Embarrassing journalism: Jim Mustian (l) and Bernard Condon (r) of the Associated Press
In the month of December, the Associated Press published no less than five biased articles attacking the Catholic Church over abuse accusations against priests decades ago. Yet if one actually takes the time to labor through the articles, one sees that the AP only offers its readers only two basic takeaways: 1) Contingency lawyers love the free money that the Catholic Church is doling out, and 2) accused priests are guilty no matter how long ago the accusations are and how nonexistent the evidence may be.
Nothing has changed in the AP's slanted reporting against the Catholic Church since it started reporting on the issue back in the 1980s. What is not even on the AP's radar in any meaningful sense is the question of whether most of these decades-old claims against Catholic priests are even true or not.
Missing the big picture
For example, one the AP's pieces was a lengthy article about Pennsylvania dioceses doling out some $84 million in free money to 564 accusers, yet AP writer Michael Rubinkam did not even blink an eye or bother to question the veracity of a 45 year-old bloke who incredibly claims that a priest somehow abused him "two to four times a week for five years" and who also claims abuse by a second priest who was laicized 55 years ago. Do the math, everyone.
Needless to say, Rubinkam also did not reach out to the accused men to see what they had to say in defense of themselves. Both are long deceased. How convenient.
(And another note to Rubinkam: The 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report did not "conclude" that "more than 300 predator priests had molested more than 1,000 children." We have shown that claim to be completely false.)
This is journalism?
Another meandering AP article – one by Bernard Condon and Jim Mustian – purports to be about a "wave of lawsuits" against the Catholic Church because states are lifting the statutes of limitations. The piece begins with the scene of a Church-suing contingency lawyer looking out of his office window at a cathedral and wondering out loud, "I wonder how much that's worth?"
Yet by the end of the article, readers learn little else and are offered a single takeaway: Suing the Catholic Church is a lucrative practice for tort lawyers. That's it. Powerful stuff, eh?
Never missing a chance to attack the Catholic Church
Nasty Nicole:
Nicole Winfield of the AP
In yet another hit piece by the AP's nasty Nicole Winfield – a "Vatican correspondent" whose hatred of the Catholic Church is palpable with every word she types – Winfield somehow sees an injustice that the Catholic Church has not recently telephoned an accuser whose alleged abuser was shipped off to prison over a quarter century ago (shortly after the accuser complained of his abuse) and then died in prison 15 years ago.
What does Winfield expect of Church officials? A phone call to the accuser asking, "How much more money do you want?" Unreal.
Wringing their hands over 'lists'
If it were not already clear already, the Associated Press really, really hates the Catholic Church.
A breathless article by the AP's Claudia Lauer and Meghan Hoyer – both of whom we already cited for a dumb article back in October – frets that the lists of accused priests published on many diocesean web sites are not "complete." Imagine that.
Yet in all the time the pair wasted poring over lists of accused priests, one obvious question never occurred to them: Why is the Catholic Church the only organization on the planet that is expected to compile such lists of its accused ex-employees (including those long deceased)?
Where are the lists of accused former teachers from Chicago Public Schools? Or California public schools? The Boy Scouts? Hollywood? The question is not even on the AP's radar.
It's a free country, and the AP is allowed to hate whomever it wants, especially the Catholic Church. We get it.
But the real story here is the groupthink that has created an overarching mindset that the Catholic Church is somehow failing in its goal to to provide restitution for victims and rectify for its sins from decades ago.
In truth, the Catholic Church has gone far above and beyond what any other organization should be expected to, especially since there has never been any evidence that the Church ever had a bigger problem than anyone else. Yet the media and the AP will never tell you this.
This is a bigotry that everyone can see.
The AP needs to find some new storylines, and we just gave them a bunch of possibilities.
We hope to see better reporting by the media in 2020, but we won't hold our breath.
There are so many horrific mortal sins that catholics commit, you think I'm going to accuse you of the sin of an historical error. Sounds more like you nitpicky Cathys. I don't even care about protestant revolts or reform or when, because I'm not part of their movement. I follow 1st century Apostolic Christianity which has no connection to catholicism or protestantism. They both are cults severely lacking in the Truth.
Dan Corner says:
There are so many horrific MORTAL sins that catholics commit, you think I'm going to accuse you of the sin of an historical error….
Then this gem: I don't even care about protestant revolts or reform or when because I'm not part of their movement (LOLOL). I follow 1st century Apostolic Christianity which has no cnnection to Catholicism (INCORRECT) or protestantism (CORRECT). They both are cults severely lacking in the Truth.
So you, like Catholics, distinguish between mortal and venial sins. Wow….you really are confusing. I guess some vestige of the One True Faith still has root in your soul.
You think you follow historal Apostolic 1st century Christianity. Really now. Again you have not read the Didache that describes the Mass and was also a catechism for the early Christians. Also they did not carry a copy of the King James Bible with them. So NO you do not follow the practices of 1st century Christianity and the Early Church. Far from it. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
I'm glad to see you didn't deny that you "both are cults severely lacking in the truth." LOLOL
I have absolutely no desire to read the didache describing your mass. Who says it was "a catechism for the early Christians"? Oh! The catholic fable tellers spreading their fairytales to their gullible brainwashed sheep?
I never carry a King James Bible with me and believe that's no better than catholics who have massive bibles, with pictures of their ever-virgin on the cover, displayed on their coffee tables so everyone can see how holy they think they are.
Please stop with the Dan Corner BS. I do not agree with street preachers shouting at the moon, sermons of fire and brimstone, while no one seems to listen except the occasional mocker. God's Spirit has never led me to do such spreading of his Word, thankfully.
Seeing that you're so wrong about me again, then I might just be the True Christian that you deaf and blind catholics just don't seem to understand. You may try concentrating on reading the Bible rather than your fake catechisms and you just might learn yourself somethin'. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! and stay out of the trash! servant
OH boy Dan, you don't know how to read. No need to further explain because everyone on here who is a Catholic knows that I was quoting yot to make a point. Sigh.
You go on to say, " I have no desire to read the Didache describing your mass. Who says it's a catechism for the early Christians? Oh! The Catholic fable tellers……
Dan, really? You don't want to research our responses to see why it is that we have the "hope that is in us?" I mean, we take your accusations into account and give biblically sound responses to to them which also means we learn more and more about how true our faith is and how utterly lacking yours is. Are you afraid that the light might go on over your head and you will begin to see what you have been missing?
Dan G.,
I will not be forced to read or give credence to a false gospel of hypocrites, deceivers, deniers, liars and brainwashed sheep, of which you are becoming the worst. You have in your last two comments, manipulated and twisted all truth to fit your corrupt agenda. Every false religion wishes to promote their unbiblical works, other bibles, catechisms, unsacred traditions, books of mormon or so-called christian books they can sell, along with magazines or literature meant to deceive and fool the ignorant and those totally lacking common sense. The catholic church being among the worst at bribing and ripping off followers. servant
P.S. Read the Didache yourself describing your evil church; XVl line 4. – try to figure it out yourself, because I'm so tired of teaching the deaf, dumb and blind.
Dan, backed into a CORNER the myopic fundy says:
Dan G.,
I will not be forced to read or give credence to a false gospel of hypocrites, deceivers, deniers, liars and brainwashed sheep, of which you are becoming the worst. You have in your last two comments, manipulated and twisted all truth to fit your corrupt agenda. Every false religion wishes to promote their unbiblical works, other bibles, catechisms, unsacred traditions, books of mormon or so-called christian books they can sell, along with magazines or literature meant to deceive and fool the ignorant and those totally lacking common sense. The catholic church being among the worst at bribing and ripping off followers. servant
P.S. Read the Didache yourself describing your evil church; XVl line 4. – try to figure it out yourself, because I'm so tired of teaching the deaf, dumb and blind.
Oh dear Dan, you just repeat yourself over and over without any substance. And there is no XVI in the Didache so please cite the correct chapter and line and I would be happy to explain it to you.
You owe me an apology, chump Cathy. I was pointing out your quote you said was from the Didache on January 13 at 5:31 pm. What looked like chapters, there was a number XVl line 4., accurately describing the fall of your church.
XVl
4. "For when lawlessness increaseth they shall hate one another and persecute and betray and then shall appear the deceiver of the world as a Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders and the earth shall be given over into his hands and he shall commit iniquities which have never been since the world began."
Since 1850 starting with pope Pius lX and Xll, Mary worshiping idolaters, to John Paul ll not so great, giving credit to Mary for saving his life and placing the bullet in her crown and his understudy, Rat-Zinger, together hidimg and secretly shuffling pedophile priests and bishops around the world. All claiming to represent the "Son of God on earth. There "signs and wonders" predominately being horrific visions of their Queen, spinning sun and men with flowers in their Guadalupe dyed garment, Knock and Lourdes. He shall commit iniquities which have never been seen since the world began. Hate to witness any more disgusting iniquities than have already come from your apostate church. servant of the Lord
Didn't proof-read my last comment and noticed a few typos, but did explain in detail your Didache XVl line 4 so you don't have to. Didn't really want to hear your twisted explanation anyway.
I will quote from the Didache to Dan, in the CORNER, fundy, regarding the MASS and EUCHARIST:
“XIV. But on the Lord’s day, after that ye have assembled together, break bread and give thanks, having in addition confessed your sins, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let not any one who hath a quarrel with his companion join with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be polluted, for it is that which is spoken of by the Lord. In every place and time offer unto me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great King, saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the Gentiles.”
Hope I don't have to hear any more about your sun and moon worshiping mass, along with drinking blood and begging your mother for mercy. You don't know old testament teachings against drinking blood, heathens? Keep burning your incense and bowing to your false goddess and see where your terrible traditions and ceremonies lead you. Good Luck.
Dan, you are incorrect. There is no chapter XVI in the Didache. Fail.
Ok you win. That edition of the Didache has a different chapter numbering so I stand corrected. The version I have on my computer ends at chapter 15.
To address your so-called "slam" on me with that particular verse 4, that is a tired old protestant tactic to pin the Antichrist on the Pope. Typical and well not surprising. You learned well from your mentor Martin Luther.
I don't hear an apology?! You say I'm "incorrect" and a "fail". You don't understand that what I wrote down was taken from your Didache comment Jan. 13 @ 5:31pm? Now that you've figured out that you were wrong, you say, "OK you win"? That's no apology and you phony catholics can't even do a simple thing like that right.
"Incorrect" and "fail" is exactly how one can define just about everything you Cathys have to say. Your false interpretations you refer to as "Biblical references", let alone the "testimony of the Early Fathers" mean nothing to any real Christians. Even calling and capitalizing them as "Early Fathers" is against Biblical instruction by Jesus himself in Matthew 23:9. You claim they "were martryed for the faith and from whose blood fertilized the Church". The only fertilization of their blood was as a blood sacrifice to your idolatry and false fertility goddesses, first to Mary, your Queen of Heaven, and now your comical pregnant Pachamama.
I'm stating that all of your popes, at least back to Mary worshiping pius lX and even to augustine, goddess worshiping idolater, have all been AntiChrists, sexual perverts, pompous assholes and total frauds. You dumb sheep have just bought into their deceptions and lies and have become almost just as bad as them. You say you're not "throwing pearls to swine", well fine, I don't want any of your rotten fake pearls anyway. servant of the Lord
Dan,
Is the Church visible or invisible?
I hope you're happy that I answered your question Jan. 25 @ 2:52 am. Glad to oblidge.
For the moment your church is visible, but will soon be invisible when God finally brings it to the destruction it deserves and He predicts in Revelations chapters 17 and 18. You great Bible interpreters, show me how well you can interpret the fall of your Queen Mother the Church in the prophetic message in Rev. 18:4-8. Woe to you you mighty Whore who ruled the nations with your insatiable luxurious greed and despicable sexual immorality and filthy perversions. Every real Christian will find joy and rejoice when they see you gone and no longer able to deceive the nations. Servant of the Only True God, One you think you've fooled and deceived and shall do so no more!!