What a bunch of moral weaklings that they can't put up with a statue.

What would Perpetua think? How hilarious!

It was their ability to face oppression and death without fear that made Christians popular all over the Roman Empire.

Now the old religion is led by cranky, ill-tempered sissies looking to inspire the world by beating up unknown artists who produce works of art that would have been left in obscurity had not the Catholic League felt theatened.

This religion is no longer inspiring. It doesn't offer courage any more, it offers paranoia.

... when the Christians were fed to the lions.

But in all seriousness (as if I'm not), don't you just LOVE the self proclaimed, good Christians who make death threats? Where in the Bible does it say that it's ok to make death threats?

Good work, Joan... keep it coming.

.. a loudmouthed group of ranters who call themselves "Catholics For Freedom From Bigotry" who shadow Donohue with protest signs wherever he decides to make a stink.

Fight fire with fire. A blowhard screecher can easily be shouted down by someone louder that he is. And, since Donohue is a bully, that's all anyone need do, because bullies are cowards who think everyone is afraid of them. Once they realize that there's someone unafraid, someone who has bigger balls and a louder mouth, they tend to shrink back down to size.

If people want Bill Donahue to stop pushing, then they need to push back. Don't think he isn't funded by "think tanks" and GOP skillionaires. Democrats and non-insane Catholics who believe in religious freedom had better pony up, put their money where there mouths are and start taking on people like Bill Donohue. The VRWC has spent thirty years plotting and coalescing and they did it with tons of money. You can't tell me moderate Catholics, Protestants, Jews, agnostics, atheists, Buddists and anyone else who doesn't care to be bullied do not have at least the same amount of money to donate as the old ladies on Social Security and the barely-scrimping-by working class Bible Belters who make payments to the TV preacher and the NRA before they pay the electric bill. Time to start religious groups and other groups that mirror GOP influence groups.

You don't think people like Tip O'Neill got to be where they were by rolling over to the GOP and saying "Oh, we can't get down and dirty! That would make us just like them!" all those years ago. Democrats have to start acting like the Democratic Party of old.

But it would probably be much more effective to put a reporter on this case. Clearly, the man has issues. Somewhere, buried beneath them is a big, steaming pile of hypocrisy, I'm sure. Haven't we learned anything from the past six years, if not more (let's include the Clinton Administration, too).

The right-wing lunatics excel at marrying hypocrisy with overt projection.

I don't know what Donohue's secret might be (S&M, impotence, unadmitted homoeroticism...) could be anything, but I'll bet it's enough to make him resign his highly lucrative position and quite embarrassing real Catholics with his PR-swarm tactics.

I meant "quit" embarrassing real Catholics.

The idea of founding Catholics for Freedom from Bigotry is a nice tribute to Frances Kissling, who just retired from Catholics for a Free Choice. I dedicate my Bill Donohue blogging to Frances, who fought him so well for so long (and who will I'm sure keep doing so.)

I'll donate.

I see their website addy is

http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/

Maybe each time Donohue's name is mentioned on Salon, you can put in a parenthaseed plug for Catholics For a Free Choice as a talisman against his power.

Depressing, indeed.

I'm too lazy to Google for specifics, but this revoltin' development is in line with the brief removal of the word "vagina" from the marquee of a theater featuring "The Vagina Monologues", and the cancellation of “My Name is Rachel Corrie” in NYC because of complaints from Zionists.

I'm sure it's unpleasant to be subjected to criticism, even excoriation, and arm-twisting. But, as you note, if one steps up to the plate, one has to learn to deal with the high inside pitches. And it's the right thing to do, in and of itself. Bigoted bullies and demagogues have had their way in this benighted Amerikan century, and the pendulum will never reverse if-- yes, cutting and running-- is the typical response. Haven't we learned anything from the Dixie Chicks?

Perhaps we could persuade-- oh, say, Jimmy Breslin-- to step forth and wipe that blowhard troll Donahue off the face of the earth.

Great idea, b.t., thanks. And yes, Little Brother, there's still too much cutting and running out there.

Really, what better medium is there for Christ than chocolate? The scientific name for cocoa is Theobroma -- "food of the gods". And it comes from South America, probably the most Catholic part of the world. OK, he was short one loincloth, but trust me, you wouldn't want to see the result of fabric and chocolate under warm lights. But hey, he's your guy, so whatever.

I can't help wondering, though, whether their real objection is that Jesus wasn't sculpted out of *white* chocolate.

Didn't we just have to listen to free speech lectures supporting the Danish cartoonists lampooning Allah from the same freedom-loving right wingers who just helped kill chocolate Jesus? And didn't we hear at that time that we were the clearly superior civilization because we have the freedom to make fun of God all we want and nobody would ever respond with threats or violence? Sounds like just desserts.

For some reason, this whole saga reminds me of this story:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28771

I can't help wondering, though, whether their real objection is that Jesus wasn't sculpted out of *white* chocolate.

Only one way to find out. Somebody with sculpting talent make a white chocolate Jesus, please! That'd be sweet, indeed. A nice comparison.

Nothing says "Christianity" like death threats.