[picture from Human Life International]
I watch a lot of Foxnews.com and I am a supporter of people like Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity on most of their political views.
That being said, I was deeply upset at Sean Hannity’s treatment of Fr. Euteneuer who appeared on Hannity and Colmes to confront Sean about his open endorsement of birth control. Not only was Mr. Hannity grossly disrespectful to a Catholic Priest, he was arrogant, ignorant, and completely out of line. The exchange between Mr. Hannity and Fr. Eutenauer clearly demonstrates he has not studied his faith in any real depth or much worse he willingly and openly dissents. If so, he can hardly be called a “Catholic”.
When cornered all Hannity could do was resort to the tired old, “stop-judging-me” bit. He was quick to pull out: “Judge not and you will not be judged.” from Luke chapter 6, verse 37. Sean would have done well to read these passages in context and maybe he wouldn’t have made himself a public fool. We know from Scripture that when “Judge not and you will not be judged” is taught, it does not mean that we cannot criticize or ‘judge’ a persons’ actions and beliefs to be objectively wrong or even objectively sinful. In fact to charitably admonish someone for their sin is a spiritual work of mercy! Sean definitely does not know his Faith and one can judge that with confidence.
Back to what the Bible means by judging. The Bible teaches that we cannot judge someone’s salvation. How do we know this? Take 1 Corinthians 4:5 for example: “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” This is clearly speaking of judgment and salvation. We are not to judge the salvation of men, for this is the work of Christ.
Then there is 1 Cor 5:9-12 which instructs us that we are to judge those within the Church. The commands given here by St. Paul require that we judge the actions of others for he tells us not to keep company with the immoral or greedy. How do we know those that are sexually immoral, greedy, and all the rest unless we judge them to be so? Here are the passages in question:
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you.”
One can go on and on with Bible verses about judging. Either way, it was very clear that this was just a tactic of Mr. Hannity in order to try to divert attention from his sin and attack Father.
Here is the text of the discussion between Mr. Hannity and Fr. Euteneuer. I have added my comments in red.
Colmes: Last Friday, Sean, my friend and partner here took a moment on his radio show to apologize — not for yelling at me the night before — which is what he should have done, but for eating meat during lent. But its not quite the apology that the president of the Human Life International Reverend Thomas Euteneuer wanted. He says that if Sean is seeking penance it should be for his stance on birth control rather than inadvertently eating meat. joining us now is the president of human life international Rev. Thomas Euteneuer. Reverend thanks for being with us tell me what happened and what your issue is with Mr.. Hannity here.
Fr. Euteneuer: Well, the point of the matter is I thought that Sean was doing a little bit of entertainment with the “eating meat on Friday” issue and the real weightier, or should I say the meatier matters of our Faith, he’s wrong on. So he shouldn’t be presenting these kinds of things as entertainment and then neglecting the core truths of our Faith and being in public dissent… (inaudible) …that’s intolerable.
Colmes: Let me ask you this, well known people like Sean who are Catholic and in the public eye… Should they be using their platform, necessarily, to preach the tenets of Catholicism when they are in the media. Is that something that one is obliged to do?
Fr. Euteneuer: No. One is not obliged to do that at all. One is simply obliged not to be a heretic in public. That’s the point. If he doesn’t agree with his Church on that matter he should not be pronouncing on the matter as if he was the authority on that matter. He’s not.
Hannity: Reverend. Let me, let me just say… You call me a hypocrite. You question the depth of my faith. Do you know anything about me and my religious beliefs? And my background religion? do you know anything about me?
[Sean, all Father needs to know is what the Church teaches and what you publicly profess. We know that you support artificial birth control and we know the constant teaching of the Church is that artificial birth control is gravely immoral. You claim that you are Catholic, yet your profession of artificial birth control is against Church teaching. Enough said.]
Fr. Euteneuer: I only see the evidence Sean. I see the evidence of a superficial presentation of one aspect of the faith. I see the… (inaudible)
Hannity: Judge not lest you be judged, Reverend. Maybe you ought to spend a little more time that our Church covered up one of the worst sex scandals and I wasn’t involved in it. And the fact that public people after that are willing to still be Catholic is something you should be applauding. Considering the levels of corruption at the highest levels of the Church was frankly embarrassing to every person
Here is Mr. Hannity pulling out the old “don’t judge me” card in order to make Father the ‘bad guy’ for “judging” him. This is the same strategy many homosexuals use when it is pointed out that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. Clever, but not that clever and unoriginal.
Hannity further tries to deflect attention from himself by attacking the Catholic Church. He states that Fr. Euteneuer should be applauding those that stayed in the Church after the scandal. Hannity fails to realize that our hope is in God and not in man. Anyone who leaves the Church due to the failing of any percentage of the hierarchy simply do not know their faith. We are in the Church for one reason and one reason alone: truth. Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church on the solid rock of Peter. No amount of human sin can take that away from us. Christ will always be present for us in the Eucharist and His grace in the Sacraments. God will be with the Church always, according to His promises.
Rather, Sean, you should be applauding Priests like Fr. Euteneuer who have the guts to publicly stand up for the Christ’s teachings uncompromisingly.
Fr. Euteneuer: Sean I’m just asking you for basic honesty. If you are a member of this Church you profess what the Church believes, if you don’t believe it don’t say anything about it in the public forum and scandalize people, that’s all.
Hannity: You want to ostracize me? You want to excommunicate me? Do you know that I went to a seminary? Do you know that I studied Latin? Do you know that I studied theology? Do you know anything about my background? Anything at all, sir?
What point are you making here, Sean? Are you trying to say you know your Faith well because you went to seminary? Apparently your study of theology was superficial just as Father Euteneuer said. Your beliefs are not the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church. Your public stances are against the constant teaching of the Magisterium, the Popes, the early Church Fathers, and Scripture. Or are you claiming you know better?
Fr. Euteneuer: Its, its not apparent, Sean.
Hannity: Oh, so I’m not a good enough Catholic for you? I’m not a good enough Christian for you?
This is not the point Sean. Father has an obligation to preach, teach, and defend the Faith. He is attempting to point out and correct your sin. And in doing so, he is doing you a favor.
Fr. Euteneuer: No, that’s not the point. If you want to pronounce on Church issues…
Hannity: Judge not lest you be judged Father… the Good Book says that.
Yes, please understand the meaning of the passage you quote. The Jesus, the Apostles and many Saints have judged the actions and beliefs of others to be in error. And in doing so, they have kept the teachings of Christ. For it is a work of mercy to instruct the ignorant.
Father Euteneuer: Okay, well, the point of the matter is that you are a person in the public. If you’re in the public you are going to be criticized for your public views. Okay, you express them and I have the right to criticize them if you are professing you’re Catholic.
Hannity: You specifically took my position on birth control. One of the differences perhaps between you and myself is that I recognize that not everybody else in the world is Catholic and for someone who is deeply, profoundly a believer in life and doesn’t want to see abortion. Understanding that are self control issues for all in society, understanding that people don’t share the Catholic faith. I support that people outside the Church… I would rather… would you not rather they use birth control than abortion, sir?
Fr. Euteneuer: Sean, I just want you to be honest. I just want you to be honest
Hannity: No, no, no, answer that question. Would you rather people that are not in the Catholic Church use birth control rather than have abortion. That’s a simple question.
It is not “either or”, it is “both and”. We should rather wish that people would cease both birth control and abortion.
Fr. Euteneuer: I want people to use self control and you could be preaching that but you’re not.
Hannity: And if they won’t? Well, sir, I say it all the time: I teach my kids not to have sex before their married. That’s my moral job as a parent. But I’m saying for those who don’t share your religious faith: would you rather they use birth control or have abortions? Cause that’s the reality, Father. And if you don’t see that you’re not facing reality.
Fr. Euteneuer: That’s not the reality, Sean. Because birth control leads to abortion.
Hannity: It absolutely is the reality. How many abortions have had legal in this country since Roe V. Wade, sir? Millions of them.
Fr. Euteneuer: 47 million.
Hannity: That’s right
Fr. Euteneuer: But Sean, 60% of women going into abortion clinics are doing it because their birth control failed. So how good is birth control helping to stop abortion?
Hannity: Actually if you want to get technical here the Catholic Church does support a form of birth control, a natural method of birth control, is that not correct sir?
Fr. Euteneuer: Its not birth control Sean, its natural birth regulation and its open to life.
Hannity: Its the same thing, its the same thing to prevent pregnancy, isn’t that true sir?
It is not the same thing. It is as different as anorexia is from dieting. Furthermore, NFP can only be used for a just reason, not simply because a Catholic couple does not want to have a baby.
Fr. Euteneuer: No, that, that… again, I go back to my original point of the depth of your understanding of the issues you’re a cultural Catholic.
Hannity: You know what I’m going to say this. I don’t really care that you’re judging me Father. I really don’t care. But I’m going to tell you this: You know what? With what you’re doing here you are doing more to chase people away from the Church. And I would suggest to you Father, why don’t you work on real important issues instead of superfluous issues? If I eat meat on Friday or you want to call a public figure who is a devout Catholic a hypocrite. Why don’t you work on the corruption in the Church? Why don’t you work on the sex scandal? Why don’t work a change in the attitude that contributed to the atmosphere that allowed a level of corruption that frankly is absolutely morally beyond anything I ever seen in my life for any Church? Why don’t you work on real important issues, sir?
A devout Catholic does not go against Church teaching. You are not a devout Catholic, Sean.
Fr. Euteneuer: I agree with you and how do you know I’m not working on those?
Hannity: What are you doing? I haven’t read an article about that. Have you ever written an article about that instead of taking cheap shots at people that are publicly Catholic?
Hardly a cheap shot Sean. Fr. Euteneuer went on your show and played by your rules to confront you face to face. Again, you are not publicly Catholic, you pubicly claim to be Cathoic while going against the teachings of Christ’s Church.
Fr. Euteneuer: Yeah, go to my web site: Hli.org and you’ll see a lot of criticism of these issues. I’m criticizing you because you’re not consistent. You’re professing to be a Catholic and you are not.
Hannity: And I’m criticizing you… Are you perfect Father? Are you perfect in every way? Have you not sinned? “Ye who is without sin cast the first stone”, I think I read that some where.
Sean, there is a difference from claiming to be perfect and willingly and stubbornly dissenting from Church teaching. While Father Euteneuer is a sinner, you refuse to submit to the teachings of Christ and his Church. A major difference.
Colmes: You guys need a Jew to break this up. But let me ask you this: Would Hannity be welcome at your Church?
Fr. Euteneuer: Sean just be happy I’m not calling you a devil like the other guy…
Hannity: It’s been a heck of night, I gotta tell you.
Colmes: Would Hannity be welcome at your Church, Father?
Fr. Euteneuer: Well, if renounced his belief in birth control and stop professing it publicly.
Hannity: Wait, would you deny me communion?
Fr. Euteneuer: I would.
Hannity: Wow, wow.
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