeals' ruling upholding the guilty verdict in Father Robinson's case.
Several of his supporters said my coverage was fair, although they still think he's innocent. One guy whined like a toddler who didn't get his way... of course it's not just me but the jury and the judge in the original trial and now the appeals court judges who are all wrong... God knows the truth, though. We'll all find out someday.
Here's a photograph to put the case in perspective... lest we forget.

* * *
Of my two major Saturday stories, one on the Gerald Robinson verdict and the other on Dottie Zimmerman "channeling" Padre Pio, I was surprised to see that the channeling story received more hits on the internet. It was the No. 1 story on the newspaper's web site both Saturday and Sunday. Few articles stay at No.1 for more than one day.
* * *
My poor Cleveland Indians are out of the running at the all-star break. At least they ended the first half by sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays, who were in first place. Did you notice that once Tampa Bay dropped the "Devil" from their name, they became contenders?

Sylvania, Ohio
July 14, 2008

What do you think?
This is the cover of the new issue of the New Yorker showing Barack Obama in Muslim garb “fist-bumping” wife Michelle, with an assault rifle and ammo belt, in the Oval Office, a picture of Bin Laden on the wall and an American flag burning in the fireplace.
The New Yorker said in a statement: “The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, the portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd. And that’s the spirit of this cover.”
Satire done right can be an effective tool and a powerful statement. I imagine the average New Yorker reader -- well educated, liberal, affluent, Democrat -- got a chuckle out of the cover. The magazine knows its audience.
But for many members of the general public, the image is inflammatory and insulting.
Knowing the way the world has shrunk and that anything one says or does in one niche or corner is going to be posted on the internet for the whole world to see, I’m shocked the esteemed editors of the New Yorker went ahead with this cover.
Seems to me that after lengthy discussions someone in authority and with some wisdom and sensitivity would have pulled the plug on this idea and opted for discretion and prudence; i.e., a totally different cover.
If they were going to push the envelope, they should have been equal-opportunity offenders and featured exaggerated caricatures of BOTH candidates -- Obama as a Muslim and, say, McCain in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank, AARP card, and a finger on the nuclear-war button.
However, this cover definitely has gotten the magazine a lot of attention, and maybe that was the real goal all along?

Toledo, Ohio
July 16, 2008

I am juggling a number of stories at the moment for different destinations.
For Saturday's paper:
1. A nonprofit group called Operation Worship is sending Bibles with hand-written notes inside to U.S. servicemen and women around the world. The organizers hoped to "deploy" 100,000 Bibles in 100 days starting June 1. They reached that goal in less than a month.
2. Del Tackett of Focus on the Family teaches a course called "The Truth Project," which I happened to be studying via video and guidebook in a small group setting through my church. I got an email saying Dr. Tackett was available for interviews so I jumped on it, he's a remarkable teacher with great insight.
3. A "Faith Notes" column looking over some new spiritual media, books, mags, CDs, etc.
4. A Toledo native and Christian comedian who tours with a Muslim and a Jewish comedian
5. "The Shack" novel, almost done with this one and it is such an amazing story!
6. The revival in Lakeland, Florida, that is drawing so many people it's become a phenomenon.
There's a lot more but that's just a little peek. I'm also setting up an interview with terrible Ted Nugent, one of the most entertaining artists you'll ever meet.
Terrific story on Billy Joel in last Sunday's New York Times (here's a link). I've interviewed Billy a number of times and he is always great to talk to. He played a concert last night at Shea Stadium, where I used to go watch the Amazin' Mets when I was just a kid... They're tearing it down after this season and Joel, a fellow Long Islander, was the perfect choice to bid farewell to this not-very-pretty stadium.
A little trivia: Billy played at my high school in New York in the late 1960s with his band The Hassles. When I saw him backstage at the Palace in 1994 I gave him a copy of the Hassles' album that had just been released on CD. He hadn't seen it yet.
He said there was a song on there where the producer changed one word and put himself down as a co-writer. I laughed and said well it's a lesson learned and he laughed and said no, he should have but didn't learn... this was just after he found out his brother in law had ripped him off of virtually everything he owned. He has since rebuilt his fortune ... in fact the Times article says he bought his 29-year-old wife a $16 million house in the Hamptons for her birthday.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
July 17, 2008

Got a note from Dottie Zimmerman, the Toledo woman who channels dead Italian Saint Padre Pio. She liked my article but was braced for repercussions.
She teaches religion at a local Catholic school and sure enough, she was asked politely to "check out" the possibility of retirement.
If you haven't read the article about her, I highly recommend it. Here is a link.
Stay tuned...
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Toledo, Ohio
July 17, 2008

I just finished reading Neil Postman's book "Amusing Ourselves to Death," and it is an amazingly insightful look at our culture today -- and a bold warning.

Neil Postman

This prescient book was written in 1985, and Postman died in October, 2003, at age 72. But his son, Andrew, wrote a foreword that accurately points out how everything his father wrote about is still accurate, only more intense now as we've added a plethora of electronic toys and gadgets in our lives, from cell phones to playstations to the big one, the Internet.
The basic premise of Postman's book is that much of our American (and European) culture has changed tremendously over the last century, and that these changes have affected the way we think and process information.
On Aug. 21, 1854, when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held the first of their seven debates, Douglas opened with a three-hour talk and when it was Lincoln's turn, he suggested everyone go home and eat and freshen up because it was going to take him at least as long as that to respond.
The people went home and returned to hear Lincoln talk for four hours.
That was seven hours of political lectures in one day! And neither man was running for office at the time.
Can you imagine two current politicians engaging in a seven-hour debate? With no PowerPoint? How many people would attend? How many would stay to the end? Ha. You know there wouldn't be anyone there except fanatics and the lunatic fringe.
When our country was founded, the prevailing way of thinking involved the "typographical mind" in which people's frame of reference and thought processes were based on the printed word. Even the farm boy held a book while working the plow.
Today it is what Postman calls "The Peek-a-Boo World," where unrelated, disembodied information pops into our lives with no rhyme or reason. News anchors report genocide in Darfur and transition with a "Now this..." to show a clip of a waterskiiing squirrel in Orlando.
Postman traces this shift to the invention of the telegraph, which for the first time allowed the transmission of bits of information worldwide, instantaneously, and not tied to any physical messenger or linked to geographic context.
As technology evolved, it changed the way information was sent and consumed, and eventually it changed the way we think. Today, instead of a four-hour rebuttal from a politician in a debate, we get 60 seconds on TV -- if we're lucky.
Where Lincoln and Douglas spoke in eloquent, complex sentences, our political leaders today either purposefully keep sentences short and simple, or are unable to construct lengthy thoughts or expressions.
(Anyone who watches David Letterman's Late Show , which I enjoy, has seen the regular feature, "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches," which captures President Bush's most unintelligible public pronouncements. It's painfully funny. I feel sorry for George W but realize that, for one thing, the camera's on him constantly so he's bound to slip up, and second, he obviously is not the brightest president we've ever had.)
What does this mean for today's newspapers, journalists, and readers?
We are on the cusp of a new era in the use and misuse of media.
We are getting a firehose of information in multiple bits and pieces, instantaneously, not just on TV and radio but on our "smart phones" and PDAs and laptops. When we surf through our 500 satellite TV channels, we find some of them have three "crawls" of data moving across the the screen simultaneously.
We are media junkies and we're strung out on information. But we crave information on what celebrity is pregnant or in drug rehab as much as we do what Congress is debating or our local politicians are saying or how humanity is polluting the environment.
All the news is thrown into a hat, shaken up, and tossed willynilly onto the screen in no particular order or context.
As Postman points out repeatedly, our world today is much more like Aldous Huxley's vacuous Brave New World than it is George Orwell's ominous 1984.
We are not being oppressed by Big Brother; we are laughing and amusing ourselves so much that we've stopped thinking.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 18, 2008

Rock and roll news from today's New York Post, not very flattering for the old guys:

THE Who's upcoming tour is expected to garner the legendary band a cool $100 million, but getting Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey to travel and perform together is turning into a logistical night- mare.

One insider said, "There is a lot of tension and fighting going on right now. Roger is furious with Pete. Pete has been writing all this new material and wants to perform the new stuff, but Roger wants to stick with 'My Generation,' 'Won't Get Fooled Again,' 'Pinball Wizard' and other classics."

Townshend and Daltrey are said not even to be on speaking terms, and have supposedly presented tour operators with a list of demands, including:

* The two rockers must have separate dressing rooms on opposite ends of the hallway.

* There will be no conversation between the two of them either before or after performances. "They will basically show up, play, and leave," the source said.

* They must have separate travel arrangements, separate hotel accommodations, as well as separate staffing.

"They're at each other's throats right now," our insider said, "But considering how much money is on the line, there's 100 million reasons why they need to do this."

Note: Another interesting religion and politics survey released by the highly respected Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
You can read the whole thing here.
-- David.
* * *
Belief that Obama is Muslim is Durable, Bipartisan
– but Most Likely to Sway Democratic Votes

by Michael Dimock, Associate Director, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
July 15, 2008

The New Yorker magazine's controversial cover has renewed focus on public misperceptions of Sen. Barack Obama's faith. Despite recurrent media attention to the issue -- including extensive coverage of his association with the controversial Protestant cleric, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright -- the incorrect perception that the Democratic presidential candidate adheres to the Muslim faith or to another non-Christian faith has remained remarkably constant over the course of the 2008 election campaign. The belief that Obama is Muslim, however, appears to have virtually no effect on Republican voters -- who overwhelmingly support McCain in any case. But Democrats who share the misperception are significantly less likely to support Obama.

In the latest survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 12% say Obama is Muslim, virtually unchanged from 10% in March. This misperception is not limited to voters who oppose Obama. Identical percentages of Republicans and Democrats (12% each) think he is Muslim, and the link between views of Obama's religion and their candidate choice vote is strongest among Democrats.

Believing Obama to be Muslim is not a strict litmus test to voters. Among the 12% who say he is Muslim, a slim majority (51%) backs McCain. However, 37% who hold this view say they intend to vote for Obama. Among the majority who identify Obama as Christian these figures are reversed, with 52% backing Obama for president and 39% backing McCain. Overall, 63% of the voters who say they back Obama for president correctly identify him as Christian, but another 9% say he adheres to the Islamic faith.
* * *
There's another item on the survey of note:

McCain's Lead Among Evangelicals Smaller than Bush's in '04

Religiously Unaffiliated Voters Strongly Favor Democratic Candidate
July 17, 2008

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has a smaller lead among white evangelical Protestants than Republican George W. Bush had at a similar point in the 2004 campaign, even though Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has made few inroads into this key constituency. Those who are unaffiliated with a particular religion, on the other hand, are just as supportive of the Democratic candidate as they were at this point in the 2004 campaign and are substantially more supportive of Obama than they were of Democratic candidate Al Gore in June 2000. Meanwhile, there still is a major divide in candidate preference between those who regularly attend worship services and those who seldom or never attend services. These are among the key findings of a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, a sister project of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

"Television does not ban books, it simply displaces them."
-- Neil Postman, "Amusing Ourselves to Death"

Andy Widman, a 30-year-old Toledo native, was working as a police officer in Ft. Myers, Fla., as an interim job until he could raise enough money to be a Christian missionary in Thailand.
Yesterday morning, he was shot to death by a hardened criminal who was quoted as saying he wanted to "go out Miami style" and kill a police officer.
The killer, Abel Arango, an ex-con, shot at other policemen and was shot dead while trying to flee.
Here is a link to the article in the Toledo Blade.
This is a tragedy that almost defies words. I knew Andy. He was a father of three young children. He went to the same high school as my daughters (Toledo Christian). I know his parents, Joe and Marty.
My heart aches for Andy's widow, children, parents, siblings, friends, and co-workers.
I wonder how society could let someone like Arango walk the streets packing a gun. There are so many factors to weigh, including Arango's upbringing, the failure of our prison system to rehabilitate, the availability of guns, the risks that law-enforcement personnel face every day, and the lack of respect for human life or for authority.
These are widely discussed problems and unfortunately few realistic or practical solutions are being offered.
In the meantime, we offer our prayers and condolences to the Widmans.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 19, 2008

This blog is the topic of a column today written by ombudsman Jack Lessenberry. Here's a link.
I think Shakespeare's famous line from Hamlet is an appropriate response: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
Sylvania, Ohio
July 20, 2008

World Youth Day ended in Sydney, Australia, yesterday with a papal Mass attended by "only" 350,000 people -- far less than any of the other WYD papal Masses.
But Australia is such a long -- and expensive -- journey for most of the world's inhabitants it can't be a surprise that the numbers were down.
WYD had 225,000 registered participants and organizers said they expected an equal amount of Australian Catholics to attend the final Mass. But from my experience with Australia, only about 2 percent of the public goes to church. Like Europe, Australia is virtually a post-Christian continent.
* * *
I thought it was pretty hip of Pope Benedict XVI to send daily text messages to registered pilgrims. He signed them all "BXVI."
* * *
The Lambeth Conference is taking place in England. This is a once-every-10-years conference for the Anglican Communion, which now is going through more visible turmoil than any other Protestant denomination.
It will be interesting to see what develops at the conference. Ohio Bishop Mark Hollingsworth is there and blogging.
* * *
The Cleveland Indians are playing so well lately, I wonder if there's any chance they could still make a run for it. It seems that they woke out of their slumber after the management gave up for the season and traded ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia.
The Tribe is sitll a long way out but stranger things have happened in baseball. I'm hoping the Indians work their way into a pennant race.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 21, 2008

I'm posting an interesting excerpt from a news conference with the Pope while en route to World Youth Day in Australia. You can read the entire transcript here, on the Vatican's official website. -- David

Mr Auskar Surbakti of SBS, the Australian television: Holy Father, I am sorry but I do not speak Italian well so I will be asking my question in English. There has been a call from Australian victims of sexual abuse by clergy for Your Holiness to address the issue and to offer an apology to the victims during your Visit to Australia. Cardinal Pell himself has said that it would be appropriate for the Pope to address the issue, and you, yourself made a similar gesture on your recent trip to the United States. Will Your Holiness be speaking on the issue of sexual abuse and will you be offering an apology?

The Holy Father: Yes, the problem is essentially the same as in the United States. I felt obliged to speak about it in the United States because it is essential for the Church to reconcile, to prevent, to help and also to see guilt in these problems, so I will essentially say the same things as I said in America. As I said we have three dimensions to clarify: the first I mention is our moral teaching. It must be clear, it was always clear from the first centuries that priesthood, to be a priest, is incompatible with this behaviour, because the priest is in the service of Our Lord, and Our Lord is holiness in person, and always teaching us - the Church has always insisted on this. We have to reflect on what was insufficient in our education, in our teaching in recent decades: there was, in the 50s, 60s and 70s, the idea of proportionalism in ethics: it held that no thing is bad in itself, but only in proportion to others; with proportionalism it was possible to think for some subjects - one could also be paedophilia - that in some proportion they could be a good thing. Now, it must be stated clearly, this was never Catholic doctrine. There are things which are always bad, and paedophilia is always bad. In our education, in the seminaries, in our permanent formation of the priests, we have to help priests to really be close to Christ, to learn from Christ, and so to be helpers, and not adversaries of our fellow human beings, of our Christians. So, we will do everything possible to clarify what is the teaching of the Church and help in the education and in the preparation of priests, in permanent formation, and we will do all possible to heal and to reconcile the victims. I think this is the essential content of what the word "apologize" says. I think it is better, more important to give the content of the formula, and I think the content has to say what was insufficient in our behaviour, what we must do in this moment, how we can prevent and how we all can heal and reconcile.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
July 21, 2008

"For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known." -- Luke 12:2

A colleague called today and we had a nice long chat. He is the best investigative reporter I know and he cited the above Scripture, saying it is his mission statement. It was nice to be reminded of how we can apply the Good Book to daily life, even in the secular environment.
* * *
I listened to Buddy Guy's new disc, "Skin Deep," tonight and it's spot-on for electric blues. I was so taken by the music that I cranked up my Fender Strat and played along with the disc. I think Buddy and I make a good two-guitar team... but of course I was playing for an invisible audience -- sort of like singing in the shower -- so it's hard to be objective about my performance. But it sure was fun.
One thing about Guy's new disc: I think all 12 songs are in the key of E, which made it easy to jam along with. You'd think he would mix it up a little. But then again, he shreds that E key.
* * *
My funny story about Buddy Guy: I was backstage at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Ark., around 1997 or so, with fellow Toledoans Johnny Porkchop and Lonesome Bob when Buddy Guy's tour bus pulled up. Sitting next to me were 80-something-year-old blues legends Pinetop Perkins and Robert Lockwood Jr. (Robert Jr. passed away a few years ago, he was a great man and a blues original, but gruff at first and very tough to earn his respect. Once you did, though, you were golden. We got along great.)
Guy's manager said everyone had to move because we were between the bus and the stage. That meant Pinetop and Robert, too. We protested, saying these blues greats should be allowed to stay. No go, Guy's guy said, they must go too.
So these two old men, grumbling, got up and moved. Once the area was cleared, the great Buddy Guy strode out of the bus and onto the stage, where a snifter of brandy was waiting for him, covered by a handkerchief as per his contract rider.
He started playing like Jimi Hendrix and I was mesmerized, but the true blues aficionados I was with were disgusted with his rock and roll, sell out the blues stuff. So we left... as I grumbled to no avail.
* * *

Also listened to Donald Fagen's pop-jazz masterpiece, "The Nightfly," tonight. Fagen is the voice and keyboard genius behind Steely Dan. This solo disc is fantastic, everything flowing so smoothly and with great sound and style.
The back cover photo, a black and white shot of tract homes at night, stirs up fuzzy feelings of my childhood on Long Island, New York. Amazing how I can get that feeling from a small, indistinct slice-of-life photo.

* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 22, 2008

-- Photos by David Yonke

The Episcopal Church is not the only denomination being torn apart over homosexuality. This well-written press release from the United Methodist News Service shows how emotionally charged the debate can be. -- David.

Pastor is church's first openly gay bishop candidate
Jul. 22, 2008

NOTE: Photographs, audio and related coverage are available at http://umns.umc.org.

By Marta W. Aldrich*

PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS)-Standing before an assembly that would elect two bishops, the Rev. Frank Wulf shared his problem as a candidate for one of the top clergy positions in The United Methodist Church.

"The problem is that I come as a gay man, and I know where our church stands on the issue of same-sex orientation," Wulf said in his candidacy address before the Western Jurisdictional Conference, which represents United Methodists in the western United States, Guam and other U.S. territories in the Pacific.

The delegates, who later approved four statements challenging the denomination's position on homosexuality, listened intently as Wulf continued: "And I know that the church says … a practicing self-avowed homosexual shall not be ordained or appointed within our church."

By extension, Wulf noted that his candidacy created a quandary for jurisdictional delegates in a denomination that consistently has declared homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching."

"I know that if, by some chance, I were ever to be elected as a bishop within this jurisdiction or any jurisdiction, that all hell would break loose …," he said, explaining later that he would anticipate church judicial charges, threats and hate mail.

He challenged them: "If in fact you feel this is what God is calling you to do … then I would be willing to be your bishop. But if the Western Jurisdiction is not at the point where it is willing … to deal with the maelstrom that will occur, then I am certainly not the person you should elect as bishop in this jurisdiction."

Wulf then left the podium-the only one to receive a standing ovation for a candidacy address among more than a dozen clergy members asking that July 16 to become bishop. In so doing, he became the first openly gay candidate for the United Methodist episcopacy. (During his 2004 candidacy, Wulf had not openly shared his sexual orientation.)

Two days later, in the late-night hours of July 18, as delegates struggled to elect their second and final bishop, Wulf went to the podium again-this time to withdraw his name from consideration. For the previous two days, he had consistently finished sixth in the balloting among 19 clergy members receiving votes. At this hour, it was apparent that he would not be elected.

"I am withdrawing from this race for the episcopacy, but I'm doing so with the hope that a gay man or a lesbian will be able to be elected bishop of The United Methodist Church. … I know that day is coming," Wulf said to applause and another standing ovation.

Mixed reaction

As word of Wulf's openly gay candidacy spread elsewhere, reaction was mixed but passionate on all sides.

"Even though he was not elected, I think it was a significant milestone for The United Methodist Church," said Mary Larson, chairperson of the pastor parish committee at United University Church, a United Methodist/Presbyterian congregation that Wulf leads in Los Angeles.

"He made the decision to run as an openly gay man, and it was a challenge to the whole church to deal more directly with this issue. … He was not a token candidate just to make a point; he was a serious candidate," said Larson, who attended the conference in support of Wulf.

Others countered that the Western Jurisdiction, which historically has supported the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the church, is not of one mind on the issue. They noted that a large number side with the denominational stance on human sexuality as passed by General Conference, the church's top legislative body, which met last spring in Fort Worth, Texas. They said church law is based on Scripture and longstanding Christian tradition, and that it serves as a covenant for the entire denomination, including Wulf and others advocating for change.

Such advocacy is a perplexing statement to the world at best and a subversive act of teaching at worst, according to the Rev. David Parker, senior pastor of Central United Protestant Church, an 1,100-member United Methodist congregation in Richland, Wash.

"To change our official stance and even advocate for that change is both harmful and subversive, not only to The United Methodist Church but to the larger global Christian church and our commitment to understanding holiness in every dimension of life," said Parker. "…I haven't run into any self-avowed homosexuals willing to remain celibate and teach and advocate that God has a different and healing vision for sexual practice."

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, a well-known United Methodist speaker, author and educator, said the fact that an openly gay person would run for bishop shows the depth of division with United Methodism.

"It also shows how far removed the leadership of the UM Church in that jurisdiction is--not only from the consistent witness of United Methodism but from the church universal and the vast majority of Christians around the world," said Dunnam, chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.

Dunnam said bishops are to be both symbols of unity and defenders of the faith.

"What bothers me most is that our bishops in that jurisdiction (and some in other jurisdictions), while not openly violating the law of our church on the issue of the practice of homosexuality, are pastorally and prophetically supporting persons and positions that do violate our stand on this issue," he said. "I am deeply troubled that they seem oblivious to the fact that their failure to lead prophetically and pastorally in support of the church's doctrine and discipline contributes greatly to division and the threat of schism."

Jurisdictional duty

The Western Jurisdictional Conference's primary tasks during its July 16-19 gathering were to elect two bishops and then to assign all of its bishops to geographical areas of responsibility for the next four years, starting Sept. 1.

Wulf had agreed to be nominated from the floor at the urging of members across the jurisdiction's gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual community.

"There's no question that he is recognized as the community's natural leader," Larson said.

As for Wulf, he believes his candidacy represented "a growing movement within the church to understand another way."

"When General Conference ends and questions related to the Book of Discipline have been voted on, it looks like it's all settled and done. But what that uniformity of the Discipline really does for us is to disguise a disunity that exists in our church," he said in an interview with United Methodist News Service.

"I think my running provides an opportunity for us to talk across those boundaries-to listen to each other, read Scriptures together, pray together, fast together-and hopefully not just to shout insults at each other. I feel that God called me to this moment."

*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.

News media contact: Marta Aldrich, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

The Associated Press today reported a story of justice served.
When I was a kid there was a guy in our school named Clark Barr, and we all thought his parents must have been loopy. Then I remember rock star Grace Slick wanting to name her child "god" with a small g and the courts said no, so she named the kid China instead. But even TomKat's Suri pales in comparison to this bizarre moniker:

Judge: Girl's name, Talula Does The Hula, won't do

A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names here, and did something about it.

Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.

Judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed, he said in a ruling made public Thursday. The girl was involved in a custody battle, he said.

The new name was not made public to protect the girl's privacy.

"The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this name," he wrote. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."

The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her "K" instead, the girl's lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.

In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of the unfortunate names.

Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter "and tragically, Violence," he said.

New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.

================
While we're on the topic, here is a list of the "whackiest baby names" compiled by VH1:

AUDIO SCIENCE
Parent: Actress Shannyn Sossamon
Birth date: May 29, 2003

BANJO
Parents: Actress Rachel Griffiths & husband Andrew Taylor
Birth date: November 22, 2003

DENIM
Parents: Singer Toni Braxton & husband Keri Lewis
Birth date: December 2, 2001
Wacky named sibling: Diezel

DIXIE DOT
Parents: UK TV personality Anna Ryder Richardson & husband Colin MacDougall
Birth Date: April 7, 2003
Wacky named sibling: Bibi Belle

FIFI TRIXIBELL
Parents: Live Aid founder Bob Geldof & UK TV personality Paula Yates
Birth date: March 31, 1983
Wacky named siblings: Pixie & Peaches Honeyblossom

GOD'ISS LOVE STONE
Parents: Rapper Lil' Mo & husband Al Stone
Birth Date: February 24, 2005
Wacky named sibling: Heaven

JERMAJESTY
Parents: Singer Jermaine Jackson & now ex-wife Alejandra
Birth date: 2000

PHINNEUS & HAZEL
Parents: Actress Julia Roberts & Camera man husband Danny Moder
Birth Date: November 28, 2004

PILOT INSPEKTOR
Parents: Actor Jason Lee & girlfriend Beth Riesgraf
Birth date: September 28, 2003

PIRATE
Parents: Korn frontman Jonathan Davis & porn star wife Deven Davis
Birth date: March 18, 2005

POPPY HONEY
Parents: TV Chef Jamie Oliver and wife Julie Oliver
Birth date: March 18, 2002
Wacky named sibling: Daisy Boo

PUMA
Parent: Singer Erykah Badu
Birth date: July 5, 2004
Wacky named sibling: Seven

REBEL
Parents: Director Robert Rodriguez & wife Elizabeth Avellan
Wacky named siblings: Racer, Rocket, & Rogue

REIGN BEAU
Parents: Actor Ving Rhames & wife Deborah Reed
Birth date: September 21, 2000
Wacky named sibling: Freedom

SAFFRON SAHARA
Parents: Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon & wife Yasmin Parvaneh
Birth Date: September 25, 1991
Wacky named siblings: Amber Rose & Tallulah Pine

* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 24, 2008

Here's something to ease the pain of everyone still mourning the closing of the Weekly World News tabloid... This was just reported by Levine Breaking News:

MOON-WALKER CLAIMS ALIEN CONTACT COVER-UP: Former Nasa astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of the Apollo 14 mission - has stunningly claimed aliens exist. And he says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six decades. Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.'

* * *
The highly reliable LBN also reported that Billy Joel and Paul McCartney went to see "The Dark Knight" together at an East Hampton movie theater.

* * *
Toledo, Ohio
July 24, 2008

I had the pleasure of interviewing Father Paul Besanceney this week and writing an article about him. You can read it here.
Father Paul is an 84-year-old Jesuit priest who teaches at a seminary in Sudan. He's from Toledo and has been in Africa 28 years.
I asked him why he went to Sudan in the first place and he looked at me like I had asked a dumb question: "Because my provincial sent me," he said.
What a great sense of trust and duty. The priest, who has a doctorate in sociology from Michigan State, knew his provincial must have felt there was a need for Jesuit educators and that his superior must have chosen him for a reason.
So he went.
Twenty eight years later, he's still serving in Sudan.
Father Paul was kind of quiet, very reserved and soft spoken in the interview. He walked with small but rapid steps through the hallways of the Jesuit Center at St. John's high school. It was an honor to meet him.
* * *
I spent a great deal of time this week working on an article about First Unitarian Church moving from the Old West End to a small building in South Toledo. What started as a pretty straightforward story turned into a lenghty task in which I interviewed more than 30 people. A typical news story involves interviews with from one to five sources.
I ended up looking into the whole issue of aging urban congregations dealing with shrinking membership and rising maintenance costs.
In the end, I didn't use half of the stuff I got from all those interviews and had to really narrow the focus to fit the space I was allotted for it. But I think the story worked out fine and I'll file the extra info away for another time.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 26, 2008

Has there ever been a more entertaining pair of mechanics than Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, on NPR's "Car Talk"?

These real-life brothers -- Tom and Ray Magliozzi of Cambridge, Mass. -- are hilarious and actually know what they're talking about when people call in for advice on automobile problems. Plus, they amuse each other and laugh so hard it's contagious. I alway get a kick out of these guys.
Here's a link to their website and a more informative one on NPR.

* * *

It's Kate Beckinsale's birthday today.
I have been a fan since I saw her interviewed by Dave Letterman a few years ago. She is not only one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood but she's brilliant, spunky and has a British accent -- kind of an irresistible combination.
In her teens, Beckinsale twice won the W. H. Smith Young Writers' competition — once for three short stories and once for three poems, and she studied at Oxford but (I think) she quit to follow her acting career. I've also read that she is a heavy smoker, a dumb thing for someone so smart! The only time she quit smoking was when she was pregnant in 1999, apparently. I know how addicting tobacco is, as both my parents and four brothers all are, or were, hooked on cigarettes (one uses smokeless tobacco).
Of course, my little "crush" on Kate is just a meaningless, surreal 21st century pop culture thing. Most women don't hesitate to say how good looking they think Brad Pitt or George Clooney or Johnny Depp are, and guys have their lists of their favorite female stars, models, athletes, etc.
I've never had a celebrity crush on any Hollywood stars except Ms. Beckinsale. I guess I don't see them as real people, but rather two-dimensional characters you watch on a two-dimensional screen.
By the way, I've tried to watch Beckinsale in those "Underworld" movies but I just can't get into vampire films. I think her husband was the director. I thought her best role was in "Serendipity," and she was OK in "Pearl Harbor" and "The Aviator."
There are still a lot of Beckinsale movies I haven't seen, including "Vacancy," "Emma," and "Much Ado About Nothing."
(Here's a link to a fan site I just found when I googled her.)
I hope Kate B. has a very happy 35th birthday.
And Kate if you're reading this, check out my book and see if there's a role you'd like to play. I can write a part into it just for you. Ever think about playing a nun?
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
July 26, 2008

A friend sent me these helpful tips via email... Don't know where it originated but it's been circulating in cyberspace for a long time. Funny stuff.
(By the way, when I interviewed Peter Tork recently, the former Monkee who is now focusing on the blues, we talked about what it takes to sing the blues. I mentioned Martin Mull's great comedy line where he is trying to sing the blues and goes, "I felt so low down and disgusted ... I threw my drink across the lawn." That is a perfect summary of the suburban white man's attempt at the blues. -- David

Keith Richards and David "Honeyboy" Edwards

HOW TO SING THE BLUES

*1. Most Blues begin with: "Woke up this '..."*

*2. "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you
stick something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with
the meanest face in town."*

*3. The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it.
Then find something that rhymes... sort of: "Got a good woman with the
meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in
town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and she weigh 500 pound."*

*4. The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a
ditch - ain't no way out.*

*5. Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues
don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport Utility Vehicles. Most Blues
transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft
and state-sponsored motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays
a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die.*

*6. Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults
sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the
electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.*

*7. Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place
in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just
clinical depression. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still the
best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any place
that don't get rain.*

*8. A man with male pattern baldness ain't the blues. A woman with male
pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg 'cause you were skiing is not the
blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chomping on it, is.*

*9. You can't have no Blues in a office or a shopping mall. The lighting
is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dump bins.*

*10. Good places for the Blues: a. highway; b. jailhouse; c. empty bed;
d. bottom of a whiskey glass.*

*11. Bad places for the Blues: a. Nordstrom's; b. gallery openings; c.
universities; d. golf courses.*

*12. No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, unless you
happen to be an old ethnic person and you slept in it.*

*13. You have the right to sing the Blues if: a. you older than dirt; b.
you blind; c. you shot a man in Memphis. Not if: a. you have all your
teeth; b. you were once blind but now can see; c. the man in Memphis
lived; d. you have a 401(k) or trust/superannuation fund.*

*14. Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck. Tiger
Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston could. Ugly white people also
got a leg up on the blues.*

*15. If you ask for water and your darlin' give you gasoline, it's the
Blues. Other acceptable Blues beverages are: a. cheap wine; b. whiskey
or bourbon; c. muddy water; d. nasty black coffee. The following are
NOT Blues beverages: a. Perrier; b. Chardonnay; c. Red Bull; d. Slim Fast.*

*16. If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues
death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to
die. So are the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a
broken-down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis
match or while getting liposuction.*

*17. Some Blues names for women: a. Sadie; b. Big Mama; c. Bessie; d.
Fat River Dumpling.*

*18. Some Blues names for men: a. Joe; b. Willie; c. Little Willie; d.
Big Willie.*

*19. Persons with names like Amber, Jennifer, Courtney, and Heather
can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.*

*20. Make your own Blues name Starter Kit: a. name of physical infirmity
(Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.) b. first name (see above) plus name of
fruit (Lemon, Lime, Kiwi, etc.) c. last name of President (Jefferson,
Johnson, Fillmore, etc.) For example: Blind Lime J. Jefferson, Jakeleg
Lemon Johnson or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore, etc. (Well, maybe not "Kiwi.")*

*21. And I don't care how tragic your life might be: If you own a
computer, you can't sing the blues.*

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is campaigning against a University of Minnesota professor who intentionally descrated the Holy Eucharist -- the Communion wafer that according to Catholic doctrine literally becomes the body of Christ.

Here's what the Catholic League reported on its website last week (here's a link to the site):

University of Minnesota professor Paul Z. Myers made good on his pledge to desecrate the Eucharist today. According to his statement on the subject, “I pierced it [the Host] with a rusty nail (I hope Jesus’s tetanus shots are up to date). And then I simply threw it in the trash.”

Saying he did not want to “single out just the cracker,” Myers also tore pages from the Koran along with a few pages from Richard Dawkins’ "The God Delusion" and nailed them to the Host. He then said, “They are just paper. Nothing must be held sacred. Question everything. God is not great, Jesus is not your lord, you are not disciples of any charismatic prophet.”

========

The University of Minnesota's response? Again, this is from the Catholic League, which I'm am assuming is accurate:

The Chancellor of the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMN) released a statement today regarding the intentional desecration of the Eucharist by Professor Paul Z. Myers. “I believe that behaviors that discriminate against or harass individuals or groups on the basis of their religious beliefs are reprehensible,” said Jacqueline Johnson. Importantly, she added that the school’s Code of Conduct prohibits such behavior. However, she also stressed that academic freedom allows faculty members “to speak or write as a public citizen without institutional discipline or restraint….” Nowhere did she say Myers would be disciplined.

========
(Note: An interesting parallel case in Toledo occurred in May when a University of Toledo administrator, Crystal Dixon, was fired for saying in a public forum, written as a private citizen and not as a university employee, that homosexuality is wrong according to her religious beliefs and the Bible. I genuinely wonder what would have happened to Ms. Dixon if she had worked at the University of Minnesota. Would the university have supported her "academic freedom" ... "without restraint"?)
========
Here is the Catholic League's response to the U of Minnesota's statement:

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:

“It is a sure bet that UMN would not tolerate a white professor who worked a comedy club on weekends trashing blacks. Indeed, it would say that such behavior disqualifies his ability to be objective. In many respects Myers is worse, and that is why sanctions are warranted.”

========

As a citizen and a journalist, I strongly support free speech, even though it can be distasteful at times.
Even so, there are limits. That's why we have libel and slander laws, and laws against making threats against others. There are considerations that our legal and judicial system must weigh in each individual case.
Sometimes, unfortunately, free speech can be used as a smokescreen to espouse bigotry, and used as an excuse to bully and insult others.
It may be within his legal rights to descrate a Eucharist, Qur'an, and atheist's best-selling book, but it irresponsible for a professor at a public university to promote hatred and insult millions. Despite Myers' assertion, some things really are sacred.

Toledo, Ohio
July 28, 2008

It was 26 years ago today that Christian singer-songwriter Keith Green died in a small-plane crash with two young children. He was only 28 years old.

Green was a unique artist and individual whose dynamic personality and zeal for God and godly living helped launch the genre of contemporary Christian music. Obviously It was a tragic loss but his music has lived on to inspire countless musicians and fans.
(It was determined by the NTSB that the Cessna was seriously overloaded, with 11 people including a number of small children in the plane that seated only 7.)
Green's wife, Melody, wrote a biography, published in 1989, called "No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green," and publishers Thomas Nelson plan to release an expanded special edition on Oct. 7.
You can read more about Keith Green on his official website.
So many Christian artists have said that Keith Green was an inspiration to them. While his music from the 1970s is stylistically dated today, Green's personality and his joy and love for God still shine through loud and clear.
He was one of the most anointed artists ever to record Christian music.
* * *
It was sad to hear of the death of the 33-year-old son of the Rev. Greg Laurie, who is the nationally known pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, heard regularly on radio and TV worldwide, including YES-FM in Toledo (WYSZ-FM, 89.3).
Christopher Laurie, 33, who worked at Harvest, died in a car accident last Thursday. He leaves his wife, Brittany, young daughter, and another child due in November.
Those who wish to do so can leave a note online here.

OBAMA SAYS MUSLIM ISSUE IS 'NO-WIN SITUATION'

By Gromer Jeffers Jr.
Dallas Morning News
07/28/08

Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday that responding to incorrect assertions that he's a Muslim has put him in a "no-win situation."

If he allows the Internet rumors and other misleading information to go unchallenged, it's an affront to his Christianity and could cost him support from voters who don't want a Muslim in the White House. But if he aggressively confronts the rumors, it could suggest to some that there's something wrong with being a Muslim.

"This is a classic example of a no-win situation," Mr. Obama told hundreds of journalists gathered in Chicago for the UNITY convention for journalists of color.

"I have repeatedly said I'm not a Muslim, but this whole strategy of suggesting that I am is indicative of anti-Muslim strategy that we have to fight against," he said.

Mr. Obama said he also didn't want his religion to be falsely identified as a matter of respect for his own faith.

"If you were a Muslim and somebody consistently said you were a Christian, I suspect that you would want to have that corrected," he said.

Dottie Zimmerman, the Toledo woman who channels dead Italian Saint Padre Pio, called me yesterday to say she has officially retired as a teacher in the local Catholic school system.
She is at peace with the move and so is Padre Pio, she said.
Dottie is not looking for any controversy and is genuinely fine with the outcome, but she just wanted to let me know how things developed since I was concerned from the start for her job. She acknowledged it was the publicity generated by my reporting that led to her early retirement. The first few weeks after the article ran, she was in a panic, she said. But in the end, church officials offered a fair economic deal and she is OK with everything.
Dottie said church officials told her she had done a fine job as a teacher for 40 years and actually said it was okay for her to channel a canonized Catholic saint. But she had gone too far, she said she was told, because she also channels her dead mother and her late husband.
Isn't that interesting.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
July 29, 2008

Here's a recount of the controversy straight off the Wikipedia entry about Paul Z. Myers:

Eucharist controversy

A controversy arose in July 2008 over a blog entry written by Myers expressing amazement at news reports of death threats issued to University of Central Florida Student Senator Webster Cook. On June 29, 2008, Cook attended a Catholic Mass being held in the student union at UCF by a Catholic student group that receives funding from the student government. Cook received the Catholic Eucharist host but did not consume it immediately. He said later that he wanted to take it back to his seat to show a friend, but when stopped he put it in his mouth until back at his seat, then a church leader made forcible attempts to take the host from him.[19][20] Cook stored the host at his home, then returned it one week later after receiving e-mail threats and pleas.[21][19] Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League, described the student's actions as "beyond hate speech" and said that "All options should be on the table, including expulsion."[22]

In his July 8 blog entry, Myers criticized the reaction to Cook's act. Myers described the level of harassment leveled against the student, which included multiple death threats, and the accusations which included hate crime, kidnapping, and intent to desecrate the wafer, which Catholics consider a mortal sin.[20][23] Myers expressed outrage that Fox News appeared to be inciting readers to cause further problems for the student, and ridiculed reports that armed guards would attend the next mass. Myers suggested, as a fitting response, that if any of his readers could acquire some consecrated Eucharistic hosts for him, he would treat the wafers "with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web."[24]

A number of Roman Catholics immediately reacted strongly. Donohue's Catholic League accused Myers of anti-catholic bigotry,[25] described his proposal as a threat to desecrate what Catholics hold to be the Body of Christ, and sent a letter asking the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Legislature to take action against Myers.[26][25]. According to Donohue, as the Pharyngula website was accessible via a link from the University of Minnesota website, it should be bound by the institution's code of conduct which requires faculty to be "respectful, fair and civil" when dealing with others.[26]

Myers explained to the Star Tribune that his blog entry was "satire and protest" rather than any actual threat. Myers also reported that he too had received death threats regarding the incident but was not taking them too seriously.[25]

In a talk show featuring Myers on Catholic Radio International, hosted by Jeff Gardner, Myers confirmed that he had been sent an unspecified number of consecrated hosts and said that he intended to “subject them to heinous cracker abuse.” When asked by Gardner to explain why he must do so, Myers said that Donohue of the Catholic League was insisting that he acknowledge the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. Gardner pointed out that Donohue had no authority to insist that anyone acknowledge the body of Christ in the Eucharist. When Gardner asked Myers who, having the Magisterial authority of the Catholic Church, had insisted that he recognize the Body of Christ in the eucharist, Myers said that no one from the Catholic Church had contacted him.[27]

On July 24, 2008, PZ Myers, in his post, "The Great Desecration," wrote that he had pierced the "cracker" with a rusty nail and simply threw it in the trash together with old coffeegrounds and a banana peel. He added a few ripped-out pages of the Qur'an and The God Delusion, and included a photograph of these items in the garbage. He wrote that nothing must be held sacred and encouraged people to question everything.[28]

The University of Minnesota, Morris (UMN) Chancellor on July 25, 2008 addressed the matter, stating: “I believe that behaviors that discriminate against or harass individuals or groups on the basis of their religious beliefs are reprehensible,” but that the school "affirms the freedom of a faculty member to speak or write as a public citizen without institutional discipline or restraint."[29]

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
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"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing."
--Elbert Hubbard