CONSERVATIVE CONSPIRACY AUTHOR JACK CASHILL BLASTS KANSAS CITY STAR COVERAGE OF CATHOLIC SEX SCANDAL AND A FEW OTHER MATTERS OF FAITH!!!
Alleged sex abuse and ensuing cover-ups on the part of the Catholic Hierarchy strike at the very core of the Conservative belief system which touts personal responsibility and faith in traditional values.
The response to this paradigm shifting scandal has been simplistic. There has been a strange attempt to blame the messenger.
Recently, Kansas City Conservative Author Jack Cashill has done and excellent job in shifting focus from the plight of the abused to the far murkier issue of media reporting of the scandal. In his latest column, Cashill cries foul over a witch hunt that's (allegedly) not only anti-Catholic but also focused on "Christian pillars" of American society.
Read his latest article for yourself: Witch Hunt in the Heartland
The war against the Christian faith by a "stealthily leftist publication" is an interesting fantasy with a fundamental flaw:
A THEORETICAL DEBATE OVER JOURNALISTIC ETHICS ISN'T NEARLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE VERY REAL DANGER PRESENTED BY PREDATOR PRIESTS AND THE PEOPLE WHO ENABLE THEM!!!
More . . .
CASHILL'S ARGUMENT EXISTS ONLY BY DOWNPLAYING THE DOCUMENTED MISDEEDS OF HOLY MOTHER CHURCH!!!
The prejudice of reporters from The Star is fun trivia, the betrayal of trust the Catholic Church that results in molested Children is a more important topic altogether.
The rest of Cashill's argument follows the same theme . . .
Cashill balks that one of his story pitches was ignored by The Star.
A few gripes about The Star bringing down a spend-thrift MegaChurch are entertaining . . . .
There's debate over the reporting of and old school article of AIDS in the priesthood which again hinges on qualifying the angle of reporting with stats regarding the general population while downplaying the sacred vows of the Priests who were struck with the illness.
With an EXPERT twist of language check out how Cashill can even politicize Kansas City's sex abuse hot mess . . .
"The editors have instead turned their perverse righteousness on Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn. Sent to the dioceses six years ago to clean up decades of liberal abuse, Finn now finds himself indicted on charges of covering up for a pornographer priest."
Nice one . . . That's just straight up clever.
Still . . . At the end of the day political parlor games and the loose connections of a really great writer can't justify the sins of so many who lead The Catholic Church.
In order to desperately search for some level of moral equivalence, Cashill almost succeeds in his comparison of the rhetorical antics of a Dead Tree institution rising to the same level of a (Priest Sex Abuse Hot Mess) controversy that threatens the very idea of the existence of a Deity in and of itself. Almost.
Jack Cashill could find a conspiracy in a pizza ad.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the media was complicit in blowing up Pan Am 103!
What an irrelevant joke.
Personally, I agree with Cashill. I'm not a Catholic or a conservative, but one doesn't need to be Catholic or conservative to see that the KC Star editorial board's repeated attacks on Bishop Finn are little more than a witch hunt. They smelled blood in the water, so they went after him with the belief that if they stirred up enough passions over his handling of the Ratigan case, the Catholic Church might relieve him from his post.
ReplyDeleteHere's the problem I have with the editorial board's argument. In the past, there have been several cases around the Kansas City area of teachers who have sexually abused, or at least taken advantage of their positions, to have sex with children in their classes. The KC Star's editorial board seldom even addresses these cases. I have never seen the editorial board suggest that they head Superintendent of the school districts involved be indicted. Yet, they went right after Bishop Finn, calling for him to be indicted, or to resign, and it is basically the same thing.
Why does the KC Star editorial board pull no punches when going after a conservative institution such as the Catholic Church, but barely cover a similar sex abuse case in an area school district? I'll tell you why, school districts are made up of liberal teacher's unions, and the KC Star's editorial board is made up of a bunch of liberals (with one notable exception).
The bottom line is that the KC Star has demonstrated a double standard when it comes to their coverage of the Catholic Church. In the view of this non-Catholic, independent, it appears to be driven by liberal hatred of a conservative institution, and blatantly anti-Catholic agenda.
Where is your argument? Besides calling Cashill a "conspiracy theorist" and smearing this priest with the sins of others, you make no point, which is to say you have no point. This country is not yet Cuba, a fact you probably lament, but what it means is that people are still innocent until proven guilty and you can't convict one person with the sins of others. Cashill does his homework and makes solid arguments, backed with facts. All you are capable of is ridicule backed by... nothing. Get a clue.
ReplyDeleteCashill is a first class nut who should be shunned by thinking individuals until he seeks psychiatric help.
ReplyDeleteCashill is nothing but a shill for the Catholic hierarchy on both sides of the state line. I stopped listening to his crap when he was on Kansas City Week in Review years ago.
ReplyDeleteHe is only giving voice to the typical behavior of the Catholic Church, when they have been caught in a mess: "Everyone is out to persecute us." "We are always blameless and we are ALWAYS right."
Apparently most their flock buy into this and keep throwing money at them. Fools.
He conveniently leaves out the fact that Shawn Ratigan was not one of the "liberal clergy" in the diocese. He was well known to be a conservative priest whose seminary education was at a "conservative" seminary.
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic Church does not produce "Liberal" priests anymore. It is a Fascist organization, and Jack Cashill is one of its storm troopers.
ReplyDeleteThe ignorance of the Catholic knows no bounds.
ReplyDeleteCatholic priests raped at least 10,000 children in the United States over the last 5 decades, but Catholic still think its unfair if Bishop Finn hid another known pedophile last year.
There is no debate that he was told about Ratigan a year before he officially told the police. The only debate is how much he is lying about what he knew.
He should be sent to prison and taught some lessons by the general population.
The rest of us at least know enough to keep children away from Catholics, who have no concern for their welfare, and have tremendous tolerance for pedophiles.
FOr once I agree with a Pat O.
ReplyDeleteJack could have been a great thinker if he didn't fall down the rabbit hole of Gingrich conservatism.
ReplyDeleteLiberals hate not only Christians, and Catholics in particular, but anyone of faith. This is an indication of their own remarkable arrogance. For a liberal to admit a believe in God, or a higher being, would be to concede the point that there is someone, or something of higher intelligence than themselves. They demonstrate their own lack of knowledge by distorting the facts and twisting the truth, as was the point that Cashill makes in pointing out the errors in the stories the KC Star has printed. Then, when someone makes a well thought out and reasoned argument they resort to dismissive name calling, just read the comments above, "Cashill is a first class nut" "Cashill is nothing but a shill", "The Catholic Church is nothing but a fascist organization."
ReplyDeleteIs the Catholic Church perfect? No, I don't think so. It is, after all, an organization made up of people. However, to paint all Catholics, or Christians, or any people of faith, as fascist, is a joke. The vast majority of Catholics in this world are good people, despite the actions of a few pedophiles who hide behind the cloth. Don't mistake me haters! I am not dismissing the actions of Ratigan, or people like him! I'm just saying the majority of Catholics are good people, and the Catholic Church as an organization does a great deal of good in this world. To suggest otherwise is wrong, and smacks of liberal arrogance.
Wow, Anonymous @ 12:20 is a HUGE Catholic Church, child-abuse enabler. Holy cow.
ReplyDelete"Is the Catholic Church perfect? No, I don't think so."
Not perfect?? Have been listening or reading anything? are you not aware of what Ratigan is shown to have been doing with camera and computer? Are you not aware of the centuries, literally, of child sexual abuse within and by members of the church?
The last time the Catholic Church was caught in a pedophile scandal here in the area, they swore "next time we'll turn the perpetrators in." This is that "next time." That's where this law came from that Bishop Finn was accused of breaking--and he did break it, clearly. The timeline of events shows it.
Heads up, anonymous, Liberals don't "hate Christians." Liberals hate sexual abuse and want it stopped, regardless who is doing it.
You forget there are plenty of "Liberals" within the Catholic Church, for that matter.
It is just amazing to me how everything has to be defined along U.S. political "liberal/conservative" lines.
ReplyDeleteYes, liberals hate child sexual abuse. So do conservatives.
Yes, some liberals are atheists. Some conservatives are atheists, too. And some liberals are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc., and some conservatives are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhits, etc.
Life cannot be contained in neat little boxes. And that is part of the wonder and beauty of it all.
Jack Cashill is also a nutcase of the first rank.
ReplyDeleteBut he is correct that the Star's preposterous "Altar Boys" series was a journalistic abomination --- the story of a plaintiff in a lawsuit supported by absolutely nothing else.
The Kansas City Star front-page series by Judy Thomas "The Altar Boys' Secret," contains outrageous claims represented as facts from one person’s recollection of events that allegedly occurred over 30 years ago. As such, the Kansas City Star should be held accountable for journalistic ethics, which is the point of Jack Cashill’s article.
ReplyDeleteTKC states in bold red caps with three exclamation marks that “a theoretical debate over journalistic ethics isn't nearly as important as the very real danger presented by predator priests and the people who enable them”. Cashill’s article does not say anything about if a predator priest exists today and people are enabling them that they should not be brought to justice. Of course they should, everyone would agree and this was not the point of his article.
TKC, Imagine in bold red letters: A STORY FROM A SINGLE SOURCE ABOUT AN ALLEDGED ABUSE OCCURING OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO IS NOT NEARLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE VERY REAL CHILD RAPES OCCURING EVERY DAY RESULTING IN HUNDREDS OF GIRLS FOURTEEN YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER UNDERGOING ABORTIONS EACH YEAR WHICH ARE SUBSEQUENTLY COVERED UP BY PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND THE STATE OF KANSAS”. Where is the investigative reporting on the hundreds of ongoing child rapes and forced abortions by TKC or The Star? It hasn't been reported on, and FYI, the documents were destroyed by the State of Kansas.
Wow! @ MO Rage - Did you read 12:20's comments all the way through? You said, "12:20 is a HUGE Catholic Church, child-abuse enabler. Holy cow." I hardly think that is the case. Plus, you made 12:20's case by your comments. 12:20 said he was not defending Ratigan. So, I don't know how you jumped to the conclusion that are a "child-abuse enabler." You jumped right to the dismissive name calling that 12:20 was referring to in their post.
ReplyDeleteMy interpretation of 12:20's comments are that the Catholic Church is flawed in many ways, primarily because people are involved, and people are by our very nature imperfect, and flawed. But, 12:20 also points out the foolishness of any argument that would declare the entire Catholic Church as "Fascist organisation" (see the post at 9:11) is to ignore the good work the church does throughout the world, and that there are billions of Catholics everywhere who are good people. To suggest, as PatO does, that we must "keep children away from Catholics, who have no concern for their welfare, and have tremendous tolerance for pedophiles" is over the top. Because of my small business, I have had occassions to meet a number of Catholics throughout the KC area. Most I know are completely outraged by the conduct of Father Ratigan, and by Bishop Finn. The actions of these two individual though, hardly suggests that all Catholics "have no concern for the welfare of children."
Anon 1:19 says "Yes, some liberals are atheists. Some conservatives are atheists,..." - name one conservative that is an avowed atheist. It won't be easy.
ReplyDeleteI would think as much as TKC hates the Star he would have "piled-on", but I guess his liberal side won out.
You are a good boy Jackie. Keep it up.
ReplyDelete... you will be rewarded in Heaven for this and for coming just a little bit closer..... ooooooohhhh.. yeah that's right Jackie! my good, sweet Jackie!... O! O! O! O God! O God!
Thank you my lad, now pull up your knickers and go smile for the camera.
Tony-parkville, setting aside for silly notion that "avowed atheist" is a classic oxymoron, we would have to get into a debate defining "conservative" and "liberal" as well.
ReplyDeleteNow if you want to limit your list to well-known or celebrity "atheists," then I would point to the late Christopher Hitchens, who to me was as much a right-wing nutcase in his own peculiar way as Jack Cashill is in his.
You probably disagree and would call him a left-wing libertarian, which would be ignoring most of the body of the work he left behind.
Hitchens very much believe in, not personal freedom as libertarians like to hide behind, but in the philosophy objectivism of their gury Ayn Rand, who advance a rule of the intellectual elite, of which Hitchens and the like-minded inevitably consider themselves part of, over the rest of us worker bees.
That is a very right-wing concept.
But the larger point, the one you miss, is that both atheists and Christians defy narrow classification according to the U.S. political spectrum of the moment.
They are all over the spectrum, from the late Martin Luther King Jr. and the Berrigan Brothers, to the late Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.
wow. Tony, please read comment @ 12:48 AM. That's the best thing I've seen on this site all week.
ReplyDeleteI find Jack throughly entertaining in just about everything he writes. I even agree with him about 50% of the time. This is, indeed, one of those times.
ReplyDeleteI read his article and then I checked the facts as written by non-Catholic, Todd Graves. His reputation is excellent. Both sides agree with his facts and his time line.
It's unfortunate that this blogger does little more than parrot the KC Star Party-Line. I have come to expect more.
Finn did what no other has done. Turned a priest over to the police prior to any complaint or any accusation of abuse. The total time frame was Nov. 2010 to his arrest in May 2011.
Finn is cleaning things up, but you'll only find mention of it in the Star buried between ads. They have, on occasion, mentioned it, but never with the giant headlines garnered when SNAPs folks make an accusation.
Oh.. and by the way, did you know that SNAPs leader, Clohessy's brother was a pedifile? SNAPs leader knew it, admits knowing it, and didn't report it to authorities, EVER.