January 18
Dawn Eden Goldstein, a copy editor with the New York Post, was fired when it was discovered that she ran a pro-life website in her spare time. In an interview with Gilbertmagazine, Goldstein claimed that chief copy editor Barry Gross told her, “Some people already think the Post is conservative, and we don’t need New York readers also thinking it’s a Christian paper and that there are Christians working here.” She was fired two days later, after she edited a story to include the fact that “in-vitro fertilization routinely results in the destruction of embryos.”
January 28
Tempe, AZ—Outside an Oregano’s Pizza Bistro in Tucson, AZ was posted a large photograph of Pope John Paul II with a sexually suggestive message, “Chicks dig It,” written underneath. The president of Oregano’s responded to a letter from William Donohue stating that the photo was immediately taken down.
February 15
The Catholic League contacted Hallmark about a greeting card that showed a picture of a nun saying, “I’m so excited about your birthday, I feel like doing a cartwheel.” The inside of the card read, “Oops. Better not. I just remembered it’s ‘No Underwear Day’ here at the abbey.” After being contacted by the Catholic League a Hallmark executive stated that the company would cease further production of the card.
February 17
New York, NY—A fashion show titled “Fashion in Focus” aired on the television station WNYE. In the show, models wearing clothing designed by Mark Montano walked down the runway in crowns of thorns and held their hands in prayer. Two of the models made the sign of the cross upon reaching the end of the runway.
March 17
South Florida—Several shopping malls renamed the Easter Bunny “Peter Rabbit” or “Garden Bunny” so as not to refer to a Christian holiday.
March 25
Scott Bloch, the head the Office of Special Counsel, came under attack again from the left-wing non-profit group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). His offense? Hiring three graduates from the Ave Maria law school. Jeff Ruch, the director of PEER, attacked Bloch on a National Public Radio show hosted by Bob Garfield. Ruch had previously stated that “Scott Bloch’s personnel practices are taken straight from the Da Vinci Code rather than the civil service manual.”
April 17
A non-Catholic put what he claimed was a Host consecrated by Pope John Paul II up for auction on eBay. eBay officials initially defended the decision to allow the auction to continue, but later changed their policy and labeled the Eucharist off-limits for sale.
After complaints by the Catholic League, league members, and much media attention, the seller voluntarily gave the Eucharist to a priest for proper disposal.
April 26
The Paragon gift catalog featured four kitchen towels with pictures of nuns carrying drinks. The captions on the towels read “Sister Mary Merlot,” “Sister Mary Mimosa,” “Sister Mary Margarita,” and “Sister Mary Martini.” The product description stated that “Fun-loving nuns host happy hour on gentle humored kitchen towels starring sisters of the immaculate concoction.”
May 5
Washington, D.C.—A nun was denied access to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center because she was wearing her habit. A hospital administrator claimed that soldiers could be offended by seeing religious persons on their floor in the hospital.
May 10
The mail-order catalog, Favorites, advertised a night shirt featuring an angry nun holding a ruler with the caption “Sister Mary Menopause.”
June 1
Posted on the website pianoladynancy.com was a picture of three urinals shaped to look like the Blessed Mother. The operator of the website insisted that the photo was of real urinals and refused to take it off her website.
June 15
Indianapolis, IN—Two former editorial writers from the Indianapolis Star sued the paper, claiming it was “consistently and repeatedly demonstrating…a negative hostility toward Christianity.” The lawsuit claimed that the editor and publisher said editorials perceived as proselytizing or containing Christian overtones could not be printed in the paper.
June 24
Chicago, IL—An employee of the Allstate insurance company was fired after a homosexual group complained about a column he wrote for a men’s journal. The article denounced same-sex marriage, but was written at home on private time.
July 6
Treks Bicycle Corporation ran an ad during the Tour de France that featured three broadcasters identified as Bob Roll, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherman. All of them were depicted holding scratch-off tickets. Roll had a statue of the Blessed Virgin and two votive candles, but unlike Sherman and Liggett, he didn’t win a prize. Roll opined that “All my mojo, juju and voodoo and I get nothing.”
July 18
The Mississippi branch of the Bethany Christian Services adoption agency refused to allow Catholic couples to adopt children from its agency. After intense media pressure, led by the Catholic League, the Bethany’s Mississippi board members voted unanimously to accept applications from Catholic families.
August
Noble Works, Inc., a Hoboken, NJ-based card company, distributes a line of what it calls “outrageous” cards called “Extras.” A good number of the cards mocked Jesus, and one depicted the Holy Family in the manger with a caption above the Blessed Mother that read, “Immaculate Schmaculate. That f***king hurts!” After a Catholic League member registered a complaint with the president of the company, he wrote back saying, “How about we leave my silly cards aside for a little while and go examine some of your priest ‘private’ lives and practices?”
August 3
Augusta, GA—A sign outside a bar stated “CATHOLIC SCHOOLS HAVE THE BEST SEX EDUCATION.” Catholic League member Mel Le Pan fought back, putting out a news release voicing his objection to the sign. After a local news station covered the story, the sign was removed.
September 3
The company T-Shirt Hell sells shirts that are offensive to Catholics, gays, blacks, women, immigrants, Native Americans, Jews and the handicapped. Some of the most offensive shirts that attack Catholicism include:
* “Mary Was Only A Virgin If You Don’t Count Anal.” The shirt has a picture of Mary holding a Scared Heart of Jesus, with her finger to her lips.
* “ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG.” This shirt shows an old Pope John Paul II flashing a rock-and-roll hand gesture.
* “JESUS DID IT FOR THE CHICKS!” This shirt has a drawing of a crucified Jesus giving the thumbs-up gesture.
* “MOTHER F—-ING TERESA.”
* “CATHOLIC BOYS start much too early.” The picture shows a priest standing behind an altar boy.
* “Molested by a NUN.” The word priest is crossed out and NUN is stamped in as a replacement.
September 19
Elder-Beerman department stores (a division of Bon-Ton Stores) removed an offensive t-shirt after the Catholic League wrote the chairman of the company. The shirt in question featured the phrase “Who Can Resist a Catholic Girl” encircled by Rosary beads.
October 5
The Philadelphia Inquirer ran an advertisement by the law firm Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Schleifer, Weinstein & Winkler seeking victims of sexual abuse, but only victims of priests. The ad read: Legal Counsel to VICTIMS OF PRIEST SEXUAL ABUSE.
October 12
Two doctors were sued because a woman claimed that they violated California’s anti-discrimination laws. On religious grounds, the doctors refused to artificially inseminate the lesbian. The Superior Court ruled that the doctors could not use religious grounds as a defense. The California Medical Association first backed the doctors but later changed its position after a gay group complained.
December 5
An obscene ad for a statue of the Virgin Mary was accidentally published by a Catholic magazine. The statue, “Extra Virgin,” was the work of an admitted enemy of the Catholic Church from England. It showed the Virgin Mary standing atop a serpent wearing a delicate veil of latex.
