The following letter appeared in the April 4, 2006, issue of Flagpole in response to the commentary on The Da Vinci Code:
The Da Vinci Code?
Whether or not we want to accept it, we live in a world where people are singled out and discriminated against because of, well, anything that separates one from the herd. This includes race, sex and belief systems.
On one level, The Da Vinci Code is an entertaining yarn. It is also a nasty attack on Christianity and Catholicism in particular. I believe this is a large part of its appeal, red meat to anti-Catholic bigots.
In his comments [“Fodder for Thought,” Mar. 22], Old Smiley rejects the defensive posture of groups like the Catholic League. Like the NAACP, the Catholic League was formed in response to oppression. You may wonder, didn’t Catholic discrimination go away with signs that read “Irish need not apply?”
Until very recently, when they were forced to act otherwise, the U.S. Senate Democrats blatantly sited Catholicism in their reasoning to reject out of hand candidates for the federal bench. The State of California dropped the statutes of limitations requirements for people wanting to sue the Catholic Church under allegations of abuse. There have been law suits filed for allegations of misconduct going back to the 1930s. Where does one get witnesses and how does one defend themselves against a 70-year-old charge? This is the reason for statutes of limitations.
Locally, I know a gentleman who was fired from his job when his supervisor was transferred. His new boss didn’t trust Catholics because of the Sacrament of Confession and said in private that she would never hire another Catholic.
I get the subtle response of people who find me anachronistic and quaint. I have had acquaintances suddenly grow cold and disappear after finding out that my faith is important to me. Apparently being a fallen-away Catholic is politically correct. I have been accosted so many times that I am surprised when I don’t get a negative response. There is so much disinformation about Roman Catholicism, especially propagated by secular humanists.
If you are thinking that perhaps I should just keep my faith a secret and this would solve some of these reactions, you might have a point. I would ask you how private do you keep the important things in your life… do you share politics, music, philosophy? I would want you to understand that it is through the light of faith that I encounter the world. This is real to me. Everything is impacted by my understanding of creation and my relationship with God. If you are an adherent to a religion I am sure you understand. Otherwise I ask for tolerance and perhaps even respect for the beliefs that created Western civilization.
As for “Old Smiley?” Sir, I don’t think you get it. The Da Vinci Code? What is a casual choice for some is filled with angst and foreboding for others. There will be plenty of other films to see. Will you support this outrage, or will you increase peace by personally choosing a film that entertains, and not entertainment wrapped in hate?
I happened to meet this Terry Stewart once. He's a prolific and hardcore Knights of Columbus type. Several of his letters have appeared in the Banner-Herald and the Flagpole. You should take this little attack in stride.
2 comments:
The following letter appeared in the April 4, 2006, issue of Flagpole in response to the commentary on The Da Vinci Code:
The Da Vinci Code?
Whether or not we want to accept it, we live in a world where people are singled out and discriminated against because of, well, anything that separates one from the herd. This includes race, sex and belief systems.
On one level, The Da Vinci Code is an entertaining yarn. It is also a nasty attack on Christianity and Catholicism in particular. I believe this is a large part of its appeal, red meat to anti-Catholic bigots.
In his comments [“Fodder for Thought,” Mar. 22], Old Smiley rejects the defensive posture of groups like the Catholic League. Like the NAACP, the Catholic League was formed in response to oppression. You may wonder, didn’t Catholic discrimination go away with signs that read “Irish need not apply?”
Until very recently, when they were forced to act otherwise, the U.S. Senate Democrats blatantly sited Catholicism in their reasoning to reject out of hand candidates for the federal bench. The State of California dropped the statutes of limitations requirements for people wanting to sue the Catholic Church under allegations of abuse. There have been law suits filed for allegations of misconduct going back to the 1930s. Where does one get witnesses and how does one defend themselves against a 70-year-old charge? This is the reason for statutes of limitations.
Locally, I know a gentleman who was fired from his job when his supervisor was transferred. His new boss didn’t trust Catholics because of the Sacrament of Confession and said in private that she would never hire another Catholic.
I get the subtle response of people who find me anachronistic and quaint. I have had acquaintances suddenly grow cold and disappear after finding out that my faith is important to me. Apparently being a fallen-away Catholic is politically correct. I have been accosted so many times that I am surprised when I don’t get a negative response. There is so much disinformation about Roman Catholicism, especially propagated by secular humanists.
If you are thinking that perhaps I should just keep my faith a secret and this would solve some of these reactions, you might have a point. I would ask you how private do you keep the important things in your life… do you share politics, music, philosophy? I would want you to understand that it is through the light of faith that I encounter the world. This is real to me. Everything is impacted by my understanding of creation and my relationship with God. If you are an adherent to a religion I am sure you understand. Otherwise I ask for tolerance and perhaps even respect for the beliefs that created Western civilization.
As for “Old Smiley?” Sir, I don’t think you get it. The Da Vinci Code? What is a casual choice for some is filled with angst and foreboding for others. There will be plenty of other films to see. Will you support this outrage, or will you increase peace by personally choosing a film that entertains, and not entertainment wrapped in hate?
Terry Stewart
(http://flagpole.com/Weekly/Letters/TheDaVinciCode/2006-04-05)
I happened to meet this Terry Stewart once. He's a prolific and hardcore Knights of Columbus type. Several of his letters have appeared in the Banner-Herald and the Flagpole. You should take this little attack in stride.
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